New Research Shows ADHD Symptoms Can Go Up and Down: What Does This Mean?
The Multimodal Treatment StudY OF ADHD (MTA) was a large study conducted in the 1990s that compared different treatments for children with ADHD to see which was most effective. As part of this research, the elementary school children who joined the study were visited by researchers every two years until they were in their mid-twenties. There…
Read MoreFinding Focus: Attention Training for High Schools
THANKS TO A TEAM OF RESEARCH SCIENTISTS at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the University of Texas, Austin, high school students now have access to a mindfulness-based attention training course designed to increase focus, reduce stress, and help to regulate emotions. The course, Finding Focus, is freely accessible both online and through an…
Read MoreThings to Do By and In Early 2022
Suggestions for College Students and High School Seniors By mid-December, most college students are finishing up finals. High school seniors may be working on end-of-the-year projects and reports or studying for exams. Before 2021 concludes, I believe we should strongly encourage students, their families, and the rest of their support system to stop and celebrate…
Read MoreExecutive Functioning Support for Kids with ADHD
Twelve-year-old Miles has forgotten to turn in his math homework for the second time this week, and he bristles when his frustrated mom asks why. For those of us raising children with ADHD, this is a relatable scenario. Our kids are smart, but distracted; they have the best of intentions, but the worst time with…
Read MoreMyths About ADHD Can Cause Our Early Deaths
There are two meanings to myths. One is warm and fuzzy—traditional stories. The other is deadly—widely held but false beliefs. Certain myths about ADHD contribute to our early deaths. Famed ADHD researcher Russell Barkley, PhD, recently shocked the ADHD world by telling us that people with undiagnosed ADHD die, on average, twelve years earlier than…
Read MoreHonoring Emerging ADHD Researchers
Two outstanding emerging ADHD researchers—Melissa Dvorksy, PhD, and Samantha Margherio, MA—received CHADD’s 2021 Young Scientist Research Awards during the Virtual International Conference on ADHD in November. Several exceptional applications were received for the competition, and these two researchers received the highest marks from reviewers. ADHD experts, including CHADD’s resident expert and members of the organization’s…
Read MoreOptimizing Executive Functions Through Sleep
In the middle of one of the most important processes in my career, I found myself unable to concentrate on my clients. I was going through the process of obtaining a credential through the Professional Association for ADHD Coaches (PAAC), and while I should have been excited and focused, I felt like I was in…
Read MoreAsking Powerful Questions
How to Help Kids Become Independent and Productive Over the years, my tutors and I have homed in on many strategies to help kids with ADHD in school, no matter the area. In math, we’ve taught tricks to learn the multiplication tables and games to master the Pythagorean theorem. For our reluctant writers, we’ve developed…
Read MoreADHD and Social Connectedness
How is ADHD related to social connectedness among youth? What factors may protect against the consequences of low social connectedness among individuals with ADHD? This month’s research brief focuses on these two overarching questions. The first study found that youth with ADHD were more likely to have lower levels of different types of social supports…
Read MoreHow to Say the Right Thing at the Right Time
Often people with ADHD have a history of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Maybe we make a cringe-worthy comment we wish we could immediately take back. Other times we don’t know what to say and we just fumble along. Or we monologue and stumble into inappropriate comments. This history makes us afraid…
Read MoreTOOLS: Teaching Online Organizational and Virtual Learning Skills
TOOLS is a new video series that describes evidence-based strategies for youth with ADHD and their adult supports—parents, caregivers, teachers, and clinicians. These behavioral and organizational strategies are aimed to support learning and academic success for youth with ADHD. Academic success requires ingredients such as planning, organization, persistence toward long-term goals, and the ability to…
Read MoreRaph’s Tale, A Fable About Neurodiversity
Text by Dan Shapiro, MD; illustrations by John Watkins-Chow* Hawk soared high over the river. Down below, he saw a little boat with a funny-looking bird. It was drifting downstream, toward Great Falls. Hawk flew down and perched on the boat. Hawk screeched, “You’re going to kill yourself staying in that tiny tub! Fly away, you…
Read More