Key Challenges for Youth with ADHD During the Pandemic
What have researchers learned about the key challenges for youth with ADHD during the pandemic? In this update on recent research, the first study focused on the top problems for adolescents and young adults with ADHD. The concerns that came up the most were social isolation, problems with remote learning engagement, difficulties with motivation, and…
Read MoreWhat Does It Take to Become an Adult?
The adult world is often more difficult to enter and navigate for those with ADHD. That’s because the process of adulting requires planning, time management, organizing, sticking to boring tasks, and other executive functioning skills. If that isn’t tough enough, then add a global pandemic to the struggle. Yes, during the past few years, unemployment…
Read MoreWhat the Pandemic Taught Us About Students with ADHD
A NUMBER OF PARENTS have remarked to me that as a result of being stuck in the same space as their school-aged children for several months, they have come to the conclusion that their kids have ADHD. My first reaction is to grin as I think to myself, “Not so easy, is it?” But then I…
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Challenges in ADHD Care for Children of Color
PART TWO
Melvin Bogard, MA, interviews Roberto Olivardia, PhD Children of color who have ADHD often experience barriers to receiving mental health care. Stigma regarding ADHD persists and prevents many of these children from receiving the supports they need. It is critically important for educators and healthcare professionals to be transcultural when providing care and education. And…
Read More2021 CHADD Awards
During the Virtual International Conference on ADHD in November, CHADD presented the following awards in addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Maureen Gill (see Attention’s October 2021 issue, page 36). Congratulations to all, along with deep gratitude for their dedication to people affected by ADHD. Hall of Fame Award Rick Green Graduating with…
Read MoreThose Lovely ‘Mones: The Intersection of ADHD and Hormones
There has been much discussion lately about the relationship between hormones and ADHD symptoms. The key word here is “discussion” rather than “knowledge.” There are a few tantalizing scientific studies that link hormones with neural connectivity in the ADHD brain and subsequent ADHD symptoms. Their precise influence and mechanisms of action are mostly mysteries yet…
Read MoreMaking Things Easier with Tiny Habits
It’s Thursday night, and the kitchen is a mess. On the edge of the sink, though, is my newest simplification tactic: a box of pre-soaped dishrags. Opening the box, I take one out. Huh. It’s smaller than I expected. I don’t like the smell or the feel. I skeptically eye the sink full of knives…
Read MoreNew 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…
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