Video Games in Assessing and Treating ADHD
This research update focuses on one overarching question: what is the role of video games in assessments and interventions for ADHD? The first study described is a systematic review of video games for evaluating and treating ADHD, and the second study discussed is a study of a particular computer game to improve impulsivity for ADHD.…
Read MoreKeeping Organized Goes Beyond a Task List
Do you have trouble remembering and keeping tracks of tasks you need to complete? Has anyone ever suggested you use an electronic task list or make a list on paper? Have you tried either of these options without success? You may wonder why you have difficulties with this and wish there was something you could…
Read MoreGoing to College Online with ADHD
Online classes can be even more challenging than in-person classes for college students with ADHD. The lack of immediate structure and feedback often found in such classes can make it so easy to put off the work. Without the daily reminders from being in class and working with other students, they may need to recreate…
Read MoreAdult ADHD and Emotions
Create the Experience That Best Serves You Emotional regulation challenges are common and pervasive with ADHD. These challenges include the more obvious experiences of emotional reactivity: those times when something was said or done that triggered off a spiral of emotion. This can range from the positive, in the form of heightened enthusiasm or attraction,…
Read MoreTeaching Executive Skills in Middle School
The Barriers & strategies protocol In 2019, based on thousands of opinions from community members, parents, teachers, and students, the York Region District School Board in Ontario, Canada, formulated a multi-year strategic plan. While these plans can be difficult to achieve, the board recently piloted a classroom approach that moved both teachers and students in…
Read MoreExecutive Functioning Disorder and Mathematics
Three Strategies to Implement Evan is a likeable fourth grade student who has a lot of friends but struggles in school, especially with math. He was diagnosed with ADHD last year because of his attention-related behavior. Evan thinks he understands the material, but then struggles at home with completing his homework. He feels most defeated…
Read MoreBalancing Virtual and Classroom Learning
How to Keep Kids with ADHD On Track There’s no doubt that the fall of 2020 will be like no other. As parents, we hoped our kids would be sitting at their desks on that first day of school, but the reality is very different. If you’re sad, anxious, disappointed, angry, or feeling any other…
Read MoreLimiting Screen Time During a Pandemic: A Guide for Parents
The COVID-19 lockdown has taken our usually functional (and sometime dysfunctional) dependence on technology as a society to a new level. For example, as a child and adolescent psychiatrist specializing in internet and video game addiction, I have converted my practice to video conferencing. Naturally, with the lack of in-person school, camps, and outdoor activities,…
Read MoreShould My Child Be Evaluated for ADHD During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Many parents may be wondering whether or not their child can be evaluated for ADHD right now, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, many clinicians are currently performing ADHD evaluations, both in person and remotely through videoconferencing. Before deciding whether your child should be evaluated now, and whether an in-person or a remote telehealth evaluation…
Read MoreSupporting Successful Transition to High School
The STRIPES Peer Coaching Program Experts tell us that ninth graders who struggle with ADHD are at an increased risk for failing classes, not finishing school, and a host of other negative outcomes down the road. They also tell us that a number of these students are not being effectively reached at school. In an…
Read MoreI’m Fine, Thank You Very Much!
“My daughter is so sassy! I try to help her make friends, but she will not take my advice.” Many parents of tweens and teens with ADHD struggle as they watch their child ignore overtures of friendship, cling to friends who don’t treat them well, or ignore advice and make mistakes that ultimately leave them…
Read MoreCalming Down and Cooling Off
Help Children with ADHD Learn to Regulate Their Emotions If you have a child with ADHD, you are probably intimately aware of the fact that people with this diagnosis often have trouble managing their feelings. This difficulty is referred to as emotional dysregulation. For clarification, emotions are physical states whereas feelings are the conscious…
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