ADHD + COVID-19 = ? What Families Are Telling Researchers
COVID-19 literally turned our lives upside down. Take me, for example: I have worked from home since March 2020. That’s nine months of not seeing colleagues and having to use all of my energy to regulate myself to get my work done at home and keep up with online meetings, all while trying to balance…
Read MorePromoting Resilience Among Children and Teens During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges to children’s lives. These challenges may be more pronounced among children with ADHD given wide disruptions to routine and structure. The same procedures that were introduced to protect us from COVID-19 and contain its spread, could adversely impact the emotional wellness of children with ADHD by limiting social…
Read MoreHelp Your Child with Screen Resistance or Anxiety in Distance Learning
Virtual learning leads to challenging circumstances and struggles for many children and teenagers with ADHD. While some are doing well, others suffer mightily. Despite the hard work of dedicated teachers and loving, committed parents, many students are resisting, avoiding, or shutting down in the face of virtual learning demands. As a family therapist, I have…
Read MoreTen Ways You Can Help Your Child Succeed Socially When They Return to School
The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone other than people who enjoy misery. At this point, though, even they may be getting fed up. One of the hardest hit groups are kids who have ADHD and also struggle with social interaction. In addition to the difficulty in reading faces that wearing masks causes, online…
Read MoreI Don’t Speak to You That Way. Please Show Me Some Respect!
A snarky, criticizing tone is one of the hardest things to tolerate. When it comes from a child, it is easy to see how parents can find it disconcerting. Children and teenagers with ADHD often can’t read the social nuances of body language, facial expressions, mood, or tone of voice. This challenge often results in…
Read MoreADHD and Suicide Risk Factors | Clinical Considerations for TreatmentAsk The Expert
A Tale of Rabbitry… and ADHD
We are an enthusiastic family with several children who have ADHD. Our experience with rabbitry began a few years ago with a sweet brown bunny named Thumper. He lived in a large hutch in our backyard that was handmade with much TLC and an engineer’s precision. John spent hours with each of our kids measuring,…
Read MoreParent ADHD Unmasked
It’s been said: “Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.” And: “Space is what keeps everything from happening to me!” If that’s true, then what if time and space disappear? Yikes! Well, that’s what’s happening. COVID-19 has caused a secondary pandemic of TSDD; that is, Time and Space Deficit Disorder. Parents are…
Read MoreCreate Structure
Balance Your Job and Your Child’s Educational Needs We’ve now entered the fall of the COVID-19 pandemic, following a spring and summer of lockdown and social distancing. Depending on where you live and where your child goes to school, you are likely navigating remote learning or a hybrid approach (such as two days in-person; three…
Read MoreMindfulness, Stress, & Emotion Ask The Expert
Balancing 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,…
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