The chances are high that at some point in your teaching career, you’ll be asked to fill out an assessment (or many) for students suspected of having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Most diagnoses require observational data of a student’s behaviors in different settings, such as at school and at home. But these observations are subjective and vulnerable to biases.

IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT: ADHD stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In a viral video, clinical psychologist and advocate Umar Johnson claims the American Psychiatric Association added the "H" in ADHD so pharmaceutical companies could sell more medicine and make more money. But that's untrue. Children were being prescribed a stimulant to treat attention disorders even before the term attention-deficit disorder, or ADD, was coined in 1980.

Takeaway: ADHD is a developmental disorder that’s typically diagnosed during childhood. While the symptoms of ADHD may change with age, this condition often persists into adulthood. Rather than intensifying with age, ADHD tends to improve, especially with ongoing treatment and management.

The pandemic’s true toll on mental health won’t be known for a long time, but data from the past two years indicates a rise — some of it sharp — in prescription drugs for conditions like A.D.H.D. and depression.

KEY POINTS: ADHD medications regulate dopamine and norepinephrine in the frontal cortex, the brain area most closely associated with ADHD. When used to treat ADHD, stimulant medications improve cognitive functioning and do not cause euphoria (a "high"). There is misuse of ADHD stimulant medications in the non-ADHD population.

WEDNESDAY, July 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal genetic liability to neurodevelopmental conditions is associated with several pregnancy-related factors previously thought to be associated with those conditions, according to a study published online July 6 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting around 8.8% of children and youth under the age of 17. It’s often characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity (1, 2). Though these symptoms often occur together, not all children will exhibit all three. Many times ADHD can lead to an array of challenges such as low self-esteem, poor academic performance, and difficulty socializing (2). That said, many children with ADHD are interested in participating in sports, which may help mitigate some of these issues.

Binge eating is the most common eating issue for people with ADHD. This article looks at the reasons why and treatments that can help.

Children need to be able to set healthy boundaries to stand up for themselves. For children with ADHD, those boundaries might look different.

If you have ADHD, a service dog can help you maintain attention, release hyperactive energy, and remind you to take medication.