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Everything you need to know about ADD/ADHD in the news and media, brought to you by the editors at ADDitude.

posted: Thursday May 30th - 10:14am

When Parents Became a Force for Change

It’s been 50 years since parents stood up for their “learning different” kids and got laws passed to protect them.

Fifty years ago, on April 6, 1963, a group of concerned parents convened a conference in Chicago to discuss a shared frustration: They all had children who were struggling in school, the cause of which was generally believed to be laziness, lack of intelligence, or just bad parenting. This group of parents knew better. They understood that their children were bright and just as...
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posted: Thursday May 23rd - 12:05pm

DSM-V: The Last Word on Mental Health

There are lots of changes in the just-released mental health manual. Find out what they are.

ADHD Manual, Open Book
The new bible of psychiatric diagnosis — the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) — goes on sale today. Used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders, including attention deficit, the manual is the product of more than 10 years of effort by hundreds of international experts in all aspects of mental health. The diagnostic criteria for ADHD are similar...
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posted: Tuesday May 21st - 1:53pm

We're Spending More on ADHD

A new analysis shows that ADHD diagnoses and medication and pharmacy expenses are spiking throughout the U.S.

Graph ADHD increase
New research indicates that spending on ADD and ADHD medications will jump 25 percent in the next three years — faster than any other traditional medication category, including diabetes. According to Express Scripts Drug Trend Report, the spike is largely due to the increasing number of middle-aged adults taking medication and wider diagnosis of the condition throughout the country. Highlights from the report, which gauged the responses...
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posted: Thursday May 9th - 11:39am

Treating ADHD Preschoolers: Many Doctors Don’t Follow the Guidelines

Too many specialists prescribe medication first, instead of behavior therapy.

Preschoolers at Recess, Young Kids
A recent study reveals that more than 90 percent of pediatric specialists who diagnose ADHD in children are not following clinical guidelines developed in 2011 by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The study, conducted by the Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York, surveyed 3,000 physicians specializing in neurobehavioral conditions on how they treated ADHD in children aged four to six, as well as which drugs...
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posted: Wednesday March 27th - 11:05am

ADHD Drugs: No Diagnosis? No Meds, Say Experts

Kids without ADHD should not take stimulants as “study aids."

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has released a paper criticizing the practice, by some physicians, of prescribing ADHD medications to kids who haven’t been diagnosed with ADHD for the purpose of boosting memory and concentration and improving performance on tests. AAN acknowledged that some doctors are engaging in this practice and warned against the ethical and medical implications of doing so. Dr. William Graf, lead author of...
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posted: Monday March 25th - 9:29am

ADHD Meds Cut Down on Criminal Behavior

Post-childhood medical treatment for attention deficit reduces impulsive behaviors.

Older teens and adults with attention deficit are much less likely to commit a crime if they are taking ADHD medication, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. People with ADHD are four to seven times more likely than those without the condition to break the law. The good news is that taking ADHD medications like Ritalin, Adderall, or other stimulants reduced...
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posted: Wednesday March 20th - 6:55pm

Study: ADHD Can Last a Lifetime

Kids with ADHD will likely grow into adults with ADHD—and be diagnosed with another disorder.

A large-population, long-term study done by Boston Children’s Hospital and published in Pediatrics tracked children with ADHD through the time they were adults, and found that one-third of them still had the condition. Many of the same problems children with ADHD experience are seen in adults, says Dr. William Barbaresi, associate chief of developmental medicine at Boston’s Children Hospital. “Those problems play out in the adult...
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posted: Thursday March 7th - 12:20pm

ADHD Shares Links with Four Mental Disorders

What it may mean for those diagnosed with attention deficit.

Scientists have identified genetic links between five major psychiatric disorders -- ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. The study, published in The Lancet, showed that there were specific genetic variants that influence a range of childhood and adult-onset psychiatric disorders, says Jordan W. Smoller, M.D., one of the lead researchers in the study and a psychiatry professor at Massachusetts General Hospital. There was some evidence that there...
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posted: Monday February 4th - 9:53am

"And the Oscar Goes to..." Great Performances in ADHD/LD

Awards for parents and kids with attention deficit...and two DVDs that should be in your library

The entertainment award season is in full swing. The Globes and SAGs came and went and the Oscars are in view. We hand out so much statuary, swag, and kudos to talented actors during the course of a year. What about the rest of us? How about we redirect some of that awards fervor toward parents and kids with ADHD? There could be “best performance in a...
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posted: Wednesday January 23rd - 9:45am

ADHD Diagnosis in Kids Is Increasing

A new study found that boys are three times more likely to be diagnosed than girls.

three grade school boys with asperger's
One thing is for sure: ADDitude readers who raise children with attention deficit are not alone, and seem to have more and more company. A new study of health records conducted by Kaiser Permanente Southern California Medical Group suggests that rates of diagnosis have jumped by 24 percent since 2001. The apparent rise in diagnosis may be explained by increased awareness of the condition among parents...
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