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November 29, 2006
Running Myths about ADHD
Living with ADHD all of my life has led me to research daily about what can possibly cause it, what can help ease the symptoms and what can “cure” it. Most of these things are “myths”. They are misconceptions that people assume about ADHD and some are just ways to earn money from disparate parents willing to try just about any thing to help their children over come the hurtles that ADHD has thrown in their paths. Here are a few of the myths that I have found with a simple explanation on why they are incorrect but, there are many more that are not listed.
1. Children with ADHD are just not disciplined enough at home. With ADHD, the brain makes it difficult for children to control their behavior. Researchers have been unable to find the exact cause of ADHD, but they have discovered a distinct change in the size of the brain and the activity in the children with ADHD. Children with ADHD are some times labeled as “bad” but that could not be farther from the truth.
2. Stimulant medications will stunt a child’s growth. Stimulants may have an effect on some growth, but more recent studies reveal that the effects on growth are only a temporary. Children that take stimulants through out adolescence will ultimately grow to their normal, expected height.
3. Herbs and vitamins can treat ADHD. Many of us have heard the stories and advertisements “We have found the “MIRACLE CURE” for ADHD. These methods that I have listed have not been proven in any scientific studies;
• Any anti-motion-sickness medications used to treat the inner ear
• Candida yeast infection treatments
• Optometric vision training (asserts that fautly eye movement and sensitivities cause the behavior problems)
• EEG biofeedback
• Mega-vitamins and mineral supplements
4. Eating too much sugar causes ADHD. There is not research that supports that sugars can or does cause ADHD. In fact, it’s unlikely that sugar affects the size of a child’s brain at all.
5. ADHD doesn’t co-exist with other conditions. Most children with ADHD have at least on co-existing condition. The most common co-existing conditions are the following:
• Conduct disorders; about 35% of ADHD children have some sort of oppositional conduct disorder. They tend to loose their temper easily, defiant and/or are hostile toward authority figures.
• Mood disorders; around 18% of children with ADHD have mood disorders. Mood disorders are more frequent with children with inattentive and combined types of AHD.
• Anxiety disorders; Anxiety disorders affect about 25% of ADHD children because they have difficulty functioning because of extreme feelings for worry or fears.
• Learning disabilities such as reading and math. Adhd is NOT a learning disability it’s self. But, it is common adjunction to other learning disabilities.
6. Only hyper children have ADHD. Even though hyperactivity is the most common symptom of ADHD, some children suffering from it may not be hyperactive. ADHD has three different subtypes;
• Predominantly Inattentive – Children who fit into this subtype may not be hyperactive, but still suffer from ADHD.
• Predominantly Hyperactive*Impulsive-Usually cannot wait turns, blurts out answers, feels restless and fidgets and squirms around in chairs often.
• Combined – The most common of all three.
7. Children that take ADHD medications are more likely to take drugs as teenagers. Most ADHD people are naturally more impulsive and more likely to take risks; patients that take stimulants to treat ADHD are actually at a much lower risk to use illegal drugs.
8. Children will outgrow ADHD. Children with ADHD can and do grow up to be successful adults, if they are taught to develop their strengths and structure their environments along with proper medications when needed. In many cases, careers with high-paced, high-energy behavior patterns can be a huge asset for both the ADHDer and the employer.
9. Ritalin “cures” ADHD. Ritalin is one of the most common forms of treatment for ADHD. It is helpful for children in the areas of focusing and hyperactivity, but it does not “cure” ADHD. There is no cure for ADHD.
10. ADHD children will not succeed in their adult life. That cannot be further from the truth. Many famous artist, politicians and scientists have ADHD. I have surfed the internet to get a list of well known house hold names with ADHD. Here is a short list.
• Bill Gates
• Benjamin Franklin
• Jack Nicholson
• Emily Dickinson
• Robert Frost
• Zsa Zsa Gabor
• John F. Kennedy
• Abraham Lincoln
• Elvis Presley
• Mozart
• Joan Rivers
• Robin Williams
• Ty Pennington
• Frank Lloyd Wright
• Wright Brothers
• Tennessee Williams
• Sylvester Stallone
• Vincent Van Gogh
• Winston Churchill
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Thomas Jefferson
• Socrates
• Albert Einstein
• Alexander Graham Bell
• Benjamin Franklin
• Henry Ford
• Pable Picasso
• Jim Carey
• Whoopie Goldberg
• Steven Spielberg
• Dustin Hoffman
• Anthony Hopkins
• Alfred Hitchcock
By: Margo Richter 11/29/2006
Sources: American Medical Association; American Academy of Pediatrics, http://www.discoverthefacts.com
Posted by margo1 at 09:02 PM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2006
On Line Counseling for ADHD
Parenting a child with ADHD can be challenging at times. Now days, most parents run into the same problem “not enough hours the day”. Some times there are question some forget to ask when they are visiting their child’s doctor or questions that come up when the doctor is not available. So, many parents turn to internet to research and get more information about certain issues left out or forgotten while in the doctor’s office. Now, there is an easier way for parents to get licensed counselors and other professionals to assist those concerning children with ADHD, or other issues that people might be faced with. There are several web sites on the internet that offer on line counseling, but Kasamba, Expert Advice on Line this is one of the most versatile that I have found. Kasamba was founded in 1999 and has grown into a cornerstone of over 30,000 professionals waiting to help people in need.
Parents might find it so much easier to fit into their busy schedules because it offers a real time chat, offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week right in the privacy of their own home at http://www.kasamba.com/. Parents can choose from either live chat or email counseling sessions. Kasamba’s online counseling service is very reasonably priced from $20.00 to an hour and up for either the live chat or the email service. Each live chat has When using the live chat the first few minutes of all sessions are completely free of charge. This is to make sure the the topics of your concerns and a price that suits your budget is agreed upon before the session begins. Once a session is underway, and the ongoing counseling is chosen (which most people do), remember which counselor is chosen so the same professional is used each time. Or, if preferred, a single session with a counselor just for guidance for a single matter, that is fine too.
Kasamba offers some thing else that traditional face to face counseling doesn’t a completely anonymous and secure platform. They have a completely private and confidential/private online setting that is totally anonymous. You can use any user name you want. Payments are made over a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection for credit card use. So, now parents that are trying to reach out for help, they will be able to reach to licensed counselors for the most accurate advice about ADHD.
Source: http://www.kasamba.com
By: Margo Richter
Posted by margo1 at 08:41 PM | Comments (0)
Common Disorders that Co-Exist and Mimic ADHD
With ADHD life can be very stressful and seem like walking through a maze with out a map at times. There are many studies that have found that there are many other conditions that co-exist or even mimic ADHD. Life stresses can cause some of the same symptoms of ADHD, as well. Situations that are life altering such as moving to a new town and/or school, traumatic experiences, any form child abuse, the death of a loved one, divorce and even the birth of a sibling. These circumstances usually appear suddenly and would not normally have any long-term effects. ADHD symptoms have to be present for over 6 months, and for the most part, cause troubles earlier than the age of six.
It is imperative that the diagnosis be conducted by a medical professional who is trained in wide variety of child and adolescent disorders. Having the right professional that can evaluate and diagnose the different mental health conditions such as those listed below can be the outcome of AD/HD, in addition to AD/HD, or mistaken for AD/HD.
Disorders That Commonly Co-Occur With AD/HD
Anxiety – Extreme worrying about things that occur frequently and that are difficult to control. The symptoms include feeling restless or on edge, easily drained, easily distracted, irritability, tension, and sleep disorders.
Depression – With AD/HD you might see a form of depression called dysthymia. Dysthymia is when a person has a depressed mood for many days, with over or under eating, has drastic sleeping patterns, unexpected changes in energy levels, low self-esteem and a feeling hopelessness.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) –Many of the symptoms of ODD include quick to loose of temper, constant arguing (particularly with adults), disobeys rules, deliberately tries to annoy peers and adults, not accepting responsibility for own actions; blaming others. (Some of these symptoms can disappear with AD/HD treatments.)
Learning Disabilities – Many problems with mathematics, reading or writing. Commonly, when taking standardized tests, the child’s ability or intelligence is significantly higher than his or her achievement. Underachievement is generally considered age-inappropriate.
Conduct Disorder (CD) – Behaving in a way that is persistently violating the basic rights of others. Some of these behaviors include aggression toward people and animals, destruction of property, honesty or steeling, not following rules and even a possibility of criminal problems.
Sources: www.webmd.com; www.helpguide.org; www.keepkidshealthy.com
By: Margo Richter
Posted by margo1 at 08:28 PM | Comments (1)
Anxiety During Pregnancy Increases ADHD Risk
Many women experience stress and anxiety during their pregnancy. Certain amounts of anxiety during pregnancy are inevitable, there is growing evidence that high levels can affect children long after birth.
One study shows prominate links between maternal anxiety levels during the early stages of pregnancy and a child's susceptibility to ADHD when he or she is older. Including smoking during pregnancy and low birth weight, the mother's current stress level is stronger than any other predictor of behavioral problems during childhood.
A condition know as "fetal programming hypothesis" is a theory that suggests at different points through out a pregnancy the environmental exposures to the fetus can influence brain development, which, in turn, can impact future mental health of a child.
In this study performed in 2004, Dr. Van den Bergh and colleagues from Belgium's Catholic University of Leuven monitored over 65 mothers and their children from pregnancy through out early childhood. They gave the mothers questionnaires to complete designed to measure their anxiety levels throughout their pregnancies, and the children were assessed for ADHD and other behavioral disorders between the ages of 8 and 9. The findings were remarkable. The anxiety levels during the 12th and 22nd week of pregnancy were strongly linked to ADHD in the children.
SOURCES: Van den Bergh, B.; vol 75. Bea Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, Peter Nathanielsz, PhD, MD, www.webmd.com
By: Margo Richter
Posted by margo1 at 08:25 PM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2006
Discipline Made Simple; The EasyChild
Many parents that have children with ADHD usually seek out different products and/or books to help with the disciplining their children. Most of the time the products are ineffective, costly and with the appearance of preying on the parents in a sometimes, desperate state of mind. But, that is all about to change. There are a lot of people talking about marble systems and token systems and how well they really have worked. The reasoning behind that is simple. ADHD children need to have a “hands on”, consistent behavior plan.
They need to see exactly what to expect and participate in the discipline. There is a new computer program created by Leland J. Ancier, President of the Home Encourage Company, called The EasyChild. This program is a fantastic tool, easy to use and also small so it doesn’t take up a lot of your computer’s hard drive.
When I first visited their website I was a bit skeptical. I downloaded the software and was taken by surprise. At the first glance of the program I was hooked. It takes a huge portion out of inconsistency problems that most parents have, even if no one in the house hold is ADHD. And it will grow with your family and has both an allowance chart and a token chart.
It’s a great tool to have and use. It takes little to nothing to set it up and tailor it to each child of any age. All you have to do is enter your Family’s Name and your child/children’s name. Then with a simple click on the “Points sheet” icon or “Token” icon, a window will open and have a PRE-made chart already set up for you. If you want to change a behavior task or an Incentive, all you have to do is right click and choose to add, delete or edit and it will open a small view window.
Then just enter the task that you want to add, and click “OK”, the process is the same when entering or changing the point system and allowance behavior incentive. EasyChild will even generate reports at the click of your mouse, so you can see the areas in need of work and patterns of behavior that should be addressed. As if that isn’t enough, once you set it up, you can print it out and use as a weekly guide for your children to have a reminder to check off as he or she accomplishes a task.
The information that is filled out on the printed sheet can be entered into your computer and will only take about 5 minutes or less to do. This is probably one of the best ways to keep a handle on things for the entire house hold that I’ve seen. I think it’s a great tool kit, and I’m sure the other parents will feel the same way. The NC Times says “EasyChild uses positive reinforcement to give both parent and child what they want: good behavior and rewards". It is defiantly some thing that would be of great use to any house hold.
To order a copy of Easy Child Click Here
Posted by margo1 at 06:57 PM | Comments (0)