The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued new guidelines on how to cope with unruly youngsters suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The disorder affects 365,000 children in Britain, and youngsters with ADHD are easily distracted, forgetful and have difficulty keeping still.

Doctors have prescribed Ritalin — which can cause insomnia, weight loss, nausea and an erratic heartbeat — to 37,000 children, but NICE says parents should instead be taught how to create a structured home environment, encourage attentiveness and deal properly with misbehaviour.

NICE — which examines the cost-effectiveness of particular treatments by the NHS — said drugs still remain the first option for children over five with severe ADHD, but only as part of a broad treatment plan.

“Quite commonly, people tend to revert to offering methylphenidate or atomoxetene…because the child has got what appears to be ADHD and that’s what’s available,” said Tim Kendall — the joint director of the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health which assisted NICE in framing the new guidelines.

“Its easier to prescribe a drug when other options like parent training programmes are not available,” he added.

The ADHD charity ADDISS questioned the new guidelines.

“Parenting programmes are extremely important, but they need to be specific for ADHD. The ones that NICE are recommending were designed for the parents of children with conduct disorder, which is completely different from ADHD,” said ADDISS chief executive Andrea Bilbow.

This post is from: Life With ADHD.

New British Ritalin Usage Advice

This post is from: Life With ADHD.

ADHD Child Bill of Rights

The study examined stigmatization of Asthma, ADHD, and Depression. Surveys were administered to 1,318 children and adolescents ages 8 to 18 years old. The participants were randomly assigned to depression, ADHD, or asthma conditions and were presented with a vignette about a peer with one of the conditions.

The Conclusion of the Study

Respondents were more likely to make negative attributions about peers with ADHD and depression versus asthma, particularly regarding the likelihood of antisocial behavior and violence.

Other resources about the stigma surrounding ADHD:

Overcoming the ADHD Stigma - Parents Universal Resource Experts (Sue Scheff) ADDitude Magazine on ADD/ADHD. An expert psychologist shares his secrets for fighting ADD ADHD stereotyping in children and adults. read more digg story.

The ADHD Stigma - According to a study reported in Science Daily, nearly twenty-five percent of the 1134 parents in the study reported that they would not like their children to be friends with a child with ADHD. These parents then went on to say that …

Overcoming the ADHD Stigma - Steven Hinshaw, Ph.D., shares his secrets for fighting stereotyping.

This post is from: Life With ADHD.

Study Examines Stigma Associated with ADHD

For the nearly 2 million parents of American children diagnosed ADHD, Adderall, Strattera and Ritalin are household names - familiar and well-documented treatments for ADHD symptoms. Natural ADHD treatments like neurofeedback, working-memory treatment and omega-3 fatty acids may be less recognizable, but are they any less effective in combating distractibility and impulsivity? (more…)

This post is from: Life With ADHD.

Free Guide to Alternative ADHD Treatment Plans

According to the survey conducted by Information Solutions Group on behalf of PopCap Games, “casual” video games appear to lessen symptoms of ADHD by increasing attention span, providing stress relief, and improving memory strength and focus. Moreover, because of the increased sense of accomplishment experienced in playing the games, survey respondents reported enjoying this form of therapy.

Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a Stony Brook, New York-based psychologist of 25 years’ experience comments, “It seems that children with AD/HD often lack that sense of control that comes much more easily to their non-AD/HD peers. Playing casual games such as Peggle and Bejeweled, among others, is one area in their lives in which these children can experience some sense of control with the added benefit of achieving success in something. Both of these aspects, taken together, can serve to enhance the child’s self-concept and self-esteem.” (more…)

This post is from: Life With ADHD.

ADHD Kids Find Relief in Video Games Study Claims

* Attention span

* Impulse control

* Hyperactivity (sometimes)

ADD/ ADHD is a chronic disorder that can begin in infancy and extend through adulthood, having negative effects on a child’s life at home, school, and within the community. It is conservatively estimated that 5-10% of our school-age population is affected by ADD ADHD. Establishing the proper learning environment at home can make all the difference for both you and your child.

Try these great ways to help enhance your child’s learning journey. They work!

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This post is from: Life With ADHD.

7 Steps Toward Creating the Best Learning Environment for Your ADD/ ADHD Child

Teach your child how to make friends by making and keeping friends yourself. Besides, the children of their parents’ friends are often natural choices for friends for children.

So have a friendly home and invite people over often. Be hospitable to other children, especially children with interests similar to your child’s - turn-taking, tracking conversations, and cooperating come more easily when children are involved in something interesting.

2. Teach small talk

Give your ADD/ADHD child specific instructions on how to make good conversation: don’t give one-word answers to questions (always answer plus something relevant), ask others about their interests, listen when they talk, if that is not possible pick up another thread from the same conversation, be positive (talk about happy things and don’t complain too much).

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Teaching Social Skills to the ADHD Child

You don’t need to be a scientist to know that areas with lots of greenery seem to calm ADHD children down, though scientific studies have shown this to be true. If you have a proper park or zoo nearby - not just a few square meters of grass surrounded by concrete - go there everyday with your kids (but even the patch of grass is better than nothing). If the park or zoo or picnic area is more than an hour’s drive away, go at least once a week.

These places are probably the only areas ADHD children can be their natural selves without having others get irritated with them. Some ADHD adults remember times trekking or fishing with their parents as the only time they got to bond with them.

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This post is from: Life With ADHD.

Managing the ADD/ADHD Child in Public

The article didn’t mention his Attention Deficit Disorder until the very end of the article. Here’s a quote from the article:

“Anderson, who also has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, made light of the negative messages he heard as he grew up.

For example, the teachers used to tell him that he was always daydreaming.

“Today it’s called visioning,” he said.

Growing up, he wasn’t able to focus on any one project at a time.

“Today it’s called multi-tasking,” Anderson said. ”

Article: ‘Famous Dave’ Didn’t Start That Way

This post is from: Life With ADHD.

Famous Dave’s - Famous ADDer

http://www.adhdexpertsoncall.com/

Here’s a little Ty trivia. Did you know Ty’s mom is a licensed psychologist?

A quote from her site, http://www.psychology.am/:
“Dr. Yvonne V. Pennington is a licensed psychologist, ADHD and Depression Therapy Specialist, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor, registered play therapist / supervisor, and certified sandplay therapist. With 30 years experience she is able to assist couples, families and individuals to effectively change behavior. Particularly skilled with ADD / ADHD (attention deficit disorder / attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) children and adults, she works with both kids groups and ADHD adult individuals to facilitate behavior management changes and positive role modeling.”

This post is from: Life With ADHD.

Ty Pennington to Man the ADHD Hotline