ADHD diagnosis

What About Girls?

/in /by

There is estimated to be 3 times as many boys than girls with ADHD. This is the case for nearly all developmental disorders including autism, motor disorders, and aggression problems. Like boys, girls with ADHD experience behavioral, academic, and social problems. Unlike boys, however, girls are more likely to become depressed and internally affected by these issues.

Surprisingly, numbers of male and female adults with ADHD are relatively equal. This may be due to the idea that, as with many disorders, adult women tend to be more help-seeking and willing to attend therapy than adult men, leading to an increase in statistics regarding adult females with ADHD. It may also be due to the idea that hyperactivity (more commonly seen in boys) tends to become outgrown quicker than inattentive symptoms (more commonly seen in girls).

Regardless of gender ratios, ADHD is certainly not restricted to males. It is important for girls with ADHD to get help, especially since lack of inhibition and impulse control in childhood can lead to self-injury later in life, which is typically not seen in males.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Hinshaw, S., & Scheffler, R. (2014). The ADHD Explosion. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

ADHD diagnosis

ADHD: How Young is Too Young?

/in /by

An issue arises when considering pre-school aged children for an ADHD diagnosis.

On one hand, a diagnosis is best made as early as possible in order to implement treatment at a young age. Early identification and treatment of ADHD could prevent significant impairment. For example, utilizing behavioral techniques early in school can prevent learning difficulties. But how young is too young for a diagnosis?

When so many children display inattentiveness and hyperactivity, it is sometimes hard to make the distinction between what is typical and what is not. Therefore, a careful assessment of your child is needed. If a child is falsely diagnosed with ADHD, there is a risk of effects from labeling and a risk of giving the child unneeded medication.

According to some professional opinions, it is better to over-diagnose ADHD in order to prevent potential future impairment. With this over-diagnosis, it is also necessary to keep in mind that about half of preschoolers who meet the criteria for ADHD will continue to meet these criteria at the end of elementary school.

Contact Dr. Gordon for a professional assessment of your child:

 Contact Dr. Gordon for a professional assessment of your child. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by: 
Brianna Malinowski , 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Hinshaw, S., & Scheffler, R. (2014). The ADHD Explosion. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

ADHD diagnosis

How Does ADHD Medication Work?

/in /by

Typically, medication is most effective at reducing symptoms of ADHD, while behavioral interventions are effective at resolving social and academic issues. The process of diagnosing ADHD can be a confusing and stressful time, not to mention the confusion regarding how medications work. Keep in mind that a detailed description of this process can fill a book about psychopharmacology and that this is a basic summary of some ADHD treatments.

ADHD is linked to dopamine deficiencies in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or tiny chemical, in the body that is associated with pleasure, rewards, and coordinating and organizing behavior. Neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serve as the messengers between brain cells (neurons). One brain cell releases dopamine, which travels to the neighboring cell. There is some excess dopamine in between the two cells (in the synapse), which is brought back to the original brain cell for use later, in a process called reuptake.

For people with ADHD, the goal is to increase the effects of dopamine on the body. This can be done by preventing reuptake of dopamine with medication. In other words, a cell releases dopamine to its neighboring cell, leaving some excess dopamine between the two cells or synapse. Instead of the excess dopamine being brought back to the first cell, it is left in the space between the two cells. Therefore, the reuptake is inhibited, or stopped. This way, more dopamine is allowed to communicate with the next cell, thus improving symptoms of ADHD.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
Brianna Malinowski
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Hinshaw, S., & Scheffler, R. (2014). The ADHD Explosion. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

ADHD diagnosis

Ways to Cope Without Medication

/in /by

Behavioral interventions alone may be enough to manage behavioral issues of ADD and ADHD; however, combination therapy, in which both behavioral and biological treatment is used, is viewed as most effective.
Here are some types of behavioral interventions that may minimize your struggle with ADD or ADHD:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

Often benefiting adults with ADHD, CBT allows people to recognize their unwanted actions or thoughts and learn to modify them. This technique, proven effective for many psychological interventions, is typically not used for children, as children often need a more direct reward system for motivation.

Direct Contingency Management

For this therapy, trained teachers and/or counselors reward children with ADHD for positive behaviors. This is often done in a classroom or summer program. Our Parent Management Training program teaches parents behavioral strategies to enhance functioning of their child with ADD or to replace oppositional defiant behaviors.

ADD/ADHD Coaching

This is an effective intervention for children with ADD/ADHD. Coaches provide education to parents and individuals with ADD/ADHD regarding the facts and management of ADHD. ADD/ADHD teens and adults or parents are taught to set goals, prompt and measure desired behaviors, give rewards for behavior, remove rewards for misbehavior, help develop environmental accommodations and develop appropriate compensatory strategies.

Social Skills Groups

Children with ADHD may benefit from a group setting in which social skills such as cooperation and teamwork are rewarded by a group facilitator. The behaviors learned in this group setting can then be applied to other environments.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
Brianna Malinowski
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Hinshaw, S., & Scheffler, R. (2014). The ADHD Explosion. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

 

ADHD diagnosis

ADD Students – Homework and ADHD

/in /by

Tips for Assisting ADD Students / Students with ADHD

  • Organizing information and note taking: Students with ADD / ADHD require extra assistance to organize and prioritize their homework. At home, parents can help organize and prioritize assignments and record important dates onto a home calendar.
  • Providing a quiet environment for ADD Students: Make sure that the homework environment is quiet with minimal distractions.
  • Maintaining a routine: Routine brings order and order assists in the facilitation of focus. Homework should be completed at the same time each day in the same quiet environment.
  • Break into parts: The academic rule of thumb is that there should be 10 minutes
    of homework added on for each grade level, i.e., 4th graders should be able to handle 40 minutes of homework each night. However, for a child with ADHD, 40 minutes may be too long to sustain attention on one given subject area. Therefore, homework should be ‘chunked’ into smaller segments.
  • Manage time and set goals: After helping your child break their homework into smaller segments or chunks, set time completion goals and accuracy goals. Use a timer to externalize the time cue and provide the additional structure.
  • Rewarding: Use positive reinforcement. Keep your attention focused on positive behavior. Set clear reward for homework completion and even for completion of each homework ‘chunk’ discussed above.
  • Consequences: Adhere to the plan and set up realistic consequences for not completing the homework.
  • Communicating: Communication between the teacher, parent, and child is critical. Establish a weekly or even daily report card which reports missing assignments, test grades, and up coming projects and tests; and
  • Seek professional help: Know when it is time to ask for assistance from professionals.

students with ADHD

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have ADHD treatments and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started