Brain Trauma Linked To Secondary ADHD

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Brain Trauma Linked To Secondary ADHD

brain injury, traumatic brain injury, tai, concussions

Brain Trauma Linked To Secondary ADHD

According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, children who experience a severe head injury may struggle with secondary ADHD as they grow older.

What is Secondary ADHD?

Secondary ADHD relates to symptoms that fall out of the three core ADHD symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and attention-deficit disorder. 

The following are Secondary symptoms of ADHD:

• Irritability

• Forgetfulness

• Disorganization

• Low frustration tolerance

• Emotional lability

• Temper tantrums and aggressive, defiant behavior

• Problems with visual and/or auditory perception

• Learning difficulties

• Impaired social relationships with parents, teachers, friends

What did the Study Demonstrate? 

The study showed that children who sustained a severe traumatic brain injury are three times more likely to develop ADHD by the time they begin middle school.

To be clear, we are not talking about a simple concussion.  This type of brain injury is more severe than a concussion, and one that prompted at least one night spent in the hospital. 

This form of injury to the central nervous system and the brain, in particular, may cause the brain to not function as well as before.

This study does not answer whether the ADHD is present from the time of the head injury or whether it develops over time.

Children playing contact sports should not necessarily draw any conclusions from this study and should understand that this information is still new. Regardless, It is important to remember that concussion recovery is very different than more severe brain injury recovery. 

Just because a child has experienced a concussion and has some attention problems that doesn’t mean that those problems won’t resolve over time. It is important to be aware that the risk is not as great compared to more severe injuries. However, doctors parents and educators should keep a close watch on kids who suffered a severe head injury early in childhood, even years after the injury.

Dr. Gordon is an experienced ADHD expert. He is devoted to helping you learn more about ADHD and find solutions for each individual’s needs. Please feel free to contact us for any concerns or questions regarding ADHD about yourself, or a loved one.

The Pathways team of professionals has helped thousands of people with ADHD. We are Dedicated to effective and compassionate care for individuals with neurological challenges.

LET’S GET STARTED

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Source: Pathways Neuropsychology
Brain Trauma Linked To Secondary ADHD

The Kazdin Technique

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The Kazdin Technique

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The Kazdin Technique

According to the Kazdin technique, punishment alone does not change bad behavior and teach a new more appropriate behavior. Even gentle punishments, like time-out, or reasoning, does not work by itself.

The fundamental principle in the Kazdin technique is to positively reinforce a behavior you want to see until the negative behavior is replaced. It can be applied to all children but it can be especially helpful if your child has ADHD.

Applied behavior analysis focuses on 3 steps in changing behavior:

1) What comes before the behavior

2) How you craft the behavior

3) What you do at the end, after the behavior occurs

One of the most important tools in getting your child to behave in a certain manner is the appearance of choice. The appearance of choice increases the likelihood of compliance.

For example, if you are trying to get your child to brush their teeth, you can give them the option of eating a snack then brushing, or playing a game then brushing. The appearance of choice is there but brushing is inevitable.

Dealing with the behavior itself.

If you are seeking compliance and it is achieved, you praise the behavior, or use ‘positive attention’.

You also should try and have the child practice the behavioral changes in order to lock in the habits. The change can usually take about one to three weeks to take hold.

What are Positive Opposites?

Positive opposites are behaviors that are the exact opposite of problem behaviors.

For example, leaving a mess is a problem behavior whereas cleaning up, is the opposite of the problem behavior.

Whenever you want to get rid of something, think of what you want in its place.

For example, if your child’s behavior is running in the house, you want to replace it with walking in the house.

Research shows trying to suppress certain behaviors by using guilt or control will lead to escape behavior on the part of the child. It will lead them to avoid you as soon as they get home from school and it will model negative interactions toward you.

Reasoning With Your Child

It is also important to reason with your child because it changes how they process things and think. But while it may help problem-solving, it is not influential in changing their behavior.

Dr. Gordon is an experienced ADHD expert. He is devoted to helping you learn more about ADHD and find solutions for each individual’s needs. Please feel free to contact us for any concerns or questions regarding ADHD about yourself, or a loved one.

The Pathways team of professionals has helped thousands of people with ADHD. We are Dedicated to effective and compassionate care for individuals with neurological challenges.

LET’S GET STARTED

The post The Kazdin Technique appeared first on Pathways Neuropsychology Associates.


Source: Pathways Neuropsychology
The Kazdin Technique

Early Detection for Dyslexia

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Early Detection for Dyslexia

dyslexia - what is dyslexia - treatments -symptoms

Early Detection for Dyslexia

It is important to diagnose students struggling with dyslexia early on. Dyslexia is a learning disability that can significantly impact a child’s academic success.

The critical timeframe for early intervention services is between Kindergarten and first grade. Many of the interventions for dyslexia appear to be most effective in early childhood because it provides children with Dyslexia, access to accommodations that level the playing field.

What Happens When Dyslexia Goes Undiagnosed

When Dyslexia goes undiagnosed,  it can cause reading and achievement gaps to widen significantly by the time the student reaches high school. The severity of these gaps may cause the student to feel so negatively about school that he or she chooses to drop out.

It also can impact future accommodations, such as extended time, on tests such as the SAT and licensing examinations. Oftentimes, requests are denied because the student did not have evidence of an “early developmental history “ of the disorder or did not have documentation of receiving formal accommodations throughout school. An early diagnosis will prevent these types of dilemmas from occurring.

Early Intervention Services For Those With Dyslexia

Early intervention services are highly effective and can support children in closing the achievement gap, developing a positive self-concept, enjoying reading and school, and reaching their maximum academic potential. It is critical that children receive early intervention services in Kindergarten or first grade, which give them the greatest chance at personal and academic success.  Studies demonstrate that children who receive services during this timeframe have lost or greatly reduce their reading and achievement gaps between themselves and their peers.

It is vital to diagnose dyslexia in children as early as possible. If parents notice that their young child demonstrates a weakness in reading that may require support services, such as tutoring, the parents should consider a psycho-educational evaluation, as this will document the developmental history of the difficulty, as well as assist in the child receiving formal accommodations at school.

The Pathways team of professionals has helped thousands of people with Dyslexia. We are Dedicated to effective and compassionate care for individuals with neurological challenges.

LET’S GET STARTED

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Source: Pathways Neuropsychology
Early Detection for Dyslexia

Does My Child Have Dyslexia?

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Does My Child Have Dyslexia?

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Does My Child Have Dyslexia?

Although one in five children have dyslexia, it is often poorly understood and misdiagnosed. This is because dyslexia is often mistaken as a general intellectual disability. To the contrary, dyslexia is a very specific disorder that relates only to decoding and reading words. Those with dyslexia are not deficient in sensory capabilities, nor in ability in comprehension and higher level reasoning skills.

These distinctions are important because a proper diagnosis is crucial in providing the right resources for your child. Once treated, children with dyslexia can thrive in school in beyond. While a professional diagnosis is essential, here is a list of early signs to watch out for in deciding whether your child might have dyslexia:

Delay in speaking

Children with dyslexia will have a delay in speech development, albeit a modest one. While most children beginning seeking first words around twelve months of age, those with dyslexia may not begin speaking first words until fifteen to twenty-four months. Delays in speech may mean many things, so this alone is not sufficient for a diagnosis.

Difficulties in pronunciation

While minor speech problems are found in many children, dyslexic children may have significant problems with word pronunciation as compared to age matched peers. Sometimes pronunciation difficulties do not appear until later in life when vocabulary becomes more complex. Moreover, some children will have difficulties understanding similarities between words. This can lead to deficits understanding rhymes with dyslexic children not understanding which words rhyme and which do not.

Children with dyslexia may also have problems mastering the alphabet in school. Recognition of individual letters and associating specific sounds with those letters are essential for reading development. Delays in any of these areas raise the possibility of dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a localized disorder relating to word phonology and recognition. When an accurate diagnosis is made, proper treatment and strategies may allow children to succeed in school and adults thrive in the workplace.

If you are suspicious that you or loved one has dyslexia, contact Pathways today for a comprehensive evaluation. It is time to alleviate frustrations and get on the right track.

The Pathways team of professionals has helped thousands of people with Dyslexia. We are Dedicated to effective and compassionate care for individuals with neurological challenges.

LET’S GET STARTED

The post Does My Child Have Dyslexia? appeared first on Pathways Neuropsychology Associates.


Source: Pathways Neuropsychology
Does My Child Have Dyslexia?

Smart, but Trouble Reading?

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Smart, but Trouble Reading?

dyslexia - what is dyslexia

Smart, but trouble reading?

When it comes to dyslexia, a learning disability affecting nearly one in five children, many individuals are still not getting the help they need. The problem lies with systemic shortcomings that fail to identify what is going on  and what can help. When one looks at the literacy rate in the United States, one will find sources claiming millions of Americans have deficiencies in reading. When tackling dyslexia, however, it is crucial not to paint with a broad brush. Rather, success is tethered to understanding exactly what dyslexia is and is not.

Understanding the written word is a multi-step process that includes:

  1. Word recognition and spelling
  2. Comprehension
  3. Higher order reasoning skills

In many school settings, teachers will not be able to distinguish between these steps. However, this is a major shortcoming as those with dyslexia only have difficulties with “category one.” Those with dyslexia, in fact, can have superior abilities in comprehension and higher order reasoning skills. Dyslexia is a very specific problem and, when addressed properly, those who are diagnosed can thrive in the workplace and school settings.

In short: you can be very smart and have dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a specific diagnosis in which there is a reading deficiency, not comprehension. For example, a student might mix up a p as a q even though sensory systems (eg vision) are perfectly intact.

The proper understanding of dyslexia has been lacking in society for over a century. While some states such as Virginia have passed legislation requiring dyslexia experts at school, these staff resources are normally spread too thin. Moreover, teachers are still ill-equipped to handle dyslexia, often mistaken reading disabilities with intellectual shortcomings.

Dyslexia is a localized disorder relating to word phonology and recognition. When an accurate diagnosis is made, proper treatment and strategies may allow children to succeed in school and adults thrive in the workplace.

If you are suspicious that you or loved one has dyslexia, contact Pathways today for a comprehensive evaluation. It is time to alleviate frustrations and get on the right track.

The Pathways team of professionals has helped thousands of people with Dyslexia. We are Dedicated to effective and compassionate care for individuals with neurological challenges.

LET’S GET STARTED

The post Smart, but Trouble Reading? appeared first on Pathways Neuropsychology Associates.


Source: Pathways Neuropsychology
Smart, but Trouble Reading?