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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Brain Trauma Linked To Secondary ADHD

The Kazdin Technique

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The Kazdin Technique

adhd evaluation

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

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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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Early Detection for Dyslexia

Does My Child Have Dyslexia?

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Does My Child Have Dyslexia?

dyslexia facts treatments psychology

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

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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

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Smart, but Trouble Reading?

What is MSL And How it Can Help Those With Dyslexia

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What is MSL And How it Can Help Those With Dyslexia

dyslexia - what is dyslexia - treatments -symptoms

What is MSL (Multisensory Structured Language) and Can it Help those with Dyslexia?

Links are consistently being made between the language we see, the language we hear, and the language symbols we touch when learning to read and spell.

MSL is distinct from other methods of learning because it engages multiple senses at a time. Specifically, it engages visual, auditory, and kinesthetic pathways simultaneously, to enhance the learning of language.

How does MSL instruction work?

Students engage with MSL learning material in more than one way.

For example, students might learn the letter “d” by simultaneously writing it out with finger paint and saying it out loud.

Another example is the Wilson Reading System technique, which has students tap out each sound of a word with their fingers, to help break a word down.

Students learn to link speech sounds (phonemes) to letters or letter patterns by saying sounds for letters they see, or writing letters for sounds they hear.  It conveys information through things like touch and movement—called kinesthetic elements—as well as sight and hearing.

How can MSL help those Diagnosed with Dyslexia?

Students with dyslexia often exhibit weaknesses in underlying language skills involving speech sound (phonological) and written language (orthographic) processing and in building brain pathways that connect speech with written language.

The brain pathways used for reading and spelling must develop to transmit information with sufficient speed and accuracy.

Children with Dyslexia have trouble learning to recognize words automatically, or fast enough to allow comprehension.  This causes problems in forming memories for common words.

Specialized instruction like MSL, can be very helpful in mastering the alphabetic code and forming common word memories.

MSL instruction helps children with Dyslexia harness their strengths to make connections and form memories by using a wide range of ways to demonstrate what they’ve learned.

The MSL approach offers the students the advantage of learning alphabetic patterns and words with an engagement of all learning modalities.

All children can benefit from MSL lessons, but MSL can be particularly helpful for kids with learning and attention issues like Dyslexia.

Current research, much of it supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), has demonstrated the value of MSL language teaching for all students, especially those with dyslexia.

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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What is MSL And How it Can Help Those With Dyslexia

How to Have a Better Relationship

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How to Have a Better Relationship

 This article originally published in the New York Times:

Tips for Parents Supporting Children with ADHD

How to Have a Better Relationship

Can you spot a good relationship? Of course nobody knows what really goes on between any couple, but decades of scientific research into love, sex and relationships have taught us that a number of behaviors can predict when a couple is on solid ground or headed for troubled waters. Good relationships don’t happen overnight. They take commitment, compromise, forgiveness and most of all — effort. Keep reading for the latest in relationship science, fun quizzes and helpful tips to help you build a stronger bond with your partner.

Love and Romance

Falling in love is the easy part. The challenge for couples is how to rekindle the fires of romance from time to time and cultivate the mature, trusting love that is the hallmark of a lasting relationship.

WHAT’S YOUR LOVE STYLE?

When you say “I love you,” what do you mean?

Terry Hatkoff, a California State University sociologist, has created a love scale that identifies six distinct types of love found in our closest relationships.

  • Romantic: Based on passion and sexual attraction
  • Best Friends: Fondness and deep affection
  • Logical: Practical feelings based on shared values, financial goals, religion etc.
  • Playful: Feelings evoked by flirtation or feeling challenged
  • Possessive: Jealousy and obsession
  • Unselfish: Nurturing, kindness, and sacrifice

_______________________________

Read the Full Article in the New York Times

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

LET’S GET STARTED

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How to Have a Better Relationship

Prenatal Care Links with ADHD

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Prenatal Care Links with ADHD

Prenatal Care Links with ADHD

Prenatal Care Links with ADHD

Lipid Panel During Pregnancy

According to a new study, understanding your lipid profile during pregnancy, can be important in lowering the risk of ADHD.

Lipid profiles are a panel of blood tests that serve as an initial medical tool for detecting abnormalities in the blood, such as in Cholesterol.

According to a recent study from a team associated with Johns Hopkins University, low maternal HDL cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels outside the standard range of 135 to 176 mg/dL, is associated with an increased risk of ADHD.

This research suggests pregnant women maintain higher HDL levels for adequate fetal brain development and reduction of ADHD risk.

Several potential causes of ADHD have been identified during pregnancy, like gene variants, structural abnormalities of the brain, and neurotransmitter dysfunction.

Are Drugs Like Tylenol (Acetaminophen) During Pregnancy Linked with ADHD Diagnosis?

There is no reason to believe that short term use is harmful.   However, new data suggests that there may be some concern for long term use.

According to a large study published in the journal of Pediatrics, an association between frequent prenatal acetaminophen use, and ADHD seems to be apparent.

According to their research, those who report long-term exposure to acetaminophen, which is considered 29 consecutive days or more of continuous use, have more than double the risk of A.D.H.D.

Their data suggests that the risk of ADHD actually goes down for women who used acetaminophen for less than seven days.

This does not prove direct cause and effect. There are other possible explanations for the correlation.  However, this new information does raise possible concerns to make experts skeptical in making recommendations.

What this study can lead some to believe, is the consistency of the association between acetaminophen and an ADHD diagnosis leading some people to assume it is not risk-free.

The complexities of pregnancy and medications and the many unanswered questions of correlations between prenatal care and diagnosis of ADHD demand more research and information.

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
Prenatal Care Links with ADHD

Dyslexia Impacts Hearing Too

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Dyslexia Impacts Hearing Too

dyslexia facts treatments psychology

Dyslexia Impacts Hearing Too

Some consider dyslexia a problem that exclusively affects the ability to read and recall words. However, data suggest dyslexia encompasses more than just that, and affects how the brain processes speech as well.

Dyslexia affects Processing Speech

Typically, there are big differences in reading, but for something like listening, there are subtle, critical differences.

The differences in listening can cause problems for those with dyslexia, not only in understanding meanings, but also in comprehending sounds of speech. Data suggests that people with dyslexia have trouble recognizing voices.

Problems with comprehending sounds of speech can cause children with dyslexia to misspeak, for instance, calling a “champ” a “camp”.

The child understands what they are trying to communicate, but they are unable to transmit their understanding to the sounds necessary to correctly utter the word.

Dyslexics compared with Non-Dyslexics in Reading

Data suggests that there are big differences in dyslexics and non-dyslexics in a broad range of tasks such as reading.

There appears to be a wide range of learning difficulties that can be circumvented, but language and reading difficulties are challenging to circumvent.

Normal reading is the ability to have all brain systems integrate automatically. In dyslexia, the brain is not able to integrate its unit of sound systems with other components of its language comprehension system.

Even when dyslexics learn to read well, spoken language deficiencies can persist.

Diagnostic Tests for Dyslexia

Common diagnostic tests will require the participant to separate sounds from words such as saying “batman” only with the “bat” part.

The voice-recognition task might be used as well, to identify young children at risk for dyslexia.

For a comprehensive understanding of the assessment and diagnostic process for dyslexia, please visit us here.

The Takeaway 

For dyslexic children, the ability of truly hearing and comprehending a parent or teacher speak may be a problem.

If a child has trouble grasping the sounds that make up language, acquiring reading skills will be harder.

It is important to understand that what may appear as unintelligent, such as not being able to answer, “who is the president?”, is not a problem of intelligence at all, but rather of word retrieval.  Reframing a basic question like that as a multiple-choice question, makes it a lot more likely that the child will answer the question correctly.

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.  If you have concerns you might have dyslexia, contact Dr Gordon for a comprehensive evaluation and effective treatment. 

LET’S GET STARTED

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Dyslexia Impacts Hearing Too

Dyslexia and Reading Terms & Definitions

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Dyslexia and Reading Terms & Definitions

dyslexia - what is dyslexia

Dyslexia and Reading Terms & Definitions

  • Alphabet principle is the letter combination, as well as individual letters, which constitute symbols that are used to represent speech sounds. The letters and combinations are based on systematic and known relationships between written letters and spoken words.
  • Digraph is one sound resulting from the combination of two letters (e.g., ph or ey). In the English language, there are many digraphs made up of both consonants and vowels.
  • Diphthong is a single syllable speech sound (e.g., the combination of two vowels in words such as boy or may) that begins at or near the point of articulation of one vowel and proceeds to the place of another vowel.

Dyslexia “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

Adopted by the IDA Board of Directors, Nov. 12, 2002. Many state education codes, including New Jersey, Ohio and Utah, have adopted this definition.

  • Grapheme is the smallest unit of writing, which individually may not have meaning and does not necessarily correspond with a single phoneme (e.g., the “s” and the “oo” in the word spoon).
  • Logographic stage is visual and involves the rote memory of words that are related to graphic symbols. This can be known as visual reading.
  • Morphology is the study of words, how words are put together, and the relationship of words or other words. It is the analysis of the structure and parts of words, such as word stems, roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
  • Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, recall, identify, manipulate and use individual letter sound phonemes spoken words. It is a critical predictor of a child’s future reading ability.
  • Phonological awareness is the knowledge of the sound structure (or phonological structure) of words.
  • Semantics involves the meaning and interpretation of words, sentence structure, and signs.
  • Syntax includes the rules, principles, and the process by which the structure of sentences are formed and includes word order and punctuation.

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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Dyslexia and Reading Terms & Definitions