Rewards may work like drugs for children with ADHD.

A research study conducted at Nottingham University in the UK found that immediate reward in the form of points in a video game had a similar effect on brain activity as stimulant medication.  Based on EEG results, the team found that both the rewards and the child’s usual dose of stimulant medication resulted in the [...]

Guesswork in prescribing medications for ADHD moves one step toward elimination due to recent genetic research.

Up until now, the prescribing of medication for children with attention deficit hyperactivity is often tedious for the physician and the family.  Children who do not respond to the first stimulant prescribed may respond to the next one tried or the one after that.

There are two types of stimulants found to be effective for treating [...]

ADHD: To Medicate or Not to Medicate?

I fully understand the concerns of parents regarding medication for ADHD. My wife and I struggled with this when my son was 5. He had a great response to stimulant medication and remained on medication until he was 14. He suffered no observable side effects. He is a 6’4” guy who completed college with honors [...]

ADHD Kids Helped by Relaxation Techniques

A recent exploratory study conducted at a private school reported in Current Issues in Education stated that the use of meditation can be beneficial to 11 to 14 year old students diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. According to the researchers, “the technique has potential to improve attention, behavior regulation, and executive function [...]

ADHD: A Treatment with No Side Effects? New Study Says Behavioral Therapy is as Effective as Medication

I have long believed that behavioral therapy is the key to helping kids with ADHD. In fact, a new study on ADHD said that comprehensive behavioral therapy works as well as medication over the long haul. Also, earlier studies showed that after 14 months, 30% of the behavioral therapy group did just as well as [...]

ADHD Medication: Can Your Child Go Without? Behavioral Therapy for ADHD Can be a Good Alternative

In a commentary in The Boston Globe, pediatrician Claudia Meininger Gold wrote, “medication can’t fix a broken childhood.”  She goes on to say, “with our over-reliance on psychoactive medication, we have created another Ponzi scheme where, just as Bernard Madoff’s investment fund was not really earning any money, we are fooling ourselves into thinking that [...]