Advances in Medications:

Over the past ten years the greatest advances in ADHD medicines have not been the development of some wonder drug, though some good medications have been developed. Rather the most important advances in ADHD medications have been the with the improvement of, and greater variety of the delivery systems of the time tested drugs for ADHD.

Because of these recent advances, the time tested methylphenidate comes in four different delivery forms: Read more of the article...

• Pills
• Pumps
• Pellets
• Patches

Ritalin and Adderall may be in Short Supply for the Summer of 2011

Have you experienced problems in filling your prescriptions for your ADHD medications such as Ritalin or Adderall?

Recently the FDA had to add some common ADHD medications to their list of drugs that are in short supply across the country, and many parents are reporting difficulty in finding a pharmacy that can fill their prescriptions. Read more of the article...

Once-Daily Vyvanse approved for the treatment of ADHD in children and adults, and now in adolescents

PHILADELPHIA – November 15, 2010 – Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the prescription medication Vyvanse® (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) Capsules CII for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adolescents ages 13 to 17. The approval is based on study data demonstrating that Vyvanse improved ADHD symptoms compared to placebo in adolescents with ADHD.1 Vyvanse is also indicated for the treatment of ADHD in children ages 6 to 12 years, and adults.1 Read more of the article...

Researchers at Cardiff University have recently published a study in The Lancet claiming that they have found the first direct evidence of a genetic link, or genetic cause for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, teens, and adults. The research team also reports that this is evidence for ADHD being a neurological disorder, such as autism, and not due to environmental factors such as bad parenting.

However, their research study was immediately countered in Britain by those who insist that ADHD is due primarily to environmental factors, primarily stress and the release of cortisol in young children. Read more of the article...

Metacognitive Therapy : Here is a Therapy that Just Might Help

There are a number of treatments for ADHD that can help people to focus, increase awareness, and improve performance in day to day living. These include medications, certain natural alternatives like Attend, EEG Biofeedback training, and particular eating programs. But absent from this list has been any form of clinical therapy, such as psychotherapy, as these forms of talking therapies tend to focus on improving people’s feelings or insight, rather than teaching particular skills that would improve performance or focus. Read more of the article...

Parents please be advised that the rate of peanut allergies as tripled since 1997, according to a recent study. The study reported that about 1.5% of children have peanut allergies, and about 2% have allergies to either peanuts or other kinds of nuts. So that’s one out of fifty kids are allergic to some kind of nut (walnuts, cashews, or peanuts, etc.), and about one child in every seventy-five has a specific peanut allergy. Read more of the article...

DrugWatch.com is a comprehensive Web site containing information about many medications, including common prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs available worldwide. The Web site features an A-Z index of the medications, making it easy for patients to find information about specific drugs, such as Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse, and Concerta, which are commonly used to treat ADD and ADHD. Read more of the article...

I Think Everybody is Really Good at Something

Summary: As I was reading an economics blog I came across a link to this article that I would highly recommend to all of you who are parents or teachers of ADHD students, Aspergers students, or others with “learning differences.” Even though the article is about an investment strategist, I really think this article offers a more valuable commodity: HOPE.

http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2010/04/wall-street-excerpt-...

I have written a lot in the past about those with ADHD being easily distracted or bored with tasks or subjects that just do not interest them, but that if they find something that is interesting to them “the house could burn down around them and they wouldn’t notice” because they can get so focused on the task or subject. Then, typically I have focused on ways to help the ADHD student or adult get the boring or uninteresting task done: classroom interventions, organizational skills, motivation, our eating program, Attend and Memorin, medications, and so on.

But today it occurred to me that I don’t often write about the potential gift of being able to focus on the tasks that one finds interesting “even if the house is burning down around you.” Read more of the article...