ADHD management podcast. Roberto Olivardia, Clinical Instructor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, talks to us about ADHD and emotional hypersensitivity. Learning Disabilities and ADHD Summer Camps - Summer camps with learning disabilities and adhd activity in IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, OH, NE, ND, SD and WI. Cogmed Working Memory Training for ADD Brains. Having tried a flock of touted traditional and alternative strategies to manage my son's ADHD, I was skeptical about the wondrous claims made for working memory training. His son, he says, wound up earning ? Shinaver’s anecdotal enthusiasm aside, several recent peer- reviewed studies in scientific journals suggest that Cogmed’s intensive, five- week training may improve an ADHD child's capacity for focus, leading to the Holy Grail of self- control. So it would seem that the program is worth a try, despite the twin hurdles of high price ($1,0. ADHD/ADD Home 'Candy corn is not a vegetable.' (Author unknown) When my brothers and I were cranky, Mom used to tell us that 'There are good boys and tired boys, and. Your ADHD Brain -- Only Stronger The proponents of Cogmed's working memory training gush about the improved focus and organizational skills in ADHD teens who use the. Anthony Kane, and I would like to welcome you to ADD ADHD Advances. As both a physician and the creator and former director of special. ADHD affects up to 9% of children and 5% of adults; ADHD is commonly treated with stimulants, such as Ritalin and Vyvanse; Marijuana works similarly by raising. Vyvanse is for ADHD in patients 6 years and above, and for moderate to severe B.E.D. It is not for weight loss. It is not known if Vyvanse is safe and. Nationally, the rates of ADHD diagnoses and medical treatment are on the rise, but the CDC’s map reveals dramatic differences between states, with a prevalence of. The diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) has been increasing at an alarming rate, paralleled by the prescription of highly. Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders A working memory deficit can flummox you during the simplest tasks of daily life, such as trying to figure out why you opened the refrigerator door or keeping track of a conversation. Poor working memory is a strong predictor of academic failure and a major threat to self- esteem. The neuroscientist Adele Diamond, Ph. D., an international expert in children’s cognitive development, based at the University of British Columbia, describes Cogmed - - software developed by Swedish researcher Torkel Klinkberg in conjunction with Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute - - as both . Scientists at the Karolinska Institute have also confirmed that Cogmed training physically changes the brain. MRI brain scans have shown changes in the pre- frontal and parietal regions at the end of the five- week training period. As I describe in my recent book, Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention, Buzz has struggled in school, under- achieving academically and repeatedly being suspended for bad behavior, while I’ve had trouble controlling my temper, especially with him. I’ve also dropped my share of balls juggling work and house- wifery. All I’d have to do - - ha! Conveniently, my son owed me $1. He signed a contract in which he promised to complete the exercises or pay for the damage. He finished the training, on time, with few complaints. The Cogmed exercises are adaptive - - they get easier or harder, depending on your performance - - and when you do well, the rewards are immediate and powerful. Each time you get something right, you hear pleasant music and . As you do better, your computer monitor flashes encouragement, such as . Psychologist Ari Tuckman, Psy. D., filled this role for us, calling my son and me to discuss our progress and cheer us on. Tuckman captured my gym- rat son’s imagination by comparing the exercises to weightlifting; daily repetitions make you stronger. ADHD vs SPD: What's the Difference? As I left the grocery store desperately trying to keep the tears in, I was reminded of just why I never take my oldest son shopping with me. I mean, ever. It had been an especially hectic week, and the refrigerator was looking pretty lonely. There was a tube of margarine on the top shelf and maybe a random container of left overs. I needed something to cook for dinner that night. I didn’t get a chance to go to the store while the kids were at school. Against my better judgment, I thought I would run into the store with the kids and just grab 3- 4 items. We would be in there for 1. Photo Credit. By the time we hit the second aisle, my 8 year old (Vman) was actually running down the aisle, throwing himself onto his belly and “surfing” the rest of the way. My 6 year old, of course, started following suit. Because that’s what you do when you’re in Kindergarten. Monkey do. Trying desperately to get Vman to stop, I took him by the arm. But one look in his eyes told me that he was truly out of control. His behavior wasn’t just out of control. He didn’t have control over how out of control he was. He didn't have control over how out of control he was. I wanted to scream, “You’re eight years old. This is beyond unacceptable! When the hell are you going to finally get yourself together!”I can easily do an hour grocery store trip with my Kindergartener. He’ll walk the aisles with me, help me find items and chat up a storm. It’s pleasant and wonderful mom/son time. It’s an emotional roller coaster of just trying to keep him within social boundaries that I end up a wreck. And, to be honest, he does too. Where Do Sensory Issues End and Hyperactivity Begin? Vman has struggled with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) since the moment he was born. He came into this world screaming and it never let up until after years of pediatric occupational therapy. Despite being so ingrained into the Sensory Processing Disorder community through my other website The Sensory Spectrum, I never was sure if Vman. He never napped as an infant. He never stopped moving as a toddler. And even once he entered school, we would keep a trampoline in our living room to give him a physical outlet. Was this child a sensory seeker or was something more going on? He also didn’t seem to have the ability to stop himself. His impulses would take over. Just like in the grocery store. And so while I knew he was a good kid at heart, he sure did seem to be going out of his way to press everyone’s buttons. At what point was the inability to control his actions no longer a bi- product of his age and maturity? Vman was struggling in school, which led me to get him evaluated by a neuropsychologist. Because deep down inside I knew. It turns out my son was on the scale for ADD and ADHD. Let’s add some more acronyms to this child’s folder. Nothing like a good ole heaping bowl of Special Needs Alphabet Soup to start the day. ADHD vs SPDThe problem with telling the difference between ADHD and SPD is they can often present in similar ways. Kids with either diagnosis can seem hyperactive, impulsive and unfocused. Combine ADHD with SPD, and the two can cause learning difficulties, make it challenging for relationships with other children and reduce a child’s ability to follow directions and/or complete tasks. However, the best way to approach each diagnosis is different. Children with sensory processing disorders need occupational therapy intervention to help them train their brains to manage sensory stimuli that seems overwhelming. Or they need to train their bodies to connect with the sensory signals they are receiving because they are under- responsive. Children with #ADHD will respond to medication. A child who strictly has #sensory issues will. It is generally accepted that only children with ADHD or ADD will respond to medication. A child who strictly has sensory issues will not respond to medication. To make it even more challenging to figure out, many issues with ADHD also echo the challenges children face because of their age and maturity. Young kids just don’t have the personal framework in place to be able to control their impulses. It can be difficult to tell if it’s a toddler issue or a hyperactive issue. Our neuropsychologist said that it’s common to not diagnose kids until they are at least eight years old because of this issue. Once a child is around eight, those developmental issues should be gone and professionals can tell if the child is having behavioral, sensory and ADHD issues or a combination. Medication for ADHD; Therapy for SPDStarting medication for the ADHD was one of the smartest choices we could have made for our son. We noticed a change the very first day. He had received a present of a really cool dinosaur excavation kit. He was so excited to start “digging” for the dinosaur bones. Normally he would have lost interest within 1. Instead, he sat for more than an hour working on the kit. The dinosaur is now proudly displayed in his room. The medication didn’t really change his personality. He’s still the boisterous Vman we love. The difference is he’s not so impulsive, not so out of control all of the time, not so wild eyed. Vman is generally happier on the medication. He’s not spending a ridiculous amount of energy trying to fight his body. The interesting thing is that as he’s been on the medication longer, we’ve noticed some old sensory issues come up. It’s not that the sensory issues ever went away, but his attention issues were so overwhelming for him that the sensory problems were secondary. Grocery Store Success? A couple of weeks into the medication, I asked Vman if he wanted to try to go to the grocery store with me. It would be a trial run for both of us. He grabbed a cart as we entered the grocery store. We spent time picking out just the right green apples for him. We went to the bread aisle and he chose what he would like for school lunch that week. Then we moved on to the diary aisle for milk. At check out, he unloaded the cart and waited for me to pay. As we walked out the door, I gave him a side hug and said that I really enjoyed our shopping trip. He nodded in agreement. Didn’t it feel great to just be able to get what we needed without any drama, I asked. He smiled and wholeheartedly agreed. To read more of my posts touching on Sensory Processing Disorder, please click here. To learn more about sensory challenges or to join our inclusive community, visit.
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January 2017
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