via Brain Pathways Seem Disrupted in Kids With ADHD.

via Some Kids Respond Better to ADHD Drug Than Others.

For the youngest children, the academy is emphasizing the use of behavior treatments over medication in most cases.

"I think the most significant changes are expanding the ages from preschool through adolescence. The original guidelines were from 6 to 12, because that’s where the evidence was. We’ve been able to broaden the scope of the guidelines because there was more evidence available for preschoolers and adolescents," said the lead author of the new recommendations, Dr. Mark Wolraich, CMRI Shaun Walters Professor of Pediatrics and the Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.

via New ADHD Guidelines Include Preschoolers, Older Teens.

via Action Plan: Back to School Season with ADHD – In School – ADHD.

via Brain Scan Spots Differences in Tots With ADHD Symptoms – Yahoo! News.

That number appears to be on the rise. In 1997-1999, about 12.8 percent of kids were diagnosed with a developmental disability. That number rose to 15 percent in 2006-2008 — or an additional 1.8 million U.S. children.

Much of the bump up in cases seems driven by rising rates of autism and ADHD, experts say.

via U.S. Rates of Autism, ADHD Continue to Rise: Report.

Uh-oh.

Under the pretense of giving him a goodbye shoulder squeeze (no hugs from Mom in front of other kids at his age), I whisper, "Honey, it’s not nice to say that your toy is better than someone else’s or to try to grab all the attention." "Okay, okay," he says impatiently. I stifle a sigh as I leave, crossing my fingers. I hope his school day will go well.

There can be positive aspects to having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) when it comes to social skills. My son has never been shy with adults or other kids. We call him our "little cruise director" because whenever we brought him to/picked him up from school, as early as preschool, he greeted almost everyone he saw, adults and other kids, by name. While we were visiting California prior to moving out here, we went to a new park where, of course, he didn’t know anyone. Within five minutes of our arrival, I heard him saying, "Hey, kids! Let’s pretend the playscape is a pirate ship."

For the most part, however, ADHD tends to engender more challenges than benefits when it comes to social skills. Outgoing can become attention-seeking and boastful, as in my opening example, and take-charge can become aggressive and bossy.

via Social Skills in Children with ADHD – ADHD.

Okay, you can stop laughing now.

I’m serious.

Really.

via ADHD – Meditation, Yoga and ADHD.

I was reluctant to start giving him the medication, but after the first two weeks of school it became clear that we had to. His first grade teacher was inexperienced and insecure, and seemed to see his ADHD behavior as a deliberate challenge to her authority. And there was no question that he was having trouble concentrating, especially as the length of his school day had essentially doubled from the length it had been in kindergarten.

via ADHD – What If Your Child Does Not Want to Take His Medication?.

via ADHD – Advocating for Your Child’s Best Interest.