The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI) released the first-ever biomonitoring report identifying toxic chemical pollution in people from the learning and developmental disability community. Mind, Disrupted: How toxic chemicals may affect how we think and who we are examines 61 toxic chemicals present in project participants in the context of rising rates of autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other learning and developmental disabilities. Read more of the article...

Early Reports on Intuniv for ADHD

Intuniv is a new medication for the treatment of ADHD in children and teens that just recently gained its approval from the FDA and was available to pharmacies in early November, 2009.

Intuniv is not a stimulant medication, and may be helpful to the estimated 25-30% of children with ADHD who do not benefit from stimulant medications. Instead, Intuniv is a form of Guanfacine (Tenex) which has been used for years as a blood pressure medication in adults, and has also been used as an adjunct medication in the treatment of ADHD individuals with temper or anger problems, or oppositional defiant disorder. Now in the form of Intuniv, this medication seems to have a wider range of symptoms that benefit from its use than just anger or oppositional behavior.

It appears that Intuniv (guanfacine) works in the pre-frontal cortex Read more of the article...

What is INTUNIV for ADHD?

The active ingredient in INTUNIV is Guanfacine, normally thought of as the blood pressure medicine Tenex. INTUNIV is not a blood pressure medication, however. It is approved for the treatment of ADHD.

INTUNIV is not a stimulant, and its action on the brain is different than stimulants. INTUNIV is another ADHD medication from Shire Pharmaceuticals, where they seem to insist that all of their medications are spelled in all capital letters. Shire also makes and distributes ADDERALL XL, DAYTRANA, and VYVANSE. And since the sales of Adderall XR have been undercut by Teva's generic Adderall, and the sales of Vyvanse have been disappointing, Shire is hopeful that Intuniv will bolster its place in the ADHD marketplace. Read more of the article...

What is INTUNIV for ADHD?

The active ingredient in INTUNIV is Guanfacine, normally thought of as the blood pressure medicine Tenex. INTUNIV is not a blood pressure medication, however. It is approved for the treatment of ADHD.

INTUNIV is not a stimulant, and its action on the brain is different than stimulants. INTUNIV is another ADHD medication from Shire Pharmaceuticals, where they seem to insist that all of their medications are spelled in all capital letters. Shire also makes and distributes ADDERALL XL, DAYTRANA, and VYVANSE. And since the sales of Adderall XR have been undercut by Teva's generic Adderall, and the sales of Vyvanse have been disappointing, Shire is hopeful that Intuniv will bolster its place in the ADHD marketplace. Read more of the article...

Can Excessive Video Game Playing Cause Attention Problems?

Yes, its just like you thought. The more your child or teen sits around watching TV or playing video games, the more at risk they will be for learning problems and attention problems. We have written about this before, and not to much has changed except that the research is starting to show up to validate what parents have known for years now. Read more of the article...

ADHD is a neurological disorder that impacts between 5% and 9% of children, teens, and even adults. Over the years, as more pharmaceutical companies enter the market, and more medications are developed, there has been a signficiant increase int he use of ADHD medications - and a recent study suggests an increase in the misuse of such medications. Read more of the article...

I recently received this letter from a parent which touches on all of the issues involved in the diagnosis of childhood behavior disorders such as ADHD. Look at all of the issues involved: divorced parents, lifestyle of one of the parents, mood swings, inattention, tics, meds that don't work, and more. My heart goes out to this dad and his child: Read more of the article...

Intuniv TM and Vivanse

Shire Pharmaceuticals has invested heavily in developing medications for the treatment of ADHD in both children and adults. While Vivanse has become an option for many prescribing physicians and parents, they also have new medications “in the pipeline” to bring to the ADHD market. Read more of the article...

Brain Warm-up Exercises: Summer is the Ideal Time to Begin

We have written about exercises to warm-up your ADHD child’s brain in the recent past and we want to encourage you to use the summer vacation months to learn these routines so that they will be “routine” by the time school begins again in the fall. Like athletes in the off-season, our children with learning challenges need to use their time wisely in the summer to prepare for the fall.

The exercises that we recommend have been gathered from a variety of sources, including my friends in education and baseball, my years in private practice, and from the book Brain Gym. They are simple to do, but like any exercise routine you actually have to do them, not just think about doing them. Read more of the article...