Amino Acids and Diet: Two Recent ADHD Studies

We have long held the opinion that the symptoms of ADHD could be lessened, and perhaps fully treated, by the use of amino acids and the help of specific ADD diets. Now two studies, one from Italy and the other from Norway, give more support for our position that prescription medications, particularly stimulants, are not the only effective ADHD treatments available.

The study from Italy looked at the effectiveness of just one amino acid in a population of ADHD children are well known as poor responders to stimulant treatment – children with Fragile X syndrome and ADHD. Read more of the article...

Spring Training has started for professional baseball, and college baseball teams have been at work since January. It is time to get in shape for the 2008 baseball season.

I love baseball - always have. I was an "All Conference" pitcher and Captain of my college baseball team. I coached at a University for four years and have coached at the High School level for four more. I was a "bird-dog" scout for the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers for a few years, and I have coached Little League teams forever. My nephew is a pitcher in the Detroit Tigers organization, and a legitimate prospect. Really, I love baseball.

But there is a strange and perhaps disappointing story about ADHD and MLB that has come out since the release of the Mitchell Report. Read more of the article...

I received this email from a friend. Before publishing it I wanted to check it out, so I visited the “Urban Legends Reference Page” at http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/dustoff.asp where they have verified the account, the names, the entire sad story. This event took place in Ohio, in the spring of 2005.

I wanted to pass it on to you, our readers, for your information and as a warning. I know that it has nothing to do with ADHD, but it has to do with children, and with life.

Many of you will remember that about two years ago we had a wonderful young girl from our community die at the age of 10 from the “choking game.” Her parents are friends of mine and the pain that they suffered is beyond description. Read more of the article...

Recently the staff at the ADHD Information Library was asked if children with ADHD were protected under the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. This parent wrote that if in fact ADHD was included in the Disabilities Act, then perhaps her child was “being discriminated against."

The answer to the question is somewhat long and complicated. So we will begin with writing that while someone with ADHD may qualify for protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act, not everyone with the diagnosis of ADHD will qualify. And that may include you or your child. Read more of the article...

ADHD Stimulant Medication and ER Visits for Heart Problems in Children

Are the risks of heart problems greater in children who are prescribed stimulant medications for ADHD than for children who are not taking such medications? The University of Florida researched this question and published their results in the journal Pediatrics in December, 2007.

What they found was that the use of stimulant medication for ADHD in children and teenagers may be the cause for an increased number of emergency room visits, or visits to the doctor’s office, because of cardiac symptoms such as a racing heart or increased blood pressure. But the study also found that deaths, or serious heart complications, are rare. Read more of the article...

As parents of ADHD kids know all too well, children with ADHD often have difficulty handling stress, or stressful situations. Now, a team of researchers in Australia may have found a biological reason why this is so. Read more of the article...

For those of you parents, especially those who have children taking ADHD medications, we want you to be aware of the following information.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) just startled everyone by reporting on a study that estimates that each year cough and cold medicines send about 7,091 children to hospital emergency rooms, which accounts for 5.7% of all emergency room visits for medications in this age group. Read more of the article...

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability. It usually shows itself in problems with written language, particularly with reading and spelling. It is its own unique problem, or disorder, and it is not the result of low intelligence. There may be issues related to differences in how the eyes interpret information in some forms of dyslexia, but this is not the most common form.

The International Dyslexia Association, formerly the Orton Dyslexic Association, adopted the following definition for dyslexia in 2002. This Definition is also used by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Read more of the article...

Just as 2006 and 2007 saw an increase options for delivery systems of medications for ADHD, the next generation of medications for ADHD may be just around the corner in 2008 and 2009. These NextGen medications are known as ProDrugs, and they have the potential to change the way medications are prescribed to individuals with ADHD.

Since there has been a recent explosion of new ADHD medicationssuch as Strattera, or new delivery systems such as Daytrana, or “old drugs in new dresses” such as Concerta, why in the world is it necessary to develop any more new drugs for ADHD? Why should we care? Read more of the article...