Teaching Problem Solving Skills: Checkers and Chess Can Be Helpful

This past year has been fun for our family as Grant (7) has picked up the game of chess and has been very successful with it. We have enjoyed traveling to several tournaments, and have met dozens of wonderful children and their families.

For several years I used checkers with my adhd clients of all ages to teach them problem solving skills. Checkers is an easy tool to use, as it is fun for children, especially younger kids, and if the parent or coach is not too competitive, is a great way to teach children how to think before making a decision and to look at the possible consequences of their decisions. Read more of the article...

The FDA was busy last week as it approved two drugs for use in adult disorders, including an ADHD medication. The FDA approved the drug Concerta for use in adult ADHD, and approved the first generic versions of Risperdal (risperidone) tablets to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric conditions. Here we will focus on the approval of Concerta for adults with ADHD.

Concerta is a CNS stimulant medication is used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children 6 years of age and older, adolescents, and now adults up to the age of 65. It is thought that stimulants work by helping to increase dopamine and norepinephrine, and perhaps blood flow, in the brain. Read more of the article...

VAXA Attend - ADHD Alternative Homeopathic and Natural

Alternative therapies and natural medicines are powerful alternatives today in the health care field. While each year there are an estimated 350 million visits to medical doctors, there are 420 million annual visits to alternative practitioners. That's 70 million more than visit medical doctors! Read more of the article...

Barron’s Magazine, is a financial weekly published by Dow Jones that keeps a very close eye on the world’s financial news and the corporations that are making news. Recently they ran a short series of articles on Shire Pharmaceuticals and the potential problems ahead for the company.

The reason that these articles are of interest to parents of children with ADHD, is that Shire makes Adderall, Adderall XR, and Vyvanse, all major medications used for ADHD treatment. The problems for Shire may be blessings for parents, so here are some of the details: Read more of the article...

Dear Fathers

I do hope that you are enjoying the kind of wonderful spring weather that we are enjoying here in California. I do know that many of you are enduring flooding rains in the mid-West, and our heart goes out to you. We wish you the best.

I am sitting on my deck overlooking Bear Valley thinking about Father’s Day, and about being a father. God has blessed me with three wonderful children, two in their twenties and one age seven, and through the years I have learned many lessons about fatherhood that somehow I’d like to put into writing and pass on to you. Read more of the article...

Protect Your Child's Brain from Mercury and Other Heavy Metals and Environmental Chemicals

The dangers of lead poisoning and mercury toxicity have been known for centuries. And research over the past thirty years has shown that low-level exposures to heavy metals from paint, exhaust, and other environmental sources has toxic effects. These metals are neurotoxins and adversely impact brain development and performance.

Mercury exposure has been linked to lower intelligence scores and neurobehavioral problems in children of mothers exposed to contaminated seafood. We are convinced that dental amalgam fillings, which are over 40% mercury, plus toxic nickel, copper, and cadmium, also can cause neurological and immune system dysfunctions. Read more of the article...