ADD & ADHD Health Center

Tools & Resources

News and Features Related to ADD & ADHD

ADHD or Not? Why a Diagnosis Matters

About 9% of U.S. children and teens have ADHD. For many of these kids, a call from a teacher was the first time their parents started discussing the possibility of ADHD. "The vast majority of cases are brought to the attention of parents by educators, either at the preschool level or elementary scho
Read Full Article
Disciplining a Child With ADHD

RaeLyn Murphy of Milwaukee called her firstborn son Josh "Houdini." "He could outwit any childproof lock," she recalls. "When he was 4, he got the door open in his day-care center and told all the kids, ‘Come on, we're free, let's go!'" His behavior, combined with a strong family history of attentio
Read Full Article
ADHD and Risky Behavior in Adults

When Amanda, 30, was diagnosed with ADHD five years ago, she began to understand the risk-taking that had marked her teens and twenties: the drug abuse, binge drinking, and casual sex with numerous men who had flirted with her in bars. She couldn’t put the brakes on those intensely exciting experi
Read Full Article
Is There an ADHD Diet?

Jan. 9, 2012 -- There isn’t a specific diet or magic vitamin that will curb hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and other symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but steering clear of certain unhealthy foods may make a difference, a new review shows. Foods that may predispose a child
Read Full Article
ADHD Drug Shortages: Why?

Jan. 3, 2012 -- Many popular ADHD medications have been in short supply, particularly less-expensive generics. That's no surprise to people who've gone from pharmacy to pharmacy trying to fill their child's prescription -- or to those who've had to pay high prices for brand-name drugs to treat ADHD
Read Full Article
ADHD Drugs Not Linked to Increased Heart Risks in Adults

Dec. 12, 2011 -- A study of 150,000 adults taking drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) found no conclusive evidence that the medications increase the risk for heart attack, stroke, or sudden death from heart-related causes. The research, published online Monday in the Journal of
Read Full Article
Kids With ADHD Have Distinct Brain Patterns

Nov. 28, 2011 (Chicago) -- Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) process visual information differently than children without the disorder, preliminary research shows. By finding distinct patterns of activity in the brains of children with ADHD, researchers hope to someday de
Read Full Article
Tips to Reduce the Side Effects of ADHD Medications

For many children, ADHD medications curb restlessness, impulsivity, and inattention well enough for them to flourish at home, school, and on the playground. But the drugs can also prompt common side effects, such as low appetite, stomach pain, or sleep problems. In rare and serious cases, they can c
Read Full Article
Study: ADHD Drugs Likely Do Not Boost Heart Risk

Nov. 1, 2011 -- Medicines to treat ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) do not seem to substantially increase the risk of serious heart problems or stroke in children and young adults. That’s the finding of a new study that included more than a million people. When looking at the populati
Read Full Article
New Guidelines: Diagnose Kids for ADHD at Age 4

Oct. 17, 2011 -- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be diagnosed and treated in children as young as age 4, according to new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Previous guidelines for pediatricians, issued 10 years ago, had limited the diagnosis and treatment of
Read Full Article