ADHD Blog

As an ADHD expert one of the questions that I’m asked most often is, “What is the difference between ADD and ADHD?” Sometimes people share with me that they were diagnosed with ADD is as a kid and wonder how the ADHD that they hear about today is different from the diagnosis they received in childhood. With both terms being so prevalent, people are often surprised to learn that ADD is actually an outdated term. Today healthcare providers only refer to ADHD and no longer use ADD as a diagnostic label. Labels like ADD and ADHD originate from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM), which is the healthcare “manual” for all recognized mental disorders. The DSM is used by healthcare professionals as a reference guide for the symptoms, impairments, and diagnostic criteria associated with ADHD as well as other disorders, like depression and anxiety.

Children experience significant learning loss during the summer months when they do not engage in learning activates. This summer slide is responsible for up to two months of lost learning in math and up to one month of lost learning in reading. For kids with ADHD, who often finish the school year behind their peers academically, summer learning activities not only help offset the summer slide, but also help build skills that may have been missed during the school year. Unfortunately, because school is more challenging and stressful for kids with ADHD, they are typically more resistant to participating in summer learning activities. While structured academic enrichment activities are an important part of any summer learning plan, there’s also room for fun learning activities at home that won’t feel quite so much like schoolwork. When kids with ADHD are doing something that they enjoy, their resistance disappears and their enthusiasm soars!

There is so much discussion online about possible causes of ADHD – watching too much TV, eating too much sugar, lax parenting, schools that don’t allow for enough creativity or physical activity, etc. Surprisingly, one of least discussed topics is the connection between our genes and ADHD. We know that genes strongly influence our appearance, our intelligence, our athletic ability, and even our personality, so why not ADHD symptoms as well? 

Everyone looks forward to summer family vacations! This fun, memory-making, quality family time can be the highlight of the summer. Unfortunately, before the fun can begin parents of kids with ADHD must endure the long trip to the vacation destination. Without fail, long car and plane rides stir up some of the most challenging ADHD behaviors in children and cause sibling squabbles to reach new heights. In an effort to keep the peace and minimize boredom, most parents rely heavily on tablets, phones, and in-flight movies. They do this with good reason - screens can be very effective at keeping behavior in check. Unfortunately, for kids with ADHD, long stretches of screen time can have negative effects on their attention and behavior for hours (and sometimes days) after the journey is over. Many kids with ADHD have difficulty regulating their attention around screens. They become hyper-focused when they’re watching a show or playing videogames, but when the screen is taken away struggle to transition to another activity. In fact, research shows that some kids with ADHD continue to “crave” screen time for hours after they have spent a significant amount of time in front of screens. For these kids, taking the device away at the end of the trip can lead to meltdowns and outbursts, as well as seemingly constant begging for more screen time during the entire vacation. Not an ideal way to start off your family holiday!

Many parents consider having their child take a break from his or her ADHD medication over the summer. Research shows that there are in fact some benefits to summer medication holidays for children who take ADHD medication. For kids who experience medication side effects, such as insomnia, decreased appetite, or slowed physical growth, a summer break can provide relief and chance to catch up in weight gain and growth. Summer medication breaks also give parents an opportunity to observe their child’s ADHD symptoms when his or her medication is not in effect.

When you have ADHD it’s important to make studying as fun as possible. After all, it is much easier to focus on something that you find interesting, right? With ADHD, knowing how to study for the SAT is half the battle. While nothing can take the place of a structured SAT study program, these fun activities can be great supplements. Since they’re fun and interesting, you’ll be able to stay focused even after you’ve reached your attention span’s limit with your traditional test prep materials.