AAAP Today

Five Tips for Parents of a Child with ADHD

While ADHD and Autism are separate diagnoses with core symptoms of their own, many symptoms of the two conditions overlap. Studies have suggested that as many as one half of autistic persons also suffer from ADHD.

Here is a helpful post from the ADD Resource Center (www.addrc.org)

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​from Ms. Vee Cecil info@mynewwell.com.

Being the parent of a child with ADHD can sometimes be overwhelming, especially since there’s no universal how-to guide on navigating the challenges. While there are certain battles your son or daughter will have to face alone, there are still ways for you to make his or her life a little less stressful. Here are a few tips for parents of children living with ADHD:

1. Ensure your child’s bedroom creates a soothing atmosphere. Paint the walls a calming, serene color and eliminate distractions like too many posters and/or toys. My son was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and one of the first things we did was organize his bedroom and paint it a relaxing blue color. The bedroom should be a place for your child to unwind and relax, so limit the presence of electronics like televisions and video games, both of which can impede sleep quality. If possible, avoid keeping a desk in the bedroom as messy desks can cause anxiety in those with ADHD.

2. Provide structure, but don’t be overbearing. Reward charts and chore wheels are a great way to keep younger kids on top of their responsibilities while still keeping it positive, and as they get older, this can evolve into keeping a planner or calendar. Set a standard for homework, both when it should be done and which activities can and can’t be done until then. For example, my son knows he has 30 minutes when he gets home from school to do whatever he wants. And then he has to work on homework for at least 45 minutes. Make expectations reasonable, and never use threats or fear to entice your child to keep up. The goal is to keep your child responsible and organized, but not overwhelmed.

3. Take time to point out your child’s “wins” each day. Set a goal to acknowledge at least three positive behaviors your child has exhibited every single day. Tell him or her specifically what was done well and why it’s important. It becomes habitual to spot and correct negative behaviors, but avoid making those moments a focus. Celebrate behavioral wins as they happen so that your child knows that not only do you recognize their progress, you also appreciate it.

4. Make homework time fun. As I touched on above, kids with ADHD have to spend a lot of time hearing about what they’ve done wrong and being told “no.” So, I try to make my son’s time at home as fun as possible, especially the time he’s meant to be doing homework. I realized when I took time to find ways to make his work more engaging he’d tackle his assignments more quickly and with a lot more enthusiasm.

He loves Star Wars so lately making homework time fun has meant doing his homework in the Jedi costume I recently got him. We created a chart where he could mark a month’s worth of homework assignments. Each assignment completed during his allotted homework time got him one step closer to defeating Darth Vader and “winning” tickets to see the new Star Wars movie. He’s had a lot of fun wearing the costume, and I think it makes him feel like he’s really on an important mission when he’s working on his homework.

5. Get active. Exercise helps children with ADHD expend excess energy or simply burn off the stress of the day. The result is that they’re able to concentrate and control i

There are many paths to follow when deciding what’s best for your child with ADHD. Reach out to others and explore different approaches, keeping in mind that not every method is right for everyone. Creating a structured, calm living space with a positive focus and strong support system is a fantastic road on which your child can begin a happy, healthy journey.

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THREE REASONS WHY FEWER GIRLS THAN BOYS ARE DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM.

For years, it has been widelyseen that more boys than girls are diagnosed with autism (typically a female:male ratio of 1:4) and that identification of the diagnosis occurs at a later age in girls than boys. In addition, a general observation is that girls diagnosed at later ages have more symptoms than boys of the same age, including lower IQ scores. The reasons for these gender differences remain to be understood. Below are some explanations suggested in prior research.

1. Genetic Factors

Genetic mutations linked to autism are more frequently found in girls than boys. Since this appears to be a contrarian explanation to why the prevalence of autism is lower in girls, a related question is – is there a protective effect carried amongst those genetic mutations.
Further studies, such as one conducted in unaffected siblings of girls with autism, suggested that more genetic mutations are required for the autism diagnosis to become manifest in girls. This would imply a greater vulnerability to the autism gene factors in males, a gender difference also apparent in ADHD. Researchers have thought that detecting and understanding that "protective effect" seen in girls could open the door to preventing or reducing the appearance of the debilitating symptoms of autism.

2. Brain structure

Researchers took a standard set of MRI images of each participant in a sample of men and women with and without autism to see if there were any perceptible differences in brain activity between the men and women. There was.

The MRI scans revealed that the brain anatomies of females with autism were substantially different when compared to males with autism; notably, the differences were in entirely different regions of the brain. After technical analysis, the researchers concluded that females with autism showed neuroanatomical masculinization, that is, their brain structures looked more like the brain structures of the males in the non-autistic group.

3. Differences in the prevalence of core symptom criteria

Girls are more able to identify emotions in others. Research that compared the ability of girls and boys in a population that exhibited autistic traits found that girls were better able than boys to recognize emotions in photos showing facial expressions. Since lack of social recognition and empathy is a typical sign of autism, better ability of girls with autism contributed to the slow detection of the autism diagnosis.

In finer analysis, gender differences were found when the diagnostic groups were classified according to how each individual met the ASD criteria – fully (meeting all ASD criteria) or partially (meeting some but not all ASD criteira). In the full ASD subtype, males exhibited more social and communication difficulties; females showed more problems with the repetitive behaviors. In the partial criteria group, females exhibited fewer social and communication difficulties. In general, regardless of filling full or partial ASD criteria, females showed more problems than boys with regard to the trend toward repetitive behaviors.These sub-type differences, which conform to the observed variability of symptom expression and intensity in autism, should be taken in consideration when developing educational and treatment directions for persons with autism.

Music: a unique window to the world of autism

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By Lirio Sobrevinas-Covey, Ph.D.

Music is a universal source of enjoyment. It evokes memories, connects us with the experiences of others, can touch deep emotions within ourselves that are difficult to access, and can promote relaxation and calm.

Thus, I found it especially gratifying and exciting to read of a distinctive role of music in the experience of autistic individuals. Deficits in recognizing emotions in other persons’ voices, faces, and postures, and verbal difficulties, known to characterize most persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), can be bypassed in the domain of music.

Reporting on their review of several behavioral and neurological studies that compared children with and without ASD, investigators from UCLA found that deficits of the ASD group in emotional recognition of others do not generalize when the stimulus is music. It is noted that the ASD participants in the studies were predominantly rated as high-functioning.

The likely biological basis of this phenomenon was identified to be the anterior insula, an area in the brain.

As a form of nonverbal communication that is practically available and emotionally accessible to persons with ASD, music would provide specially rewarding stimuli, pointing to the potential role of music as a therapeutic avenue for enhancing the quality of life and personal growth of persons with ASD.

Reference: Music: a unique window into the world of autism. Ivan Molnar-Szakacs & Pamela Heaton, Annals NY Academy of Sciences, the Neurosciences and Music IV, Learning and Memory, April 2012, pages 218-324. ..

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