October is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness Month

Over 17 million Americans are affected by ADHD.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a brain disorder marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.

• Inattention means a person wanders off task, lacks persistence, has difficulty sustaining focus, and is disorganized; and these problems are not due to defiance or lack of comprehension.
• Hyperactivity means a person seems to move about constantly, including in situations in which it is not appropriate; or excessively fidgets, taps, or talks. In adults, it may be extreme restlessness or wearing others out with constant activity.
• Impulsivity means a person makes hasty actions that occur in the moment without first thinking about them and that may have high potential for harm; or a desire for immediate rewards or inability to delay gratification. An impulsive person may be socially intrusive and excessively interrupt others or make important decisions without considering the long-term consequences.

It’s better for parents to know that ADHD might be part of the picture so they can seek out the help their children need; it’s better for young adults to know about their ADHD so they might arrange for appropriate accommodations in school or the workplace; and it’s better for adults to recognize their ADHD instead of feeling destined to a life of underachievement and frustration.

RESOURCES: 

The National Institute of Mental Health

ADHD Awareness Month Coalition 

The newest posting to the Job Accommodation Network's blog focuses on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness Month. Melanie Whetzel, JAN Lead Consultant on the Cognitive/Neurological Team, discusses the implications of the 2017 theme, “Knowing Better: ADHD Across the Life Span.” Whetzel notes that awareness of ADHD at all times of life is important so that people can better understand how to accommodate themselves at home, in school, and in the workplace. Samples of situations and solutions involving employees with ADHD are highlighted.

Kaylee Rodgers 10-year-old Girl with Autism, and Classmates Sings A Heavenly Rendition Of ‘Hallelujah’

Kaylee Rodgers a10-year-old girl who has Autism, and ADHD and is often too shy to speak up in class is now having her voice heard around the world after delivering a spellbinding performance of "Hallelujah".

Kaylee Rogers, a student at Killard House Special School in Ireland, led the school choir in singing the Leonard Cohen classic.

After being posted online earlier this week, it has been viewed over one million times. It' a privilege to share a video of this wonderful young girl and her classmates performance.

ADHD now classified as a specific disability under federal civil rights law

U.S. Department of Education Releases Guidance On Civil Rights of Students with ADHD

from a Press Release on July 26, 2016

U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today issued guidance clarifying the obligation of schools to provide students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with equal educational opportunity under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

“On this 26th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I am pleased to honor Congress’ promise with guidance clarifying the rights of students with ADHD in our nation’s schools,” said Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights. “The Department will continue to work with the education community to ensure that students with ADHD, and all students, are provided with equal access to education.”

Over the last five years, OCR has received more than 16,000 complaints that allege discrimination on the basis of disability in elementary and secondary education programs, and more than 10 percent involve allegations of discrimination against students with ADHD. The most common complaint concerns academic and behavioral difficulties students with ADHD experience at school when they are not timely and properly evaluated for a disability, or when they do not receive necessary special education or related aids and services.

Today’s guidance provides a broad overview of Section 504 and school districts’ obligations to provide educational services to students with disabilities, including students with ADHD. The guidance:

• Explains that schools must evaluate a student when a student needs or is believed to need special education or related services.
• Discusses the obligation to provide services based on students’ specific needs and not based on generalizations about disabilities, or ADHD, in particular. For example, the guidance makes clear that schools must not rely on the generalization that students who perform well academically cannot also be substantially limited in major life activities, such as reading, learning, writing and thinking; and that such a student can, in fact, be a person with a disability.
• Clarifies that students who experience behavioral challenges, or present as unfocused or distractible, could have ADHD and may need an evaluation to determine their educational needs.
• Reminds schools that they must provide parents and guardians with due process and allow them to appeal decisions regarding the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of students with disabilities, including students with ADHD.

In addition to the guidance, the Department also released a Know Your Rights document that provides a brief overview of schools’ obligations to students with ADHD.

The mission of OCR is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through the vigorous enforcement of civil rights. Among the federal civil rights laws OCR is responsible for enforcing are Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Act of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. For more information about OCR and the anti-discrimination laws that it enforces, please visit its website and follow OCR on twitter @EDcivilrights.

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article from LA Times on the Guidance On Civil Rights of Students with ADHD.
The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidelines aimed at preventing schools from discriminating against the growing numbers of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

article by Joy Resmovits for the Los Angeles Times | July 26, 2016

In a letter to school districts and a “know your rights” document to be posted on its website Tuesday, the department said schools must obey existing civil rights law to identify students with the disorder and provide them with accommodations to help them learn.

The guidelines come in response to years of complaints from parents who say that their children have been denied needed services and that schools have failed to protect them from bullying. The Education Department, which has received roughly 2,000 such complaints over the last five years, said schools have requested clarification of their responsibilities under the law.

“Many … [teachers] are not familiar with this disorder,” Catherine Lhamon, the department’s assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote in the letter. “The failure to provide needed services to students with disabilities can result in serious social, emotional and educational harm.”

The number of children being diagnosed with ADHD — a neurobiological disorder characterized by impulsivity, hyperactivity or inattentiveness — has soared over the last decade.

As of 2011, 11% of children ages 4-17 were diagnosed with the disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Boys were more than twice as likely as girls to be diagnosed with ADHD.

California does not specifically track the number of students with ADHD, instead grouping most of them in the broader category of “specific learning disability.” As of Dec. 1, 2015, 288,294 students were in that category.

The rising rate of diagnosis has been controversial. There is no biological marker for the disorder. Kids can be diagnosed after showing symptoms such as carelessness or distraction over six months. But the line between quirky and disability can be fuzzy.

The rise of ADHD can be expensive for school districts, as the services for a single student can cost several thousand dollars a year. Some research though has found that there are hidden costs to not treating the disorder.

Under a 1973 federal law, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, schools are responsible for identifying students with the disorder and supporting them by recording lectures, highlighting passages of textbooks or giving them extra time on tests.

The guidelines make clear that school districts should evaluate students who may have the disorder even if they show high academic performance. Parents are entitled to ask that a district evaluate a student.

Jeffrey Katz, a Virginia-based clinical psychologist who works on public policy for the nonprofit Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, has seen students who have been missed by school districts.

For Maryland tax attorney Ingrid Alpern, co-chair of the nonprofit’s public policy committee, that lack of diagnosis for her son was painful.

It was only in third grade that a teacher told her that her son probably had the disorder. “I could have kissed that teacher,” she said. “It took all the way to third grade for the district to offer him a 504 plan.”

Before then, the school made her son eat lunch in the principal’s office.

http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-na-adhd-disability-us-department-of-education-20160725-snap-story.html

What is the Recommended Treatment for Young Children with ADHD? support from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

shared post : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | May 3, 2016

About 2 million of the more than 6 million children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were diagnosed as young children aged 2-5 years. Children diagnosed with ADHD at an early age tend to have the most severe symptoms and benefit from early treatment. CDC’s latest Vital Signs report urges healthcare providers to refer parents of young children with ADHD for training in behavior therapy before prescribing medicine to treat the disorder. Learning and practicing behavior therapy requires time and effort, but it has lasting benefits for the child.

“Parents may feel overwhelmed with decisions about their child’s treatment for ADHD, but healthcare providers, therapists, and families can all work together to help the child thrive,” said Anne Schuchat, MD, Principal Deputy Director, CDC. “Parents of young children with ADHD may need support, and behavior therapy is an important first step. It has been shown to be as effective as medicine, but without the risk of side effects.”

Together with the support of healthcare providers, parents can learn specific ways to improve their child’s behavior and keep their relationships strong. 

Parents can:

• Talk with their child’s healthcare provider about the benefits of being trained in behavior therapy for their young child with ADHD.
• Learn and use their strategies to support their young child with ADHD.

Healthcare providers can:

• Follow the clinical guidelines for diagnoses and treatment of ADHD in young children.
• Discuss with parents the benefits of behavior therapy and why they should consider getting training.
• Identify parent training providers in your area and refer parents of young children with ADHD for training in behavior therapy before prescribing medicine.

READ MORE: What is the Recommended Treatment for Young Children with ADHD?

ADHD Treatments for Children: Be Sure They Get What’s Best

as shared by the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services | April 1, 2015

By: Georgina Peacock, MD, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Susanna Visser, DrPH, MS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Has your child been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?  If so, like many other parents, you may be struggling with how to best treat your child’s symptoms. These decisions are often complicated, scary, and stressful.

A lot of information on ADHD exists online and this can lead parents in different directions, unsure of what treatment is best for their child. The good news is that researchers are learning more about ADHD all the time. We know a lot more today about how to help children with ADHD thrive at home, at school, and socially with friends.

Most children with ADHD ages 4-17 are receiving either medication or behavioral therapy for the disorder. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) gives this advice to healthcare providers, psychologists, educators, and parents of children with ADHD:

• For preschoolers ages 4-5 with ADHD, use behavioral therapy before medication.
• For older children and teens with ADHD, use behavioral therapy along with medication.

Effective behavioral therapy for children with ADHD involves parent training and education. This therapy helps to improve child behavior by building parenting skills, improving the relationship between parents and their child with ADHD, and helping children manage their own behaviors.  Behavioral therapy is an important part of treatment for children with ADHD of all ages, and it is the most appropriate treatment for children under the age of 6.

It can often be challenging to find behavioral therapy or other psychological resources. CDC encourages healthcare providers, psychologists, and educators to familiarize themselves with the available psychological resources in their communities in order to best guide patients and their families. Also, amidst all of the information available, we encourage families to look for evidence-based information (facts, not myths) from credible sources. Discuss with your child’s healthcare provider the treatment options consistent with AAP guidelines, including behavioral therapy.

Recommended resources to review include: 

• CDC’s resource page on ADHD treatment http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/treatment.html
• The National Resource Center on ADHD, a program from the group, Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), can help. This organization, funded by CDC, is the national clearinghouse for the latest evidence-based information on ADHD. They provide comprehensive information and support to individuals with ADHD, their families and friends, and the professionals involved in their lives.
• A review of effective treatments for preschoolers by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is here.

Parents are part of the solution, too. Collectively, the child, parents, educators, therapists, and healthcare providers are a team in supporting each child in their quest for long-term health and well-being.  Make sure your child gets what is best!

For more information about ADHD, visit www.cdc.gov/adhd.

For information on the American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines on diagnosing, evaluating, and treating ADHD, visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/guidelines.html.

Recommended resources to review include:

• Infographic on ADHD treatment for preschool-aged children (PDF - 950 KB)
• Infographic on ADHD treatment for older children and teens (PDF – 1.4 MB)
• CDC’s resource page on ADHD treatment http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/treatment.html

Georgina Peacock, MD, MPH, is Director, Division of Human Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disability, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Susanna Visser, DrPH, MS, is with the Division of Human Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disability, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

http://www.hhs.gov/blog/2015/04/01/adhd-treatments-children-be-sure-they-get-whats-best.html?utm_campaign=040115_hhs_blog_adhd&utm_medium=email&utm_source=hhs_blog_updates&utm_content=040115_hhs_blog_adhd_titlelink