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What Does Everybody Else Know That I Don't? : Social Skills Help for Adults With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Ad/Hd)  A Reader-Friendly guide focusing on social skills training for adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (AD/HD), this book offers solutions for tackling behavior that is often inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive. Advice is given on how to handle common social problems  such as manners, etiquette, communication, subtext, listening, and interpersonal relationships. The format of the book is designed for AD/HD learning styles and includes true stories, practical exercises, and tips that keep those with AD/HD reading. Adults with AD/HD learn how to identify behaviors in themselves that can cause problems in social relationships.

by the same authors; Tom Whiteman, Michele Novotni, Randy Petersen : Adult A.D.D. : A Reader Friendly Guide to Identifying, Understanding, and Treating Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Available in Europe for  £8.56 from Amazon.co.uk. Click here to buy Available in USA, Canada and Pacific for US$12.60 with Amazon.com. click here to buy The reviewer said,"I am very glad I found this book. At a time that I am upset about my past, confused about the present and hopeful about the future, this book is helping me understand the condition I was diagnosed with - ADD. Having just started my treatment, I was looking for a book that I could use to learn more about ADD.

The study of 58 children with ADHD also found that the benefits of Adderall last longer than those of methylphenidate (which is sold under the brand name Ritalin®. In fact, 70 percent of patients taking a single morning dose of Adderall found significant improvement in ADHD symptoms, while just 15 percent of patients taking methylphenidate improved significantly with only one dose.
 

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

"In our study, children with ADHD showed more improvement after Adderall treatment compared with methylphenidate," said Steven Pliszka, M.D., lead investigator of the study and chief of child and adolescent psychiatry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. "It is important for children with ADHD to have effective treatment, because left untreated, ADHD can increase the risk of low self-esteem and social and academic failure."

 In Dr. Pliszka's clinical study, 58 children diagnosed with ADHD were given Adderall, methylphenidate, or placebo for three weeks in a double-blind parallel-group design. All groups started week one on a once-daily dosing regimen. If the children's afternoon or evening behavior did not improve after week one, a mid-day or 4 p.m. dose was added for week two.

Teachers rated morning and afternoon behaviors, while parents rated evening behaviors. According to teacher ratings, Adderall produced more improvements in inattentive and oppositional behaviors than methylphenidate (p less than 0.05).

In addition, the psychiatrist-administered Clinical Global Impression Improvement scale, which is used to assess
response to treatment, showed that more children found greater ADHD symptom relief with Adderall than with
methylphenidate. In fact, 90 percent of children taking Adderall were found to be "very much improved" or "much
improved" in behavior, when statistically compared with 65 percent of the methylphenidate group and 27 percent of the placebo group (p less than 0.01).

The study also showed that 70 percent of patients taking Adderall and only 15 percent of patients taking methylphenidate were still on once-daily dosing at the end of the study, based on a pre-defined dose titration scheme. "The higher response rate for Adderall is very encouraging," Dr. Pliszka said. "Our study suggests that Adderall can be the first option for the treatment of ADHD."

In the study, both medications were well tolerated, and side effects were similar to placebo. The most common side effects associated with stimulant use are insomnia, loss of appetite, stomach pain, headache, irritability, and weight loss.

ADHD affects 3 percent to 5 percent of all school-age children, and is considered the most frequently diagnosed
 psychiatric disorder in children and adolescents. The most common behaviors exhibited by those who have ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

  Stimulant medications -- which stimulate areas of the brain that control attention, impulses, and self-regulation of behavior -- are among the most successful treatments for people with ADHD. In fact, at least 70 percent of children with ADHD respond positively to treatment with stimulant medication.

 Adderall is a stimulant medication for the treatment of ADHD. It has been shown to improve attention span, decrease  distractibility, improve the ability to follow directions and complete tasks, and decrease impulsivity and hyperactivity. Adderall is generally well tolerated.

While adverse reactions are rare, the most frequently reported adverse reactions include anorexia, insomnia, stomach pain, headache, irritability, and weight loss. These side effects are similar to those seen with other stimulant medications used to treat ADHD. As with most stimulant medications indicated for ADHD, the possibility of growth suppression and the potential for precipitating motor tics and Tourette's syndrome exists with Adderall treatment, and, in rare cases, exacerbations of psychosis have been reported. Since all amphetamines have a  high potential for abuse, Adderall should be used only as part of a comprehensive treatment program under close physician supervision.

This information is from  www.adders.org. Further new ADD and ADHD research can be found at http://www.adders.org/research.htm

Contrary to recently held views, it is now clear that many children with ADHD will not simply "outgrow" their symptoms when they reach adolescence.

Although the absolute severity of ADHD symptoms often declines with age, between 70-80% of children with ADHD continue to show problems with attention and impulsivity relative to their agemates. In addition to these continued ADHD symptoms, difficulties in a number of other areas are not uncommon. As many as half exhibit significant behavior problems, defiance, and antisocial acts such as fighting, stealing, and vandalism.

Compared to their non-ADHD classmates, teenagers with this disorder are more likely to have been held back in school, to have been suspended from school, and to drop out. A recently completed study indicates that as young adults, children with ADHD will have completed approximately 2 years less formal schooling than their peers.

Several studies have followed children with ADHD into adulthood. Although these results vary from study to study, it appears that about 50% continue to show evidence of the disorder in adulthood, especially attention problems and impulsivity. Almost a third will have dropped out of high school, and only 5% complete a university degree compared to 40% of their peers. Approximately 25% have developed chronic patterns of anti-social behavior.
Clearly, for many children with ADHD, this disorder is a chronic condition that can adversely affect their development over many many years.

On the positive side, approximately one third of children with ADHD appear to be relatively well adjusted and symptom free as young adults. Although reliable predictors of such good adult outcome have not been fully identified there are several factors that are important to note.

First, not surprisingly, higher levels of intellectual functioning and better school performance are associated with better outcomes.
Second, the absence of severe behavior and conduct problems during childhood, particularly before age 10, is associated with better adult outcome.
And finally, children with ADHD who manage to get along well with their peers are likely to have better adjustments as adults.

These factors have clear implications for parents. It is very important to stress that it does not appear to be the primary symptoms of ADHD - inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity - that are most directly responsible for the negative adult outcomes that many children with ADHD attain. Instead, it is the behavioral, social, and academic difficulties that children with ADHD are at increased risk for that may be most clearly linked to negative adult outcome.

What this means is that if parents can succeed in preventing the development of these secondary problems - i.e. academic struggles, social problems, severe behavioral problems - their child is likely to have a much more successful adjustment in adolescence and young adulthood. Carefully monitoring a child's overall development, and not just focusing on ADHD symptoms, is thus critically important. When academic, behavioral, and social difficulties arise, working hard to address these problems is of paramount importance.

Written by David Rabiner, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist. You will find more from him at http://www.svr.com/addhelp/info.htm
 
 

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