Since 1990, we have seen the increase of girls vs. boys diagnosed with ADHD increase from a ratio of 1 in 8 to 1 in 3, reported by front line clinical therapists.

However, is this because the number of girls with ADHD is increasing or is it because they have been left undiagnosed?

Experts including psychologist Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D., head of a major longitudinal study of girls with ADHD, and psychologist and author Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D. have been studying the increases of diagnosis in girls as well as women. Dr. Hinshaw explains that because boys tend to demonstrate more hyperactivity and impulsivity that girls; boys with ADHD get noticed and helped. Whereas, girls are diagnosed with being inattentive with a day-dreamy type of disorder. Girls turn their frustration inside which leads to low self-confidence and psychological damage.

Dr. Hinshaw’s continues to explain in the...

Are the two related? Does ADHD medication increase your risk?

A recent study from July 2018, published in The Michael J. Fox Foundation Fox Feed Blog conducted by Parkinson's Foundation found that the prevalence of Parkinson's disease is increasing. By 2030, it's estimated that 1.2 million Americans will be living with the disease.

Current research conducted by the University of Utah Health shows that there is a correlation between ADHD and Parkinson’s Disease.

"Parkinson's disease is commonly thought of as a neurodegenerative disease associated with aging," said Glen Hanson, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology and School of Dentistry at U of U Health and senior author on the paper. "This may be the first time where a childhood disease and its treatment may be linked to a geriatric expression of neurodegenerative disorder."

Hanson’s team has found...

Students with ADHD can qualify for a 504 Plan at school which provides accommodations to help them be successful in the regular classroom. These are often focused around getting tasks done, test taking, managing behaviors, and minimizing distractions. However, diet and exercise can also play a role in managing ADHD symptoms, so it’s important to address these areas with your 504 coordinator.

If your child struggles with hyperactivity and restless behaviors, here are some accommodations suggested by ADDitude Magazine to encourage exercise. You child may be allowed to:

Run errands for the teacher Hand out papers to students when needed
Help clean the classroom
Stand while completing assignments (or get a standing desk)
Take short exercise breaks between assignments

If your child has a food allergy, there is no question that this needs to be included in the 504 Plan. You will need a...

Starting an exercise routine is one thing, but maintaining that routine is a challenge and can seem impossible if you have ADHD. Harvard Health recently reviewed a study which found regular aerobic exercise, the kind that gets your heart and your sweat glands pumping, appears to boost areas in the brain that are involved in verbal memory and learning.

Here are some of our favorite stick-with-it strategies:

• Set small achievable goals: Even though you may want to start with a full 30 minutes of exercise daily, let you goal be 15 minutes every other day. Anything you achieve on top of that will be icing on the cake. You can gradually work yourself up to 20-30 minutes.

• Don’t allow yourself to give up: If you don’t get to exercise at the allotted time, don’t give up for the day. Find 15 minutes somewhere else, even at 11:30 PM at night. If you can’t walk outside or make it to the...

In the world of education, it can be difficult to decipher the difference between an IEP (Individualized Educational Program) and a 504 plan. Both plans offer formal help for students K-12^th grades with learning and attention issues and they do have some similarities but at closer look they are very different.

An IEP is a plan for a child’s special education experience at school. It provides individualized special education related services to meet the unique needs of the child. It applies to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IEP sets learning goals for the child an describes the services the school will give to them in a written document.

504 is a plan addressing how a child will have access to learning at school. It provides services and changes to the learning environment to meet the needs of the child as adequately as other students. It applies to Section...