Why a Diagnosis is Crucial

Inattentive ADHD:
Overlooked and Undertreated?  

by Great Schools Organization

Inattentive ADHD interferes with learning and friendships, yet it often goes undiagnosed. Learn what signs and symptoms to watch for -- and how to get help.

When Ethan brought home his first fourth grade report card, he knew his parents would not be pleased. In addition to grades that ranged between B and D, the teacher had commented, just as his third grade teacher had, “If Ethan would just focus on his work and try harder, he could do so much better!”

Full article “Inattentive ADHD: overlooked and undertreated?”

Inattentiveness in Childhood
Linked to Poor Grades a Decade Later

by Devon Frye

Inattentive symptoms can hold back even the brightest children, regardless of whether or not they’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. Children who struggle with inattention — even if they don’t have or have never been formally diagnosed with ADHD — may fare worse academically than their more attentive peers, a new study finds. What’s more, these effects can persist for at least 10 years, even for children with high IQs.

Full article “Inattentiveness in Childhood Linked to Poor Grades“

Your Child’s ADHD Is an Iceberg

by Penny Williams

Attention deficit disorder is multi-faceted, far-reaching, and largely hidden. What caregivers and educators see poking above the surface are just a fraction of ADHD symptoms. This is critical to keep in mind, and to guide your daily teaching and learning tactics.

Full article “Your Child’s ADHD Is an Iceberg“

Also available as a podcast:

“The Benefit of Seeing Your Child’s ADHD as an Iceberg” (51 min)

ADD vs ADHD in the classroom

ADHD is used as an umbrella term for two types of ADHD: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder without the hyperactivity [which we call Inattentive ADHD]. Many educators have worked with bright and motivated children who struggle to perform at school due to attention difficulties. This is not unusual given they are among the most common childhood behavioral disorders.

People with ADD call less attention to themselves. These are students who appear to be paying attention in class. They can be quiet and have few interactions with teachers. Symptoms of inattention include having difficulty getting started on tasks, making careless errors in written work, and losing focus during lessons or readings.

Because children with ADD display less obvious symptoms, it is more common for their learning difficulty to go undiagnosed, which can have a negative impact on a child’s confidence and self-esteem. This is especially the case when poor performance is attributed to “not trying” or “low effort” instead of an attention disorder

Full article “ADD vs ADHD in the classroom”

Untreated ADHD Reduces Life Expectancy 

(1 hour podcast)

ADHD in Young Adults

by WebMD

People with ADHD might also be what doctors call “high functioning,” which means they’ve been able to get through life without any major issues. They may not realize they have ADHD and may have developed coping skills to mask their symptoms.

No matter the type of ADHD, the symptoms can pose challenges for young adults. “From the time you start college to getting your first job, renting your first apartment, buying your first house -- all of that adulting stuff requires a lot of executive functioning skills,” Zach says. These skills -- like adaptable thinking, planning, self-control, self-monitoring, time management, memory, and organization – are key to development. But many people with ADHD struggle with them.” “... Treatment helps young adults separate themselves from their condition. With the right help, “they realize that their capacity to do more is so much greater,” Goodman says. “That’s when their self-confidence goes up.”

Full article “ADHD in Young Adults”

Girls With ADHD Are At Greater Risk

by Amy Novotney

Research shows that girls with ADHD are at greater risk for self-harm, unplanned pregnancies, dropping out of college, and a host of other academic, social and neuropsychological risks. 

Full Article “ADHD and Self-Harm”

When Adult ADHD Goes Untreated

by Scott Shapiro, M.D.

“John met with me for the first time at The Hallowell Center. His financial firm had sent me similar people in the past—you know, those bright and brilliant people who seem like they should be excelling, but never seem to get their act together. A third of the patients they referred ended up having Adult ADHD and had never been diagnosed. Two of them got better on medications. Another couldn’t tolerate medications but found some relief from specialized goal-focused CBT for ADHD, as well as executive coaching.

Full article “When Adult ADHD Goes Untreated?” While there, check out Dr. Shapiro’s blog on ADHD

What If It’s More Than Just ADHD?

Video with Rick Green and five ADHD experts 

“In fact, by adulthood 70% of adults have had a second diagnosis and 40% of adults have had three or more.” “When folks come in for an evaluation they ask us does my child have ADHD or not? What they don’t know is that if they’re coming here for an evaluation there’s about 50 probability that the child has another diagnosis as well, and they’re not used to thinking in those terms.” 

The High Cost of ADHD Pseudoscience

by Dr. Ronald Crouch

We’re in my office, which like any child psychologist’s office, is stuffed with toys, books, and more than a little unfinished paperwork. I’m meeting with Alex and his parents for their first session. Alex is fifteen and already taller than his father, but his problems, they explain, began in preschool.

The problem was this: there was always a problem.

Every kid gets in trouble now and then, but Alex was always in trouble. Always. In primary school, he would daydream so much and so intensely that he would get up in the middle of class and make robot noises while walking around his desk. He was found climbing on a dinosaur fossil during a field trip in the third grade and was banned from field trips for the rest of the year. He was great about doing his homework, but would always forget it at home. He still does.

For more than a decade he was constantly on the receiving end of scoldings, “don’t go there” looks from adults, and teasing and bullying from his classmates. His parents thought that everyone was too hard on him. His teacher thought that his parents were too easy on him. And secretly, Alex thought he was just a “bad kid.”

Full article “The High Cost of ADHD Pseudoscience”

Developmental Issues That Go
Hand-In-Hand With ADHD May Be
a Source of Significant Worry

ADHD symptoms put your kid at a serious disadvantage and left unchecked can have consequences throughout your child’s life.  The information on this page is a wake-up call about the wide-ranging impacts of ADHD, especially the video, ADHD: Too Important to ignore by Dr. Greg Mattingly.

Full article “Developmental issues that go hand-in-hand with ADHD may be a source of significant worry”

This is What Happens to Women with ADHD Left Undiagnosed