Q: “How can I get my son diagnosed with ADHD without incurring any medical costs? His school will not give him the diagnosis, even though I have been trying to get him diagnosed since 1st grade, and now he is in 8th grade. His is not a behavior problem. He is a people pleaser, but school is affecting his confidence...

Can attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) respond positively to the healing power of music? My youngest son, Michael, is living proof that music can change lives — and brains.

Michael was 10 days old before I saw him for the first time — his tiny, blue body lying limply in the incubator as he...

As a professional organizer, I try to help my clients change how they think about their “stuff.” Magazines are often a clutter item. We buy them or subscribe to them, and we intend to read them some day.

Last week, I was ready to launch into my magazine spiel with a client when she almost stumped me. I was looking...

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It’s early August, and that means that the start of a new school year is just around the corner.  It also means that many newly graduated clinical fellows (as well as SLPs switching their settings) will begin their exciting yet slightly terrifying new jobs working f...

I’d spent a lifetime behind a screen of witty self-deprecation. I made people laugh. It was a part of my personality — the quips popped from my mouth in a narrative I couldn’t control. But, at 45, freshly divorced and struggling, I found myself in a therapist’s office. In our third session, she asked,...

Q: “Any tips to improve tooth brushing? My son with ADHD hates it and his gums are swollen and teeth covered in plaque. I’ve tried bribes, gifts, money… nothing is working.”  –Ann Arbor Mom

Hi Ann Arbor Mom:

Boy, did this question resonate with me. When my son was young, it was difficult...

My ADHD life coach once told me that changes in routine are particularly difficult for a person with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD). This definitely explains why I sometimes feel like my grip on the mountain of family life goes from firm and reliable to sweaty and millimeters away from sending me...

For most of us who are raising teens with ADHD, video games are a fact of life. Many kids would rather immerse themselves in a video game than spend time doing just about anything else.

As a result, many parents fear that their child is addicted to video games; others worry that their child is isolating himself. Many see the...

If you were born during the Nixon or Carter administrations, you grew up at a time when ADHD was rarely diagnosed — even ADHD in boys.

Often, the guys in our grade who had (undiagnosed) ADHD were known for slinking into school high, reeking of pot. Other ones were shuttled into Special Ed classes, often with kids who had...

A mental health diagnosis is based almost entirely on the discussion of symptoms between a patient and his mental health provider. You might think being the diagnosis expert is your doctor’s job alone, but if you don’t thoroughly understand the diagnosis for yourself or your loved one, you may not get the treatment...

Compensatory Strategies to Disguise Autism Spectrum Disorder May Delay Diagnosis

First scientific study of compensatory strategies-techniques to camouflage autism-finds that they have positive and negative outcomes, increasing social integration, but possibly also resulting in poor mental...

Many parents find it hard to get the best ADHD accommodations for their child with attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD), and, if they do get them, to make sure that they are being implemented.

Here are fixes for four common problems with an IEP or 504 Plan:

After a month, I realized that the ADHD accommodations my daughter...

Listen to “ADHD–Everything You Need to Know About Causes and Treatments” with Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D.

Click the play button below to listen, or click the download icon to download the podcast and then save it to your device. Mobile users can touch this link to open the Podcasts app or touch this link t...

After graduating from high school, I attempted to join the workforce. It didn’t go well.

At the ripe age of 18, I thought I was ready for the big, bad world. It turns out the big, bad world was not ready for me.

The problem? For starters, I was completely honest.

I have learning disabilities, but I can do any job as well...

The unofficial adage of ADHD time management is, “By the time you feel it, it’s too late.” ADHD expert Russell Barkley, Ph.D., has famously said that ADHD is not a disorder of knowing what to do, it’s a disorder of doing what you know — at the right times and places.

Struggles with time management...

Q: “My 19-year-old son is textbook ADHD — not doing chores, messy room, and difficulty problem solving. He has had to leave college twice. He says he cannot concentrate to study, but he can play video games for hours. He is going to be starting therapy soon. How can I help him? My husband just gets angry. He wants...