diagnosing kids: recent publications

January 19, 2023Virtual reality (VR) games may be used to accurately and objectively diagnose ADHD symptoms in children, according to a team of Finland-based researchers. Their newly developed VR game, Executive Performance in Everyday LIving (EPELI), performed better than standard behavioral tests in distinguishing children with ADHD from those without ADHD in a small study of 76 subjects.

Eating disorders disproportionately impact teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 12 – and we don’t fully understand why. A growing body of research links ADHD to a higher incidence of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder during puberty and adolescence – a time when a mix of factors, including social media use, can contribute to negative body image and low-self-esteem.

Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge-eating disorder (BED) typically begin in adolescence, but they are increasingly seen in younger children.Researchers have linked the rise of eating disorders in children and teens to the pandemic and the ongoing youth mental health crisis, among other stressors.12Social media may also play a role in driving body image dissatisfaction and negative comparison among teens.3 What’s more, children and teens with conditions like anxiety, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at greater risk for developing eating disorders.4 ,5Eating disorders are complex but treatable conditions. Early detection greatly improves recovery and health outcomes.If you are concerned that your child is showing signs of an eating disorder like AN, BN, or BED, answer the questions below and share the results with your child’s pediatrician or a licensed mental health professional who is experienced in diagnosing and treating eating disorders.If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, contact the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) for support, resources, and treatment options. Call or text NEDA at 800-931-2237 or visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.org to reach a NEDA volunteer.This self-test was adapted from materials provided in “Identification and Management of Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Persistent tic disorders, including Tourette’s disorder, affect about one in fifty children in the U.S. according to the latest research – more children than previously thought, and a figure that carries important implications for clinicians.1 What’s more, tic disorders are highly comorbid.

November 16, 2022The brains of autistic individuals experience widespread molecular changes across the cerebral cortex. The most differential changes occur in the primary visual cortex, according to a recent study published in Nature that analyzed 11 cortical areas of the brain.1 Most molecular profiling studies highlight changes limited to the frontal and temporal cortex.To further understand the brain pathology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), researchers performed RNA-sequencing analysis on 112 post-mortem samples.

Not available December 14? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Irritability, moodiness, temper tantrums, or other mood states commonly occur alongside ADHD in youth, but sometimes emotion regulation difficulties (ERD) indicate something more.

Not available October 27? Don’t worry. Register here and we’ll send the replay link to watch at your convenience.The pandemic has brought with it a troubling surge in eating disorders.

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If your child takes “defiant” to a whole new level, you probably feel at the end of your rope. Before you start pursuing treatment, however, it’s important to know exactly what you’re dealing with.

Perhaps the most broadly recognized learning disability, dyslexia is defined as a difficulty with spelling and word recognition. While some individuals with dyslexia do read words backwards, this condition manifests differently in different people; it is complex.

In the days and weeks following an ADHD diagnosis, many families enter a disorienting whirlwind of books, articles, videos, and next steps. In the midst of this ADHD education and understanding, one question inevitably arises: Who else needs to know?Some parents find that open and unbarred communication is essential for increasing acceptance and recognition of the disorder.

Not available September 15? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.My kid might have ADHD? What does that even mean? Do they really need an evaluation? Who can evaluate and diagnose ADHD? Do we need a specialist? Everyone seems to have a different answer to these questions.Turns out one of the most confusing aspects of having a child with ADHD is the fact that many types of professionals may be involved in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. Because getting an ADHD evaluation can be both time-intensive and expensive, it’s important to be educated about what options exist, what to expect during the process, and what questions to ask the professionals.In this webinar, Dr.

Dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are distinctly different. Broadly, the former is a reading disorder; the latter is associated with impaired attention and/or impulse control.

Not available August 16? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Researchers have known for years that social media has differential effects on how young people think about themselves depending on who they are and how they use it.

Integrated behavioral health care revolves around collaboration between primary care and behavioral health professionals in a shared setting. A pediatrician, psychiatrist, and social worker, for example, all share pertinent information about a patient in order to ensure that no health considerations or solutions are overlooked, no symptoms are misconstrued, no time or effort is wasted, and no pain points are left unaddressed.Though this approach has produced improved outcomes for patients and clinicians, it is still largely underutilized.

Almost two-thirds of children with ADHD have at least one other condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 45 percent are affected by learning disorders, 32 percent by anxiety, 17 percent by a mood disorder, and 14 percent by autism spectrum disorder. Yet despite the prevalence of co-occurring conditions, experts in the field — advocates, learning specialists, and psychologists — report that many students with ADHD do not receive assessments for common comorbidities, at least initially.Third grade was not going well for Jackson* of Brooklyn, New York. Diagnosed with ADHD at age 5, Jackson was in an integrated co-teaching class with an IEP in place, but his school aversion intensified with each passing day.

July 19, 2022ADHD is a complex diagnosis that most clinicians are ill-equipped to make thanks, in part, to poor understanding of condition comorbidities and inadequate diagnostic tools, especially for adults. This is the finding of the ADHD Expert Consortium, a panel of experts convened to study barriers to effective diagnosis and treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and to propose solutions in a consensus statement that included five main recommendations:“ADHD must be viewed as a public health problem producing a substantial impact on the health, quality of life, and economic viability of the U.S.

June 22, 2022Pediatricians should perform mental health screenings on all children and adolescents, evaluating for depression, anxiety, and suicide risk, says a new draft recommendation issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).1 A response to the growing mental health crisis among youth, this AAP guidance recommends screening adolescents ages 12 and up for major depressive disorder and youths ages 8 and up for anxiety, even in the absence of documented symptoms.Earlier this year, the AAP recommended universal screening for all kids age 12 and older for suicide risk; for kids aged eight 8 to 11, screening was recommended only when “clinically indicated,” such as when warning signs were present.John Piacentini, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA, called the AAP draft recommendation important because “anxiety in children is often less easily identified than other disorders, such as ADHD, which can delay treatment.” Left untreated, he said, anxiety is associated with increased risk of depression, self-harm, substance use, and other health risks in later life.The AAP joined the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in drafting the screening recommendations and in noting a need for further research on evaluating younger children for mental health conditions.

Not available July 12? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Rarely do primary care providers, behavioral health professionals, and school officials involved in the diagnosis and treatment of children and teens with ADHD and co-existing conditions collaborate on the care of their shared patients.

Not available June 1? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.ADHD and dyslexia are separate conditions that often co-occur. In fact, it is estimated that about half of people with ADHD also have a learning disorder, the most common of which is dyslexia.ADHD is a neurological condition characterized by inattention, distractibility, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity.

dyscalculia is neither well-known nor well-understood among educators and clinicians. Roughly 5%-7% of students in the United States have this math-based learning disability.1, 2 Still, dyslexia is studied and discussed in scientific journals nearly 14 times more frequently than is dyscalculia.3In other words, children with developmental dyscalculia are quite likely slipping through the cracks at school and at the doctor’s office.

NOTE: The more questions you answer in the affirmative, the more likely you are to have symptoms that resemble those of girls with ADHD. This self-test is not intended to diagnose or to replace the care of a healthcare professional. Be sure to share your completed self-test with a healthcare professional. An accurate diagnosis can only be made through clinical evaluation.

not imagining things, ADHD really is linked to more powerful, sudden, and unruly emotions.But, once you understand your difficulty with emotional regulation, you can get it under control. In this video, learn how.Truth #1: Intense emotions are a hallmark of ADHD.Few doctors factor in emotional challenges when making a diagnosis.Yet, research shows that people with ADHD experience acute difficulty with:Truth #2: Emotional challenges begin in the brain.The brain connectivity networks that carry emotional information don’t work well for people with ADHD.“Processing emotions starts in the brain,” says Thomas Brown, Ph.D.

female manifestations of ADHD – including findings on self-harm, peer relationships, trauma, and more – reveal crucial aspects of the condition that are as devastating as they are under-appreciated. Along with a recognition of general sex and gender differences, these factors must inform future research practices and clinical approaches for this group.1The bottom line: Our approach to ADHD in women and girls has been broken for too long.

DSM-5. In other words, inattentive type ADHD is the not-so-new name for ADD.Individuals with inattentive type ADHD do not exhibit the stereotypical symptoms of ADHD — namely physical hyperactivity and impulsivity.

January 11, 2022The best approach for clinical evaluation of ADHD symptoms in preschool children includes a combination of the Disruptive Behavior Disorder Rating Scale (DBDRS), the Conners’ Kiddie Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT), and electroencephalogram (EEG) data, according to a Journal of Attention Disorders study.1The study included 70 preschool students (38 with ADHD and 32 with typical development (TD)) who were administered the K-CPT and wireless EEG recording in different conditions. The K-CPT is “a standardized task-oriented computerized modality that measures a child’s objective performance in terms of attention,” while “EEG is increasingly considered the ideal device to obtain biomarkers for characterizing neurodevelopmental disorders.”The main findings were as follows:Evidence suggests that DSM criteria can be applied to preschool children, but it can be difficult to obtain robust behavioral history from observers who aren’t the parents.

Not available February 3? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.The top two reasons why people stop taking their ADHD medication:Finding a qualified professional to diagnose and manage symptoms of ADHD is a complex — and vitally important — process.

Not available January 10? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.ADHD’s three distinct subtypes were first recognized in the 1994 update to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), however confusion over the subtypes’ differences persists even today.

Not available January 26? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.A common (but rarely discussed) comorbid diagnosis related to ADHD is body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB), with symptoms ranging from nail biting to hair pulling to cheek biting that children and adults can’t control.These behaviors are often chronic, and individuals with BFRBs report feeling pleasure and/or pain from these habits.

Not available January 10? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.ADHD’s three distinct subtypes were first recognized in the 1994 update to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), however confusion over the subtypes’ differences persists even today.

November 30, 2021Select measures of impulsivity and risk-taking in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are linked to symptoms of comorbid oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), according to a longitudinal study recently published in Frontiers in Psychiatry1 that examines the relationship between these disorders, reward-related dysfunctions, and other factors.Specifically, the study found that high approach motivation (the tendency to approach a rewarding stimulus while dismissing any associated threats or risks) in children might indicate a higher likelihood of developing comorbid symptoms of ADHD or ODD.

ADHD misconceptions are as persistent as they are pernicious — inflicting emotional and psychological damage on those (diagnosed and undiagnosed) individuals with ADHD who face (and face down) the myths.Recently, we asked ADDitude readers to share the ADHD stereotypes they would most like to eradicate if given the opportunity. Read their answers below and share your thoughts in the Comments section below.“I would eradicate the notion that ADHD is ‘just a behavioral problem,’ and the idea that kids just need to be punished.

1, comorbidities rarely factor into the evaluation — leading to an incomplete diagnosis. You have ADHD, but what else might you have? Or, no, you do not have ADHD but rather some other condition that explains the symptoms that led you to seek help.This is why checklist evaluations, while helpful screening tools, are inadequate by themselves.

someone may even be yourself or your child.What follows these comments and observations may be denial. Or guilt.

Traumatic stress and ADHD share significant associations, according to a growing body of research on trauma and childhood maltreatment. Studies show that people with ADHD score higher than their neurotypical peers on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaire1, which measures the impact of negative, stressful, or traumatic events on well-being.

NervousHi Nervous:I want to applaud you for reaching out and asking for help. Even for adults, it’s not easy to identify the right course of action or the most appropriate next steps when you think you have ADHD.

ADHD misconceptions are rampant and can lead to inaccurate assumptions about our children. Sometimes that’s painful.If you’re hesitant about seeking an official evaluation for your child, let’s take a look at — and break down — the most common concerns and misconceptions.By trying to hide the condition, you may be feeding into the stigma that something is wrong with your child.

October 19, 2021Symptoms of inattention and irritability uniquely predict an increased likelihood of internalizing disorders, like anxiety and depression, from childhood to adolescence, according to a new study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders1 that examined the dimensions of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) linked to these comorbidities.The study’s authors noted that, while childhood ADHD and ODD are separate risk factors for internalizing problems, unique dimensions of each disorder — like inattention and hyperactivity in ADHD, and irritability and opposition in ODD – differently predict the incidence of these comorbid conditions.

DESR is a novel concept to many, questions abound. Below, I answer several posed during my recent ADDitude webinar titled “Deficient Emotional Self-Regulation: The Overlooked ADHD Symptom That Impacts Everything.”Emotional dysregulation does change and it can improve, but it depends on the individual and the factors involved.

1Emotional dysregulation is noticeably missing from diagnostic criteria for ADHD. However, most patients and experts recognize that it is central to the disorder2.

Not available August 31? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Young children work to build a foundation in the areas of reading acquisition, math skills, and understanding the social contract.

He always says, “Huh? I don’t know, I forgot.”She doesn’t seem to understand the lessons.They can’t repeat back what is said to them.She reads okay, but her reading comprehension is poor. When parents hear these comments from school, they may wonder: What’s going on? Do my child’s struggles stem from ADHD? Or are they having trouble understanding language? Could it be both? Or something else entirely? And who can help us figure this out?As a speech-language pathologist (SLP) in a public school, I commonly evaluate for language disorders, which can look a lot like ADHD and other conditions.

Not available August 31? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Young children work to build a foundation in the areas of reading acquisition, math skills, and understanding the social contract.

perception that you have disappointed others in your life and that, because of that disappointment, they have withdrawn their love, approval, or respect. The same painful reaction can occur when you fail or fall short of your rather high goals and expectations.

childhood memories — good, bad, and in between — that reinforced this undeniable truth: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) influences how we grow up and can set the tone for the rest of life as well. Struggling to keep up with neurotypical peers and being habitually misunderstood by authority figures is hard enough when you have a formal diagnosis, but even more damaging without one, as you’ll see below.What are your most vivid memories of growing up with ADHD? Share your experiences in the Comments section below.“In kindergarten I could never be still.

ADHD or ADD) commonly co-occurs with other conditions. In fact, we might say this is the rule rather than the exception.

eating disorders1. Eating disorders are thought to be caused by a complex interaction of genetic, biological, behavioral, social, and psychological factors.Binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (below) are both impulsive eating disorders prevalent in individuals with ADHD.BED is defined by recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by both of the following:[Click to Read: ADHD and Impulsive Eating]In addition, the episodes are associated with at least three of the following to merit a diagnosis:Marked distress regarding binge eating must also be present for a diagnosis.

children of color, who are continually underdiagnosed for ADHD. These inequities and their related consequences cause hardships for years and even lifetimes, as patients remain unaware that ADHD is a root cause of their challenges.