| Physicians and family members diagnosed with ADHD | | | | Children and Family Development of British Columbia, |
| are continually searching for optimal treatments for | | | | Canada or MCFD published in their health plan the |
| their patients and loved ones with hopes of finding a | | | | same recommendation as Dr. Mintz, stating: "ADHD is |
| "magic bullet" concerning treatment for ADD/ADHD. | | | | best managed in community settings by multidisciplinary |
| The recommended treatments for ADHD vary from | | | | child and youth mental health teams where possible, |
| medications (stimulant and non stimulant) to behavioral | | | | working together with families, schools, family |
| therapies, and lifestyle changes, but with all the options, | | | | physicians, and others in the community as needed." |
| even doctors can't be certain of a definitive measure | | | | (Ministry of Children and Family Development 2003). |
| of treatment - because there doesn't seem to be one. | | | | Multidisciplinary care awareness needs to be on the |
| The ever argued, controversial topic of ADHD | | | | forefront of every parent's mind who has a child with |
| treatment just got more interesting now that a new | | | | ADHD, but what can a parent do next if they want to |
| study published in the February issue of "Archives of | | | | find out more about this? Contact your child's ADHD |
| Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine" has been released. | | | | specialist and tell them your interested in a |
| The study included 785 children ages 7-11 from urban, | | | | multidisciplinary approach to treating your child. |
| suburban and rural social economic backgrounds who | | | | Some hospitals fund programs or clinics that target this |
| were being treated for ADHD by community | | | | very approach. Mind Matters Clinic in Murpheys, CA |
| physicians that agreed to participate in the study. Their | | | | takes a holistic approach offering diet and exercise as |
| objective was to determine if these community | | | | well as supplements to their various methods of |
| physicians had the same symptom and impairment | | | | treatment. |
| improvements using medication only as their University | | | | Parents also should take advantage of webinars like |
| based clinical trial counterparts. | | | | the ones offered by ADD Health & Wellness Centers, |
| The study concluded that: "Large improvements in | | | | Inc. They present a complimentary webinar on |
| ADHD symptoms can be achieved in primary care | | | | integrative care for children who struggle with ADD |
| settings when physicians provide evidence-based | | | | ADHD. They also have two locations in Texas and |
| ADHD care using medication. Because many children | | | | another in Boston serving families in their areas using |
| with ADHD continued to have significant functional | | | | multi-modal approaches and unique therapies. |
| impairment despite symptom improvement, | | | | Also look into ADD/ADHD conferences that are being |
| collaboration with other mental health or educational | | | | offered. LDA Minnesota is offering a 2010 ADHD |
| services in additional to medication appears | | | | Regional Spring Conference entitled Living, Loving, and |
| warranted." | | | | Learning with ADHD. Find out more about it here. |
| This is certainly good news for a lot of families who | | | | Lastly, its important for parents to connect with other |
| worry if they are doing enough for their child. The | | | | parents who are experiencing the same struggles they |
| study provides that while medication may help children | | | | are. There are local support groups, and online support |
| complete their assignments it does nothing for | | | | groups (Yahoo! ADD/ADHD supports group, and |
| improving over all functionality. | | | | others). currently has 7,529 meetup groups across |
| Dr Mark Mintz, triple-Board Certified in Child Neurology, | | | | America dedicated to Parents of Children with ADD |
| Pediatrics and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, recently | | | | ADHD - if there isn't a Meetup group near you then |
| featured on Electrifly, states: "The implications are that | | | | you can start your own using Social networks like |
| there is a need for multidisciplinary specialty care | | | | Twitter and Facebook also have pages dedicated to |
| (neurobehavioral/neuropsychological/psychiatric | | | | providing information and support with YOU in mind. |
| educational specialists) for those with ADHD. | | | | Lucille Ball once said, "One of the things I learned the |
| So, medication is insufficient, or in some cases might | | | | hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. |
| only be masking underlying functional impairments by | | | | Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can |
| superficially improving symptoms. Children with ADHD | | | | restore your faith in yourself." Living with ADHD isn't |
| in some cases can benefit from medications, but | | | | easy but hopefully with the medical resources available |
| whether or not receiving medication from a primary | | | | and the support of others that are going through the |
| care or specialty physician, these children will usually | | | | same thing it can be manageable and even successful. |
| require a multimodal/multidisciplinary strategy targeting | | | | Is there a real "Magic Bullet" for ADHD treatment? |
| organizational and learning skills if they are to achieve | | | | That is up to you to decide; however, the encouraging |
| success. " | | | | evidence supporting the benefits of implementing a |
| Multidisciplinary care awareness is slowly becoming | | | | multi-discipline approach certainly gives frustrated |
| more publicly recommended. In 2003, the Ministry of | | | | parents a promising hope they previously lacked. |