Dressing For Success

ADHD and Clothing Sensitivities

Is your ADHD child driven to distraction by ill-fitting socks and clothing tags? He may have a heightened sensitivity to clothing.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most popular research topics in the field of learning disabilities today. Classified as a mental health complication, millions of children and teens live with the disorder in the United States alone. Pediatricians, neurologists, and other specialists search for a way to improve the quality of life for kids with ADHD while parents get to focus on the everyday minutiae of parenting children with this disorder.

Just to give you an idea of how this works, some children with ADHD are sensitive to certain types of clothing. This can be attributed to the heightened sensitivities experienced by ADHD children and adolescents. Clothing sensitivity can be seen in the need to micromanage the size and placement of a child’s socks, for example. A boy with ADHD can and will spend a quarter of an hour trying to make his socks yield the right fit. It helps to remember that it is the disorder—the ADHD—that is the driving force behind this picayune behavior.

Peer-Related Pressures

For teenagers, clothing sensitivity carries peer-related pressures. The trendiest clothing may not be wearable for a teen with clothing sensitivities. The problem may be tags, linings, or even specific dress materials. Your teen may experience a sensitivity to the stitching, or be bothered by the sensation of the cut or type of fabric in fashionable clothing.

For a parent accompanying a teenager on a shopping trip it can be very hard to pinpoint the exact nature of the difficulties experienced. That makes it a chore to steer children toward the clothing they can and will tolerate. We may also not be thrilled at the way the chosen (read comfortable) clothing looks on our children but may be forced to give in here and there to save everyone’s sanity: both parent and teen.

When your teenager with ADHD brings home new clothing items, check to make sure she’s made reasonable choices regarding fit, and then make sure to wash the clothing with laundry soap you know she can tolerate. This will remove any harsh manufacturing chemicals that might set off your child’s sensitivities.

A Biggie

The next step is to think about removing all tags related to care and branding. Clothing tags are a biggie when it comes to clothing sensitivities and the irritation can drive your ADHD teen to, well, distraction. If after you’ve done all of these things, your teen still complains about an item of clothing, it may be necessary to get rid of the offending article.

For some teens with ADHD, clothing sensitivities can worsen the symptoms of ADHD and it may be tough to spot your child’s clothing as the culprit. If you see your child having trouble with staying focused in class despite being on medication, think about removing his clothing tags or changing the way your child dresses. If you see an improvement after the fact, you’ll have proof that your child has a clothing sensitivity.

There isn’t a single facet of the ADHD teenager’s life that escapes the effects of this neurological condition. But you can make things a bit easier for your teen by choosing clothes that are not only stylish but decrease sensory irritation. If you make the effort in this area, you’ll see a benefit in your child’s schoolwork and begin to have a better experience when shopping with your child for clothes.

This post has been copied in its entirety with the kind permission of www.cognibeat.com and can be seen in it's entirety at http://community.cognibeat.com/2010/12/dressingforsuccess

ADHD Substance Abuse

Identifying Those at Risk

The rise of ADHD prescription drug abuse is on the rise among teens and college students. The physical consequences are dire—the risk to their future, no less so. This is an issue that deserves our attention, front and center. We need to explore ways to address this dangerous form of drug abuse.

From Within

One way to combat the problem is to tackle it from within its physical plant. Those health-care providers who are based within high schools and colleges should make the effort to foster a relationship with the students under their care. By remaining alert and observant, school nurses can spot unusual behaviors or attitudes as they crop up. School health-care providers should be taught to recognize the signs and symptoms of those at risk for ADHD drug abuse.



To that end, the National Association of School Nurses has created an educational toolkit to teach school health-providers how to prevent, identify, and manage the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs. The kit includes lesson plans for nurses and health educators alike. There are also tips for school administrators contemplating the implementation of drug-testing programs for students and links for obtaining further information about drug abuse prevention in schools.

Teens and young adults who display sudden bold changes in their behavior, attitudes, or appearance, are giving off the first signals that they may be abusing drugs such as ADHD medications. If such changes are witnessed, a full medical history should be taken to help assess the student for drug abuse. The key to running down the facts and dispensing help where needed is in noticing changed behavior and appearance and in fostering an ease of communication between students and providers.

Ask Questions

Health-care providers should dare to ask questions. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration suggests employing the CAGE screening tool:

http://www.associatedneurologists.com/cage.html as the basis of these discussions. This is a series of four questions related to alcohol use, but might be adapted as a tool for screening students for potential drug abuse. It is recommended that this screening tool be used at each visit with a student patient.

Here is a suggested adaptation:

* Have you ever felt you ought to cut down on your drug use?


* Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drug use? 

* Have you felt bad or guilty about your drug use? 

* Have you ever used drugs first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to help you do better in school?

Don’t judge and don’t mince words. Kids at risk should feel you care no matter what, but that you won’t tolerate anything but the truth. Watch the student for signs he is becoming defensive when you bring up the topic of substance abuse.

This article has been copied in whole with kind permission from www.cognibeat.com and can be found at http://community.cognibeat.com/2010/11/substanceabuse/

Facebook, Twitter and ADHD

Does Social Networking Impact ADHD?

Today’s generation of techno-geeks has created a world which exists on a virtual cloud. This real/not real universe is complete with its own language, transmitted via a keyboard the size of a deck of playing cards. By plugging into the world of social networking, your child can make connections all over the planet earth. He can expand his mind with the click of his mouse as he checks out the myriad links posted by “friends.”

All this happens at a rapid-fire pace which leads parents and teachers to wonder whether social networking might be a problem, in particular for those kids with attention span deficits. If your child has ADD/ADHD, you may be more than just a little concerned about the effects of Facebook and Twitter on your child’s mind. But what do the experts say?

Negative Impact

At least one leading neuroscientist believes that social networking venues can have a negative impact on children. Lady Greenfield, professor of synaptic pharmacology at Oxford’s Lincoln College and the director of the Royal Institution says that children who use these sites,“… are devoid of cohesive narrative and long-term significance.”

Dr. Greenfield says these venues may infantilize a child’s mind and accustom it to sensationalism, short attention span, lack of compassion, and an absence of a personal sense of identity.

Beneficial Impact

But Dr. Brendesha Tynes disagrees. Tynes conducted a study back in 2007 entitled, Internet Safety Gone Wild? Sacrificing the Educational and Psychosocial Benefits of Online Social Environments, which found that online socialization on sites like Facebook can be very beneficial to teens who are working on establishing an identity and acquiring life skills. Dr. Tynes, who is a professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois, says the social networking sites give kids a chance to strategize communication, build their decision-making skills, and offers teens a chance to develop critical thinking—all useful tools for those who are challenged by ADD/ADHD. Tynes’ study finds that these tools prepare our youth for the challenges of adulthood.

As time goes on, there may be more information on the impact of these new-fangled forms of two-dimensional interaction on those with ADD/ADHD.  For now, common sense must be our guide. It does seem that virtual interaction by way of cellphone or keyboard cannot offer the same sense of communication that is generated by a face-to-face meeting with a real person. There is no substitute for true interpersonal communication, and this holds even more water for those who have difficulties with self-expression, impulsivity, and compassion.

Used with care and moderation, social networking sites provide some benefits for young people, no matter whether or not they have ADD/ADHD, by expanding their connections and offering the free trade of information. However, kids with ADD/ADHD require extra supervision across the board and their interactions on the ‘net are no exception. Applying limits on their use of social networking venues is appropriate and it is reasonable for parents to keep a close watch on the frequency and intensity with which their children use social networks.

This article has been copied from www.cognibeat.com and can be found at
http://community.cognibeat.com/2010/11/facebooktwitterandadhd