Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Taking a look at ADHD
Courtesy of my husband, some articles from Medscape (free registration required) about ADHD:
ADHD Takes a Toll on Family Relationships
ADHD Affects Motor Control in Boys More Than Girls
In ADHD Brain Maturation Follows Normal Pattern, But Is Delayed
Well, I thought this article was interesting. I have maintained for some time that ADHD is a developmental delay -- an opinion that causes some people to bristle.
How Does the Brain Differ in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder vs Severe Irritability and ADHD?
This is an interesting piece in light of the uptick in diagnoses of bipolar disorder. There seems to be some confusion when it comes to distinguishing between very rapid-cycling bipolar disorder and the lack of emotional regulation that can come with severe ADHD.
I am certain that I have posted this story before, but it is worth posting again: Hallucinations, Other Psychotic Symptoms in Children Linked to Use of ADHD Medications
Do food additives cause hyperactivity? This study suggests there might be a link.
ADHD Takes a Toll on Family Relationships
ADHD Affects Motor Control in Boys More Than Girls
In ADHD Brain Maturation Follows Normal Pattern, But Is Delayed
Well, I thought this article was interesting. I have maintained for some time that ADHD is a developmental delay -- an opinion that causes some people to bristle.
How Does the Brain Differ in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder vs Severe Irritability and ADHD?
This is an interesting piece in light of the uptick in diagnoses of bipolar disorder. There seems to be some confusion when it comes to distinguishing between very rapid-cycling bipolar disorder and the lack of emotional regulation that can come with severe ADHD.
I am certain that I have posted this story before, but it is worth posting again: Hallucinations, Other Psychotic Symptoms in Children Linked to Use of ADHD Medications
Do food additives cause hyperactivity? This study suggests there might be a link.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
My "other" child
It wasn’t supposed to go like this.
I was thinking of writing about my “other child,” the non-2E kid, the chameleon. I thought I might write about the people over the years who have asked me if my “other child” is gifted, too. I could write a book about "Bilbo” – how, when he was eleven months old, he grabbed my face with both hands and asked “Mama, is that a car over there?” -- when I had no idea he could talk; or how I sent him to pre-school when he was two and a half years old, and in no time he had full control of the teachers and the playground.
Instead, I want to tell you about what B has been doing over the past few weeks.
Two weeks ago, my older son’s tics spiraled out of control. For six hours one day, Origami suffered a steady attack of violent, major tics that followed one after another in five to thirty-second intervals. O could not stand; he writhed, screaming in pain, unable to control his body. B and I took turns holding O down so he would not injure himself. While B held his brother, I scrambled to find help.
While I held O, Bilbo found O’s favorite stuffed animals, his pillow, and his blanket, and brought them to us. Then B rolled up another blanket and fashioned a cushion for his brother’s neck, to minimize the impact and bruising from neck tics. B grabbed another pillow and some spools of wire, threw the pillow on his brother’s stomach, and laid himself across O’s midsection. Then the boys worked quietly on wire sculptures while Bilbo talked to O to distract him from his pain and ticcing. I began to feel as if my help was not really needed.
Bilbo just turned ten. Origami’s issues have had a big impact on B as well as on the rest of the family. We try to protect B and give him his own space and his own share of attention. We take Bilbo to support groups for siblings of children with TS. But while B is a remarkably resilient person, the effects of living with a sibling who has special needs are evident.
B rarely invites friends over for playdates, waiting for times when O will be out. For years, B has defended his brother against teasing and ridicule. Although we have not expected B to help care for his brother, B has assumed that role himself. As O’s tics worsen, B is always watching for situations that might trigger violent tics: B takes his brother’s hand at the mall when he sees O trembling before a tic. At tae kwon do, B runs over to pick O up off the floor after every major tic.
And so it goes. Last week when the boys and I went for our daily run, I had to talk B out of trying to run with his arm around his brother. I assured B that I was capable of helping O, too, and that if they tried to run while so intertwined, odds were that both of them would end up falling. At home, whenever O tics B drops what he is doing and runs to help his brother. People who see Bilbo supporting his brother are impressed by B’s maturity and thoughtfulness. I am proud of B, too, but I also see signs of stress and strain in someone who really should not have to be dealing with these issues. B needs time and space to be his own person, not his brother’s caregiver.
So, Sunday was a very important day; it was the first day of the spring soccer season. Soccer is the one activity Bilbo has that is all his. B has been with most of his teammates for nearly three years; they give B his own little slice of “normal” life. Soccer is the most important part of Bilbo’s schedule. He needs and craves the time to run around, yell, sweat, and just be a boy.
I was thinking of writing about my “other child,” the non-2E kid, the chameleon. I thought I might write about the people over the years who have asked me if my “other child” is gifted, too. I could write a book about "Bilbo” – how, when he was eleven months old, he grabbed my face with both hands and asked “Mama, is that a car over there?” -- when I had no idea he could talk; or how I sent him to pre-school when he was two and a half years old, and in no time he had full control of the teachers and the playground.
Instead, I want to tell you about what B has been doing over the past few weeks.
Two weeks ago, my older son’s tics spiraled out of control. For six hours one day, Origami suffered a steady attack of violent, major tics that followed one after another in five to thirty-second intervals. O could not stand; he writhed, screaming in pain, unable to control his body. B and I took turns holding O down so he would not injure himself. While B held his brother, I scrambled to find help.
While I held O, Bilbo found O’s favorite stuffed animals, his pillow, and his blanket, and brought them to us. Then B rolled up another blanket and fashioned a cushion for his brother’s neck, to minimize the impact and bruising from neck tics. B grabbed another pillow and some spools of wire, threw the pillow on his brother’s stomach, and laid himself across O’s midsection. Then the boys worked quietly on wire sculptures while Bilbo talked to O to distract him from his pain and ticcing. I began to feel as if my help was not really needed.
Bilbo just turned ten. Origami’s issues have had a big impact on B as well as on the rest of the family. We try to protect B and give him his own space and his own share of attention. We take Bilbo to support groups for siblings of children with TS. But while B is a remarkably resilient person, the effects of living with a sibling who has special needs are evident.
B rarely invites friends over for playdates, waiting for times when O will be out. For years, B has defended his brother against teasing and ridicule. Although we have not expected B to help care for his brother, B has assumed that role himself. As O’s tics worsen, B is always watching for situations that might trigger violent tics: B takes his brother’s hand at the mall when he sees O trembling before a tic. At tae kwon do, B runs over to pick O up off the floor after every major tic.
And so it goes. Last week when the boys and I went for our daily run, I had to talk B out of trying to run with his arm around his brother. I assured B that I was capable of helping O, too, and that if they tried to run while so intertwined, odds were that both of them would end up falling. At home, whenever O tics B drops what he is doing and runs to help his brother. People who see Bilbo supporting his brother are impressed by B’s maturity and thoughtfulness. I am proud of B, too, but I also see signs of stress and strain in someone who really should not have to be dealing with these issues. B needs time and space to be his own person, not his brother’s caregiver.
So, Sunday was a very important day; it was the first day of the spring soccer season. Soccer is the one activity Bilbo has that is all his. B has been with most of his teammates for nearly three years; they give B his own little slice of “normal” life. Soccer is the most important part of Bilbo’s schedule. He needs and craves the time to run around, yell, sweat, and just be a boy.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Structure More Effective In High School Science Classes, Study Reveals
ScienceDaily (2009-03-28) -- Self-led, self-structured inquiry may be the best method to train scientists at the college level and beyond, but it's not the ideal way for all high school students to prepare for college science. That's according to findings of a new study. ... read full article
Thanks to Judi for the heads-up.
Thanks to Judi for the heads-up.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Random noise generators unite!
A young woman describes her experience with TS. I pause to think about how much energy I have put into not making random animal and computer noises over the years....
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Current methods for managing TS
Courtesy of www.tourettesyndrome.net, two recent articles on medical management of TS.
http://www.movementdisorders.org/monthly_edition/2009/02/md_article.pdf
-- very interesting and potentially useful article, especially since my son currently has many dystonic tics.
Psychopharmacology of Tic Disorders
http://www.movementdisorders.org/monthly_edition/2009/02/md_article.pdf
-- very interesting and potentially useful article, especially since my son currently has many dystonic tics.
Psychopharmacology of Tic Disorders
Botox and marijuana, together again!
A handy summary of alternative treatments for TS addresses marijuana, Botox, deep brain stimulation, and more.
Not just for wrinkles anymore
An article in today's New York Times discusses the ever-expanding number of off-label uses for Botox. The quote that ought to capture someone's attention: "Botox is so widely adopted in medicine — and ingrained in popular culture — that some doctors don’t think that novel uses are experiments."
In you were wondering why I posted this here: Botox also is being tried as a treatment for Tourette Syndrome.
In you were wondering why I posted this here: Botox also is being tried as a treatment for Tourette Syndrome.
Know your meds, part one
Risperdal
FDA warning letter about Risperdal
Last November's story in the New York Times about ties between a research center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Johnson & Johnson. -- And the original post about this story on my blog.
Drugs.com Risperdal page and Medicinenet page. Note that extrapyramidal side-effects are most common. Extrapyramidal effects include tardive dyskinesia and parkinsonism. In other words, the most common side-effects from a drug that often is used to treat Tourette Syndrome are spasms, tremors and jerky movements.
FDA warning letter about Risperdal
Last November's story in the New York Times about ties between a research center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Johnson & Johnson. -- And the original post about this story on my blog.
Drugs.com Risperdal page and Medicinenet page. Note that extrapyramidal side-effects are most common. Extrapyramidal effects include tardive dyskinesia and parkinsonism. In other words, the most common side-effects from a drug that often is used to treat Tourette Syndrome are spasms, tremors and jerky movements.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
New research on bipolar disorder
"The Hawthorne Effect"
The author of Slate's "medical examiner" column discusses alternative therapies for autism, why he believes none of them work, and why he believes parents continue to swear by them. The article is interesting -- and less caustic than one might expect. I believe the author does miss one key point, though. I think it is entirely possible that parents continue to cling to treatments that are dismissed by the scientific community because they need to know that they are doing something that is helping their children. Nobody wants to give up hope.
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