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"Medications"
Given the high rates of ADHD diagnoses in the USA, and recent discussions about the likely misdiagnoses of tens of thousands of children, it is easy for some to dismiss ADHD as jus a term used by zealous clinicians to label kids who just want to be kids. But such an attitude ignores the real struggles [...]
Continue Reading →In my clinical work, I often encounter parents who are concerned about putting their kids on psychiatric medications. In the case of anti-depressants, such concerns are grounded on a large literature that has linked anti-depressant use by adolescents with a mild increase in the risk of suicide. Contrary to some common explanations, it is not simply [...]
Continue Reading →A couple of months ago Newsweek magazine published an article questioning the science of mental health services, and in particular, clinical psychology. The article was based on an opinion piece published in the journal of the Association for Psychological Science, in which a team of clinical scientists promoted a new accreditation system for clinical psychology [...]
Continue Reading →The totality of the available data on the short term effects of ADHD stimulant is relatively consistent: these medications are safe and result in significant improvement in symptoms, especially for children with severe forms of the disorder. However, little previous research on the long term effects of these medications has been used by critics of [...]
Continue Reading →While the FDA has not approved any medications for the treatment of autism, physicians commonly prescribe a variety of drugs for the management of specific severe symptoms that have not responded to other treatments, such as repetitive self-injurious behaviors. The selection of which medications may be effective for each behavior is made on largely theoretical [...]
Continue Reading →A few weeks ago I discussed a research study that examined the effects of the medication Concerta (methylphenidate) on performance variability during cognitive tasks in children with ADHD. But does this translate to improvements in school work? Does the research support the effectiveness of ADHD meds in more tangible outcomes, such as grades or [...]
Continue Reading →A university-based randomized, placebo controlled research study of Concerta (methylphenidate), examines the effects of methylphenidate in regulating attention lapses.
Research studies on the neurocognitive profiles (memory, attention, executive functioning, etc) of kids with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder have one common denominator: there is no unified or common neuropsychological profile that characterizes ADHD. That is, there is no [...]
Continue Reading →The issue of public masturbation in kids with autism is probably one of the most uncomfortable topics for parents to discuss with their clinicians or pediatricians. I usually can sense when a parent wants to bring up the topic, and the parents are usually relieved when I address the issue directly. Inappropriate sexual behaviors (public [...]
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