The Hidden Costs of ADHD

Recent research conducted at Florida International University has estimated that on average, families of kids with ADHD spent $15,036 per child—not including medication or therapy—and families of kids without ADHD spent $2,848 over the course of a child’s development. The study aims to alert parents to the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to help reduce the impact on the family.

The ADHD Sibling Effect

Raising a child with ADHD usually requires a great deal of patience and understanding on the part of the parents. But for the siblings, having a brother or sister with ADHD can also be quite a challenge. Here are some tips to help the whole family manage potential difficulties and also have an opportunity to learn positive lessons about empathy, creativity, sharing, and more.

Determining a Family’s Stress When a Child has ADHD

Raising a child with ADHD can be stressful for parents and siblings. Providers have generally focused on the care of the child. Now, a tool called IMPACT 1.0 allows clinicians to assess the impact an ADHD child is having on the family’s quality of life. This will offer providers a tool to better connect with and support the families of children with ADHD, and help avoid parental burn-out.

Katherine Ellison- Focused on Distraction

Katherine Ellison has achieved many things in her life. She has been a foreign correspondent in Latin America, the author of 5 books on practical neuroscience, and a Pulitzer Prize winner at age 27. She also has ADHD. One of her most popular works, Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention, was a memoir and journalistic overview of a year spent coping with ADHD after both she and her 12-year-old son were diagnosed with the disorder. In fact, it was her son’s diagnosis that ultimately led to her own.

When Both You and Your Child Have ADHD

Parents with ADHD that has not been diagnosed are often overwhelmed by the demands of parenting and struggling to meet their children’s needs. Lacking organizational skills, they may find keeping up with their kids’ schedules and managing their behavior very stressful. With the right treatment, parents who have ADHD themselves can be the best caregivers for their children with ADHD.