Blog Posts

Did you know that on average, humans spend about one-third of their lifetime, or 229,961 hours, sleeping? That’s a lot of hours! Sleep is an important part of our physiology and it’s no wonder we spend so much time sleeping. During sleep, our bodies essentially reset by carrying out important functions such as clearing waste […]

As folders and binders replace pool floaties and kites in the seasonal section of every department store, we are all unwittingly reminded that school is starting soon. This time of year is stressful for all families, but for families of children with ADHD it presents unique challenges. However, with proper preparation, this season can be […]

1. “ADHD is a learning disability.” Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorder are both types of neurodevelopmental disorders, but they are distinct conditions. A specific learning disorder is diagnosed when a person has ongoing trouble learning basic academic skills, like reading (dyslexia), math (dyscalculia), or writing (dysgraphia). These problems happen because the person has […]

There seems to be a lot of buzz around ADHD lately, particularly ADHD in adults. In fact, one large scale study conducted at Kaiser Permanente estimates that adult ADHD diagnoses have increased by about 123% from 2007 to 2016 [3]. What could be the reason for such a drastic rise in cases? Are more adults […]

What is ADHD? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is one of the most common brain-related disorders in children, with more than 9% of all children in the United States receiving a diagnosis. ADHD is defined by a persistent pattern of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, which causes significant impairment in the child’s functioning both in […]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most common developmental disorders of childhood.  The CDC estimates that 1 in 36 children eight years of age has ASD.  It occurs in all races, ethnicities and socioeconomic groups.  Boys are four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism.  People with autism have persistent […]

Approximately 20% of patients with autism spectrum disorder have irritability.  Signs of autism related irritability include aggression, self-harming behavior, severe tantrums, emotional meltdowns, and need for isolation. Currently, there are limited treatment options available for irritability associated with autism spectrum disorders. I am particularly excited about the science behind a potential new treatment from Axial […]

EndeavorRx is a videogame designed to improve certain aspects of attention in children aged 8 to 12 years who have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  Its precursor, NeuroRacer was designed to improve multitasking in older folks and was studied in people aged 20 to 79 years.  As we get older, we aren’t as good at multi-tasking as […]

First, Schizophrenia is very rare in children and adolescents. Less than one child in every 10,000 children, before the age of 12, show symptoms of Schizophrenia, but 23 of every 10,000, adolescents or teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18, display indications of Schizophrenia, (Androutsos, 2012). Schizophrenia symptoms vary greatly between children, adolescents and […]

Symptoms of Tourette’s Syndrome (TS), are often described by motor and/or vocal tics. Examples of Motor Tics: eye blinking, facial grimacing, mouth movements, head jerks, shoulder shrugs, extremity jerks, gyrating, bending and pivoting. Examples of Vocal Tics: fast meaningless sounds or noises, clearing ones throat, grunting, squealing,  shouting out words, repeating words and repeating complete […]