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Combating ADHD Myths

Organization Guides Parents of Children With ADHD

By Debora Geary

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Spend a little time on the Internet looking for information on ADHD, and you will come across a lot of material. Unfortunately, a significant amount of the available information is confusing, conflicting or just plain myth.

For parents trying to determine the best treatment for their child, this misinformation can have significant emotional and financial consequences. CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is an organization whose mission is to help people find reliable answers.

CHADD's unique mission is a reflection of its founders. In 1987, a small group of parents of children with ADHD in Plantation, Fla., were feeling very frustrated as they tried to get answers on how best to help their kids. In their search for better information and support, these parents teamed up with two psychologists who treated people with ADHD. The organization born of that partnership now has 20,000 members. Obviously, Plantation, Fla., wasn't the only part of the country lacking good ADHD resources.

Information, Information, Information
One of CHADD's most important roles is to serve as a clearinghouse for evidence-based science information about ADHD, says Clarke Ross, CEO of CHADD. In other words, if you are wondering whether a new treatment you have heard about might help your child, CHADD can help. They can tell you whether reputable researchers have completed scientific studies on the new treatment. While it's certainly possible your child may be helped by approaches that aren't scientifically proven, knowing what researchers and experts say is usually a good place to start.

CHADD plays in the big leagues as a provider of information. "On August 1, 2003, we started our second year as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded National Resource Center on ADHD," says Ross. This funding enables them to distribute quality information to a wide audience.

There are two excellent online starting points where you can join the crowd accessing CHADD's rich information resources:

CHADD's Web site, www.chadd.org

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