or, HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER LETTER guest blog by M. Jeffry Spahr, MBA, JD For years we approached each new school year with renewed hopes and rejuvenated expectations. Certainly, we thought, this would be the year when everything clicked and our son Jack would take off like a rocket through the academic stratosphere. The trials and tribulations of the last year would be lost like so many discarded booster stages. Soon we would be in orbit and on autopilot, soaring ever onward. Suddenly, our radio would crackle to life and we would faintly hear, “Houston, we have a problem.” Wh ..read more

guest blog by Zara Harris, MS, OT National School Backpack Awareness Day falls on Wednesday, September 26, 2018. Across the USA, backpack events will educate parents, students, educators, and school administrators about the serious health effects heavy backpacks worn improperly have on children. More than 2,000 backpack-related injuries were treated in hospitals and clinics in 2007, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Countless students display stooped posture and complain of aching backs and shoulders and/or tingling arms. Too much weight improperly supported over time c ..read more

guest blog by Linda S. Ellis, PhD, Conference Co-Chair Early bird registration is open! That means NOW is your chance to get the best rates for what promises to be the largest ADHD gathering of the year. And here’s what I can tell you about the 2018 Annual International Conference on ADHD. First of all, we will be in St. Louis, and we are planning some social and cultural events that will take advantage of all that St. Louis has to offer. Next, we have greatly expanded the scope of the conference. For those of you who have attended a CHADD or ADDA conference in the past, the merger of t ..read more

by CHADD's Public Policy Committee In response to statements made by incoming president of the National Rifle Association Oliver North regarding Ritalin, a medication for ADHD There is no evidence to support a link between Ritalin, a medication prescribed as part of treatment for ADHD, and school-related violence. In fact, the evidence demonstrates that violence is not a symptom of ADHD or a result of ADHD treatment, and that ADHD alone is not a contributing factor to violent behaviors. When those in public positions offer explanations not confirmed by science it can have damaging effects ..read more

The US Department of Education Requests Comments Before it Removes Regulations and Guidance the CHADD Public Policy Committee The US Department of Education has issued a list of regulations and guidance to eliminate under Executive Order 13777, “Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda.” CHADD has become aware that the ADHD Guidance is on this list. The Department is asking for public comments about which regulations and guidance to keep, remove, or modify. CHADD appreciates this opportunity and would like everyone to show support for protecting students’ rights. If you want to tell the ..read more

guest blog by Zara Harris, MS, OT Atlanta is one of the best-ever venues for our Annual International Conference on ADHD, jointly hosted by CHADD and ADDA this year. First of all, it is easy to get to as Atlanta is a hub airport. Second, to get to the Hilton Hotel from the airport, you take the MARTA train directly from the baggage claim area to the Peachtree Center—for just $3.50. Once you’ve arrived at the center it is a short roll of your suitcase to the hotel. The hotel is great—the floors are numbered, except for the Galleria in the basement. All the conference meetings will be on the ..read more

guest blog by Mark Katz, PhD What can bring loving relationships to a bitter end, pit caring parents against caring teachers, and emotionally deplete even the most resilient among us? The answer is compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is tantamount to exhaustion—emotional, physical, or both. It’s the price we sometimes pay for caring so much and working so hard to improve the lives of others who face various challenges. While the phenomenon has been studied most among those caring for someone suffering from the effects of traumatic stress exposure, many now believe it casts a m ..read more

CHADD Public Policy Committee The Senate has been preparing to vote on the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), which would repeal significant portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA or “Obamacare”) and replace them with alternative policies. However, when it became apparent BCRA might not have sufficient support among Republican senators, Senate Republican leaders began to consider a repeal of many ACA provisions without specific replacement policies (the Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act of 2017 or “Clean Repeal”). Senate leaders plan to bring the legislation up for a vote any day, alth ..read more

We're thrilled to announce a new partnership that will bring CHADD's resources in front of The Mighty's wide-reaching readership. We will now have a home on The Mighty and appear on many stories on the site. The Mighty is a story-based health community focused on improving the lives of people facing disease, disorder, mental illness and disability. More than half of Americans are facing serious health conditions or medical issues. They want more than information. They want to be inspired. The Mighty publishes real stories about real people facing real challenges. Here’s an example of the k ..read more

by Michael MacKay, JD, MS, CPA While you can find students with ADHD in every classroom across the country, teachers have limited resources to help them understand, teach, and manage students with ADHD. They receive little pre-service or in-service training in this area. In response to this knowledge gap and pressing need, CHADD has updated its teacher training program and made it available on a state-of-the-art online education platform. Teacher to Teacher: Supporting Students with ADHD is now available on Pepper, the country’s leading online professional development platform for educator ..read more