Pens clicking. Chairs shifting. A neighbor twirling hair.
These distractions dominated Grace Friedman’s mind every time she sat down to take a test. Even on her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication, the Alameda High School junior had trouble concentrating and keeping up.[…] Being a teenager is hard enough. But for those diagnosed with ADHD — a chronic medical, neurodevelopmental and psychosocial condition — managing the academic and social rigors of high school can be extra challenging. […]
“Most of these kids get 10 minutes in the pediatrician’s office to get treated,” says national ADHD expert Stephen Hinshaw, who co-authored “The ADHD Explosion: Myths, Medication, Money, and Today’s Push for Performance” and is a psychologist in the UC San Francisco psychiatry department. “It’s a quick and dirty diagnosis, and most pediatricians aren’t well-trained in behavioral disorders. So, you’ve got to find out what’s going on at school. You’ve got to pound the pavement. Find out who the experts are in your community.”
Read more at Contra Costa Times.