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The Different Types, or Styles, of ADHD
by Dr. Douglas Cowan
Research literature, recent books, and common sense, all point to the fact that there are different types, or styles, of ADHD. In the past we referred to Attention Deficit Disorder: Inattentive Type, or Impulsive/Hyperactive Type, or a Combined Type. Today the diagnostic differences are a bit less clear, but the reality doesn't change.

Dr. Daniel Amen has written a great book on the subject, titled "Healing ADHD:The Breakthrough Program That Allows You to See and Heal the 6 Types of ADD" where he uses his SPECT scans of patient's brain activity to help in making his six classifications. His classifications include these "Types" ...

Classic ADD - Inattentive, distractible, disorganized. Perhaps hyperactive, restless and impulsive. Inattentive ADD - Inattentive, and disorganized. Over-focused ADD - Trouble shifting attention, frequently stuck in loops of negative thoughts, obsessive, excessive worry, inflexible, oppositional and argumentative. Temporal Lobe ADD - Inattentive and irritable, aggressive, dark thoughts, mood instability, very impulsive. May break rules, fight, be defiant, and very disobedient. Poor handwriting and trouble learning are common. Limbic System ADD - Inattentive, chronic low-grade depression, negative, low energy, feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. Ring of Fire ADD - Inattentive, extremely distractible, angry, irritable, overly sensitive to the environment, hyperverbal, extremely oppositional, possible cyclic moodiness.

Our classifications at the ADHD Information Library at http://www.newideas.net are a bit different, and are based on our clinical observation and experiences. They are based on the classic children's stories of Winnie the Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.

Winnie the Pooh Type ADD - Pooh Bear is inattentive, distractible, and disorganized. He is very nice, but lives in a cloud.

Tigger Type ADD - Tigger is inattentive to details, impulsive, hyperactive, restless, very bouncy. He is the classic hyperactive child.

Eeyore Type ADD - Eeyore is inattentive, but also lives with a chronic low-grade depression. Lots of people with ADHD do also. In fact some studies suggest that as many as 25% of people with ADHD also battle depression to some degree or another.

Piglet Type ADD - Piglet has trouble shifting attention from one activity to another, is excessively worried, and is easily startled.

Rabbit Type ADD - Rabbit has trouble shifting attention, he seems inflexible, he must have his own way, and he can be argumentative if he doesn't get his way.

Troubled Type ADD - Irritable, aggressive, impulsive, defiant, disobedient. Learning problems.

Each of these types of ADHD (using either Amen's system or ours) will have different treatment needs and approaches. You can learn more about each type of ADHD, and read our recommended treatment programs for each type, at http://www.newideas.net/types.htm.

Read on...
Teenagers in America Today
by Dr. Douglas Cowan
"Family Matters" was the headline that caught my attention in the newspaper. That's the name of my radio program here in California's central valley. It was interesting enough for me to buy the paper and read the story. The article was about a recent study called The National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health, a survey of about 90,000 teenagers (age 12- 18). The sub-headline was "Study debunks belief nothing works with teens."

My first response was, "Who's belief is that?" The reporter wrote as if a new revelation had just been handed down from heaven in the form of this study. As a result of this major study on adolescents, she wrote, we have found that "families are more important than previously thought, perhaps as important as peers. . . The primacy of peer relationships has been a widely held concept among professionals since the 1960's."

Yes, the reporter, and the researchers, were shocked to find out that the family is still important! "These findings offer the parents of America a blueprint for what works in protecting their kids from harm," said Richard Udry of UNC Chapel Hill.

What is this amazing, secret blueprint that will now be revealed to you parents who are assumed to not know any better? "The most significant finding is that the teenagers who reported feeling close to their families were the least likely to engage in any of the risky behaviors studied . . . Nearly as important were high expectations from the parents for their teenager's school performance."

I'm stunned.

They surveyed 90,000 kids to find out that families that love, care for, and nurture each other produce kids who don't get in trouble as much as families that cast their kids into the hands of other teenagers (known as the "peer group") to be raised by a pack of 15 year olds. Also, families where parents actually CARE about school performance, and expect their kids to work to their potential produce kids who don't get into trouble as much as families who don't care.

I'm glad science has finally come around to this point of view.

How bad are things across America? Pretty bad for many families. Using a sample size of 12,118 students interviewed, here's the picture of teenagers in America today:

Teens who smoke 25 percent Smoked marijuana at least once in past month 11 percent Used alcohol more than once in past month 17 percent Attempted suicide in past year 3 percent Seventh and Eight Graders who have engaged in sex 16 percent High Schoolers (9th - 12th grades) who have engaged in sex 48 percent

"The only factor that was linked with a lower risk factor across the board was a close-knit family, the study found."

So parents, please get more involved in the lives of your children. Spend more time with them. Quantity time is as important as quality time. Encourage your teens to work hard to reach their goals. Encourage them to "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God." Parents should be their teen's role models, not other teens who have yet to experience much in the way of life or wisdom themselves. Parents, let's step it up a bit. It will make a big difference in the lives of our teens.