ADDitude Archives

The 25 Most Influential Reads from ADDitude’s First 25 Years

Over the past 25 years, the pages of ADDitude have revealed the painful truth of rejection sensitivity, emotional hyperarousal, and time blindness. Thanks to our amazing experts, they have also offered rock-solid science, illuminating insights, and revolutionary solutions that have changed the lives of readers. Here are 25 of our most groundbreaking articles ADDitude has ever published.

By ADDitude Editors Verified Updated on May 21, 2024
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Five ADDitude covers in varying colors fanned out with 25 year anniversary logo

1. The 3 Defining Features of ADHD That Everyone Overlooks

by William Dodson, M.D., LF-APA

“Most people, clinicians included, have only a vague understanding of what ADHD means. They assume it equates to hyperactivity and poor focus, mostly in children. But when we step back and ask, What does everyone with ADHD have in common, that people without ADHD don’t experience? a different set of symptoms take shape. From this perspective, three defining features of ADHD emerge: an interest-based nervous system, emotional hyperarousal, and rejection sensitivity.”

2. 5 Overlooked Signs of ADHD – the Inattentive Type

by Sharon Saline, Psy.D.

“People with inattentive ADHD are not lazy, stupid, unwilling, or oppositional. They are creative, outside-the-box thinkers whose minds stray from uninteresting tasks. They have a biologically based challenge with attending to an uninteresting task, maintaining their focus, and sticking with it until finished. All too often, their brains tire more quickly.”

3. The 5 Things Every Doctor (and Parent) Should Know About Girls and ADHD

by Ellen Littman, Ph.D.

“The tendency of girls with ADHD to mask their inattentive traits and internalize their feelings make their symptoms harder to recognize. As a result, they are often diagnosed later in life, after comorbidities have begun to interfere with healthy behaviors, when unhealthy coping skills start to undermine their sense of self. When in treatment, girls tend to censor themselves. They hesitate to articulate their feelings to a doctor without encouragement. They may respond to questions by saying ‘fine,’ when what they mean is ‘there’s no way I’m telling you these pills aren’t working.’”

4. Intention Deficit Disorder: Why ADHD Minds Struggle to Meet Goals with Action

by Russell Barkley, Ph.D.

“Think of ADHD as a performance disorder. People with ADHD know what they need to do, but they struggle – greatly, at times – to transform intention into action, whether that’s preparing for a test or finalizing an important project at work. It’s an issue directly tied to the executive function difficulties inherent in ADHD. And yet, this very real challenge of ADHD is often mistaken for laziness and lack of motivation, which many breed low self-esteem and even depression.”

5. Carrots vs. Sticks: The Science of Reward and Punishment for Children with ADHD

by Gail Tripp, Ph.D.

“Science suggests that children with ADHD differ from their neurotypical peers in their responses to positive reinforcement and punishment. The central differences: Children with ADHD are not effectively motivated by promises (of privileges to be earned or lost); and positive reinforcement is particularly powerful, but also ephemeral, in ADHD brains. In most scenarios, positive reinforcement is a more effective motivator than is punishment, which may carry serious long-term consequences if the child’s emotion regulation skills are weak.”

6. How Can We Improve Outcomes for College Students with ADHD?

by Kevin Antshel, Ph.D.; Anne Stevens, Ph.D.; Michael Meinzer, Ph.D.; and Will Canu, Ph.D.

“The population of college students with ADHD has increased substantially in the past 20 years — from roughly 2 percent of the student body to about 11.6 percent. ADHD in college is also associated with a range of challenges. According to clinical psychologist Arthur Anastopoulos, college freshmen with ADHD encounter a ‘perfect storm’ of increased interpersonal and cognitive demands alongside decreased parental involvement and support, all with lingering executive function challenges and symptoms of inattention and impulsivity/hyperactivity.”

7. ADHD Minds Are Trapped in Now (& Other Time-Management Truths)

by Ari Tuckman, Psy.D.

“Life brings a constant barrage of stimuli competing for our attention and goals needing our efforts. It is hard to disconnect from the distractions and temptations of the moment to create the space where we can mull over our options and make the best decision. Individuals with ADHD are more absorbed than others by what is happening now. It’s harder to create that space to give the future its due until the future becomes the present and the scramble begins.”

8. Face It — People with ADHD Are Wired Differently

by Oren Mason, M.D., Tamara Rosier, Ph.D.

“For decades, we weren’t sure how ADHD brains worked, and this led to many misunderstandings about the syndrome. Many doctors, therapists, social workers, and coaches tried to teach children with ADHD to slow down using the self-control methods that neurotypical children use. ‘Take a deep breath and press the following buttons on your activity thermostat’ makes sense if the wiring is standard, but not if the wires are connected differently, as they are in children and adults with ADHD. The most current research on brain imaging is starting to let us trace the wiring, so we can untangle the misconceptions that experts, as well as those with ADHD, have about the disorder and the brain.”

9. Don’t Mistake Your Child’s ADHD Symptoms for Bad Behavior

by James M. Greenblatt, M.D.

“Bottom line: Your child is not a bad child. You are not a bad parent. Nobody is to blame for ADHD. Therefore, assigning blame for your child’s bad behavior — and trying to correct it with criticism — is useless. But how do you stop yourself from being ‘overly critical?’ How do you show your child respect rather than subjecting him to a barrage of negativity? How do you change your behavior to help your child’s behavior? The strategy I’ve used with many parents is called SAIL.”

10. How Autism in Women Is Different: Unique ASD Symptoms, Risks

by Theresa Regan, Ph.D.

“A woman with autism may show a larger range of emotion in her face and voice. She might be able to adopt social standards fairly well but find it exhausting and stressful. The drama of female peer relationships can feel really overwhelming and not enjoyable. Autism in women can also present with an eating disorder. In fact, research shows that around 23% of females with eating disorders are on the autism spectrum.”

11. Fight, Flight, Freeze … or Fib?

by Monica Hassall, R.N., and Barbara Hunter, M.Ed.

“Faced with a threat, the human brain must react in a split second; deciding how to best protect itself. This is widely referred to as the ‘Fight, flight or freeze’ response.Today, psychologists are beginning to observe and document a fourth ‘F’ that manifests in times of real or perceived danger for children, adolescents, and even adults with ADHD: ‘fib.’ Often, a ‘fib’ or ‘fabrication’ does allow an individual to escape from fear, embarrassment, judgment, guilt, or shame — at least for the time being.”

12. New Insights Into Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

by William Dodson, M.D., LF-APA

“Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is one of the most common and disruptive manifestations of emotional dysregulation — an under-researched and oft-misunderstood symptom of ADHD, particularly in adults. Dysphoria is the Greek word meaning unbearable; its use emphasizes the severe physical and emotional pain suffered by people with RSD when they encounter real or perceived rejection, criticism, or teasing. The emotional intensity of RSD is described by my patients as a wound. The response is well beyond all proportion to the nature of the event that triggered it.”

13. Why the ADHD Brain Chooses the Less Important Task — and How CBT Improves Prioritization Skills

by J. Russell Ramsay, Ph.D.

“A combination of ‘procrastinate’ and ‘activity,’ the term ‘procrastivity’ aptly describes a tussle common among adults with ADHD who are always busy but never seem to make headway on life’s important goals. At its root is an implementation problem: the individual knows what they need to do, but they won’t or can’t do it, so they keep occupied with more palatable but less critical tasks.”

14. The Social Executive Function Skills That Elude Kids with ADHD

by Ryan Wexelblatt, LCSW

“Dominating conversations. Not showing interest in others. Telling cringey jokes. Struggling in unstructured social situations. Children and teens with ADHD know these social struggles and misunderstandings too well. Navigating social interactions requires various mental processes, or executive function skills. Deficits and delays in these skills – which I refer to as social executive function skills – are common in ADHD, and they explain many of our kids’ problems in the social realm.”

15. ADHD and Eating Disorders: Research, Diagnosis & Treatment Guidelines

by Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D.

“Numerous studies show that individuals with ADHD are at three to six times greater risk for developing eating disorders compared to non-ADHD individuals. In a study of patients being treated for bulimia, a quarter of subjects had ADHD. What’s more, eating disorders appear to grow in severity alongside ADHD symptoms. Several factors – biological, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional – may explain why ADHD predisposes individuals to eating disorders and challenges. Understanding these factors is essential when devising an appropriate and effective treatment plan.”

16. 7 Surprising Ways ADHD Shows Up in the Classroom

by Mark Bertin, M.D.

“A student who doesn’t seem to have a learning disability isn’t progressing in reading. A student seems to be disliked by her peers, is socially isolated, and eats alone. A teacher gives a two-minute warning to the class that independent reading time is about to end, and a student does not stop reading. These are all less-recognized ways ADHD symptoms show up at school — and here are productive ways to address each one.”

17. The Dyslexia-ADHD Overlap: Why Evaluators Confuse the Conditions

by Cheryl Chase, Ph.D.

“Considerable overlap exists between dyslexia and ADHD – from reading challenges to heritability – and both conditions frequently co-occur. ADHD and dyslexia are both linked to problems in school and with learning, but for different reasons. Ultimately, these overlapping traits complicate evaluations for ADHD and dyslexia, especially when both conditions are present. A thorough evaluation that carefully considers each symptom cluster is critical to receive appropriate support.”

18. ADHD Needs a Better Name. We Have One.

by Edward Hallowell, M.D., and John Ratey, M.D.

“ADHD is an inaccurate — and potentially corrosive — name. The term ‘deficit disorder’ places ADHD in the realm of pathology, or disease. Individuals with ADHD do not have a disease, nor do they have a deficit of attention; in fact, what they have is an abundance of attention. The challenge is controlling it. Therefore, we argue that a more accurate descriptive term is needed — and we have it.”

19. ADHD and Trauma: Untangling Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

by Kerry J. Heckman, LICSW

“Imagine the intricate complexities of a spider’s web — one thread attaches to dozens of others; pull just one silky strand and the entire web collapses. Living with ADHD and trauma can feel similar — the symptoms are so intertwined a single tug may cause the whole thing to cave in.”

20. The Educator’s Guide to Executive Functions: How to Understand and Support Students in Need

by Karen Hubert, M.Ed., and Maureen Bechard, M.S.

“Executive functioning refers to the mental processes that allow us to concentrate, plan, organize, complete tasks, and more. They often unlock — or preclude — success in the classroom. Executive dysfunction is ubiquitous in children with ADHD, which helps to explain why so many students with attention deficit are reprimanded for forgotten homework, disorganized projects, running out of time on tests, and more. But students with ADHD aren’t the only ones who struggle with EF skills. Educators should teach executive functioning language to all classroom learners, not just those who show deficits. When educators assist students with identifying their executive functioning strengths and areas of need, they also teach them how to advocate for their own needs in the classroom and beyond.”

21. Secrets of Your ADHD Brain

by William Dodson, M.D., LF-APA

“Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a confusing, contradictory, inconsistent, and frustrating condition. My work for the last decade suggests that we have been missing something important about the fundamental nature of the ADHD brain — the feature that everyone with ADHD has, and that neurotypical people don’t have. That feature is the ADHD nervous system, a unique and special creation that regulates attention and emotions in different ways than the nervous system in those without the condition.”

22. The Damaging Effects of Cannabis on the ADHD Brain

by Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D.

“The risk of developing cannabis use disorder (CUD), a problematic pattern of cannabis use linked to clinically significant impairment, is twice as high in people with ADHD. Contrary to popular belief, individuals can be mentally and chemically dependent on and addicted to cannabis. Contemporary marijuana has concentrations of THC higher than historically reported, which exacerbates this. What’s more, the adverse effects of cannabis are especially amplified in people with ADHD.”

23. Everything You Never Knew About the ADHD Brain

by Alison Kravit, Psy.D.

“The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the intersection through which attention, behavior, judgment, and emotional responses run (I think of them as cars). A person with ADHD will likely react to whatever is in his focus at that moment — in other words, the faster car. For people with ADHD, the PFC is unregulated; there are no traffic lights or stop signs controlling which message (car) gets through first. You could be the smartest, most motivated student ever, but if the teacher says ‘This species of dog…’ and your thought switches to ‘I wonder what my dog is doing right now?’ you get distracted.”

24. What Is Auditory Processing Disorder? Symptoms, Comorbidities, and Exercises

by Beverley Holden Johns

“Auditory processing disorder (APD) throws a child’s ears and brain out of sync. This misalignment can cause a range of challenges – struggles with auditory discrimination, with listening in noisy environments, with remembering what you’ve heard, and with recalling the sequence of words spoken. APD may cause communication difficulties, but it does not show up in traditional auditory tests for hearing loss. It is a misunderstood and largely overlooked condition that may appear in 3% to 5% of all children.”

25. The ADHD Medication Stopped Working! How to Troubleshoot Treatment

by Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D.

“Studies show that ADHD medication safely and effectively improves communication between neurons in the ADHD brain. Amphetamine has been around since 1937, and methylphenidate since 1956. There are more research studies done on these types of medicines than on any other medicine you will ever take. Most of the work of ADHD prescribers involves adjusting the titration, especially in the early weeks. In the process, we hear these questions most frequently from patients.”

Honorable Mention: What is Sensory Processing Sensitivity? Traits, Insights, and ADHD Links

by Bianca Acevedo, Ph.D.

“Recent research suggests that there may be three groups of sensitive people. About 40 percent of people fall into a moderately sensitive group (tulips). Low-sensitive individuals (dandelions) make up about 30 percent of individuals, and highly-sensitive individuals (orchids) make up another 30 percent. Some markers of highly sensitive people include needing privacy from stimulation, being easily overwhelmed by bright lights, strong smells, loud noises, clothing materials, and other stimuli, being affected by other people’s moods and feeling overwhelmed when asked to do too many things at one time.”

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