Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Lilly Constance
"What Is Your Most Reliable, Helpful Daily Routine?"
The ADHD brain thrives with structure, but it can be tricky to find the routines and practices that work best for you. Here, ADDitude readers shared their answers to the question, “What is your most satisfying or unbreakable daily routine?” Subscribing to a meal kit service, setting eight alarms, or practicing yoga every morning are just several of the daily routine examples cited by adults with ADHD — share yours in the Comments section below.
Study: Mild Cognitive Impairment and ADHD Uniquely Impair Older Adults
January 26, 2022 Memory is impaired in both older adults with ADHD and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Study: COVID-19 Disproportionately Harms Youth with ADHD
January 31, 2022 COVID-19 has disproportionately damaged the lives and behaviors of children with ADHD, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.1 Though children with ADHD are no more likely than their peers to test positive for COVID-19, they are more likely to experience pandemic-related sleep problems, family conflict, fear of infection, and academic setbacks, the research found.
Study: Undertreatment of ADHD In Youth Far More Common Than Overtreatment
January 20, 2021 Just 19% of American youth diagnosed with ADHD are receiving medication treatment, according to a review and meta-analysis published in The Journal of Attention Disorders.1 Findings from the study suggest that, for every overtreated or improperly treated American youth, there are three more undertreated youths with ADHD.
Cogmed Working Memory Training Improves Self-Esteem, Not ADHD Symptoms
January 18, 2021 A Cogmed working memory training program modified for youth with ADHD improves self-esteem in participants, but it does not reliably improve ADHD symptoms, according to a recent Journal of Attention Disorders study.1 Though previous research has found that working memory training programs like Cogmed improve performance on closely related working memory tasks, the duration of these gains remained unclear and benefits did not appear to extend to other domains of function.
10 Time Management Tips for ADHD Brains
Missed deadlines, perpetual lateness, underestimating how long a task actually takes — people with ADHD have many admirable traits, but time management acumen is rarely one of them. This behavior is not intentional; many ADHD brains have two switches: “now” and “not now.” Couple that with weak executive functioning skills, poor working memory, and rampant time blindness, and it becomes clear why time’s not on our side.
Study: ADHD in Preschoolers Most Accurately Diagnosed with Multi-Method, Multi-Informant Evaluations
January 11, 2022 The best approach for clinical evaluation of ADHD symptoms in preschool children includes a combination of the Disruptive Behavior Disorder Rating Scale (DBDRS), the Conners’ Kiddie Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT), and electroencephalogram (EEG) data, according to a Journal of Attention Disorders study.1 The study included 70 preschool students (38 with ADHD and 32 with typical development (TD)) who were administered the K-CPT and wireless EEG recording in different...
Study: Negative Attention Bias in Adults with ADHD Could Indicate Comorbid Depression
January 7, 2022 A pattern of negative attention bias in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) likely indicates comorbid depression, according to a Journal of Attention Disorders study.1 Attentional bias refers to the tendency to pay attention to certain stimuli while simultaneously ignoring others.
What Type of Friend Are You? How ADHD Influences Friendships
Whether you collect new friends easily or lean on a few, long-term friendships dating back to kindergarten, there’s no wrong way to build relationships. This is true especially for people with ADHD, who often report that their symptoms complicate, challenge, and color friendships. The ones that work are the ones that accept and celebrate their ADHD. Here, ADDitude readers describe the types of friendships they gravitate toward and how their ADHD influences those relationships.
ADHD Work Stories: The Jobs You Love and Loathe
When you have ADHD, pursuing a career path that you think is the perfect fit may actually involve some bumps, detours, and even crashes that leave you feeling more like a professional failure. Don’t give up! Understanding what you want (and need) from a job takes work. (No pun intended.) As many of us know, it may take one or more false starts to get there. Adults with ADHD can thrive at work if that work aligns with their passions and strengths.
10 Hacks for Conquering Household Chores with ADHD
From laundry and dishes to meal-planning and grocery shopping, there’s no shortage of household tasks that need to get to done — again and again and again. They are boring, repetitive, and necessary — kryptonite for ADHD brains that light up over novelty, not the same old same old. Meanwhile, the unfolded laundry, unpaid bills, and empty fridge continue to loom. To transform monotonous household tasks into worthy challenges, ADHD brains need creative hacks.
Best New Year's Resolutions for ADHD Brains in 2022
Click on each image below for more support and resources corresponding to each day’s (re)solution, and download the complementary (Re)Solutions calendar here. Check back each day for a tip! Day One: Small gestures can help maintain important relationships. additu.de/friends Day Two: Paper calendars provide a tactile receptacle for our thoughts and priorities. additu.de/visual Day Three: Sometimes, ADHD brains need to hack traditional to-do lists.
10 Productivity Hacks for Getting Things Done with an ADHD Brain
Your to-do list is powerful, but it’s not magic. When facing an onslaught of distractions, interruptions, and digital overload, that “to-do” list may become a “nope-not-even-gonna-try” list for people with ADHD and weak executive functioning skills like time management, prioritization, and sustained focus. This is just one reason why ADDitude readers harness their creativity to develop ADHD-specific hacks to improve their productivity.
When “No!” Is Your Child’s First Impulse: ODD Parenting Advice
From picking fights to disrespecting and disobeying authority figures to exploding over mundane requests — a child with ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) may unleash behaviors that frustrate and exhaust even the most patient, nurturing parent. ODD is characterized by persistent hostility, aggression, and defiance. What’s more, it often co-occurs with ADHD. So, how can parents manage their kids’ ODD symptoms and not exacerbate negative behaviors?
Top 10 ADHD News and Research Highlights of 2021
1. Only 1 in 10 Children with ADHD Will Outgrow Symptoms A study following 558 children with ADHD from the Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD (MTA) over 16 years reported that only 9.1% of subjects “recovered” from ADHD by the study endpoint, when most participants were about 25 years old. The study also revealed that ADHD symptoms wax and wane over time for those individuals who continue to experience the disorder. 2.
Honoring an ADHD Pioneer: Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D.
ADHD and executive function are inextricably linked. Emotional dysregulation is a core facet of ADHD from childhood through adulthood. ADHD — especially when undiagnosed and/or untreated — poses serious mental, psychological, and physical health risks that may shorten an individual’s life expectancy. We hold these truths to be self-evident, thanks in large part to the research and teachings of Russell A.
10 Decluttering Hacks Designed by and for ADHD Brains
Clutter has a sneaky way of lying dormant and then abruptly disrupting our lives, like mosquitoes in the summertime or pop-up ads online. For those of us with ADHD who are prone to accumulating piles of stuff, the task of decluttering may seem too daunting to even begin, and harder still to sustain. Here, learn how other ADDitude readers break down the task of decluttering into bite-sized chunks and chomp away a little each day.
Our Favorite ADHD Blog Posts of 2021
1. “ADHD Self-Doubt, Shame & Gaslighting: My Anything-But-Perfect Storm” “I am vulnerable to gaslighting. I have experienced it, and I have been accused of it. I also lost (arguably) the love of my life because I was gaslit five years before I even met her.
The Best of 2021: Must-Read Articles on ADHD
1. “DESR: Why Deficient Emotional Self-Regulation is Central to ADHD (and Largely Overlooked)” Coined by Dr. Russell Barkley, the term deficient emotional self-regulation (DESR) refers to emotional self-regulation difficulties, including emotional impulsiveness (EI), which have long been observed with ADHD — by patients, clinicians, and researchers. Despite its known association with ADHD, emotional dysregulation is missing from the disorder’s diagnostic criteria.
The ADHD New Year's (Re)Solutions Calendar
ADHD New Year's (Re)Solutions Calendar Ditch New Year's resolutions and instead implement these 31 very practical solutions from other ADDitude readers, plus get more tips and resources via email. Email Address 31 New Year (Re)solutions Starting a new diet, exercising regularly, learning how to play guitar — New Year’s resolutions are easy to choose but hard to maintain, especially if you’re living with ADHD.
“I Have ADHD, Mom… and So Do You!"
ADHD — like height, eye color, and musical talent — is largely genetic. What this means: In many families, both parent and child share emotional dysregulation, distractibility, and weak social skills. For obvious reasons, life and parenting are more complicated when ADHD runs in the family. But they also can be more colorful, more supportive, and more rewarding when parents and kids share not only a diagnosis, but coping skills as well.
From Love Bombing to Boredom: Is ADHD to Blame for Mercurial Relationship Cycles?
Love bombing looks this this: flower deliveries at work, text messages at all hours, and talk of “soul mates” after just a few dates. But unlike the calculated manipulation that’s part of the gaslighting cycle, when an infatuated adult with ADHD focuses 110 percent of their attention on a new partner, this obsession may be neurological rather than psychological. It may not be intentional “love bombing” at all.
“ADHD Impulsivity Has Been a Deciding Factor in My Life… Seldom for the Best.”
Poor impulse control is a textbook symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) that may seem obvious in children who jump without looking, speak without raising their hand, or react swiftly to emotional stimulation. In adults with ADHD, this symptom of ADHD impulsivity may be less glaring, yet no less perilous or impactful. To better understand impulsivity in adulthood, we asked ADDitude readers, “Does your ADHD have a strong impulsivity component?
Punishment Avoidance Strongly Motivates Behavior of Children with ADHD
September 16, 2021 Children with ADHD may experience greater behavioral sensitivity to punishment, according to a new study that found subjects with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder more likely than controls to avoid tasks with a relatively higher likelihood of punishment for failure, even if the likelihood of reward for success was also elevated.
“My Child’s Friends Are All Younger — and That’s Okay.”
Does your child with ADHD gravitate toward younger playmates? Remember, ADHD is a developmental disorder in which brain maturation is delayed. This mean’s your child’s social maturity may lag a few years behind that of their peers. They may not sense how they are perceived by classmates and they may commit social blunders without realizing it. As a result, it’s not unusual for children with ADHD to form solid friendships with younger children.
Half of Adults with ADHD Struggle with Substance Use Disorders
September 9, 2021 Half of young adults with ADHD struggle with substance use disorders, according to a new study published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.1 Specifically, one-third of adults with ADHD studied had a chronic alcohol use disorder compared to 13% of adults without ADHD. Data was drawn from the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (CCHS-MH). Participants included 6,872 respondents aged 20-39, 270 of whom had ADHD.
How ADHD Emotional Dysregulation Impacts Adult Life
Outsized anger, irritability, shifts in mood, and intense sensitivity — despite exclusion from the diagnostic criterion for ADHD, symptoms of emotional dysregulation are a debilitating facet of ADHD for many adults.
AZSTARYS Now Available: Stimulant ADHD Medication Launched by Corium, Inc.
July 22, 2021 The new stimulant ADHD medication AZSTARYS is now available for the treatment of ADHD symptoms in patients aged 6 years and older. A once-daily methylphenidate in capsule form, AZSTARYS comprises 70% extended-release serdexmethylphenidate and dexmethylphenidate with 30% immediate-release dexmethylphenidate.
Study: Symptoms of ADHD Associated with Greater Vulnerability to Pandemic Challenges
July 19, 2021 Higher levels of ADHD symptoms predict lower-than-average economic outcomes, mental health indices, and adherence to preventive measures in response to challenges created by the pandemic, according to a new study out of Israel. Additionally, ADHD symptoms were linked to higher perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 but also to perceptions that encourage non-adherence to preventive measures, according to a Journal of Attention Disorders1 study.
Study: Prevalence of ADHD Lowest Among Non-Hispanic Asian Children
July 14, 2021 ADHD prevalence rates are lowest among Non-Hispanic Asian boys and girls, according to a recent Journal of Attention Disorders study.1 Prevalence of ADHD was 11.3% among non-Hispanic White children and 10.7% among non-Hispanic Black children — significantly higher than the 2.2% prevalence rate found among non-Hispanic Asian children in the study. Prevalence was also higher in male participants compared to females across all racial-ethic groups.
American Rescue Plan Funds IDEA Grants for Children with Disabilities
July 12, 2021 More than $3 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds will be used to support Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grant programs benefiting youth with disabilities, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Education.1 This funding will be added to the $122 billion already designated to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund through ARP.
When Hobbies Turn Into Obsessions: Diaries of ADHD Hyperfocus
ADHD brains overflow with creativity, passion, and excitement — especially for new experiences. They seek out stimulation and then hyperfocus on the source when they find it. One end result: For adults with ADHD, hobbies often accelerate from interests into obsessions in T-minus one week. When something sparks our interest, we follow that dopamine hit wherever it takes us.
Stimulant Misuse High in College, Especially Among Males and Students with ADHD
July 9, 2021 Nearly one-third of college students reported misuse of prescription stimulant medication, with significantly higher rates of misuse reported among male participants and young adults with ADHD, according to a new Journal of Attention Disorders study.1 Researchers studied 144 participants, all students in their fourth year of the Trajectories Related to ADHD in College (TRAC) project, a 5-year longitudinal investigation into the functional trajectories of college students with...
Good Sports: Activities That Boost Self-Esteem, Social Skills & Behavior
Soccer field, baseball pitch, basketball court, swimming pool – each athletic arena stimulates the ADHD brain in unique and potentially valuable ways. The focus and precision required of a baseball catcher may harness one child’s hyperfocus, while rapid-fire passing drills in basketball may channel the energy of another. In a recent survey, ADDitude asked caregivers what sports their children play. Below are the observed benefits of various sports for children with ADHD.
Emotional Dysregulation Symptoms of ADHD Prevalent, Accurately Assessed by Self-Reported Scale
July 7, 2021 Emotional dysregulation (ED), though excluded from the DSM-5 condition criteria, is a core feature of ADHD that can be divided into two domains: emotional outbursts and emotional lability, which is more common in women.
How Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Feels for Adults with ADHD
Stabbing knives, white-hot rage, and debilitating fear are all descriptions used by ADDitude readers to convey the unseen and often unappreciated power of RSD — or rejection sensitive dysphoria. RSD is the term used to describe extreme emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by the perception (not always the reality) of criticism and/or rejection.
“My Keys Were in the Fridge!” ADHD Stories of Wildly Misplaced Items
Keys, wallet, meds, cell phone — the list of our frequently used and easy-to-misplace items stretches on and on. Poor working memory makes it difficult for adults with ADHD to hold information temporarily, which means the milk might end up in the cupboard and the cereal in the laundry room. In a recent survey, ADDitude asked “What’s the most recent wildly misplaced personal item you’ve rediscovered, and where?
The Best Work Schedule for ADHD Brains: Flexible or Rigid?
“If you had the choice, would you prefer long-term deadlines for major projects, but a freeform daily work schedule, or a rigid daily work schedule with more defined tasks and fewer decisions to make?” ADDitude recently posed this choice to newsletter subscribers, and received mixed responses. Some adults with ADHD say they feel suffocated by a lack of flexibility in their days. They thrive with a flexible and customized daily schedule that increases creativity and channels their hyperfocus.
Study: QbTest a More Accurate Indicator of ADHD Medication Effects Than Rating Scales
June 22, 2021 The ADHD screening test “QbTest” (Quantified Behavioral Test) captured 86% of adult patients’ treatment effects from medication compared to the 37% captured by the traditional ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.1 QbTest is an FDA-cleared, virtual test that measures core ADHD symptoms in 15 to 20 minutes.
Adult Work Productivity Decreases with Poor ADHD Medication Adherence
June 22, 2021 Poor stimulant medication adherence was associated with greater absenteeism and indirect costs for adults with ADHD, according to a study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.1 The small study, which included 395 participants with low/medium adherence and 207 with high adherence to ADHD medication, found significantly greater levels of absenteeism, absenteeism-related indirect costs, and total indirect costs among the subjects with poor adherence.
“After a Day of Fog, I Can Finally Think Clearly Late at Night.”
The cacophony of life diminishes with the dying light. As the rest of the world tucks into bed, our phones and brains grow quiet. We are able to process and focus and create with a special clarity at night — and the later the better, it seems. This is what adults with ADHD told ADDitude in a recent survey about ‘night owl’ tendencies and drawbacks.
The Household Chores That Work for Kids with ADHD – and Some That Don’t
“What kinds of regular household chores does your child with ADHD have? Is it a struggle to get them to do their chores, or do they like having defined tasks?” ADDitude recently posed these questions to newsletter subscribers and received dozens of insightful answers. Yes, plenty of children with ADHD are tasked with setting and clearing the table, washing laundry, and taking out the trash — ordinary tasks with predictable incentives.
Delayed- and Extended-Release Methylphenidate Improve Functional Impairment in Children with ADHD
June 11, 2021 Treatment with delayed-release and extended-release methylphenidate (DR/ER-MPH) led to clinically meaningful improvements in functional impairment in children with ADHD compared to placebo.
ADHD Type and Comorbid Conditions Significantly Impact Information Processing
June 9, 2021 Visual and auditory information are processed differently by children with ADHD, depending on their diagnosed ADHD subtype and the presence of comorbid conditions, according to a new Journal of Attention Disorders study exploring cognitive distinctions between the ADHD sub-types and between children with and without ADHD comorbidities.1 Notably, the research found that children with combined-type ADHD respond best to visual information, though children without ADHD outperform...
Q: Which ADHD Organizational Tools Actually Work?
Have you ever (very enthusiastically) purchased a new filing or organization system that was abandoned within 6 (or even 3) months? Or an expensive, fancy planner that now serves as dormant countertop clutter? Finding an organizing system that actually works is a life-long quest for adults with ADHD. Folders, shelving systems, calendars, or apps that click for one ADHD brain may only complicate things for another. Low motivation and poor working memory can get in the way of staying organized, too.
Study: Suicidality in Children with ADHD May Be Reduced by ADHD Medication
June 7, 2021 Suicidality in children with hyperactivity, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and other behavioral disorders may be decreased by ADHD medication. This research from the Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania was published in JAMA Network Open.1 Researchers used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the largest long-term study of brain development and health in the United States.
Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity Benefits Children with ADHD
May 28, 2021 Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has a small but significant effect on ADHD symptoms in children, especially when used in conjunction with medication, according to a new review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.1 Unlike previous research on the benefits of exercise for ADHD, this study comprised a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials (RCTs) “that included regular MVPA interventions for children and...
Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder More Prevalent Among ADHD Children with Impairments
May 28, 2021 Children with ADHD who experience significant social, emotional, and executive-function impairments also demonstrate significantly higher rates of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD), according to a nationwide study of Turkish children published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.1 Impairment ratings by caregivers and educators considered the child’s relationship with his/her siblings, relationships with friends, ability to do homework, general...
Study: Family Mindfulness Based Intervention Benefits Parents of Children with ADHD
May 28, 2021 Parents of children with ADHD experienced improvements in over-reactivity, impulsivity, self-compassion, and overall mental health after participating in an 8-week, family mindfulness based intervention (MBI) called MYmind, according to a study published in the Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology.1 Participants with ADHD, ages 8 to 16 years, were divided into two groups: 48 received care as usual (CAU) and 55 also participated in MYmind sessions for 90 minutes once a week...
Remote Learning Loss Is Widespread, Thorny for Students with ADHD
Remote learning loss is pervasive and potentially crushing for students with ADHD who have struggled these past 14 months with lack of structure, motivation, and adequate accommodations. Lost academic ground has caused both grades and self-esteem to plummet for many students with learning challenges, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy for some. For others, the format of online learning proved to be a better fit and resulted in academic and emotional gains.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Lilly
Contact Lilly, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack