By Jay Cook
Raising a child in the 21st century – with all the technology and daily distractions – may be challenging, but for families with a child diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), guiding that child from youth to maturity is a bit more difficult, especially during the kindergarten to high school years.
Although there are many places a family can turn to for help in diagnosing behavior and learning issues, one local pediatrician in the Two River area is taking the steps he deems necessary to assist children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“These kids weren’t getting the highest level of care possible,” said Andrew S. Burstiner, M.D., who is the head physician at Focus-MD in Tinton Falls. “Not that they weren’t getting good care, but they weren’t getting the best care given that treatment environment.”
Focus-MD is a growing network of pediatricians working with ADHD patients across the United States, with offices in Alabama, Florida, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and now, New Jersey.
The practice’s goal is to provide families with up-to-date, evidence-based treatment for children, all of which is approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).
Burstiner believes that conservatively, about 5 percent of the children across the United States live with ADHD, whether they know it or not. “Basically, at least one kid in every class from kindergarten up in Monmouth County has ADHD,” he said.
Focus-MD’s setup is reminiscent of any doctor’s office, with weight scales and blood pressure monitors found in the preliminary rooms. However, one unique piece of equipment in Burstiner’s office, is one of the more innovative ADHD-diagnosis tools in the industry: the FDA-cleared QbTest.
“It measures the person’s activity level, it measures the person’s ability to pay attention, it measures the person’s impulsivity, which are really the three core features of ADHD,” Burstiner said. “At its very essence, people with ADHD have significant troubles in their activity level, their attention level, and their impulsivity level.”
Seated in front of a computer, patients follow instructions on the screen to either click, or refrain from clicking, a handheld device when an “O” and an “X” is flashed before them.
While tracking reaction times between that clicker and the interactive pop-ups on the computer, a camera attached on the wall a few feet above is also hard at work, following along and recording the child’s movement.
Once the 15- to 20-minute test concludes, the results are compiled and compared with a control group, consisting of children in the same age bracket and gender as the patient.
Burstiner’s work is based around diagnosis, treatment and ADHD medication, such as Adderall, Vyvanse and Ritalin.
“For the majority, the main evidence-based, FDA-approved treatment for ADHD is the right kind of ADHD medicine,” he said.
The one service Focus-MD does not offer is professional therapy, which is available in several practices and organizations in the area.
“The first step is that it’s primary to know that child, get to know their interests and knowing what their strengths are, finding out what the child’s weaknesses are and going from there,” said Danielle Gasperini, director of the Children’s Mobile Response and Stabilization Program at CPC Behavioral Healthcare.
Providing ADHD therapy for patients is one of the key treatments allotted by CPC Behavioral Healthcare, which offers health services at six locations in Monmouth County.
Gasperini says that her staff can give parents lessons in Parent Management Training, which allows them to become more well-versed in motivating their children and how to overcome day-to-day obstacles.
The first step in treatment for ADHD, though, must come from the home. If parents are worried that their child might be suffering, then a trip to either the family’s general pediatrician or a facility such as CPC Behavioral Healthcare would be first on the list.
Parents then must fill out what is called a Conner’s Inventory, and at their discretion, can send one to the child’s teacher and even an athletics coach.
“Those folks can score a child so we can have a better idea of what their behavior’s like in different settings so that therapist or that doctor, who’s really just seeing them in the office, can get to know what that child is like in all the environments they’re involved in,” Gasperini said. “That really helps paint a nice picture.”
These various types of treatment, in the long run, very well may help a child with ADHD assimilate into society, which is the goal for one local mother.
“By educating kids early on, and giving them the tools they need to succeed, they become contributing members of society,” said Cathy Balto, a coordinator for the Two River Friends of Different Learners.
The organization, which was founded in Fair Haven in 2003, has spread throughout the Two River area since its inception. Now, working in conjunction with parent-teacher associations, the group’s work has reached Colts Neck, Eatontown, Hazlet, Little Silver, Middletown, Oceanport, Red Bank, Rumson, Shrewsbury and Manasquan.
Balto, who also has a 16-year-old son with ADHD, said the organization doubles as a support group, which is especially important for families right after diagnosis.
Parents, grandparents and guardians meet monthly for an open discussion about experiences, progressions and new resources in the area for children with not only ADHD, but also autism, dyslexia and sensory disorders, among others.
Over the years, the group has gathered nearly 11 full pages of references for health professionals in the area, consisting of pediatricians, neurologists, therapists and psychologists.
“Knowing you’re not alone is the best,” Balto said. “There’s so many resources that can get very overwhelming because you don’t know where to turn or where to start, but that’s why I do this.”
The professionals also stress the need for parents to ensure that children who suffer from ADHD are not stigmatized.
“I think it’s always important to keep in mind the personality and temperament of a child,” Gasperini said. “You don’t want to just jump into labeling someone with some kind of diagnosis, you have to be really careful about that.”
“It really probably is a lot more treatable, safely, than people imagine,” said Burstiner. “The treatment is there if you look for it, and it’s not any better or worse than the treatment for any other serious problem.”
