American FDA Approves Video Game as ADHD Treatment, Makes it Available as a Prescription

[Raevenlord]

With debates around the nature of video games' influence on psyches and behavior usually being surrounded with violence-related claims, it is certainly refreshing to see something like this happening. The American FDA (Federal Drug Administration) has recently permitted marketing of the first specifically-developed video game designed with the intention of serving as a treatment for ADHD. Under the slogan "it's time to play your medicine", the game, EndeavorRx (AKL-T01), is being marketed for children between the ages of eight and 12. It was designed to "to directly target and activate neural systems through the presentation of sensory stimuli and motor challenges to improve cognitive functioning."

The FDA has issued this permit on the basis of five different studies involving more than 600 children diagnosed with ADHD, where they were encouraged to play this particular video game. Following the test results, a measurable decrease or even dissipation of attention deficit levels in a number of ADHD-related benchmarks were seen. However, not all is green on this side of the pasture: the FDA in its approval also mentioned some verifiable, but not serious, adverse effects after the children were exposed to the EndeavorRx-based therapy, such as frustration, headache, dizziness, emotional reaction, and aggression. The FDA themselves say that the clinical trial results do not suggest this videogame prescription could be an alternative to ADHD drug-specific prescriptions, however. But it could be a first step between an ADHD diagnosis and drug-based treatments. Check out a video of the game after the break.

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[Deleted member 67555]

I knew it!

 

[TheLostSwede]

Not going to say ADHD is BS, but I believe a lot of kids get it because they're not allowed to live like kids. Parents put so much pressure on their kids these days. They need to meet certain achievements in school, they need to perform either an instrument or in some kind of sport and so on. They're not allowed enough play time, especially outside with other kids, if they're allowed their own time at all, due to over protective parents. No wonder some kids to crazy.

In hindsight, I believe I was very lucky to get to grow up on the countryside, as I could roam around freely and do pretty much whatever I wanted without any concern. Back then, I wished I lived in a village or town, as there weren't that many friends around, just a couple of neighbour's kids, but at the same time, there was also close to zero risk that something bad would happen.

I think it's wrong to feed kids a bunch of drugs, just so they behave the way their parents want them to behave. We're not made to fit into cookie cutter moulds, but this seems to be what "society" expects from us.

 

[trparky]

this seems to be what "society" expects from us.

Sit down and be a good little drone.

I believe a lot of kids get it because they're not allowed to live like kids.

A lot of that may very well be true. Can't let little Johnny outside, he might stub his toe. Can't let little Johnny ride a bike, he might scuff his knee.

I remember when I first learned to ride a bike, I fell down. I bled. But you know what? I got back up on that bike and I learned.

 

[kapone32]

Not going to say ADHD is BS, but I believe a lot of kids get it because they're not allowed to live like kids. Parents put so much pressure on their kids these days. They need to meet certain achievements in school, they need to perform either an instrument or in some kind of sport and so on. They're not allowed enough play time, especially outside with other kids, if they're allowed their own time at all, due to over protective parents. No wonder some kids to crazy.

In hindsight, I believe I was very lucky to get to grow up on the countryside, as I could roam around freely and do pretty much whatever I wanted without any concern. Back then, I wished I lived in a village or town, as there weren't that many friends around, just a couple of neighbour's kids, but at the same time, there was also close to zero risk that something bad would happen.

I think it's wrong to feed kids a bunch of drugs, just so they behave the way their parents want them to behave. We're not made to fit into cookie cutter moulds, but this seems to be what "society" expects from us.

I feel you are absolutely right but it is not about where you live. I have a 3 year old and I lament that she will have no idea what it means to be a kid like I did. As an example of what I am talking about do you remember when NBC News would say at the start of the 11 O'clock news "It's 11 PM do you know where your kids are". Only the most extreme cases would not be like 98% of kids in my generation with the rule of "make sure you are home before the street lights come on" and I was talking about this issue with someone the other day. When I told them that going outside meant that as a kid you had 2 lives. They did not understand what I meant so hd to tell them about things like tag, British bulldog. Tackle football in the fall, baseball in the summer. I have always been into video games but the only time I really played them as a kid was when it was raining (One of my friends had a Commodore 64). I have lived in the Toronto (Canada) area most of my life.

 

[xrobwx71]

Sit down and be a good little drone.

A lot of that may very well be true. Can't let little Johnny outside, he might stub his toe. Can't let little Johnny ride a bike, he might scuff his knee.

I remember when I first learned to ride a bike, I fell down. I bled. But you know what? I got back up on that bike and I learned.

Do you have children?

There is a lot more to ADHD than that. I was against the diagnosis with my first born. I didn't believe in it.
It's not just a behavior issue either as it relates to their ability to learn or not learn. My son, who is now 28, at 8 his grades were abysmal, his behavior was great, good manners, followed rules, made friends easily etc. He just could not pay attention in school. I went to a trusted Dr. and friend and he assured me the meds would not hurt him and within one hour, we would know. Sure enough, first dose and I got a call from the teacher and she stated he was attentive, focused on her and was in effect, a different child. Before, he was looking out the window, looking at the bottom of his desk, rolling a pencil on his desk, whatever distraction there was, would have him paying attention to anything other than the teacher. His grades immediately improved the rest of his school life. The cool thing is we didn't give it to him on the weekends when he wasn't in school or in the summer and let him play outside and be a "normal" boy.
This is how most parent deal with these issues.

So, you can have the attitude of "sit down little drone" and watch them receive a good education or you can ignore it and they won't because they cannot.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

I had ADHD growing up as a kid. Took Ritalin all throughout elementary school. It helped me focus and do better in school and at home.

Edit: why the frownie face? lol

 

[neatfeatguy]

My kids - especially the youngest, 7 year old - is like a fucking twitching time bomb in the past 4 months. With everything being shut down and folks forced to not be able to go anywhere and schools being closed and summer camp/care programs for kids being canceled, my kids now spend the day with mom at work. They sit in her office and quietly entertain their selves with electronics and the occasional book.

Summer care program through the YMCA over the past years meant the kids were active - running around with friends, going on 2-3 field trips a week and doing creative activities. The kids were burnt out by the time they got home, had dinner and vegged until they would be falling asleep around 7:30-8pm and would go off to bed.

Now they don't get that this year and they've become accustomed to being digitally entertained by games or shows from streaming Netflix and such. The 7 year old has nervous breakdowns when he can't be playing his tablet or streaming shows during the weekend because we won't let them. Straight up, fucking meltdowns - like a two year old. An almost 8 year old that may only weigh about 50 pounds is surprisingly strong, especially when they lock their joints. I used to wrestle all through elementary school and through middle school, so I know how to handle myself in taking someone down and restraining them if needs be.....but when this kid has his meltdown and starts lashing out and hitting, throwing things....trying to restrain him is harder then any wrestling match I ever remember having.

My just turned 12 year old daughter, she's not as dependent on the electronics, probably because she's older. She gets a bit teary eyed and upset, but she doesn't act out.

We try to get the kids out as much as possible on the weekends to let them run and burn off energy, but outside doing the same thing every weekend is dull. Going on a bike ride, walking the dog, kicking the soccer ball around, finding a park/playground that's not "closed".....when the weather is crummy and we can't go anywhere, it becomes very hard for the kids to be entertained without electronics. You can only play so many board games or card games during the bad weather days before you want to gouge your eyes out.

I don't think prescribing video games is a good idea solely based off my experience. Yeah....yeah....yeah, use in moderation, but when you have no other available options due to the stupidity of society you're kind of painted into a corner.

When my 7 year old son has proper channels to direct his energy, any ADHD like symptom he displays just melts away. However, the past 4 months of lockdown crap has been really, really hard on him.
My 7 year old always has a lot of energy, but with no proper methods to focus his energy he comes off as appearing to have ADHD - constantly moving, not listening, being disruptive, easily frustrated and so on.....sure, the electronics feed his mind, but when they feel they need to be dependent on them and you take them away, be ready for a bigger fight.

 

[xrobwx71]

Some of these ADHD kids are very talented and intelligent. To block their potential over an uneducated opinion is heartbreaking to see.

Although physiologically and psychologically different, Autism is the same way in some of the kids on the spectrum are super intelligent. The ones I know that have been nurtured and medicated properly grow up to be productive members of society.
I have a friend that has an Autistic child that likes video games. his Mom used certain video games to help calm him and educate him. (makes me wonder) He is now finishing college, has a regular job and drives a car by himself.

 

[Sithaer]

Not going to say ADHD is BS, but I believe a lot of kids get it because they're not allowed to live like kids. Parents put so much pressure on their kids these days. They need to meet certain achievements in school, they need to perform either an instrument or in some kind of sport and so on. They're not allowed enough play time, especially outside with other kids, if they're allowed their own time at all, due to over protective parents. No wonder some kids to crazy.

In hindsight, I believe I was very lucky to get to grow up on the countryside, as I could roam around freely and do pretty much whatever I wanted without any concern. Back then, I wished I lived in a village or town, as there weren't that many friends around, just a couple of neighbour's kids, but at the same time, there was also close to zero risk that something bad would happen.

I think it's wrong to feed kids a bunch of drugs, just so they behave the way their parents want them to behave. We're not made to fit into cookie cutter moulds, but this seems to be what "society" expects from us.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a town 'still live there', and we used to spend most of our free time outside after school.
Playing with the other kids on the street and also biking around, our parents never really mind that. 'I had to ask mine for a while if I can go out or not and thats about it'

Summer camp or whatever you call them nowadays wasn't a thing here, we spent the summer the same way just us kids playing outside and go home before dark.

I was introduced to gaming/PC rather early with a 486 and also showed interest in it in elementary school.
Things escalated when I started playing Diablo 2 cause I really enjoyed the grinding/farming aspect of the game and I could farm the same boss for hours.

After that I started to spend more time at home than before but my parents never told me to stop since I wasn't showing any 'bad' side effects and I still went outside just not as much.
Even when I wasn't able to play or use the PC I wasn't throwing tantrums or anything, in general I was a peaceful/silent kid. 'never had behaviour issues in school either'

 

[TheLostSwede]

Sit down and be a good little drone.

A lot of that may very well be true. Can't let little Johnny outside, he might stub his toe. Can't let little Johnny ride a bike, he might scuff his knee.

I remember when I first learned to ride a bike, I fell down. I bled. But you know what? I got back up on that bike and I learned.

Oh, I learnt to ride a bike on a gravel road. Still remember the day my old man removed the support wheels...

I feel you are absolutely right but it is not about where you live. I have a 3 year old and I lament that she will have no idea what it means to be a kid like I did. As an example of what I am talking about do you remember when NBC News would say at the start of the 11 O'clock news "It's 11 PM do you know where your kids are". Only the most extreme cases would not be like 98% of kids in my generation with the rule of "make sure you are home before the street lights come on" and I was talking about this issue with someone the other day. When I told them that going outside meant that as a kid you had 2 lives. They did not understand what I meant so hd to tell them about things like tag, British bulldog. Tackle football in the fall, baseball in the summer. I have always been into video games but the only time I really played them as a kid was when it was raining (One of my friends had a Commodore 64). I have lived in the Toronto (Canada) area most of my life.

Sorry, not from the same part of the world as you so no, I don't remember any of that. We only had one "gravel road" light, but in the summer time the sunset is after 22:00 where I grew up so...

I used to come home when I was hungry... Or when my old man whistled if it was a more organised meal.

Being into computers doesn't also mean you can't be outdoorsy. I used to go out on my own accord and pick mushrooms and berries, since I liked to eat them. I even collected a lot of money for a class trip by picking mushrooms and selling them.

We all have different upbringings, but my point was, a lot of kids are both forced to do things that they aren't really keen on, while at the same time, not being allowed to be kids.

Do you have children?

There is a lot more to ADHD than that. I was against the diagnosis with my first born. I didn't believe in it.
It's not just a behavior issue either as it relates to their ability to learn or not learn. My son, who is now 28, at 8 his grades were abysmal, his behavior was great, good manners, followed rules, made friends easily etc. He just could not pay attention in school. I went to a trusted Dr. and friend and he assured me the meds would not hurt him and within one hour, we would know. Sure enough, first dose and I got a call from the teacher and she stated he was attentive, focused on her and was in effect, a different child. Before, he was looking out the window, looking at the bottom of his desk, rolling a pencil on his desk, whatever distraction there was, would have him paying attention to anything other than the teacher. His grades immediately improved the rest of his school life. The cool thing is we didn't give it to him on the weekends when he wasn't in school or in the summer and let him play outside and be a "normal" boy.
This is how most parent deal with these issues.

So, you can have the attitude of "sit down little drone" and watch them receive a good education or you can ignore it and they won't because they cannot.

But see, this was my point, what adults consider good behaviour isn't always good for the child.
School is also a place where you're expected to behave in a certain way, as it's where the moulding process to fit into society starts.

I wasn't very interested in school and I wasn't all that focused on studies, for the most part, but I had a few teachers that made me interested. I also had a few that made me not pay attention at all and a few that dissed me as I didn't meet their standards. For example, I had an English teacher that gave me a lower grade in English than I deserved, as I spoke too american English back then and I was too talkative and argumentative in class. Yet, somehow, I managed to make a living as a professional tech journalist for over a decade of my life, go figure.

I still have problems focusing on things I'm not interested in, whereas I can spend hours on things I'm interested in, that really aren't that important at times. I can research work projects for hours to find the right solution and to write customer presentations etc., but I want to spend as little time as possible to deal with paperwork related to my business.

A good education is not what most kids get in school, what they get, is the same information that all the other kids get. Not all kids need the same information and many of us process information differently. However, school is not made for outliers, which is really a shame as some of the outliers end up being some of the smartest people around.

Anyhow, glad it worked out for your kid, but even the meds don't work for all kids. Just looking at my older sisters four kids, they are all diagnosed with something and the meds don't seem to have helped.

 

[Aquinus]

The 7 year old has nervous breakdowns when he can't be playing his tablet or streaming shows during the weekend because we won't let them. Straight up, fucking meltdowns - like a two year old. An almost 8 year old that may only weigh about 50 pounds is surprisingly strong, especially when they lock their joints.

Ah yes. My 8 year old daughter will do the same thing. She's also ADHD and high function ASD. She doesn't do it with all games though, just ones that she's really into. Roblox is proving to be a nightmare to the point where I've enabled parental controls and I've started limiting her time on the game and such, because it makes her go insane.

We all have different upbringings, but my point was, a lot of kids are both forced to do things that they aren't really keen on, while at the same time, not being allowed to be kids.

That's not the problem. Don't think of ADHD as kids who don't want to do things not being able to focus on them. Think of it more like kids who do want to focus on things, but can't. There is a big difference. Impulse control is only part of it.

 

[TheLostSwede]

I was lucky enough to grow up in a town 'still live there', and we used to spend most of our free time outside after school.
Playing with the other kids on the street and also biking around, our parents never really mind that. 'I had to ask mine for a while if I can go out or not and thats about it'

Summer camp or whatever you call them nowadays wasn't a thing here, we spent the summer the same way just us kids playing outside and go home before dark.

I was introduced to gaming/PC rather early with a 486 and also showed interest in it in elementary school.
Things escalated when I started playing Diablo 2 cause I really enjoyed the grinding/farming aspect of the game and I could farm the same boss for hours.

After that I started to spend more time at home than before but my parents never told me to stop since I wasn't showing any 'bad' side effects and I still went outside just not as much.
Even when I wasn't able to play or use the PC I wasn't throwing tantrums or anything, in general I was a peaceful/silent kid. 'never had behaviour issues in school either'

"Summer camp" for me was being sent down to my grans for a month or so. Only had one friend there until his family moved.
I mean, I loved my gran to bits, but she was already quite old and she wasn't exactly a good play mate...
Much of the time was spent picking berries and making jam, I guess I was being used as child labour...

I was lucky, as my old man bought a PC for me when I was 15, as he realised I was interested in computers. It costed a small fortune at the time, but I pretty much learnt everything I've ever worked with based on that one single purchase. Over the years, he also had plenty of new computers that I built for him on my own budget, so I guess you can call it a wise investment, as it was paid back several times over.

I also believe that thanks to the "typing" games at the times, mainly from Sierra, but also some other publishers, I expanded my English vocabulary and my spelling much more than I could've done simply by going to English class in school. I would go as far as to say that computers forced me to improve my English skills.

That's not the problem. Don't think of ADHD as kids who don't want to do things not being able to focus on them. Think of it more like kids who do want to focus on things, but can't. There is a big difference. Impulse control is only part of it.

Sorry, that's not what I meant. Not talking about ADHD kids specifically, more about kids that get dragged off to violin class or soccer training against their will. On the other hand, I'm sure a lot of kids want to go out and play with their friends, but aren't allowed for their parents. Maybe living in a big city in Asia has my views a bit skewed these days, but parents are insanely overprotective in Asia and it's scary.

 

[AsRock]

Sit down and be a good little drone.

A lot of that may very well be true. Can't let little Johnny outside, he might stub his toe. Can't let little Johnny ride a bike, he might scuff his knee.

I remember when I first learned to ride a bike, I fell down. I bled. But you know what? I got back up on that bike and I learned.

My dad learned me by pushing me down a hill on a bike, o yeah it was a curb and a 8 foot drop at the end. A parent would not dream of doing it today.

And swinging outside by a sheet tied up though the window is a no no today.

 

[natr0n]

Nail 2 heashots and call me in the morning !

 

[Sithaer]

"Summer camp" for me was being sent down to my grans for a month or so. Only had one friend there until his family moved.
I mean, I loved my gran to bits, but she was already quite old and she wasn't exactly a good play mate...
Much of the time was spent picking berries and making jam, I guess I was being used as child labour...

I was lucky, as my old man bought a PC for me when I was 15, as he realised I was interested in computers. It costed a small fortune at the time, but I pretty much learnt everything I've ever worked with based on that one single purchase. Over the years, he also had plenty of new computers that I built for him on my own budget, so I guess you can call it a wise investment, as it was paid back several times over.

I also believe that thanks to the "typing" games at the times, mainly from Sierra, but also some other publishers, I expanded my English vocabulary and my spelling much more than I could've done simply by going to English class in school. I would go as far as to say that computers forced me to improve my English skills.


Sorry, that's not what I meant. Not talking about ADHD kids specifically, more about kids that get dragged off to violin class or soccer training against their will. On the other hand, I'm sure a lot of kids want to go out and play with their friends, but aren't allowed for their parents. Maybe living in a big city in Asia has my views a bit skewed these days, but parents are insanely overprotective in Asia and it's scary.

Also used to hang out often at my grandparents who were even less strict than my parents.

Same here, it was my father who got me and my brother into the whole PC thing and I have a feeling that he regret that later cause of the costs. 'until we could afford our own hardware or at least partially'

I had no option to study English in elementary school cause we only had German and started English in high school.
Most of my English 'knowledge' is from gaming since I had to be able to communicate with ppl when I started playing D2 online so I slowly started to learn it on my own even before high school. 'this helped me a lot with that class'

I'm glad that my parents never forced anything like that on me or anything I did not feel like doing.
Sure I could be a more successful adult now 'maybe' but at least I had a fun and good childhood and I wouldn't trade that.

As for the topic itself, in a way its good to see something other than the usual 'but games are bad ' thing like I always hear/read and if this really helps some kids then thats great.

 

[mtcn77]

The common myth in child development is the seperation from family which doesn't occur if parents behave just like teachers in the house. The issue isn't kid isn't behaving, it is the helicopter parents not letting kids engage in play.
When I hear old folk speak about rubbing knees in dirt, or collecting fruit - that is how childhood should be. Not indoors listening to the same sort of people. You have to engage the child in what is beyond the family protection. Nettles, stinging bees, or some other danger - you want to initiate the kid to incorporate family ties from the opposite direction, negative incentive from outside sources. Otherwise, domesticity won't develop in kid's value system. Don't systematically bear down on the kids.

 

[Caring1]

Why didn't they do this years ago when I played Need for speed or GTA endlessly, I could have claimed those games back on healthcare.

 

[Midland Dog]

this isnt going to solve the problem, i basically the bible on mental disorders and i can tell you for a fact it wont work. the exact opposite of what you want to happen will happen because thats the reaction the child wants. fact. adhd may come across as fast and sporadic but no one considers that the world moves slow to that beings perspective, making average situations much more manipulable. if you want to screw with an adhd person into slowing down u simply have to provide them with something too quick for them to process

 

[Caring1]

There is a lot more to ADHD than that. I was against the diagnosis with my first born. I didn't believe in it.
I went to a trusted Dr. and friend and he assured me the meds would not hurt him ....

He lied.
Prescribing Ritalin can lead to further problems later.
But hey, you're the expert because you know one child with ADHD.

 

[mtcn77]

He lied.
Prescribing Ritalin can lead to further problems later.
But hey, you're the expert because you know one child with ADHD.

Ritalin is no different than prescribing ex-smokers amphetamines which work by amplifying the side effects.

 

[moproblems99]

Not going to say ADHD is BS, but I believe a lot of kids get it because they're not allowed to live like kids. Parents put so much pressure on their kids these days. They need to meet certain achievements in school, they need to perform either an instrument or in some kind of sport and so on. They're not allowed enough play time, especially outside with other kids, if they're allowed their own time at all, due to over protective parents. No wonder some kids to crazy.

ADHD is real, just a lot of kids get diagnosed with it that just have a parenting problem. However, when you see a real diagnosis and see the treatment work, you understand.

However, what we see a lot is parents not getting enough discipline in and blaming it on ADHD.

 

[ymbaja]

My kids - especially the youngest, 7 year old - is like a fucking twitching time bomb in the past 4 months. With everything being shut down and folks forced to not be able to go anywhere and schools being closed and summer camp/care programs for kids being canceled, my kids now spend the day with mom at work. They sit in her office and quietly entertain their selves with electronics and the occasional book.

Summer care program through the YMCA over the past years meant the kids were active - running around with friends, going on 2-3 field trips a week and doing creative activities. The kids were burnt out by the time they got home, had dinner and vegged until they would be falling asleep around 7:30-8pm and would go off to bed.

Now they don't get that this year and they've become accustomed to being digitally entertained by games or shows from streaming Netflix and such. The 7 year old has nervous breakdowns when he can't be playing his tablet or streaming shows during the weekend because we won't let them. Straight up, fucking meltdowns - like a two year old. An almost 8 year old that may only weigh about 50 pounds is surprisingly strong, especially when they lock their joints. I used to wrestle all through elementary school and through middle school, so I know how to handle myself in taking someone down and restraining them if needs be.....but when this kid has his meltdown and starts lashing out and hitting, throwing things....trying to restrain him is harder then any wrestling match I ever remember having.

My just turned 12 year old daughter, she's not as dependent on the electronics, probably because she's older. She gets a bit teary eyed and upset, but she doesn't act out.

We try to get the kids out as much as possible on the weekends to let them run and burn off energy, but outside doing the same thing every weekend is dull. Going on a bike ride, walking the dog, kicking the soccer ball around, finding a park/playground that's not "closed".....when the weather is crummy and we can't go anywhere, it becomes very hard for the kids to be entertained without electronics. You can only play so many board games or card games during the bad weather days before you want to gouge your eyes out.

I don't think prescribing video games is a good idea solely based off my experience. Yeah....yeah....yeah, use in moderation, but when you have no other available options due to the stupidity of society you're kind of painted into a corner.

When my 7 year old son has proper channels to direct his energy, any ADHD like symptom he displays just melts away. However, the past 4 months of lockdown crap has been really, really hard on him.
My 7 year old always has a lot of energy, but with no proper methods to focus his energy he comes off as appearing to have ADHD - constantly moving, not listening, being disruptive, easily frustrated and so on.....sure, the electronics feed his mind, but when they feel they need to be dependent on them and you take them away, be ready for a bigger fight.

just replying because “twitching timebomb” stuck out. One thing we’ve learned with my son over the years (who has tics) is that these are often accompanied by Some degree of ocd/adhd etc... often the rage fights are due to pattern disruptions rather than the actual activity. My son used to lose his mind if he didn’t get a book at night. Years later we realized it was the the loss of the routine that was the issue triggering some subdued ocd tendency (Not the fact that he didn’t actually get to read a book.) Your situation may be different, but something to consider. It stil doesn’t make it easy but it helped us to understand. I agree exercise helps greatly.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

Prescribing Ritalin can lead to further problems later.

Such as what? I took it for years with no issues.

 

[neatfeatguy]

just replying because “twitching timebomb” stuck out. One thing we’ve learned with my son over the years (who has tics) is that these are often accompanied by Some degree of ocd/adhd etc... often the rage fights are due to pattern disruptions rather than the actual activity. My son used to lose his mind if he didn’t get a book at night. Years later we realized it was the the loss of the routine that was the issue triggering some subdued ocd tendency (Not the fact that he didn’t actually get to read a book.) Your situation may be different, but something to consider. It stil doesn’t make it easy but it helped us to understand. I agree exercise helps greatly.

Yes, he's a creature a habit. Changes to his routine (like school being closed down and now summer Y program being canceled) means he's freaking out at times because things are different.

He has calmed down a bit in the past couple of weeks - not really doing any violent lash outs anymore, but still gets overly upset and argumentative when he doesn't get his way.....at least last Saturday it was sunny and fairly cool. Took the kids and dog to a lake and walked around it (daughter used her Razor - son wanted to run/walk the path) and about 2 miles into the 3 mile trek he was tired from all the running and exploring. He was pretty mellow for about half the day. But that second wind kicked in just before dinner and he was starting to bounce off the walls again. Tried getting the kids to go outside and play, but that lasted about 10 minutes because they "think" they saw a bee flying around 50ft from where they were playing......they didn't want to be outside anymore after that.

A constant work in progress to get him to burn off his excess energy to help him calm down. Plopping him in front of a TV or electronic device can calm him, but when it's time to stop using them that switch flips because he's still has bounds of energy in him that hasn't gone anywhere, it was only suppressed/ignored while his mind was entertained. Once the mind's instant gratification from the electronics goes away, that pent up energy kicks in and the battle begins.