This week, the Centre for ADD/ADHD Advocacy Canada is promoting an awareness campaign for ADD and ADHD in Canada.

The goal is to increase awareness of ADD and ADHD in Canada, and help to advocate for appropriate services.

In most Canadian provinces, the school boards do not recognize ADD/ADHD as a disorder which will allow for special educational services or educational acommodations. To get these, a student must meet criteria for a learning disability, or a behavior disorder.

To read more about CADDAC’s campaign, view this press release, or visit their website.

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Vyvanse is the newest medication to come out for ADD and ADHD in the USA. I have posted articles on Vyvanse, and many of my readers have shared their experiences with Vyvanse (over 50 comments) about whether Vyvanse works.

As a Canadian Doctor, I am not in a position to prescribe this medicine for my patients, because it is not in Canada yet. In fact, I am not aware that it is in any other country than in the USA.

One blog reader asked: ‘When can we expect to get Vyvanse in Canada?’

The short answer to this is: I don’t know.

I can tell you that at the earliest it will be well into 2008, and possibly 2009.

I will continue to update this blog as I find out more information. To keep up to date with this information, just enter your name and email address in the top right hand corner to receive email updates.

Dr. Kenny Handelman

Technorati Tags: Vyvanse, ADD, ADHD, Canada

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I am pleased to announce that I have been asked to be the guest on a Talk Radio Show called:
ADHD: The Good News, with Laurie Walsh.

This show will be recorded live on CKTB 610 AM St. Catharines, Ontario. That means that if you live in the Niagara Region (Canada or the US), or as far east as the Greater Toronto Area, you will be able to hear the show live, and call in with questions, if you like.

If you don’t live near the radio signal: you can listen online! Just visit: CKTB, and click on the ‘Listen Now’ Button on the top left. I would guess that you could call in as well, even if you are from Europe, Australia, etc - you would just have to pay the long distance charges.

The show will then be rebroadcast in many Canadian Cities - and I am including the schedule below.

ADHD: The Good News will cover all areas of ADD/ADHD, over 4 shows. We will talk about:

• What Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/ Attention Deficit Disorder actually is
• How to get help from your doctor
• How to help your child at school
• Parenting strategies that work,
• Medications for ADD/ADHD - are they safe? Do you need them? and how do they work?
• And a whole lot more…

What you’ll hear on each show is:

Show 1: What is ADHD, and how do you get started?
Show 2: Common Myths about ADHD and the Facts
Show 3: ADHD and the Teenager
Show 4: Spring 07- End of School and Planning for the Summer
Show 4b: Summer 07: Back to school with ADHD

The show will initially air on CKTB St. Catharines, and here is the schedule.

It will be on at 12:00-1:00 pm Eastern Time on Saturdays:

1. Saturday May 26, 2007- Show #1
2. Saturday, June 2, 2007 -Show #2
3. Saturday, June 9, 2007 - Show #3
4. Saturday, June 16, 2007 - Show #4.1
5. Saturday, August 25,. 2007 - Show #4.2

Rebroadcast all over Canada:
‘ADHD The Good News’ will then be rebroadcast in the following cities, at these times:

Hamilton - CHAM - 820 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Saturday June 2 - 11am - 11:30am
SHOW #2 - Saturday June 9 - 11am - 11:30am
SHOW #3 - Saturday June 16 - 11am - 11:30am
SHOW #4 - Saturday June 23 - 11am - 11:30am

LONDON - CJBK - 1290 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Sunday June 3 - 8am - 830am
SHOW #2 - Sunday June 10 - 8am - 830am
SHOW #3 - Sunday June 17 - 8am - 830am
SHOW #4 - Sunday June 24 - 8am - 830am

Kitchener- CKGL - 570AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Sunday June 3 - 9:30am - 10am
SHOW #2 - Sunday June 10 - 9:30am - 10am
SHOW #3 - Sunday June 17 - 9:30am - 10am
SHOW #4 - Sunday June 24 - 9:30am - 10am

Kingston - CKLC - 1380 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Saturday June 2 - 11am - 11:30am
SHOW #2 - Saturday June 9 - 11am - 11:30am
SHOW #3 - Saturday June 16 - 11am - 11:30am
SHOW #4 - Saturday June 23 - 11am - 11:30am

Toronto - CHUM - 1050 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Sunday June 3 - 1pm - 1:30pm
SHOW #2 - Sunday June 10 - 1pm - 1:30pm
SHOW #3 - Sunday June 17 - 1pm - 1:30pm
SHOW #4 - Sunday June 24 - 1pm - 1:30pm

Ottawa -CIWW - 1310 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Saturday June 2 - 11:30am - 11am
SHOW #2 - Saturday June 9 - 11:30am - 11am
SHOW #3 - Saturday June 16 - 11:30am - 11am
SHOW #4 - Saturday June 23 - 11:30am - 11am

Windsor - CKLW - 800 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Sunday June 3 - 7pm - 7:30pm
SHOW #2 - Sunday June 10 - 7pm - 7:30pm
SHOW #3 - Sunday June 17 - 7pm - 7:30pm
SHOW #4 - Sunday June 24 - 7pm - 7:30pm

Thunder Bay - CKPR - 580 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Sunday June 3 - 6:30pm - 7pm
SHOW #2 - Sunday June 10 - 6:30pm - 7pm
SHOW #3 - Sunday June 17 - 6:30pm - 7pm
SHOW #4 - Sunday June 24 - 6:30pm - 7pm

Sudbury - CIGM - 790 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Sunday June 3 - 10:30am - 11am
SHOW #2 - Sunday June 10 - 10:30am - 11am
SHOW #3 - Sunday June 17 - 10:30am - 11am
SHOW #4 - Sunday June 24 - 10:30am - 11am

Victoria- CFAX - 1070 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Sunday June 3 - 5pm - 5:30pm
SHOW #2 - Sunday June 10 - 5pm - 5:30pm
SHOW #3 - Sunday June 17 - 5pm - 5:30pm
SHOW #4 - Sunday June 24 - 5pm - 5:30pm

Vancouver - CISL - 650 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Monday June 4 - 8pm - 8:30pm
SHOW #1 - Tuesday June 5 - 8pm - 8:30pm
SHOW #2 - Monday June 11 - 8pm - 8:30pm
SHOW #2 - Tuesday June 12 - 8pm - 8:30pm
SHOW #3 - Monday June 18 - 8pm - 8:30pm
SHOW #3 - Tuesday June 19 - 8pm - 8:30pm
SHOW #4 - Monday June 25 - 8pm - 8:30pm
SHOW #4 - Tuesday June 26 - 8pm - 8:30pm

Edmonton - CFCW - 790 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Sunday June 3 - 430pm - 5pm
SHOW #2 - Sunday June 10 - 430pm - 5pm
SHOW #3 - Sunday June 17 - 430pm - 5pm
SHOW #4 - Sunday June 24 - 430pm - 5pm

Calgary- CKMX - 1060 AM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Sunday June 3 - 9am - 9:30am
SHOW #2 - Sunday June 10 - 9am - 9:30am
SHOW #3 - Sunday June 17 - 9am - 9:30am
SHOW #4 - Sunday June 24 - 9am - 9:30am

Halifax- CJNIFM - 95.7FM

Rebroadcast:
SHOW #1 - Sunday June 3 - 9am - 9:30am
SHOW #2 - Sunday June 10 - 9am - 9:30am
SHOW #3 - Sunday June 17 - 9am - 9:30am
SHOW #4 - Sunday June 24 - 9am - 9:30am

Please pass this message on to anyone you know who may want to learn more about ADD or ADHD. We will cover a lot of information over the four shows. People in the Canadian Cities listed above can listen live on their radio stations - and of course, you can listen live online - as decribed above.

I really hope that you enjoy these radio shows. If you do listen to the show - and call in (especially if you are calling from outside of the radio listening area, because you are listening online), please post a comment on this blog, and I will email you with a special thank you for taking the time to participate (and I like to reward people for taking action).

Remember - it all starts this Saturday afternoon - I hope to hear from you!

Dr. Kenny

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If you are Canadian, and reading this post - you need to take action right now.

This is time sensitive.

Set aside 10-15 minutes to deal with this. Shut off the phone, close the door, get a drink if you need it, because you don’t want to be interrupted.

In May 2006, a committee reviewing the Mental Health System in Canada made recommendations. One of these recommendations was the creation of a Canadian Mental Health Commission with a mandate to address mental health and mental illness in Canada.

The Federal Government is now collecting information via an online poll about Canadians’ thoughts on the establishment of such a commission.

This is a chance for your voice to be heard. This is also a chance to have an influence on future priorities for mental health care in Canada.

The government website says:

The purpose of this consultation is to allow you and all Canadians to share your views on mental health and mental illness, particularly federal priorities in this area and the proposed mental health commission. You are invited to provide your perspective on the need for such a commission, in addition to activities that a commission could undertake. In particular, we would like your views on the following:

1. the need (or lack thereof) for a mental health commission;
2. the mandate, functions and activities of such a commission;
3. the structure of such a commission, including possible choices for advisory committees and special areas of focus; and
4. the appropriate federal government priorities in mental health and mental illness.

Your input will be provided to the Minister of Health to better inform and guide the Government of Canada’s efforts to address mental health and mental illness in Canada.

You can find the online poll here: online poll.

The deadline for the poll is tomorrow - January 25th, 2007.

• So, if you have had frustrations with the mental health system in Canada, act now.
• If you have felt that there are insufficient programs and professionals to help with ADD or ADHD, act now.
• If you feel that we need an educational campaign in Canada to decrease stigma, act now.

Your voice can have a big impact, if you act now. We may not get another chance for this one.

I want to share some well thought out suggestions for recommendations to make on this online poll. Pete Quily, an ADD/ADHD Coach in Vancouver is an active advocate for ADD/ADHD. He has written some great suggestions that you may consider making on this survey. Rather than reproducing these here, I am going to point you to his blog post with these suggestions. Click on that link to review these suggestions, and then go to the online poll right now to have your voice heard.

A quick summary of suggestions to make:

1. We DO want a Mental Health Commission in Canada
2. We want a program for education and destigmatization of ADD/ADHD, as well as all mental disorders.
3. We want an increase in resources and funding for mental health.
4. We want increased training for Medical doctors to assess and treat ADHD - including Family Doctors, Pediatricians, and Psychiatrists.
5. We want improved legislation that will protect the rights of people with ADD/ADHD in the educational system and in the workplace (we are way behind the Americans on this one).
6. We want increased access to the newer long acting medications - so that everyone with ADD/ADHD will be able to have access to the newest and most effective treatments.

Thank you for taking the time to share this information with the government.

Here is the link again for the poll: Mental Health Poll - complete by January 25, 2007.

All good wishes,

Dr. Kenny Handelman

p.s. If you do complete the poll, please take a moment and add a comment to this blog post, just to share with us that you did it. We can then see how many readers of this blog have taken action. Hopefully, we can get a whole bunch of people to share their opinions and advocate for ADD’ers.

p.p.s. Please share this article with friends and family so that they can share their messages as well.

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