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LIKE NO OTHER, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA

ONLY BOYS ALOUD!

October 2011

About the Speaker

Leonard Sax, MD, PhD

Dr. Leonard Sax, a physician and psychologist, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) then went on to the University of Pennsylvania where he earned both a PhD in psychology and an MD. From 1989 through 2008, Dr. Sax was a practicing family physician in Maryland, just outside of Washington DC. In 2005, Doubleday published his first book, Why Gender Matters. His second book, Boys Adrift: the five factors driving the growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men, was published in 2007. His third book, Girls on the Edge: the four factors driving the new crisis for girls,was published in 2010. In 2008, Dr. Sax left medical practice to devote himself full time to the organization he founded, the Montgomery Center for Research & Adolescent Development (MCRAD). Dr. Sax has spoken at hundreds of academic and community-based events; has been a guest on NBC’s TODAY show, CNN, PBS, NPR, BBC, CBC, and many other national and international media; and has been published in American Psychologist, Annals of Family Medicine, Behavioral Neuroscience and Journal of the American Medical Association among others. For more information about Dr. Sax visit his website: www.leonardsax.com.

Boys Adrift: Confronting the epidemic of unmotivated

boys and underachieving young men

November 10, 2011 8:30am to 3:30pm

Register at www.siennaplantationnews.comby clicking the EVENTS tab or

mail or fax registration form to:Community Magazines LLC,

9119 Highway 6, Suite 230#111, Missouri City, Texas 77459.

Stafford Centre10505 Cash Road

Stafford, Texas 77477For directions visit: www.staffordcentre.com

Something scary is happening to boys today. From kindergarten to college, they are less resilient and less ambitious than they were a mere twenty years ago. In fact, a third of men ages 22 to 34 are still living at home with their parents – about a 100 percent increase in the past twenty years.

Parents, teachers, and mental health professionals are worried about boys. But until now, no one has come up with good reasons for their decline – nor, more importantly, with workable solutions to reverse this troubling trend.

Dr. Sax tackles the problem head on, drawing on the latest research and his vast experiences with boys and their families. He offers a wide variety of reassuring remedies, including innovative ways parents can wean their sons away from video games, practical steps they can take to improve their sons’ schooling, and surprisingly simple life changes parents can make to protect boys from the environmental estrogens that undermine boy’s motivation.

Dr. Sax will share provocative analysis and practical suggestions to help boys reach their full potential. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the nation’s foremost authority on boys and motivation. Dr. Sax’s seminars usually sell out, so take advantage of the early registration discounts and sign up today.

For questions or more details about the event, please contact Denise R. Williams at: (281) 778-9782 or communitynews@entouch.net.

THIRTY YEARS OF MUSICALEXCELLENCE...ONLY BOYS ALOUD!

WHAT TO DO IF THE SCHOOLSUGGESTS YOUR CHILDMAY HAVE ADHD

FREE SAT PRACTICE TEST ATSIENNA BRANCH LIBRARY

10

13

8

MONTHLY DEPARTMENTS:3 PUBLISHER’S LETTER

5 COMMUNITY PROFILELIKE NO OTHER, BOY SCOUTSOF AMERICA

6 ASK THE EXPERT

7 MARSHALL YOUR MONEYWHAT TYPE OF INVESTOR ARE YOU?

CONTENTS

14

FEATURES

Sienna Plantation News is an advertiser-supported publication wholly owned byCommunity Magazines LLC, publishers of custom publications for narrowlyfocused audiences. There is no affiliation with Sienna Plantation, SiennaPlantation Residential Association Inc. or Johnson Development.

Top: Imagine spending time with your son doing activities he willlove. Watch him grow up as a young man with great character,good values and leadership skills. Boy Scouts of America canhelp.

Bottom: The Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas, Inc. was founded in1982 by William R. Adams , Founder & Artistic Director of thechoir with 45 initial members. The organization has now growninto five performing ensembles with 175 choristers.

COVER PHOTO TAKEN BY GEOF NESOSSI OF NESOSSI STUDIOS.

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Before I had a son, I thought thatclaims made by my friends thatboys were so different from girlswere exaggerations. Of course

their sons were different from their daugh-ters. People are unique; even when theycome from the same gene pool, raised bythe same parents, in the same household.Everyone has his or her own idiosyncrasies.As my boy got older, however, I really did notice gender-based differences betweenmy son and daughter.Dr. Leonard Sax, keynote speaker at the upcoming Boys Adrift seminar on No-

vember 10th is quick to caution that acknowledging gender differences is not the sameas gender stereotyping. Thoughts like girls are naturally more collaborative than boys,or boys are naturally more competitive than girls are gender stereotypes, and just notcorrect. Some girls are competitive; some boys are not. Some girls are not collabo-rative; some boys are.Statements like boys and girls play differently, and learn differently, and fight dif-

ferently, and see the world differently, and hear differently, and have brains that arewired differently are not gender stereotypes. They are profound differences betweenboys and girls that are empirically true. Gender and age are two of the great organ-izing principles in child development.I sincerely hope you will attend the Boys Adrift seminar next month to hear Dr. Sax

speak on the implications of gender differences. He points out cause-and-effect cor-relations I had never recognized before. You may or may not agree with everythinghe says, but his insights are thought provoking and insightful. His third in a series ofarticles written for Sienna Plantation News,What to do if the school suggests your child mayhave ADHD, offers important suggestions for parents in that situation. In some sub-urban schools (I’m not naming names), it has been suggested that almost half theboys be tested. Dr. Sax’s advice can basically be summed up as caveat emptor, or buyerbeware. Based on the information he shares in the article, I think it’s guidance worthheeding.Perhaps you had heard of him, but I only recently learned of Dr. Sax. Because of

the length of time they have been around, two groups you most likely know of arethe Boy Scouts of America and the Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas. Please read OnlyBoys Aloud! and Like No Other, Boy Scouts of America, to learn more about them. Theorganizations are very different, but their goals are aligned. Ultimately, the missionof each is helping boys reach their fullest potential.Before you start to think that I don’t care about girls, next year we’ll have a “girls

issue” and invite Dr. Sax back to share the four factors he has identified that aresending our daughters to the edge. Being boy-crazy is not on the list.Hope to see you on November 10th at Dr. Sax’s Boys Adrift seminar.

Until next time,

DeniseDenise R. Williams, Publisher

FROM THE PUBLISHER

PRSRT STDU. S. POSTAL

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POSTAL CUSTOMER

Contact Denise R. Williams, Publisherto discover the power of advertising in

Sienna Plantation News.(281) 778-9782

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PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THESIENNA PLANTATION NEWS

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PLANTATIONNEWS

Health Issue

Pets Issue Business Issue

Oral Health Issue Homes Issue

School Report Issue Family Issue

Faith Issue Fitness Issue

Boys Issue

• 5OCTOBER 2011

COMMUNITY PROFILE

Like no otherBoy Scouts of America

There are many youth organizations, includingsports, service clubs, fitness and educationalprograms.We salute them all for the work they doto help young people. But Scouting goes above

and beyond, providing programs and activities that:• allow boys to try new things,• provide service to others,• build self-confidence, and• reinforce ethical standards.

Scouting is filled with fun, adventure and values thatlast a lifetime. Men who were Scouts five or more yearsas boys are more likely than men with no Scoutingexperience to:• Graduate from high school (91% versus 87%)• Graduate from college (35% versus 19%)• Earn higher annual household incomes($80,000 versus $61,000)

• Have lifelong friendships (89% versus 74%)• Attend religious services (87% versus 77%)• Believe helping others should come before one’sown self-interest (92% versus 83%)

Source: Harris Interactive Study.

Cub Scout Pack 1401 Sienna Plantation Foundationmeetings are usually held at the Sienna CrossingElementary School on the 3rd Monday of eachmonth at7:00 p.m. during the school year.www.pack1401.com. (713) 659-8111.

Cub Scout Pack 1402 Sienna Plantation Foundationmeetings are usually held at Scanlan Oaks ElementarySchool on the 2nd Tuesday of each month beginning at6:45 p.m. during the school year.www.pack1402.org. (713) 659-8111.

Cub Scout Pack 0395 LDS Sienna Plantation Ward -South Stake, 8333 Scanlan Trace, Sienna Plantation.

Boy Scout Troop 0140 Sienna Plantation Foundation,3777 Sienna Parkway, Missouri City, Texas,(713) 659-8111.

Boy Scout Troop 0395 LDS Sienna Plantation Ward -South Stake,14555 Lexington Blvd, Sugar Land.

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Panel of Experts

Dr. Sonhui ChungEye Connection

Leonard Sax, MD, PhDMontgomery Center for Research inChild & Adolescent Development

Lynda LochridgeColony Kids

UT Physicians

Dr. J. Michael BennettFondren Orthopedic Group, LLP

Dr. Brian SmithSienna Plantation Animal Clinic

Judy FeinsteinThe Towne Creek School

Anya and Jeremy McKinneyMcKinney Custom Pool

& Landscaping

Lisa McDowellKid R Kids

Dr. Lisa McGriff-MetzPrimarily Kids

Pediatric Dentistry

Stacy Leyk, M.A., CCC-SLPSpeech and Learning Center

Chris BergerSugarLandNetwork.com

Bill and Lyn BrownPrimrose School of Sienna

Father John RooneySt. Angela MericiCatholic Church

James MarshallMarshallWealthManagement, LLC

Philip and Tracey GriffinScoop Pilates andPersonal Training

Ask the Expert

Send questions toadvice@siennaplantationnews.com orASKTHE EXPERT, 9119 Highway 6, Suite230 # 111, Missouri City,Texas, 77459

Interested in being on the Panel?Contact Denise R.Williams atcommunitynews@entouch.net

or (281) 778-9782

Zondria McKinneySienna Dance

Indu DudwalEuropean Wax Center

Marty and Laurena Powell, DDSPowell Dental Care

QI feel like my son plays video gamesway too much. But it doesn't seem to

be any more than the rest of his friends. Idon't want to forbid him from playing alltogether. What are a few reasonableguidelines?

AMy suggestion is no more than 40minutes a day during the school week

and an hour a day on other days -- afterhomework and chores are complete. Checkthe game's rating but don't rely on the videogame industry's rating system to assureappropriateness. Make sure your sonknows how his priorities should be aligned:family first, schoolwork second; friendsthird; video games last. I'll discuss this andmore next month at the Boys Adrift Seminaron November 10th.

Answer provided by Leonard Sax, MD, PhD

• 7OCTOBER 2011

MARSHALL YOUR MONEY

Most Americans seem to understand thatto pursue financial gains through invest-ing they typically must assume some levelof risk. For example, one survey of in-

vestors with household incomes above $150,000 foundthat 98% were willing to assume at least some risk inpursuit of investment gains

When you assume investment risk, it means youshould be willing to lose money in pursuit of invest-ment gains. Although losing money is exactly the op-posite outcome you hope to achieve through investing,risk is an inherent aspect of investing. Broadly speak-ing, the more risk you are willing to assume, the greateryour potential for investment returns.

Understanding your risk tolerance is an importantpart of determining what kind of investor you are. Atone end of the risk spectrum is the conservative in-vestor, who is usually interested in preserving princi-pal and earning a steady income. At the other end isthe aggressive investor, who is typically more con-cerned with growing principal, even if it means sus-taining some investment losses along the way. Not surewhere you fit? These factors mayhelp you decide.

Comfort LevelEveryone has a different com-

fort level when it comes to the po-tential for losing money on aninvestment. Although feelings areimportant and should be takeninto consideration, making majordecisions based on emotion couldcause you tomiss opportunities ortake on toomuch risk. Rememberthat even the most conservativeinvestments can lose value overtime if they don’t keep pace withinflation.

Time HorizonYour proximity to your finan-

cial goals can have a significant in-fluence on your risk tolerance. Ingeneral, themore time you have toreach your goal, the more risk you

What Kind of Investor Are You?By James Marshall

may be able to assume. An individ-ual who is 15 to 20 years from amajor goal, such as retirement orsending a child to college, is typicallyin a better position to recover frominvestment losses than someone

who is five years from a major goal.As you approach the date when youwill need the money in your portfo-lio, it may be a good idea to beginshifting assets to more conservative

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8 • OCTOBER 2011

Music is the universal languagethat transcends all barriers andThe Fort Bend Boys Choir ofTexas uses it as a tool to

educate boys during their most formativeyears. We have chosen the ancient time-honored tradition of the boys choir as ourfoundation. Boys from all walks of life arebound together by their desire and talent tosing.Our ultimate goal is not just aboutmusic,yet music excellence is the hallmark of theFort BendBoysChoir. Because of our uniqueboys choir education, choristers gain long-term, tangible benefits that transfer into theireveryday lives. They learn:• Science (the study of acoustics)• Foreign languages (manymusical terms andlyrics are in Italian, German and French)

• Mathematics (rhythms are based ondivisions of time through fractions)

• History (music often reflects theenvironment of its creation)

• Physical education (coordination of thebody and proper breathing techniques)The intangible qualities that our choirboys

develop are evenmore important. Through asupportive, positive environment, choristersdevelop self-discipline, self-esteem andmaturity. We instill in all of the boys a goodwork ethic, teamwork, responsibility andleadership. Our choirboys become morepolite, respectful and confident. Most of all,these young boys learn the value ofcommitment. They carry these qualities withthem long after their voices change and theyembark on other endeavors.

The Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas, Inc.was founded in 1982 by William R. Adamswith 45 initial members. The organization hasgrown into five different music ensembleswith 175 members, making it one of thelargest independent boychoirs in thenation! Over 4,500 boys in the past 30 years

have benefitted from our music programs.The Choir was created to give boys withspecial musical abilities and interests anopportunity to perform more challengingchoral literature from classical selections tofolk music. The group combines thefreshness and enthusiasm of childhood withartistic maturity, something that can only beachieved through serious work.

The Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas hasplenty of experience performing at both highprofile and low key events not only in the local

community but also around the world. Twoof our treble groups – theTraining andTownChoirs – predominantly perform for localretirement communities either for a modestfee or as a community service. We realizethese communities may not have anexpendable entertainment budget, so we arewilling to negotiate our performance fees. Itis ourway of giving back and saying “thanks”to the Fort Bend and Houston areacommunity. The retired residents love thejoyful enthusiasm the choirboys bring intotheir lives. Our choirboys, in turn, loveperforming because they canwitness up closeand personal how their musical gifts make adifference and touch the audiences’ hearts.

The Tour Choir is our premier group,performing at a professional level. They havesung for three U.S. Presidents and other no-table dignitaries, and collaboratedwith famousentertainers like Grammy award-winnersKenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and ManhattanTransfer as well as Academy award-winnerShirley Jones and Tony award-winner AudraMcDonald. The Tour Choir has performedmany times with symphonies and orchestrasall around the world, recorded nine CD re-leases and has filmed a number of commer-cials, one of them earning an “Addy“ award

Celebrating Thirty Years of MusicalExcellence…Only Boys Aloud!

By Tiana Mortimer, Executive Director, Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas

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• 9OCTOBER 2011

for the organization.Because of this highlevel of excellence, theTour Choir is often re-quested to sing in wed-dings. After all, awedding is one of themost significant experi-ences of a person’s lifeand the music chosenoften sets the stage forthe entire ceremony. Booking the Fort BendBoys Choir ensures that guests will talk abouthow truly unique and lovely the wedding wasfor years to come. With an eclectic repertoireof classic and contemporary wedding-ap-propriate music, our choirboys perform withan artistic maturity that belies their age.

We invite boys ages 8 to 13 withunchanged voices to audition for one of ourthree treble choirs – Training, Town or TourChoirs. Open auditions for new choirboyswill be held on Saturday, December 3, 2011 atthe First United Methodist Church, 3900Lexington Blvd in Missouri City, Texas.Auditions are first come, first served from9:00 a.m. to 12 noon. No previous choirexperience is necessary and scholarships and

payment plans are available. Boys ages 6 and 7are welcome to take our music enrichmentclass called Music Magic. It is an eight-weekprogram offered once a semester and noauditions are necessary – just a love of musicand singing. For more information aboutMusic Magic, the audition process or to

schedule analternate auditiondate and time, callthe choir office at(281) 240-3800.Our website alsooffers a wealth ofinformation. Tolearn more aboutbecoming a part ofthe Fort Bend Boys

Choir of Texas, click on the “The Process”under the Audition section of the frontpage of the Fort Bend Boys Choir websiteat www.fbbctx.org. Information aboutmaking a donation, purchasing concert ticketsor CDs or even signing up for a corporatesponsorship can be found in our Online Store,located in the top menu of our website.Connect with other Fort Bend Boys Choirfans and keep up to date with the latest newsby simply clicking “like” our Facebook page;the direct link is, where else, at the bottom ofour website. We hope everyone joins us in ourvarious concerts and events throughout thisseason as we continue to make a difference …one boy at a time and celebrate our 30th

anniversary season. ■

Order tickets for the2011 Christmas MusicaleSaturday, December 10th

Sugar Land Baptist Church$15 for adults

$5 for children 12 and under(281) 240-3800

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10 • OCTOBER 2011

Justin’s not paying attention inclass. Several teachers havementioned that he seemsdistracted: he’s looking out the

window, he’s tapping his pencil, he’sleaning back in his chair with his eyesclosed. The teachers show the parentssome “rating scales” they filled out withregard to Justin’s attention. He’s off thechart on questions such as “easilydistracted” or “seems not to hear what isbeing said to him.” He clearly has adeficit of attention. Maybe he hasattention deficit disorder. One teachersuggests that Justin should be evaluatedby his doctor.The visit to the doctor takes less time

than expected. After asking a fewquestions and looking at the scales theteachers filled out, the doctor prescribesAdderall, 20mg every morning.Justin takes his first dose Monday

morning. Monday afternoon, the parentsget a phone call from the school. “Ohmy goodness, what a difference!” theteacher exclaims. “I had no idea your sonJustin could be so sharp. He’s sofocused.” The next day a differentteacher calls. “Your son Justin is such abright boy,” she said. “We never knew.That medication really helps.”The medication prescribed for ADD

helped, so the diagnosis of ADD isconfirmed, right?Maybe not. In my book Boys Adrift, I

describe research by Dr. John Gabrieli atMIT. Adderall is the medication mostoften prescribed in this country forADD/ADHD.1 Dr. Gabrieli somehow

got permission to give Adderall tonormal kids, and to withhold medicationfrom kids who truly had severe ADHD.He then studied the ability of kids inboth groups to learn and concentrate andremember, on and off medication. Hefound that Adderall helped normal kids asmuch or more than kids who truly hadsevere ADHD.The response to medication has no

diagnostic significance. The fact that amedication such as Adderall is helpful fora particular child does NOT mean that

child has ADHD. These medicationshelp normal kids as much or more thanthey help kids with ADHD.Okay, so where’s the problem? These

medications work. They help normalkids as much or more than they help kidswith ADHD. Stimulant medications –medications such as Adderall, Ritalin,Concerta, Metadate, Focalin, Daytrana,Vyvanse, and Dexedrine – not only helpthese kids to concentrate and focus, thesemedications also improve the child’smood, making them happier. What’s notto like? Why not just put all the kids onmedication?There’s just one problem. Research

by investigators at nine different researchcenters around the world have found thatthese medications, when administered tothe developing brain, damage the nucleusaccumbens, the motivational center of thebrain. Incidentally, all the medicationsmentioned above – Adderall, Ritalin,Concerta, Metadate, Focalin, Daytrana,Vyvanse, and Dexedrine – are all justdifferent versions of the same twomolecules: amphetamine and methyl-phenidate. Every drug company has itsown brand name, but all thesemedications are variations on those twomolecules, both of which act in the sameway: they mimic the action of dopaminein the brain. They are “uppers.” They are“speed.” Dopamine receptors in thedeveloping brain are concentrated in thenucleus accumbens, so it’s no surprise toneuroscientists that these medicationsdamage the nucleus accumbens in thedeveloping brain. (In my book Boys Adrift

What to do if the schoolsuggests your childmay have ADHD

By Leonard Sax MD, PhD

• 11OCTOBER 2011

I describe this research in greater detail, with fullcitations for the nine research studies demonstratinghow both amphetamine andmethylphenidate damagethe nucleus accumbens.)

The nucleus accumbens plays no role in learningor memory or mood. If you damage this boy’snucleus accumbens, he still will have no troublelearning or remembering, and he may be perfectlyhappy. But he won’t have the motivation, the drive,the get-up-and-go that he might otherwise have had.

When I was speaking to parents at an event earlierthis year, explaining the research which shows howthese medications damage the nucleus accumbens, afather interrupted me. “I’m sorry, Dr. Sax,” he said,“but I’m skeptical. These medications – Adderall,Concerta, Metadate and so forth – these medicationsare widely prescribed. Millions of kids are takingthese medications. And you are trying to convince usthat thesemedications damage themotivational centerof the brain? If that were true,” the father continued,“If that were true, then I would have heard this before.But I’ve never heard this before. If any of this weretrue, I would think that I would have heard about thisalready from somebody better qualified than you, aretired family doctor.”

“Someone like Dr. Joseph Biederman, chief ofpediatric psychopharmacology at Harvard MedicalSchool?” I interrupted.

“Well, yes,” the father said, a bit surprised.“Or, someone like Dr. Fred Goodwin, former

chief of the National Institute ofMental Health [NIMH], and formany years host of the programThe Infinite Mind at National PublicRadio?”

The father nodded, not surewhere I was going.

“The same thought occurredto Senator Chuck Grassley,” Icontinued. Senator Grassleysummoned Dr. Biederman to theSenate Judiciary Committee andasked him whether he, Dr.Biederman, had ever accepted any

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money from drug companies, money which he had neverpublicly disclosed. Dr. Biederman said that he had.Senator Grassley asked how much money. Dr. Biedermansaid he wasn’t sure how much. Senator Grassley askedhim to return to the committee a month later with anexact figure. It turned out to be $1.6 million dollars.

“Or how about Dr. Fred Goodwin?” I continued.“Dr. Goodwin was chief at NIMH – perhaps the mostprestigious position an American psychiatrist can hold,”I continued. “Senator Grassley asked Dr. Goodwin thesame question. Dr. Goodwin responded that he hadaccepted $1.3 million from the drug companies, moneywhich he had never publicly disclosed. Senator Grassleyasked Dr. Goodwin why he hadn’t disclosed this money.After all, Dr. Goodwin was hosting a program on NPR,a program in which parents would call in with questionsabout the psychiatric medications their doctors wereprescribing for their children. Senator Grassley asked:Didn’t listeners have a right to know that Dr. Goodwinwas getting more money from the drug companies thanhe was getting from NPR? Didn’t listeners have a right toknow that Dr. Goodwin was essentially a highly-paidspokesperson for the drug companies? Apparently not.Dr. Goodwin told Senator Grassley that it was ‘standard

practice’ for leaders in child and adolescentpsychiatry to accept large amounts of moneyfrom drug companies – ‘consultancy fees’ is whatthe money is called – and not to disclose thatmoney publicly.

“Few practicing physicians have time to readarticles in research journals such asNeuropsychopharmacology,” I explained. “That’swhy we primary-care physicians look to academicmedical centers such as Harvard and the NIMHand Emory for leadership and guidance. But Dr.Charles Nemeroff, chief of psychiatry at Emory,admitted to Senator Grassley that he hadaccepted more than $2 million in previously-undisclosed cash payments from the drugcompanies. So he’s not very likely to talk aboutthe risks of these medications. You’re not goingto bite the hand that’s feeding you millions ofdollars.”

The practice of medicine requires a doctor tobalance risks and benefits. All medications haverisks. If you swallow 100 Tylenol tablets, youmay die, and Tylenol is available without pre-scription. Few prescription medications are aslethal in overdose as Tylenol is. But in order fordoctors to judiciously balance risks and benefits,they have to know the risks. To stay current,doctors attend conferences at leading medicalcenters such as Harvard and Emory and theNIMH, and they read review articles written by

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Representatives from the Princeton Reviewwill conduct a free practice SAT test at FortBend County Libraries’ Sienna Branch Li-brary, on Saturday, October 22, from 10:00

am to 2:15 pm, in the Large Meeting Room. A fol-low-up strategy session will take place on Saturday,October 29, from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, in the li-brary’s Large Meeting Room.

Students will take the practice test during sessionone, and will review their scores and learn strategytips to increase their future scores at the second ses-sion. Students are encouraged to bring two #2 pen-cils and a non-graphing calculator. The SAT is usedby U.S. colleges to determine admissions and toaward scholarships and grants. The test is three hoursand 45 minutes long, and consists of three sections –Critical Reading, Writing, and Math.

The sessions are free, but seating is limited andreservations are required. To register online at the li-brary’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on

Free SAT Practice Testat Sienna Branch Library

“Calendar,” select “SiennaBranch Library,” and find theprogram. Participants may alsoregister by calling the library at

281-238-2900, or by visiting the li-brary located at 8411 SiennaSprings Blvd in Sienna Plantation

14 • OCTOBER 2011

undisclosed conflicts of interest appears to be moresevere in child & adolescent psychiatry than in othermedical specialties.)It is your job, as the parent, to question the doctor.

If your doctor suggests that your son or daughtertake a medication such as Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta,Metadate, Focalin, Daytrana, Vyvanse, or Dexedrine,you must ask: “Doctor, are you aware of the recent researchdemonstrating that these medications may damage the nucleusaccumbens, the motivational center of the brain?” Lend thedoctor your copy of Boys Adrift and ask the doctor toread the chapter on stimulant medications. Be sure topoint out the nine scholarly citations, listed on page246, which show how these medications damage thenucleus accumbens; ask the doctor to look up thosecitations and read the original source articles.It turns out that Justin was sleep-deprived. He

was staying up past midnight almost every night,playing Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto or Halo. Hewas only getting about 5 hours of sleep a night,when in fact he needed 8 or 9. Sleep deprivationperfectly mimics ADHD. The sleep-deprivedchild or adolescent will have trouble concentratingand focusing, and he or she will be impaired acrossmultiple domains in school and out of school.There is no psychiatric rating scale orquestionnaire which can distinguish the sleep-deprived child from the child with ADHD. Theonly way to make the distinction is for the clinicianto take a history – to find out whether or not this kidis sleep-deprived.Sometimes even the parents don’t know. They

know that Justin is in his bedroom with the doorclosed from 9 PM to 6 AM, so they figure he’sgetting plenty of sleep. They don’t know that he’sstaying up past midnight to play video games, withhis headphones on so nobody else will hear. So Iask questions such as “How late does your son sleepon a Saturday morning, when he doesn’t have towake up early?” If the answer is 9 AM or later, hemay be sleep-deprived. If you’re not sleep-deprived,you will wake up pretty much at your usual time onSaturdays, maybe an hour later perhaps. But ifyou’re sleep-deprived, you might sleep till noon.Medications such as Adderall, Ritalin, Focalin,

Daytrana, Vyvanse etc. are powerful stimulants.They are “speed.” They are much stronger andlonger-lasting than three cups of coffee. They willcompensate for this kid’s sleep deprivation. Justindid in fact pay attention much better when he tookAdderall. But the appropriate remedy in his casewould be for the parents to unplug the video games,not to put him on powerful medications which maydamage his brain.When I speak to parents at the Stafford Centre

because we see the many accomplishments our kids make each and every day. Our AdvancED Accredited program and curriculum are written to address the learning styles of each child and build upon those different styles whether they

are kinesthetic, auditory or visual. Each teacher is trained to understand the uniqueness every child brings to the classroom and enhance her talents. One decision can brighten

future let that decisioSchools of Quality Learning.

4401 Sienna Circle, Missouri City, TX 77459

(281) 778-3600 www.kidsrkids47tx.com

We can see how bright the future is.

Visit our school today to see the advantages your child will receive

at Kids R Kids!

doctors such as Dr. Biedermanand Dr. Nemeroff. But theywon’t learn about the true risks

of these medications from at-tending such conferences orreading such articles, because theleaders of the field have sold outto the drug companies. (For a va-riety of reasons, this problem of

ADHDContinued from page 12

• 15OCTOBER 2011

Friendships among boys versus girlsGames and sports are central to the relationship among boys. With girls, they are an excuse to get together. Boy's friendshipsfocus on a shared interest in a game or activity, whereas with girls, conversation is central to the relationship. With boys,conversation is often unnecessary. Among boys, if possible, self revelation is to be avoided. With girls, it is a precious badgeof friendship. With girls, hierarchies destroy friendship. With boys, hierarchies build and organize comraderie.

Source: Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax, MD, PhD

J. Michael Bennett, M.D.Sports Medicine and ArthroscopyGeneral Orthopedic Surgery

Specializing in Disorders Of the Shoulder,

Elbow and Knee

281-633-0320 www.jmichaelbennett.com

on November 10th, we willspend a lot of time discussingthe latest research on ADHD.We will consider how sleepdeprivation, boredom, andlack of motivation can allmimic ADHD. We will seethat the kid who thinks schoolis a stupid waste of time maylook very much like the kidwho truly has ADHD.Neither of them is payingattention in class. But a badattitude toward school is not apsychiatric disorder, andmedication is not appropriate.We will consider why so manyboys have a bad attitudetoward school and how someschools and some parents havemade changes which haveturned their sons around.

Specifically with regard toADHD, we will discuss saferalternatives to stimulantmedications, including non-stimulant medications andnon-pharmacologic inter-ventions. (For the record: Ihave no affiliation, commercialor otherwise, with anymanufacturer of anymedication, supplement, etc.)

We have a lot to talk about.I hope to see you at theStafford Centre on November10th. ■

Leonard Sax MD, PhD is theauthor of Boys Adrift (BasicBooks, 2007/2009) and Girlson the Edge (Basic Books,2010/2011). His personal website is www.leonardsax.com.

1Attention-Deficit Disorder(ADD) became renamed At-tention-Deficit HyperactivityDisorder (ADHD) in the 1980s,even though a child need notbe hyperactive in order to bediagnosed with ADHD. In thisarticle I use ADD and ADHDinterchangeably.

16 • OCTOBER 2011

vehicles to help avoid losses from which you may not havetime to recover.

Net WorthThe size of your portfolio could also affect your risk toler-

ance. Consider two hypothetical investors: One has a $5 millionportfolio and the other has $100,000 in a retirement account.Each makes a $50,000 investment in the same security. The mil-lionaire is assuming far less risk because $50,000 rep-resents only 1% of his portfolio. The other investoris facing a much larger risk by exposing half of hisportfolio to the fate of a single security.

All investments are subject to market fluctua-tions, risk, and loss of principal. When sold, in-vestments may be worth more or less than theiroriginal cost.

Determining how much risk may be appropriatefor your portfolio typically requires you to considermore than just your feelings. Examining your over-all situation may help you determine how much riskyou want to assume to meet your long-term finan-cial goals. ■

The information in this article is not intended as taxor legal advice, and it may not be relied on forthe purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties.You are encouraged to seek tax or legal advicefrom an independent professional advisor. Thecontent is derived from sources believed to beaccurate. Neither the information presented norany opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation forthe purchase or sale of any security. This materialwas written and prepared by Emerald. © 2011Emerald Connect, Inc.

Marshall Wealth Management, LLC• 101 Southwestern Blvd #136 •Sugar Land, Texas 77478 • 281-903-7311 • james@marshallyour-money.com •www.marshallyourmoney.com

What Kind of Investor Are You?Continued from page 7

8810 Highway 6, Suite 100Next to HEB in the Sienna Village Shopping Center

713-486-1200www.UTPhysicians.com/SiennaVillage

Conveniently located on Highway 6 just west of the Fort Bend Parkway, UT Physicians at Sienna Village brings world-renowned

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As the medical group practice of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, UT Physicians is a national leader in the

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Through UT Physicians at Sienna Village you will have access to our full practice of more than 1000 physicians certi�ed in 80 medical specialties and subspecialties.

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