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"My daughter watches less than 10 hours of TV a month and reads constantly. She has too much energy to sit and watch. But reading takes her mind to other places and soothes her."

I would venture that your daughter is not highly ADHD OR she is medicated for this. I say this because she can read constantly.

My personal experiences for the naysayers to consider (and not directed at you. Just a platform to rant.)

I have been dealing with it my whole life and was only diagnosed at the age of thirty. Before that, I coped with no diagnosis. I have a college degree, and finished two years earlier than most. Highly motivated, intelligent and yet I had ADD symptoms. In my case, the disorder, disease or whatever one wants, is degenerative.

To add insult to injury, I recently had a brain injury, my symptoms, my left brain shut down as well. This is directly related to the injury, much like a stroke. It cost me my career. I was a computer programmer which requires all left brain functions. Medication can lessen some of the cognitive problems.

I suspect these disorders are contingent to the left brain The left brain controls cognitive functions that affect school/job performance.

Right brain is emotion. Still have plenty of that!!

My point is that brain related diseases, disorder or whatever, are directly related to physical brain function. Medicine works (on most) to alleviate these disabling cognitive problems.

This is not rocket science and is based in physical differences in brain chemistry. Medication changes brain chemistry to alleviate the symptoms. Case closed.

ps. I only read short replies in FR. I have difficulty following the longer ones. (I won't be reading this one, it's too long.) and... it has taken about an hour to write this post.

ps2.. I am far from stupid, was over 90% in all subjects in the Iowa tests in high school. (a very long time ago...!)

I have been told that her form of ADHD is severe, and yes she is medicated, when she chooses to take her meds.

When she turned 18, we began treating her as an adult in regards to her meds. She takes her meds when she knows she will be working (and biking) to work for safety, but she doesn't chose to take them on days when she doesn't work and has plans to draw or paint.

I can tell when she hasn't taken her meds, but just like I wouldn't walk up to another adult and question him/her, I don't question her.

Reading engages her mind and for some reason, reading has always been her safety net. I know she reads fast--upwards to 200 wpm.

I notice that you used a lot of breaks, does the excessive white space help you cognitively? It may be a symptom (or result) of your brain injury.

Good luck in the future-- I wish you well.

What medication works on cognition?

My daughter has a brain injury that she got when she was an infant.

None of her doctors have ever mentioned that she should be on meds.

She has speech problems, auditory memory problems, motor control problems, sensory problems, and impulse control problems.

If medication could help any of those things, I'd be willing to try it.

Thanks!