🌻 This month at a glance: The new ADHD medication we previewed last month is officially approved — with some fine print worth knowing. The stimulant shortage is better than its worst, but still bumpy. A big new study suggests rising autism diagnoses are mostly a story of people finally being recognized, not an epidemic. And there's a federal autism plan open for public comment until August 20 that you can actually weigh in on.
Hi everyone. August tends to be a month of transitions — new schedules, new rooms, the end-of-summer scramble — which is a lot to ask of brains that find transitions expensive. So we've kept this month's roundup sorted and short, and we've put the one time-sensitive item where you won't miss it.
Last month we told you a new ADHD medication was weeks away from a decision. It got one. Let's start there.
On July 24, the FDA approved Simtriyo (centanafadine) for ADHD in adults and children aged 6 and up. It's the first medication of its kind — a once-daily capsule that acts on three brain chemicals at once (norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin) instead of the one or two that existing medications target. Across four large trials in children, teens, and adults, it improved ADHD symptoms, with changes showing up as early as the first week.
Two pieces of fine print. First, it isn't at pharmacies yet — the DEA still has to assign it a controlled-substance schedule, so it's expected to become available later in 2026. Second, a correction from us: last month we described it as a non-stimulant, which is how much of the early coverage framed it. The FDA has classified it as a CNS stimulant, and it will be a federally controlled substance carrying boxed warnings, including for misuse and — in children aged 6 to 12 — for suicidal thoughts. We'd much rather correct that here than have you meet it cold at a pharmacy counter.
Why this matters: a genuinely new mechanism is still real good news. More options means more chances to find something that fits your particular brain and body. Whether it's a fit for you is exactly the sort of thing to bring to a visit once it's actually on shelves — we'll cover it in more depth then.
The approval, explained (Psychiatric Times) · A plain-language overview (Understood) · What ADDitude readers are asking
A study published this month in JAMA Network Open tracked autism diagnoses across a large US health system from 2016 to 2024. Among males, diagnosis rates held steady or declined across every age group. Among females, they climbed sharply after 2020 — roughly 19% a year, with the steepest rise among adolescent girls.
The researchers' read on it: the rising numbers reflect better identification of people who were being missed, not a population-level surge in autism itself. Girls and women are still diagnosed an average of 3.4 years later than boys and men.
If you were diagnosed late, or you're still wondering whether you might be — this is the data version of what a lot of you have told us. You weren't a new case. You were an overlooked one, and the system is slowly catching up.
A plain-language summary (SSM Health) · The numbers in more detail (Medscape)
The pharmacy situation has improved, but it hasn't resolved. Mixed amphetamine salts (generic Adderall) remain listed in shortage in both immediate- and extended-release forms, and several manufacturers have restock dates that keep sliding — some into late 2026, one into January 2027. Availability still varies by strength, by pharmacy, and by week. Generic immediate-release tablets remain the hardest to find.
If you've been rationing, calling five pharmacies, or quietly going without: that's a supply-chain failure, not a personal one. You're not disorganized. The system is.