☀️ This month at a glance: A promising new non-stimulant medication is weeks away from an FDA decision, the stimulant shortage is slowly easing, big research is reshaping how we understand our own brains - and, more heavily, federal autism policy has many in our community worried. Here's what it all means for you.
Hi everyone. Welcome to the first of our monthly news roundups. Each month we'll gather the most important developments in ADHD and autism care and translate them into plain language, with links if you'd like to read more. Some months will be full of hope. Some months will carry harder news. This month has both, and we'll be honest about both. Our promise is simply this: we'll keep you informed, and we'll stand alongside you either way.
The FDA is expected to decide on centanafadine (made by Otsuka) by July 24, 2026 - just weeks away. If approved, it would be the first medication of its kind: a non-stimulant that works on three brain chemicals at once (norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin), rather than the one or two that current medications target. It's a once-daily capsule, and it was studied in children, teens, and adults. Early trial results were positive - including for people who have ADHD alongside anxiety, which is a combination many of you know well.
Why this matters: more options means more chances to find the plan that fits your brain and body, especially if stimulants haven't been the right fit. We'll cover it in depth here if it's approved.
Read the plain-language overview (LifeStance) · The anxiety + ADHD trial data (Psychiatric Times)
A few discoveries worth celebrating this month:
If you've struggled to fill your prescription, you are not imagining it, and it isn't your fault. As of June 2026, generic amphetamine (Adderall) and generic lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) remain on the FDA's shortage list, especially immediate-release forms. Availability still swings month to month and pharmacy to pharmacy.
The hopeful part: the DEA raised production quotas by 25% in late 2025, and more manufacturers are ramping up. Experts expect gradual improvement through late 2026 and into 2027. It's getting better, even if it doesn't always feel like it at the pharmacy counter.