Lived Experience
WHEN I WAS ABOUT TEN YEARS OLD, my mum gave me a book called Look Before You Leap. Although I didn’t read the book (I couldn’t sit still that long), the message was clear. She wanted me to stop being so impulsive. Yep, from the moment I could walk I was constantly on the move;…
Read MoreProject FOCUS: Helping Military Family Members Grow Stronger
UCLA’s PROJECT FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) is a trauma-informed, skills-based prevention model designed to build upon the resilient qualities of military family members, many of whom endure enormous stress as a result of their service to our country. Considering the added stresses associated with attention or learning challenges for children growing up in military…
Read MoreThe Gifted Child with ADHD
ADHD affects the ability to manage life–particularly when situations require sustained effort, consistency, and planning. ADHD can undermine health, social relations, self-esteem, efficiency, and far more. Because of that broad impact, grades are not the bottom line for evaluating ADHD, even in school. Educational law states that impairments related to ADHD, not specific grades, are…
Read MoreEmpowering Children Who Learn Differently in Pakistan
WE’RE ALL FAMILIAR with that distracted, uninterested fellow who just did not sit still in school. He was annoyingly chatty and quite often failed his examinations. We presumed him clueless, lacking the desire to study. In Pakistan, many of these children leave school at an early age. Some become entrepreneurs. Others continue the traditional educational…
Read MoreAsk The Expert
DID THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR start off well for your family? Many students with ADHD are excited to go back to school but find they start to struggle after the first few weeks. Last semester, our Ask the Expert webinar series featured educators and practitioners who focus on student success. We’ve highlighted some of the…
Read More19 Tips for Finding Low-Cost ADHD Treatment
En español “Help! How can I get an ADHD assessment when my insurance doesn’t provide adequate coverage? Many doctors in my area don’t take new patients or don’t participate in my insurance plan or they charge way too much. I’m not rich enough to pay for it myself.” “How can I get my child evaluated…
Read MoreBenefits and Risks of Medication Treatment
THE DECISION TO MEDICATE a child with ADHD is difficult. Likewise, deciding whether someone should begin or stop treatment for ADHD as an adult can also be hard. There is a lot of conflicting information. The news and social media have accounts of people benefiting from medication, while there also are stories extolling grave dangers associated…
Read MoreADHD & Obesity: An Under-Recognized Problem
EATING is one of the most routine things people do, yet healthy eating and weight regulation remain a challenge for many individuals. This is especially true for those with ADHD. Several recent research studies looked at the relationship between ADHD and obesity, citing it as an under-recognized problem. A longitudinal study found that men with…
Read MoreThe Genetics of ADHD
DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS have long known that ADHD runs in families, and plenty of parents have suspected it. In fact, many parents first realize they might have ADHD after going through the process of their child’s assessment. The science of genetics Genes play a role in everything that makes us individuals, from eye color to…
Read MoreSMARTS: Creating a Culture of Executive Function Strategy Users
IMAGINE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS teaming up with their students to create a culture that values, celebrates, and continually reinforces the use of executive function strategies not only to do better in school, but also to do better in life. It would be a dream come true for kids with ADHD and other learning…
Read MoreSmartphones in School? A Voice for Change
AS A PARENT COACH AND TEACHER TRAINER, I deal with the challenges created by electronic devices and social media on a daily basis. Parents struggle to set appropriate limits, kids have a hard time regulating their usage, and educators need to manage the balance between using these devices as tools and the unintended consequences they…
Read MoreSpontaneous or Impulsive? How to Know, What to Do
MOST OF US CRINGE WHEN WE HEAR THE WORD IMPULSIVITY, as it brings to mind what our impulsive decisions or behaviors have resulted in. Impulsivity can cause accidents, inefficiency, poor performance reviews at work, and adversely affect treasured relationships. What is impulsivity and how does it differ from spontaneity? Most of us like being spontaneous,…
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