Reduce the Stress of ADHD on Homework

March 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Mom Helping Daughter With HomeworkHomework Sucks (even more for ADHD students.) Yeah, most kids don’t like having to come home and do more school work. It can be doubly or triply hard for a child or young adult with ADHD. Fortunately parents can make a huge difference. I know, because I’ve had ADHD since I was three and homework was hell for me. My mom made it work by figuring out what I needed to make it doable and less stressful.

Homework can be a pain. Ask any student from grade school through high school. The difficulties other students have with homework can be significantly magnified for ADHD students. Here are some of the main problems that used to make homework suck for me:

  • Busy Work: Not new, not challenging, not interesting, just plain repetitive. This can feel pointless and lead to boredom. People with ADHD have a tremendous problem working on things that are not interesting to them.
  • Poorly Communicated Instructions: Vague written instructions and oral instructions separated from the written problems. This is just sloppiness on the part of the teacher and it leads to unnecessary frustration. People with ADHD are already frustrated by learning. Making it harder just ensures they will dread homework all the more and be more likely to give up.
  • Too Much Homework: Loads of work that would clearly take even the above average student so long to do they can’t have a life. Pushing too much work on anyone can lead to feelings of futility and inadequacy. People with ADHD already encounter these feelings in abundance and, in addition, they can feel trapped.
  • Punishment: Assignments given with the message that it is extra work because the teacher is mad at the class or student. OK, I hope we can all agree education should NOT be used as a punishment in ANY situation. Learning and the love of it is sacred and anything that jeopardizes this is just plain wrong.

My specific approaches to these issues for ADHD students are based on my experiences and what worked for me and my family while I was in elementary school and high school.

Busy Work is easily handled by taking a look at your child’s homework each time (day or week) it is assigned and assess with them whether they already know what is covered and how much more practice they need to gain proficiency. You will have to test them and/or look at previous work to ensure they do know what is being taught at the time. If they already know it. Move on to the next assignment. Send them to school with a brief note that homework takes a long time for them and you are helping them to prioritize based on aptitude. Most teachers appreciate feedback of this nature.

Poorly Communicated Instructions were always a problem for me. I did better hearing my mom read the instructions out loud for me. I would then state back to her what I thought I was supposed to do. If I did not understand correctly or fully she would help me to. If neither she nor my dad could understand, a note went back to school with me explaining that these instructions needed to be clearer. And frankly we often found that I was not the only student who did not understand what was being asked. I was, however, often the only person who’s parents were paying close attention to the homework (especially in high school.) I like to think a lot of other students benefited. Again, most teachers were happy for the feedback and impressed someone was paying attention.

Too Much Homework is a tricky one. You may have to actually meet face to face with the teacher to come up with a plan to make the homework more efficient or discuss tutoring. The common problem here is that ADHD people tend to take a little longer on certain tasks. That is why extra time on tests is so valuable even when a person with ADHD is undergoing some form of treatment (such as a medication regimen, biofeedback, mindfulness training, etc.) Take the time to determine if this is the case. This is a big issue because it can lead a person with ADHD to feel very inadequate. Work with the teacher to ensure that the homework load is not unreasonable in general. Once this problem is eliminated, if your child still has trouble with homework volume, work with the teacher on things like extra time and locating what aspects of the homework take more time. I was a slow reader and hearing things read out loud usually meant I got most everything in the first time I heard the text read to me.

Punishment based assignments are a different story. We sometimes had them when I was in middle school and high school. I hope the practice has lessened significantly over the years. There is clear research showing that the last thing you want to do is associate learning with negativity. But should you encounter this, immediately bring it up with the teacher to make sure there has not been a misunderstanding. If you find that extra homework is being assigned as a form of punishment ask that the practice be stopped and explain why. If the teacher won’t listen go to the principle. This practice of using homework as punishment is rare, but it does happen. I have personally encountered the use of highly negative reinforcement (punishment) to try to get students to read. All I can say is that the teacher was young, quite inexperienced, and not being supervised properly.

Finally, it can not be said enough that YOU are the most important key to your child’s success in school (ADHD or not.) Studies have shown again and again that the most successful, well adjusted students have parents who are involved with their learning. I hope this long post helps you. Please feel free to write comments on your own experiences and strategies in this area.

 

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How to Obliterate the Social Stigma of ADHD

February 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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StigmaThere is no question that there is stigma associated with ADHD. As much as 10% of the population is affected by ADHD differences in cognitive information processing and behavior. Even though this is the case and ADHD is treatable (and reported to be associated with high intelligence, creativity, and the daring individualism that makes America great) most people diagnosed with ADHD report being afraid to admit to being different. This represents a waste of valuable people resources and can result in the same sense of isolation and discrimination felt by other groups in US history. We can reduce the stigma, but it will take strength and bold action.

The sad fact is that many who are different in any way are stigmatized in our society. The data are very clear. Minorities of almost every type are denied bank loans more often (or worse defrauded with extra fees), find it harder to get jobs, and make less than the “ideal” person (while, male, 6 foot or higher, full head of hair, under age 40) Sure there are examples of people who beat the stats, but they are few. Now given this knowledge, people with ADHD (which can be hidden in interviews and job applications), are simply less likely to bring it up and thus are not likely to be provided with a working environment suited to their special needs.

When people are suspected of having ADHD or are seen as different (something that can only be hidden for a limited time after starting a job) they can be discriminated against and harassed. I’ve experienced this personally. It can be quite ugly. People who think different are either wildly admired or strongly vilified.

With an estimated 30 million affected Americans, if everyone who has ADHD would be completely open about it, there would be a greater chance that it could become less stigmatized. Yes, the implication here IS that we ADHDers are, at least partially, responsible for perpetuating the social stigma and the ease with which employers can engage in discrimination.

If every person with ADHD was open about it, it is likely that everyone in the US and Canada would know someone who had “come out.” And just as with Harvey Milk’s counter intuitive insistence to the gay and lesbian communities in 1978 that everyone “come out” to everyone they knew, there is suddenly something we can have that we did not before: Strength in numbers.

With these numbers would come work, admission to educational programs, and countless other opportunities for ADHD people because many more people would feel the pressure not to discriminate against someone who is has “the same wiring” their brother, mother, best friend, boss, paster, professor, doctor, etc. There is evidence in Canada that a movement of this nature is afoot with the admission of certain politicians that they have ADHD.

Most important anyone who has not sought treatment could do so without fear of discrimination. They could seek help and support, wherever they felt best.

 

 

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ADHD Screening For Inmates

February 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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PrsionThis will shock you! Several studies have now shown that 25% to 45% of all people passing through the criminal justice system have a disorder that is easy to diagnose and treat. If treated many of these people would likely not be “on the wrong side of the law.” This disorder is ADHD. Pete Quily broke this news on his blog recently. I am NOT surprised. My mother always used to say that the prisons were filled with people with ADHD; people like me, but who were not lucky enough to have the help I had. The confirming data keep pouring in from countries around the world.

Just think about this. At least 25% of convicts in prison in the USA likely do not need to be there. All they needed was intervention in the form of medical treatment. And these people could likely be very productive members of society. Research shows that people with ADHD are more intelligent and more creative than the general population. In addition, my experience tells me that ADHD folks are more persistent and tenacious.

What could we do about this? Well, for a start everyone coming through the criminal justice system should be screened for ADHD. The screening process is simple and cheap. It seems like a no brainer to me. There is no apparent explanation why this is not already the case. If we provide care to the non-violent offenders we will no doubt save money and improve the quality of life for these people, their families, and our society.

On a final note I often wonder why this could be the case. I think that folks with ADHD are quite misunderstood. It is a subset of the population that thinks differently; who see the world in ways that are divergent from what most people see. I know that scares the “normal” people. Ultimately, it is no different than how the mentally ill were treated in Europe a century or so ago. Lock them up and try not to think about them. But if we bother, just for a moment, to consider the better world that could result from treatment and understanding, it makes perfect sense that we should screen and help these people.

Think about it. Write a letter. Do something.

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ADHD Super Focus

January 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Most people with ADHD and those who know them are aware of an amazing paradox regarding the ability of people with ADHD to concentrate. In most situations people with this disability have difficulty staying focused on anything for more than a few minutes. But there are particular situations where people with ADHD show an almost super human ability to focus.

Child Focusing on ProjectThis is often referred to as ADHD super-focus or hyper-focus. It generally occurs with tasks the person enjoys and which are very constrained. Examples of such tasks are playing video games or building model boats. The level of focus can be so deep that the person may not initially hear another person speaking to them or calling loudly for them. Young people who can’t focus for two minutes on a simple math problem have been known to spend 5+ hours working on a model or playing a video game. When I was growing up I was fascinated by model boats and could spend hours building then (without reading the instructions – that was boring), but would get distracted doing the dishes for 5 minutes.

Unfortunately some people find their ADHD diagnosis can be called into question by parents, teachers and other authority figures. It seems like the person with ADHD is “faking it.” Parents will often think their child is not paying attention, when they really are so immersed in what they are doing that most other stimuli are muted. Also, parents, teachers, and other authority figures can easily think the person in their charge is purposely ignoring them. But it is very possible that this is not the case. The person in question is just using a unique feature of their ADHD brain.

People with ADHD are able to concentrate when there is minimal context switching and they are engaged in an activity that is interesting to them. At times they can become borderline obsessive over the activity. We all  focus more easily with things we find interesting. That is no secret. But for people with ADHD there is a much larger difference in their ability to concentrate on something boring than on something interesting. In my experience the ends of this spectrum are stretched so that people report unusually low levels of focus on uninteresting things. And yet they have unusually high levels of focus on things they find interesting especially when those things or activities are  strongly compelling for them.

Understanding that this is part of having ADHD is very important for everyone involved. People with ADHD really do not have control over what they are able to concentrate on and what they can’t. It is not their fault. Treatment (medication, therapy, or both) can alleviate the symptoms and narrow that spectrum of concentration (from bored and unfocused to focused).

Keep this in mind the next time you are faced with this paradox. Understanding such finer points of ADHD symptoms can help to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary tension.

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What is Success?

December 9, 2011 By 1 Comment
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SuccessWhat is Success? Everywhere you turn there are examples of successful people who have either announced to having ADHD or are presumed to have ADHD. What I can’t help but notice is that most of these examples of success involve the massive wealth, attaining a degree from at least one of only a handful of colleges/universities out of many thousands, or just being know by millions of people. I agree it is nice to be able to point to people who overcome disabilities like ADHD to accomplish great things. I agree many of these people are inspiring examples.  But when it comes to hardships or adversity of any kind (for instance,  ADHD) I think we need to stress a more inclusive definition of success. The reason for this is that people who have done more than could ever be expected of them and those who help them to do so, need to be recognized. (I do this often in my Jar the Ground blog.) They need to be recognized because they remind us that all of us have the capacity to achieve great things; that even the those who society, science, and medicine write off as damaged can surprise others with their success.

What is Success?

I believe that to say you have succeeded you need to:

  • have set positive goals that, if accomplished, will redefine what is possible for you or another person
  • worked hard against, adversity, naysayers, and other impediments than stand in the way of a dream
  • have accomplished something that does no deliberate harm to any one or anything

The absolute magnitude of what a person does is irrelevant. The relative progress with respect to their own personal challenges is what is important.

A man born into perfection and wealth, who does not face challenges to achieve society’s definition of success is not  successful by the above definition.

The man who works 2 blue collar jobs so he can put food on the table and save to send his child to school is a success. His son with ADHD who studies hard each night till he graduates (despite the struggles to focus and the people who say he can’t) is successful.

If you are battling ADHD, take your inspiration from the fact that there are many people who manage the disorder and achieve THEIR personal success. Regardless of what you choose to achieve, being able to accomplish it under the weight of ADHD makes you astonishingly successful whether you are a doctor, carpenter, plumber, lawyer, landscaper; whether you graduate from Harvard or a community college, Stanford or a trade school. As long as you strive to go beyond what others and even you think possible, you are successful. What is success? It is what YOU want and firmly believe will redefine what is possible for YOU.

If you are in this category of person, Congratulations, you are successful, keep at it. Don’t stop! If you know someone who fits the above definition of success, support them, help them, encourage them.

As always your feedback and suggestions are welcome.

 

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ADHD and Symptoms: What is it Like?

October 23, 2011 By 2 Comments
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What are the symptoms of ADHD from the patient’s point of view? ADHD and Symptoms are written and talked about a lot. But as a person with this disorder the descriptions “has trouble concentrating” or “is distracted” or “tends to be fidgety” do not begin to describe or capture what it is like to experience ADHD and Symptoms personally every day.

What are the Symptoms of ADHD?

In their own words:

If I am not interested, I have an uncontrolable urge to get up from my homework for ANY reason. – High School Student

When I read I have to try really, really hard to pay attention to each and every word and then each sentence and then each paragraph. Then I have to ask myself what I just read. If I can’t answer the question I have to re-read what I just read with as must or more effort. It is exhausting! – ADHD Adult

I often have a feeling of being in a fog. This fog comes and goes during the day. - ADHD Student

When there is too much stimulation, such as being at a bowling alley or amusement park, I can’t concentrate and feel completely overwhelmed. If I don’t get away from the place, my brain kind of shuts down and I fell catatonic. My wife says I look like I am staring into space. - ADHD Adult

Hard to Read with ADHDADHD and Symptoms

Keep in mind that these various feelings and hardwships that ar being described last a life time for many people. They experience these moments many times throughout each day. With medication things can be considerably better, but one can not be on these medications every waking moment because of the side effects such as loss of appetite, insomnia, and nervousness. For a brief look into the mind of an ADHD patient check out this site on misunderstood minds. The site has interactive activities which simulate what it is like to try to read, do math, to listen to instructions as a person with ADHD. It is not perfect, but it is the closest thing to being able to show people what it is like for me every day; what it was like in school.

ADHD and Symptoms are many time difficult for non-ADHD folks to understand because it is just not something they experience.  The next time someone asks you, “What are the symptoms of ADHD,” send the link above to give them a little taste of what it is like.

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Who Are Your ADHD Advocate – Heroes?

October 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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What is an advocate? An advocate is someone who understands us and fights with us for what we need to reach our personal potential. How do you get ADHD advocate – Heros?  If you are like me and have ADHD, you need to have the support and positive influence of certain people.

What is an Advocate?

An advocate (what I also refer to as an ADHD Hero) has a major impact on your life. These are people who understand you. They get you. Furthermore they want to see you succeed because they see something in you that other people might not – potential. Your hero does not need to be trained and they may not be far from you. It it likely someone in your family or at school or  at work. They travel with you in your daily life, acting like everyone else, but they are super human. They can see past a disabling and persistent disorder in you and they put their, time, reputation, comfort, and/or 100 other things on the line for you so you can succeed.

How Do You Get ADHD Advocate – Heros?

Many people have asked me how to “get” an advocate or hero. But as I said above, you most likely already have at least one in your life. It is probably someone right under your nose. A more important question is how you recognize them. Look for the person who knows you are different, but does not fault you. Look for the person who has gone to bat for you, in even the smallest way. One of my favorite poems is  Footprints in the Sand. And just as the person in the poem assumes much about God’s presence in his life, we many times take for granted the people who help us.

 Footprints
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonging to him and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. “Lord you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”

The Lord replied, “my precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

Carolyn Carty, 1963

Footprints In The Sand

Have You Thanked Your Heroes?

Once you know your heroes, you need to think of whether they know that you realize and appreciate their role in your life. Have you thanked them? Do they know that despite everything you may put them through, you do care for them and their help. These are the people who are often forgotten when we are doing well and are not as dependent on their support. But when we fall they carry us and at times we don’t even know it. In a future post I will suggest ways that you can thank your advocate/heroes.

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How to Make a Project Plan to Stay on Track

October 13, 2011 By 1 Comment
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Having a project plan helps me prioritize my goals and helped me learn how to be organized. It seems that people  with ADD (at least those of you like me) have literally dozens of things they want to work on and accomplish and the list is always growing.   Having a project plan is even more important for people with ADD since we are often struck by inspiration and make huge associative leaps quite often.

Task ListHow To Be Organized

If you can learn how to be organized with your goals and projects and prioritize them, it will be easier to make well thought out decisions about what to do with a new idea. Rather than flitting from one project to another, you want to be able to make progress on your projects and overarching goals. Having a project plan (even a very simple one) is one of the keys to success in life. In addition, by being more organized, you will be able to take advantage of a benefit of ADD, the ability to work on several things at once without falling prey to actual multitasking.

To Make A Project Plan

Here are the steps to the goal and project organization process I use:

  • Write down all your projects
  • Prioritize them in order of importance to you (No ties allowed; you have to choose.) and when they should be completed.
  • Decide how many of the top items on the list you can devote time to during an average month.
  • Divide that list in half and identify the top projects. (There most likely will be 3 to 5 items.)
  • Write (or type) that list down where you can look at it anytime, anywhere.
  • Finally, when you tempted with a new project, take your list out and look at it carefully. Decide if your new project idea should really take priority over anything on your list. Take into account how far along you are with each of the items on your current list. If you decide to leave the top of your list alone, then you can always add this project idea to your larger list. If you decide to replace something at the top of your list with this new thing, sit on it for a day and then reevaluate to ensure it is not just a whim.

When you are going through this process keep in mind that the few items at the top of your list are your highest priority items. The activities and goals that are supposed to be most important to you. You should be committing significant energy and time toward the completion of these items.

Keep in mind that you are writing down all your ideas, so you can always come back to any of them in the future. When you complete an item on your short list that is just what you will do.  Sometimes it is valuable to do an overall reevaluation  of your projects/goals. You may want to do this every 3 to 6 months.

Finally, this may all seem restrictive, but it is meant to be a dynamic process. The major goal of it is to force you to seriously consider how you will spend your time and not change what you are working on from day to day, thus accomplishing very little. This is meant to provide structure not inflexibility. Having a project plan is meant to help you learn how to be organized.

Please let me know what you think. This process has helped me and I sincerely hope it helps you. But if you have other ideas and suggestions, please do pass them along. We can all benefit.

 

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