ADULT ADD: 5 TIPS FOR JOB EFFECTIVENESS

ADULT ADD: 5 TIPS FOR JOB EFFECTIVENESS 

For a lot of people with ADD, work life can be complex. If your operational surroundings are not ADD responsive, then you may well find yourself feeling constantly disordered and hassled out at work. Whether or not you decide to give out information about your analysis with your employer, the subsequent approaches can aid you become more efficient at work. 1. Look for a Profession that you are Zealous About: People with ADD have the most accomplishment when doing something that they are fervently involved in. If you are in a profession or a job that you are not zealous about, odds are your ADD problems will exhibit themselves. 

The best way to keep away from this is to come across a job that you in fact take pleasure in and have faith in. 2. Build up Structure: It is not unknown that ADDers work well with structure. If your job is short of structure, generate some. If you are self employed, make up a timetable for yourself. Decide on what your working days will be, and what your days off will be. And abide them. In addition, plan out particular working hours for yourself. If another person or company employs you, ask for particular time limits on projects you are handed over. 

In addition, you can ask for a weekly meeting with your manager in which you bring him or her up to date on all the things you have been doing. This will let YOU to go through your development and stay conscious of all the jobs that you are coping with. 3. Pass on the Details: I have on no account met an ADDer who takes pleasure in working with particulars. In general, people with ADD are the problem solvers, the innovative, and the organizers. A good number of ADDers will be exceptionally efficient when working with these stimulating and tricky features of the work, and a lot less efficient when working with executive job. If you are self-employed, take on an associate - even though you think you cannot manage to pay for it. Visualize how much more efficient - and beneficial - you may well be if you did not have to be bothered about rules and regulations.

 If another person or company employs you, pass on work to executive associates and any person whom you deal with. If there is no one for you to pass on to, give explanation to your manager that you work best when you do not have to be slowed down with executive jobs. Draw attention to all your expertise, strong points, and achievements. Let your manager know that you may possibly be giving in even more if you had some body to lend a hand with the particulars. 4. Plan the Time to Plan: It is not sufficient to plan your day, you must also think out the time to plan. Prior to your leaving work at the end of the day, use up 15 minutes to have a look at your to do list. See what you completed and what yet has to be done, and up to date the list. In addition use this time to up to date your calendars, and fragment exceptional projects into steps.

 Using up the time to do this each work day will have you feeling more on top of things, and will also help you out to switch over out of work time and into personal time. 5. Get Over Fastidiousness: Fastidiousness puts off growth. If you come across something that may well be enhanced every time you have a look at a paper or a report, it will never get off your table. There .is a big distinction between "a good job" and "a perfect job." "A good job" is job done well; "a perfect job" does not happen. Nothing in this planet is just the right thing, so do yourself a big help and forget about it

PLANNING THE DAILY LIFE FOR ADULTS WITH ADD

PLANNING THE DAILY LIFE FOR ADULTS WITH ADD

 Details seem to be useless to those adults who are suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). We do have our goals clear in our minds, and cannot wait to have it achieved, hoping that there was some way to skip all the work required to be done in the process. Sadly enough, this attitude tends to get us overwhelmed, when we are to start the project. We seem to know what we want at the end, without having any idea of what needs to be done at the beginning. This story is true for the everyday life as well. Adults suffering from ADD, generally start their day being sure of their goals, but they can’t seem to get their priorities right and decide where to start from.

 This causes them to feel stressed and guilty, which makes them feel bad, and ultimately work less. To avoid such a situation, these adults should develop the habit of making a daily planning routine. In order to develop such a routine, the following 3 steps can be practiced: 1. Deciding On a Time to Do the Planning The time of the day when the planning process can be done should be decided first. This should require only about 15 minutes, and the time could either be set specifically (say 8:00 PM) or could just be something like the time "right before bed." The time late in the day is usually most preferred by the adults with ADD, since that is when they are the most alert. 

This is helpful since it allows one to plan for the next day, instead of worrying over it when they should go to bed! 2. Reviewing the To-Do List Firstly make sure that you do use a to-do list, (if you don’t then make one). This can be reviewed during each of your planning sessions, to remind you of what needs to be done. It also helps you feel good about all that you have already done during the day. You must regularly re-write the list, deleting all the completed tasks and adding the new ones. The most urgent and important of the tasks should be noted at the top of the list. You may break the large ones into 3-5 steps, noting it down on your list. 3. Reviewing the Calendar Now, go through your daily planner (assuming that you are now finally using one!). Check your next days appointments and block off those times on the planner, not forgetting the travel time. Now you can plan how to set aside some of your remaining time for the jobs on the to-do list. Thus, spending just 15 minutes on planning the schedule can take away the everyday stress from the life of an adult with ADD, and can help one move ahead.

What is Teen Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

What is Teen Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? 

A list of ADHD symptoms sounds like typical teenage or childish behavior. A lack of focus, hyperactivity, and a lack of self control are pretty normal for children and teenagers. But kids with ADHD have problems that are outside the normal range. If your child has had these problems to the extent that they disrupt their lives and it goes on for six months or more, your child may have ADHD. If your teenager was diagnosed with childhood ADHD,


 the chances are higher that they will be diagnosed with ADHD as a teen. This is not a problem that one outgrows. There is hope, however. The symptoms can be controlled with treatment. What causes Teen ADHD? The causes of ADHD are not known. There are some suspects and research is ongoing. While there may be a genetic component, the condition tends to run in families, it does not come from bad parenting or bad family or school situations. There may be some environmental causes like lead in old pipes or smoking or drinking during pregnancy. 

Some food additives are also suspect but there is no conclusive evidence. How do you recognize Teen ADHD? Teen ADHD is not easily diagnosed. There is no simple test for ADHD. Diagnoses is based on the observations of parents and teachers and then confirmed by a medical exam from a trained practitioner. ADHD comes in three different forms. One kind is called ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type. Children with this type are inattentive but don't show as many of the hyperactive symptoms. Here is a list of the hyperactive symptoms: Does your child have a hard time paying attention to detail. Do they make careless mistakes. 

Do they have a hard time paying attention or following through on tasks. Does your child not listen? Do they have a hard time following or understanding instructions? Do they avoid doing difficult tasks? Are they easily distracted? Do they often loses things? Then there is the ADHD, Predominantly Hyperactive Type. With this kind of ADHD, children show more hyperactive symptoms but not as many of the inattentive symptoms. Here is a list of the Hyperactive symptoms: Does your child fidget? Do they squirm? Are they unable to stay seated? Do they run or climb when they shouldn't be? Do they have a hard time playing quietly? Do they tend to talk excessively and not wait their turn? Do they Interrupt a lot? Then there is the Combined Type of ADHD where the child shows both kinds of symptoms. What can you do to treat Teen ADHD? Many patients respond well to stimulant medication. Behavioral therapy can help as well. Parental education also helps. The most effective treatments combine all of the above.

 AUTHOR Alot Health Team

How To Know If You Have ADHD

How To Know If You Have ADHD

7 Everyday Struggles Of People With ADHD

7 Everyday Struggles Of People With ADHD

What is Childhood ADHD?

What is Childhood ADHD? 

Many children have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. It's a puzzling condition that makes it difficult for children to learn and relate to others. It can also be challenging for parents and teachers to come up with ways to help these children. Children with ADHD seem to be in constant motion and have trouble focusing on any one task. They're easily distracted, and are often unable to finish what they start. They have trouble listening, and may also fidget and talk excessively. They seem unable to play by themselves. 

They're likely to act impulsively; for example, by intruding nosily on others. How is it Diagnosed? Childhood ADHD is not always easy to diagnose. There's no one test for ADHD. The family doctor can do a physical exam and order tests to rule out other causes of the symptoms. If no other causes are found, a mental health professional can be called in to evaluate the child. The professional will assess the symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. If these are pronounced, have been going on at least 6 months, and are present everywhere the child goes, he will probably be diagnosed with ADHD. The causes of childhood ADHD aren't known, but some possibilities are that it's genetic or results from a brain injury. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may lead to ADHD. Some food additives may also cause ADHD, or make it worse. How is it Treated?

 Treatments for ADHD include medication, special education, and helping the child with organizing and focusing. Some common medications are Adderal, Concerta, and Ritalin. These are psycho-stimulants, which help children block out distractions and concentrate on tasks. Children with ADHD can also benefit from special education classes, where they have an individualized education plan to help them get the most out of school. At home, parents can create a schedule for the child, and help him organize his things. Having order and consistency allows a child with ADHD to simplify his life and better maintain his focus.

 ADHD can persist into the teenage or adult years. But teen and adult ADHD can be different from childhood ADHD in the way the symptoms present themselves. Teens and adults with ADHD have the same problems with hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsiveness, and, like children, can be distracted and lack focus. But, because teens and adults are more mature, they can mask these symptoms. Instead, the symptoms may appear as reckless conduct, or addictive behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, overeating, or overspending.

 If you suspect your child may have ADHD, what can you do? The first step is to visit your family doctor, who can rule out other causes for the symptoms. If ADHD is still a possibility, a number of health professionals can provide a diagnosis. They include psychiatrists, neurologists, pediatricians, psychologists, and clinical social workers. Psychiatrists, neurologists, and pediatricians can prescribe medication. Psychologists and clinical social workers can provide counseling for the child and family. 

AUTHOR Alot Health Team

          The 'Unofficial' ADHD Test for Adults

Similarities of ADD and ADHD

Similarities of ADD and ADHD 

Both Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are conditions that tend to be the center of many discussions these days. Many people do understand the basic components that signify the conditions; however, they do not realize that ADD and ADHD are different. While they do share some similarities, understanding the differences between them is very important. ADD is difficult to distinguish from ADHD because it generally has the same meaning as one type of ADHD (ADHD, inattentive type). 

Essentially, both of these conditions refer to struggles with paying attention or remaining focused, but the causes, manifestations, and signs can all be different. Some will even say that one term is for children and one is for adults, but this inaccurate. Differences Between ADD and ADHD Discussing the similarities of these two terms is extremely difficult because ADD is not a term that is used in the medical field anymore. ADHD is the proper term, but even that has its flaws. Instead of simply saying that a person has ADHD, three different types have been identified. ADHD, inattentive type is often the one that is confused with ADD. Individuals with ADHD, inattentive type, as the name implies, have difficulty focusing on tasks and staying concentrated on one thing. 

The Other Types of ADHD To fuller understand the larger scope of this picture, you need to know a little bit about the other two forms of ADHD. ADHD, hyperactive-impulsive type means that the individuals have trouble staying still. It may not be a case where they just stop paying attention. 

Instead, they will get out of their seats during a class lecture or wander around when the other students are working in small groups. A person can also have ADHD, combination type, which means that he or she shows symptoms of both the inattentive type and the hyperactive-impulsive type. Who Does ADHD Affect? Many people assume that children are the only ones who can be affected with ADHD; however, this is not the case. It is entirely possible for adults to be diagnosed with ADHD. The ADHD might manifest first in childhood and then continue on into adulthood. On the other hand, a person might first begin to develop the symptoms of one of those three ADHD types in his or her adulthood. 

This condition knows no age. Root of Misconceptions Quite a few misconceptions exist about ADHD. The confusion with ADD and the use of the term likely results from the fact that it was used in the past to describe the condition. Persons who employed that term in the past may continue to do so now. 

The assumption that children are the only ones with ADHD may emerge because it is diagnosed with increasing frequency in early childhood cases. Whether you are struggling with ADHD yourself or you think your child might be, knowing the truth about this condition is essential to your understanding of it. http://alothealth.com/conditions/add-vs-adhd--1162 

AUTHOR Alot Health Team

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Do Food Sensitivities & Allergies Connect with ADHD?

WRITTEN BY CHANTELL REAGAN ON JUNE 20, 2016
Impactadhd.com

Note: Prescription medication and Behavior Management (i.e. Parent Training) are first line treatments for kids with ADHD and related challenges. However, parents are always asking us about “natural”approaches. So we’ve invited functional medicine practitioner, Chantell Reagan, to write a series of articles to bring us all up to speed on “alternative” approaches to managing your child’s complex issues. Please consult your child’s physician to explore these ideas further. This is the third of five articles. You may want to start with the first articles in the series, “ Taking an Integrative Approach to Raising Complex Kids”and “  The Gut-Brain Connection in Complex Kids” ~Elaine & Diane

Many non-traditional health practitioners believe that there is a strong correlation between food and behaviors. Several studies, including a  2004 meta-analysis (a compilation of many studies) by Dr. Schab from Columbia University, confirm that artificial food dyes are linked to behavioral issues, for example.

Despite all the medical evidence, in 2011 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted against warning labels for food dyes, while Europe voted in favor of the labeling. Today, many international food manufacturers use artificial color only in the US version of a product, while using only natural dyes in the European version.

It’s not just food dyes and additives that can contribute to ADHD symptoms. If there is an underlying sensitivity to the most common allergenic foods (wheat/gluten, corn, dairy, eggs, soy), there is potential for the foods to have an impact on ADHD behaviors.

Medical literature both supports and negates associations between ADHD symptoms and gluten, dairy and sugar. We do know that all 3 can cause inflammation, which in turn can decrease blood flow to the brain. Clinical trials linking sugar to ADHD have had mixed results. Still, it’s important to note that excess sugar causes a range of health problems, including immune suppression, diabetes, obesity and cavities.

Allergy vs. Food Sensitivity

When someone experiences a “classic” true food allergy, an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) can cause serious symptoms like swelling, hives, and even anaphylaxis. An epinephrine pen or other antihistamine medication is usually needed to stop the reaction.

Conversely, when someone has a food sensitivity, another antibody called immunoglobulin G (IgG) can cause benign symptoms that often get mistaken for other conditions. Food sensitivities can be masked as hyperactivity, inattentiveness, eczema, headaches, constipation, diarrhea, gas or bloating, to name a few. However, testing for IgG sensitivities is controversial. Some say it’s unreliable, while others find it to be useful as a baseline.

A 2011 study in the Lancet discredits IgG testing, but promotes an elimination-type diet, which removes one or more foods from the diet for a fixed period of time. In this study, 50 children with ADHD were placed on a hypoallergenic diet. The majority of children (64%) had a significant remission of symptoms, with most of them relapsing after stopping the diet.

Investigating Food Sensitivities

In an elimination diet, suspect foods are slowly reintroduced into the diet, while behavior and other symptoms are observed and tracked. Though it can be challenging to follow, most agree it is the most effective way to rule out food sensitivities. Even the  American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) noted in 2012 that “…omitting items shown to predispose to ADHD is perhaps the most promising and practical complimentary or alternative treatment of ADHD.” In an integrated approach, I always recommend identifying food stressors first before considering other treatments.

What can you do to investigate potential food sensitivities?

1. Eliminate the obvious toxins from the diet like food dyes, additives and refined sugars. Buying organic products alleviates questionable additives.

2. Work with a functional/integrative medicine practitioner to target food allergy or sensitivity using an IgG or other test based on your needs.

3. Consider an elimination diet to determine if there is an improvement in symptoms when one or more foods is removed for a period of time. Using a food journal can be especially helpful when undergoing an elimination diet.

For Further Reading:

“ Differences Between IgE and IgG Testing for Allergies and Sensitivities ” (Blog Post) by Christa Orecchio of The Whole Journey.

The Elimination Diet (Book) by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN

References (Accessed in hyperlinks below on Feb. 9, 2016):

“Food coloring ban in the UK but usage continues for USA .” October 2014. 

Schab DW, Trinh NH. “ Do artificial food colors promote hyperactivity in children with hyperactive syndromes? A meta-analysis of double-blind placebo-controlled trials.”Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 2004 Dec;25(6):423-34.

Ahmad Ghanizadeh and Behzad Haddad . “The effect of dietary education on ADHD, a randomized controlled clinical trial.” Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2015; 14: 12. Published online 2015 Mar 1. doi:  10.1186/s12991-015-0050-6.

Pelsser, Lidy M et al. “ Effects of a restricted elimination diet on the behaviour of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (INCA study): a randomised controlled trial.” The Lancet , Volume 377 , Issue 9764 , 494 – 503.

Millichap JG,Yee MM. “ The diet factor in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.” Pediatrics. 2012 Feb;129(2):330-7. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-2199. Epub 2012 Jan 9.

ADHD and the Brain

Help! How to Deal With ADHD Meltdowns

Can't Focus? Try These 7 Simple ADHD Concentration Tips

• By Beth W. Orenstein | Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

• EveryDayHealth.com

1 / 8   Can't Focus? Try These 7 Simple ADHD Concentration Tips

Whoever first said "focus on what's really important" must not have had adult ADHD. From conversations with people you value most, such as family and friends, to important tasks that will advance your career, it can seem almost impossible to stay concentrated when you have adult ADHD. You don't mean to zone out, but you do. ADHD makes it harder for your brain to focus on the details, so your mind wanders while others are speaking. This can be frustrating for you and for them. But changing your health routine in simple ways can help you to pay attention and become a better listener. Take a look at these eight tricks.

2 / 8   Take Deep Breaths

It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people forget this important step when they're stressed out. Practicing meditation and taking deep breaths can help improve your ability to focus, said Shane K. Perrault, PhD, a clinical psychologist and founder of the ADHD Performance Clinic in Greenbelt, Md. "When you have ADHD, your blood doesn't flow to the part of the brain where high-order decisions are made," he explained. Meditation and breathing exercises can help you relax and better manage your symptoms. "When you're relaxed, more blood flows to the brain and it functions better," Perrault said.

3 / 8   Eat Smart

If you think your food has more to do with your figure than your brain, think again. Ever heard of brain food? What you eat directly affects your energy level and your ability to focus. Following a healthy diet can help improve many of your ADHD symptoms, including your inability to concentrate, Perrault said. People with adult ADHD need to be sure to start the day with protein at breakfast — if you'll start to feel sluggish come mid-morning if you eat solely carbohydrates, and it's hard to concentrate when you're tired. Limit the amount of sweets and processed foods you eat throughout the day. They are metabolized quickly, causing your blood sugar to spike. Then it drops just as quickly, causing you to have ADHD brain fog and lose concentration.

4 / 8   Jazz It Up

If you're having trouble concentrating because the task at hand is boring, make it more exciting, said David Rosenberg, MD, professor and chief of child psychiatry and psychology at the Children's Hospital of Michigan and Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. Approach it just like you would for your child: if you want him to clean up his messy room, you might have him imagine each object that needs to be put away as an airplane, Dr. Rosenberg suggested, and then they "can find a good landing place on the shelf for each item." Adults with adult ADHD can use this same trick to make work tasks more appealing or finally get to that list of chores. While you're playing waste basketball with rotten food in the fridge, you're also teaching yourself how to focus.

5 / 8   Find Your Space

An important strategy for staying focused when you have adult ADHD is to work in a space where there are few, if any, distractions. Ask your boss if you can move away from a TV or radio that's always on. Working in a noisy environment can worsen ADHD symptoms — ask for an office or cubicle that's away from others so that their conversations don't distract you. Another option is to use a white noise machine to save you from total silence, which can actually distract some adults with ADHD more than loud noises.

6 / 8   Get Some Exercise

Like meditation and deep breathing, exercise stimulates brain function, which is essential to managing ADHD symptoms. Add regular exercise to your daily ADHD routine to get your heart pumping and your brain in gear. "People with ADHD have crazy energy," Perrault said. "When you exercise, it helps dissipate that energy, and when you return to work, you can function better, pay more attention, and focus on what you're doing."

6 / 8   Get Some Exercise

Like meditation and deep breathing, exercise stimulates brain function, which is essential to managing ADHD symptoms. Add regular exercise to your daily ADHD routine to get your heart pumping and your brain in gear. "People with ADHD have crazy energy," Perrault said. "When you exercise, it helps dissipate that energy, and when you return to work, you can function better, pay more attention, and focus on what you're doing."

7 / 8   Prioritize Your Tasks

It may seem so simple it sounds stupid, but keeping a to-do list can make a huge difference. Having multiple tasks ahead of you can be overwhelming when you have ADHD. Writing down each item in order of importance will help make tasks seem less daunting and help you to wrap your head around next steps. Arrange tasks by highest to lowest importance and then tackle the list from top to bottom. Or, Rosenberg said, rank them by difficulty and do the simplest ones first to get them out of the way. You'll have a sense of accomplishment as you proceed, which can help you to better manage your symptoms and keep going.

8 / 8   Speak Up

If you're in a meeting at work and find you just can't concentrate any longer on what everyone is saying to you and to each other, you may need a moment to refresh. Communicating your needs to others is key to developing a successful ADHD management strategy — you can't control your condition in a bubble. You may have to tell your coworkers or friends that you have adult ADHD. Explain that sometimes it's difficult for you to concentrate for extended periods and that getting some fresh air will help. When you return, you can continue the conversation. Take the time to educate your coworkers about adult ADHD so they will understand and appreciate your honesty.

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Why We Procrastinate and How to Fix it

Why Private School May Not Be Best For Special Needs Kids

Posted by Carolyn  Oct 7, 2015 http://sumo.ly/c0TY via @NurseMallon
The Distracted Mom

Like most parents, my children’s father and I thought a lot about their education.

Even before they were born, we had many conversations about what we dreamed would be different for them. We discussed our experiences in school and what worked for us and what didn’t. We both had experiences as kids and teens that left us feeling short-changed by what could have been much better educational experiences, and we wanted better for our kids.

Our divorce wasn’t part of the plan, but we did the best that we could to make that work. We chose a private K-12 school in between our homes that seemed like a dream come true. This school had a philosophy of inclusiveness, generosity, and taught the children the importance of service to others, all values we hold. First Mini Me started there, and then two years ago, Man Cub began kindergarten.

THE DREAM OF A BETTER EDUCATION

The academic program at the private school was rigorous but also inspiring and complete. We loved that science lessons involved the children trekking off in their rain boots to observe the life cycle of the tadpoles in the pond. The children made drawings of the tadpoles and frogs as they sprouted legs over a period of a week or two. They learned about plants by growing them in the full garden outside the classroom, harvesting onions, carrots, and digging up worms!

The class sizes were small, allowing the teachers to focus on each child. This impressed me. At the first parent-teacher meeting, I was blown away at how much the teacher knew about my child and where she was with her learning. Mini Me’s teacher knew every letter and even phonetic combination that she knew well or still needed to work on, as well as her relative strengths and weaknesses in writing numbers (she even knew which numbers she tended to write backwards!). She could tell me all about her well-developed imagination and story-telling ability and her science aptitude as well as her impatience with following sequenced instructions. I marveled at this, but I guessed this is the difference between having 25 students or having 13.

A TROUBLE-MAKER IN A CLASS OF 13

When Man Cub started school, he was excited. He’d been in Montessori school for two years already, but this was different; this was “big kid” school, where his sister went. Unfortunately, he encountered problems almost immediately. I heard from his teacher that he was having tantrums in class when they moved from one activity to the next. In the Montessori, this type of thing was overlooked, I think, because there were so many younger kids. But now in kindergarten, the expectations were different. They worked with him a lot at first, trying to help him calm himself and rejoin the class when he was able…

I heard more and more reports as the year progressed: Man-Cub was refusing to come back to class at the end of recess, requiring a staff person to chase him down on the playground and return him to class. Many times he had crying fits or tantrums if he wasn’t “done” with an activity or didn’t want to do the next thing the class was doing, again requiring an extra staff person to “manage him so the class could continue as planned.

At the parent-teacher conference, we instituted a daily behavior report card to track his outbursts throughout the day and (hopefully) motivate him to improve. We also agreed to begin therapy outside of school. The school was trying to help, but they didn’t know what to do. They lacked the resources or experience.

WHY WASN’T IT WORKING?

I assumed that this smaller school would be the best setting for my ADHD son. They had a smaller class size with fewer distractions. The small campus and hands-on science classes must be perfect for such an energetic young boy! And these teachers should be better able to handle him with a smaller group of kids, right? Not necessarily.

In actuality, the small private school setting was limited by their resources. Many private schools do not have special ed services and lack the experience of servicing these kids. While a smaller class size should make one ADHD boy a bit less of a hassle, it also made his antics more noticeable, and his disruptions brought the small group to a halt every time. And where a larger school might have more aids or paraeducators to help, this school had to scramble to find available to staff to help out when it was needed.

Why Private School May Not Be Best For Special Needs Kids

Children with special needs are protected under The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This is a federal law requiring schools to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities. Under this law, schools must evaluate any student suspected of having a suspected learning disability and, if found to have a disability, it allows parents and schools to work out an Individualized Education Plan to make goals and determine what services will help the child reach them. (Understood.com)

Kids who don’t qualify as having a disability under IDEA (including many ADHD kids) are often eligible for services under another law called Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. A 504 Plan helps parents and schools work out reasonable classroom accommodations to helps these students to be successful in school.

What many people don’t realize is that private schools get very little (or no) funding to provide special education services. The only money a private school may receive is the small amount of federal funding from a public school district through individual Instructional Education Plans (ISP) for special education students who attend private school. Even then, once a student’s special ed evaluation has been done and as ISP has been written, it is up to the public school to decide what services they will provide. If a private school student is determined to be eligible for special ed services, special education services, public school personnel must provide the services at a public facility. (UnderstandingSpedialEducation.com)

So, unless my son had been evaluated by the public school district given an ISP, his private school would not have received a penny to help offset the cost of providing him any services. Even then, they would not receive much compared to what a public school might receive.

“Because special education funding for students in private settings is so limited, students usually do not receive the same services that would be provided to them if they attended a public school. For example, a district may agree to provide an ISP student with dyslexia with 30 minutes of reading tutoring per week. However, if the child were enrolled at the public school, they might receive a daily reading support class of 55 minutes. ” (UnderstandingSpecialEducation.com)

It’s certrainly not accurate to say that no private schools provide the types of services that public schools do for special needs kids. In fact, there are many private school that actaully specialize in offering classes and services for kids with disabilities, but these are the exception rather than the norm. One must also consider whether that’s the right setting for their child. For many parents, making accommodations to allow their child to succeed in a regular classroom environment is the goal rather than placing their child in a school for children with special classrooms. These classes may be ideal for children who require more intensive interventions, but for those with ADHD or high-functioning Autism, it may be counter-productive for students learning to adapt and operate within the structure of the typical classroom.

GIVING PUBLIC SCHOOL A TRY

After two academic years of daily behavior report cards, we decided to move our kids to the public school system. There were a few reasons for this, but one of them was my suspicion that the public school might be better equipped to handle his ADHD behaviors. After all, it was unlikely he would be the only second grader with ADHD in his class! I believed this would also a good thing for his self-esteem since it must be upsetting to feel like the only kid in his class each year with “behavior problems.”

I was nervous, sure. I wrote Man Cub’s teacher a letter before school even started. I didn’t tell her, though, about his daily behavior report cards. I wanted to let him start with a bit of a clean slate, so he could have a chance to start off on the right foot. I didn’t want to run the risk that she’d want to institute the report cards from day one like the last teacher.

It’s been five weeks… and I have not had a single complaint about his behavior. Not. Even. One.

Do I think that means he’s behaving perfectly? No, I’m sure he’s not. I’m sure he’s acting like a normal second-grader, probably even a normal second-grader with ADHD. But I think that the public school expects that, and more importantly, they are prepared for it. They are experienced, and they are equipped.

I did finally get my first email two days ago from his teacher, but not about his behavior. She is concerned about his attention and ability to stay on task when doing independent work. She told me about the interventions she’s tried, which included seating him close to her desk, having the instructions on the overhead projector, reminders, and using a privacy screen to help him stay focused… and she wanted to start a dialogue about ideas. And the fact that she’s communicating with me about this shows that she’s not ignoring the issue, that she knows a few thing to try, and that she is willing to work on it together…

If I could go back, I’d have started the kids off in public school. I’m lucky to live in a great school district (which is not an accident!), but it turns out that private schools are not always the solution when your child has special needs…

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On The Difficulties Of Being A Mother With ADHD

By Lynn Beisner

November 17, 2015

Rollerboot.org

Mothers with ADHD are frequently bad at the very things that women are stereotypically supposed to be good at.

In most of the ways that matter, my friend Karen was a wonderful parent. She loved her children and demonstrated it daily. She hugged them, played with them, and read to them. She was neither permissive nor abusive. Instead, she used her children’s mistakes to teach them about empathy and kindness. Her kids were among the happiest and most loving children I have ever known.

One of her greatest strengths as a mother was her natural teaching ability. By the time that her daughter was 8, she knew all the parts of a combustion engine, the scientific name and classification of hundreds of animals, and could diagnose plant diseases at a glance. Karen taught herself and her three children German using library books, and together they wrote a fascinating series of children’s stories about a canine Sherlock Holmes.

In the end, none of Karen’s strengths as a mother mattered because they were completely overshadowed by the symptoms of her undiagnosed ADHD. She was easily distracted from the rather mind-numbing job of parenting small children. She sometimes lost track of one or more of her children in public or forgot to pick them up from school events. Her kids, who also had ADHD, sometimes lacked supervision because she was distracted and they were injured more frequently and got into the kind of scrapes that are unique to kids who are both highly creative and impulsive.

Perhaps Karen could have overcome all of that, but her undoing was the basic housekeeping work of parenting, such as cleaning, laundry, dishes, cooking, and paying bills. Her house was perpetually knee-deep in clothes, papers, dirty dishes, and toys. Often her kids went to school in clothes that were dirty, wrinkled, or inappropriate for the weather.

Like most people with ADHD, Karen especially struggled with time management. So she was useless when it came to enforcing homework assignments. She forgot important school events like picture day and field trips. Mornings were sheer chaos in their home, and the children missed the school bus as often as they caught it. In fact, her children were tardy so often, they became truant according to the rules of the county where she lived.

The truant officer assigned to Karen’s children dropped by Karen’s home one winter day when all of her children were home with the flu. He took one good look around her house and called Child Protective Services.

The CPS worker who responded to the truant officer’s call took Karen’s children from their messy sick beds and placed them into the foster system. Karen was frantic and heartbroken. She berated herself for being dirty and lazy, and she vowed to do whatever it took to get her children back.

But what the system required Karen to do to get her children back was not possible with her handicap. Not only did she have to keep a clean home over a period of time, she also had to fill out paperwork and show up on time for meetings, visits, and hearings.

ADHD is perverse in that the harder you try to pay attention, the less you are able. So at a time when Karen most needed to be able to perform like a person without any handicaps, her handicap became the most severe. She failed to meet the judge’s requirements for reunification, so she lost all of her parental rights and her children were put up for adoption. Three days after the judge terminated all contact with her kids, Karen tried to kill herself.

Luckily, the psychiatrist who saw Karen in the hospital following her suicide attempt recognized her symptoms as severe ADHD. She began treatment for the disorder, and bit by bit she began putting her life back together with the help of medication and therapy.

Three years later, Karen found out that her children had still not been adopted. Meanwhile, she had blossomed. She was doing better than ever in her job, had married a kind and stable man, and she became pregnant. Karen went back to CPS to see if there was any hope of reconnecting with her children.

Naively, Karen assumed that her diagnosis of ADHD and the success of her treatment would work in her favor. Like any reasonable person would, she assumed that CPS would be required to make the same sort of reasonable accommodations as any other government agency. What she did not know is that the Americans with Disabilities Act does not protect parents with disabilities. Many states have laws that allow children to be removed from a disabled parent’s care even if there is no abuse or neglect and the child is thriving. 

Sharing her diagnosis only made things worse for Karen. In the mind of her caseworker, it branded Karen as a prescription drug addict. Even though her psychiatrist confirmed that Karen was not taking any kind of medication during her pregnancy, the social worker required her to take random drug tests including one in the delivery room when her baby was born. Karen was allowed to keep her new baby when it was born. But her reunion with her older three children had to wait until they aged out of the system.

*****

As a mother with ADHD, I took Karen’s story as a cautionary tale, and I lived in fear of CPS  until my youngest turned 18. Like Karen, I had difficulties with time management, housekeeping, and consistency. I was religiously compliant with my medication and therapy and I used every trick I could find to make our family run better. But I still went through bad patches when things would snow-ball out of control. I shudder to think what would have happened to my family if I had been scrutinized on a bad day.

Mothers with ADHD are frequently bad at the very things that women are stereotypically supposed to be good at. We are the ones who are supposed to remember to take the children for vaccinations and to the dentist. We are supposed to run the household, and that includes everything from keeping the house clean to remembering to feed our kids’ pets. Our inability to conform to these gender roles only increases the prejudice that exists against adults with ADHD.

Mothers with ADHD have three strikes against them. The first is that almost all of the research about ADHD is about how it presents in boys. This means that not only is there very little known about how ADHD works in adults, almost nothing is known about how it works in adult women.

The second strike against mothers with ADHD is that they are rarely prescribed stimulants, the kind of medication that has been shown to be most effective. In a study of 60 mothers with the disorder, only one was receiving the medication despite the fact that all of them reported experiencing serious problems with parenting.

The third strike against mothers with ADHD is the dominance of whatever genes are responsible for ADHD. It is the #2 genetically inherited condition after height (80%). In other words, the vast majority of mothers with ADHD will have at least one child with the same disorder. It is challenging enough to keep your own mess under control when you have the disorder. Kids who have ADHD need a lot of structure and help managing their symptoms. Sadly, the very help they need is what their ADHD parent is least able to give. Even with treatment, the challenges of being ADHD while raising ADHD kids is daunting.

The stigma associated with ADHD makes the challenges for mothers with the disorder even greater. For some reason, it is still socially acceptable to write off this disability as a figment of drug-manufacturer’s imaginations. Not only are they automatically labeled as bad parents because of their children’s symptomatic behavior, their own symptoms make it very hard to meet social expectations for parents.

*****

I don’t know what became of Karen. We lost touch and my efforts to find her through social media have been in vain. I would like to think that her story had as happy of an ending as possible, that this Thanksgiving all of her children will be seated around her table.

But even if Karen is reunited with her children, they have sustained incalculable harm from being wrenched from their loving mother’s arms to come of age in our foster system.

Karen, her children, and women like her are why we cannot allow prejudice against ADHD to continue. No mom should lose her kids because her ADHD symptoms keep her from looking like a good mom. We need to demand protection for all disabled parents, and better research and treatment for women with ADHD. And charities devoted to child welfare should offer ADHD parents the kind of support that moms with the disorder need.

Lynn Beisner writes about family, social justice issues, and the craziness of daily life. Her work can be found on Role Reboot, Alternet, and on her blog: Two Parts Smart-Ass; One Part Wisdom. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.