- “Most teachers and adults could benefit from pretending that all kids in their class have ADHD – what is good for kids with ADHD is good for all kids.” – Dr. Hallowell
- There is no substitute for parent understanding the child’s mind and conveying that over and over again to teachers! A child needs an advocate after a diagnosis of ADHD and too often testing results get “filed away”.
- Become a partner with your child’s teacher. Don’t go in with a set of things you “want” from the teacher. Go in with the goal of creating a relationship that will support your child. Consider baking brownies or helping out in class. Treat your child’s teacher as the professional she is.
- Creativity is impulsivity gone right. Encourage it in your child and use it yourself.
- Most kids with ADHD don’t do things the “normal way”. Don’t feel bad about this, and don’t say or do things that will make your child feel badly about his or her unique approach. Also, work with teachers to get rid of the shame in approaching problems and situations in a non-standard fashion.
- Getting rid of shame and fear are key!! The greatest learning disorder of all is fear. All kids, and this includes kids with ADHD, need to feel emotionally safe in the classroom and at home. Talk with your child about his or her classroom and social experiences to make sure this is happening. Remember Dr. Hallowell’s own experience learning to read with dyslexia and how much having Mrs. Eldredge’s arm around him encourage him to try.
- Set your child up to make progress on something that matters to him. This builds confidence and motivation. (For more on building confidence, see the book “The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness” by Dr. Hallowell.
- With all children, but particularly with kids with ADHD, simple, consistent rules are the best. This is true of the classroom and at home. For example, always treat others with respect is a simple rule that can be applied to many situations.
- Use all modalities/multi sensory training: Visual, auditory, kinesthetic.
- Create a predictable schedule at school and at home. Kids thrive in situations that have enough predictability that they don’t need to guess about what is coming next (this does not mean “boring” though!) An important part of that schedule is getting enough sleep. Get your kids into bed early, if at all possible.
- Give warnings about upcoming transitions from one activity to another. For example, “Now we are going to write our practice sentences, then we are going to move into science.”
- Don’t be stingy with accommodations. One example is extended time on tests. The idea of the test is generally to see if a child has mastered certain material. Does the amount of time that is needed on the test make a difference? Why not give all kids untimed tests?
- It is easier to take on a big task if it is broken down into small steps.
- Monitor progress often and give feedback often.
- All kids need escape valves. Make sure to provide time to get up from desk, walk around, have recess, bring some physical activity into what they are doing.
- Make sure to give positive feedback when it is deserved. Don’t fake it, though. Kids know whether or not you are just trying to puff them up.
- Teach outlining and memory tricks
- Make a game out of learning.
- Consider talking with your teacher about having a home to school notebook for quick comments on daily basis and easy communications.
- Family dinner is one of the highest predictors of high SAT scores. Take the time to have family dinner and connect with each other.
- Driving in a car is another great way to connect with your kids. Spending time, anywhere, is important. Check in regularly with your kids.
Are you looking for practical, how-to solutions to life’s personal challenges? Best selling New York Times author and world-renowned ADHD expert, Dr. Edward (Ned) Hallowell offers groundbreaking advice on how to:
- Survive in an ultra-competitive, ultra fast, attention deficit society while remaining sane
- Raise happy children
- Manage worry
- Forgive
- Bring the best out of your employees
- Get the most out of life with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
A graduate of Harvard College and Tulane School of Medicine, Dr. Hallowell is a child and adult psychiatrist and the founder of The Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health in Boston MetroWest, New York City, San Francisco and Seattle. He was a member of the faculty of the Harvard Medical School from 1983 to 2004 until he retired to devote his full professional attention to his clinical practice, lectures, and the writing of books.
Dr. Hallowell is a highly recognized speaker around the world. He has presented to thousands on topics such as ADD,strategies on handling your fast-pace life, the Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness, how to help your employees Shine, ADHD and Relationships and other pertinent family and health issues. He has been prominently featured in the media, including 20/20, Oprah, Dr. Oz, CNN, PBS and NPR as well as 60 Minutes, The Today Show, Dateline, Good Morning America, US News and World Report, Newsweek, the Harvard Business Review, Washington Post, New York Times and other popular publications.
From corporate audiences to parent-teacher workshops and national television shows, people who listen to Dr. Hallowell come away stimulated, inspired and empowered to change their lives. He is a charismatic speaker, combining the knowledge of a Harvard instructor with his incredible understanding of ADHD, human nature and the struggles we face in this crazy/busy world.
Dr. Hallowell is considered to be one of the foremost experts on the topic of ADHD. He is the co-author, with Dr. John Ratey, of Driven to Distraction, and Answers to Distraction, which have sold more than a million copies. In 2005, Drs. Hallowell and Ratey released their much-awaited third book on ADHD, Delivered from Distraction. “Delivered” provides updated information on the treatment of ADHD and more on adult ADHD.
Dr. Hallowell’s most recent book, Driven to Distraction at Work: How to Focus and Be More Productive was published 2015. In Driven to Distraction at Work, Dr. Hallowell identified the underlying reasons why people lose their ability to focus at work. He explains why commonly offered solutions like “learn to manage your time better” or “make a to-do list” don’t work because they ignore he deeper issues that are the true cases of mental distraction.
He is also the host of “Distraction” a weekly podcast series created to explore how we are driven to distraction and offers coping strategies to turn modern problems into new-found strengths.
Learn more at drhallowell.com, sign up for his free monthly e-newsletter and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, linkedIN, Pinterest and Youtube.
In Dr. Hallowell’s book SHINE: Using Brain Science to Get the Best from Your People he draws on brain science, performance research, and his own experience helping people maximize their potential to present a proven process for getting the best from your people. He introduces the 5 steps in the Cycle of Excellence: Select, Connect, Play, Grapple and Grow, and Shine. He shows how each step is critical in its own right and translates into actions a manager or worker can do and do now to propel their people to excellence.
In Married to Distraction: Restoring Intimacy and Strengthening Your Marriage in an Age of Interruption, Dr. Hallowell teams up with his wife, Sue George Hallowell, a couples’ therapist, to explain the subtle but dangerous toll today’s overstretched, under nurtured lifestyle takes on our most intimate relationship. The good news is that there are straightforward and effective ways to maneuver your marriage out of the destructive roadblocks created by the avalanche of busy living.
Dr. Oz intereview – Dr. Hallowell on “The Medical Condition You Didn’t Know was Ruining Your Marriage.” Click here to watch Dr. Hallowell discuss Marriage and ADHD.
Dr. Hallowell’s book with Dr. Peter Jensen, SUPERPARENTING FOR ADD: An Innovative Approach to Raising Your Distracted Child, was published in December, 2008. With decades of experience working with ADD children, Dr. Hallowell understands how easily the gifts of this condition are lost on a child amid negative comments from doctors, teachers, and even loving but frustrated parents. He has long argued that ADD is too often misunderstood, mistreated, and mislabeled as a “disability.”
Dr. Hallowell observes that people who do not have ADHD still often show many of its symptoms due to lives that are so busy that they overload their brains. He explores this phenomenon in his book, CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! In this book, Dr. Hallowell shows how the hectic pace of modern life has led our society to suffer from broader, culturally induced ADD. His insight into how to unsnarl frenzied lives and take charge of how we really want to be living provides true inspiration to us all.
In addition to his fame in the world of ADHD and pseudo-ADHD, Dr. Hallowell is also an expert in parenting, how to manage anxiety, and the importance of connection and forgiveness.
Dr. Hallowell lives in the Boston area with his wife, Sue, a social worker, and their three children.
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