CHADD commends Consumer Reports for increasing parental, professional, and public awareness of ADHD by documenting parental experiences.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Consumer Reports Publishes Results of Survey on Most Effective Treatments for ADHD
Consumer Reports has issued a supplemental piece on the role of parent support groups featuring an interview with CHADD's past president, Marie Paxson. Marie is the parent of two young adult children. Growing up, one child had learning issues and the other had behavioral issues. Her son was diagnosed early, at age seven, and he fared better than her daughter, who didn't receive a diagnosis until the age of fifteen (the age that young people want to be identical to their peers). Both are experiencing success as young adults, but it has been a longer and more complex journey than for those of the same age who don't have ADHD.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Study Habit Tips
Students with AD/HD may find it especially difficult to attend to particularly uninteresting tasks such as studying or writing essays. When engaging in boring activities, I may be helpful to go to the library or work in a quiet room to help minimize distractions. Additionally, taking frequent breaks, working on only one project at a time and completing each assignment before beginning another will help you better focus on the task at hand.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Working Together when a Spouse/Partner has ADHD
Join us Wednesday, July 14 at 3:00 pm (Eastern time) for our monthly Ask the Expert online chat. To join the chat, please click here at 2:45 pm (Eastern time) on the day of the chat and follow the instructions on that page. This is an online chat only and no pre-registration is required!
When: | Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (Eastern Time) | |
What: | Working Together when a Spouse/Partner has ADHD | |
Who: | Nancy Ratey, EdM, MCC, SCAC |
When one or both partner(s) in a relationship have ADHD, it can lead to challenges above and beyond what other couples experience. ADHD symptoms can often have a negative impact on social skills and relationships. People with ADHD are prone to making impulsive statements which can cause hurt feelings and to interrupting others who are speaking. In this month's Ask the Expert online chat, Nancy Ratey, a nationally recognized ADHD coach, will discuss common difficulties couples who are in this situation often face, and will offer strategies in working together to improve the situation.
About Nancy Ratey
Nancy A. Ratey, EdM, MCC, SCAC, is a Strategic Life Coach specializing in coaching professionals with ADHD. She has a master's degree from Harvard's Graduate School of Education, and is a Master Certified Coach and a Senior Certified AD/HD Coach. Nancy was instrumental in establishing the field of ADHD coaching and is a former member of the CHADD Professional Advisory Board.
She has written extensively on the topic of coaching, including co-authoring three books. Her most recent book isThe Disorganized Mind, (St. Martins Press, 2008). Nancy runs a private practice in Wellesley, MA, and lectures internationally.
For more information, visit this website: CHADD
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Staying Organized Despite AD/HD
If those with AD/HD manage to overcome the initial hurtle of getting organized, they are immediately faced with a second - staying organized. Recently, we talked about organizational strategies; today, we will discuss how to stay organized.
You’ve just organized an area, so how do you keep it that way? First, realize that paper is the enemy. So many of us horde away various notes, newspapers, magazines, bills, etc. If you’re going to stay organized, you’ve got to eliminate the paper clutter. Do this by immediately throwing away all junk mail, unneeded notes, etc. If you receive a bill in the mail, pay it immediately, then file it away. Even better, help the environment and eliminate clutter by signing up for online bill-pay. You can also call the companies that send all those unwanted catalogs and opt out of the mailing list.
Next, make space-saving storage bins your best friends. Purchase stacked drawers so you can store up and not just across the space you're working with; once, while living in an apartment, I even draped a table cloth over my file-cabinet style storage drawers and used them as a makeshift stand for my fish aquarium. Organizers that hang from the backs of doors are also a great way to inconspicuously store things like shoes, jewelry, accessories, makeup, etc. I like to store some of my least used items (e.g. Christmas decorations) in long, thin plastic containers under my bed. Either way you do it, try to pack storage containers with similar items (e.g. arts and crafts materials, clothing/ accessories, holiday decorations, etc.) - if you randomly jumble things together, you'll never be able to find what you need. Also, try to store containers with similar items close together. Where appropriate, label the outside of the storage containers with the types of items they hold. If, like many individuals with AD/HD, you constantly lose important items (e.g. keys, wallet, phone), keep a small basket in a conspicuous location (e.g. near the door, on the kitchen cabinet) to place these necessary, yet easy to lose items.
Finally, continue to maintain your newly organized area. If you see something out of place, pick it up and put it where it belongs. Instead of throwing your clothes on the floor at the end of the day, put them in a clothes hamper until you have enough for a full wash load. You should set aside five to ten minutes each day just to tie up these little loose ends. You need to nip the clutter in the bud before it can become a problem again; otherwise, you're back to square one.
Information taken from www.help4adhd.org
You’ve just organized an area, so how do you keep it that way? First, realize that paper is the enemy. So many of us horde away various notes, newspapers, magazines, bills, etc. If you’re going to stay organized, you’ve got to eliminate the paper clutter. Do this by immediately throwing away all junk mail, unneeded notes, etc. If you receive a bill in the mail, pay it immediately, then file it away. Even better, help the environment and eliminate clutter by signing up for online bill-pay. You can also call the companies that send all those unwanted catalogs and opt out of the mailing list.
Next, make space-saving storage bins your best friends. Purchase stacked drawers so you can store up and not just across the space you're working with; once, while living in an apartment, I even draped a table cloth over my file-cabinet style storage drawers and used them as a makeshift stand for my fish aquarium. Organizers that hang from the backs of doors are also a great way to inconspicuously store things like shoes, jewelry, accessories, makeup, etc. I like to store some of my least used items (e.g. Christmas decorations) in long, thin plastic containers under my bed. Either way you do it, try to pack storage containers with similar items (e.g. arts and crafts materials, clothing/ accessories, holiday decorations, etc.) - if you randomly jumble things together, you'll never be able to find what you need. Also, try to store containers with similar items close together. Where appropriate, label the outside of the storage containers with the types of items they hold. If, like many individuals with AD/HD, you constantly lose important items (e.g. keys, wallet, phone), keep a small basket in a conspicuous location (e.g. near the door, on the kitchen cabinet) to place these necessary, yet easy to lose items.
Finally, continue to maintain your newly organized area. If you see something out of place, pick it up and put it where it belongs. Instead of throwing your clothes on the floor at the end of the day, put them in a clothes hamper until you have enough for a full wash load. You should set aside five to ten minutes each day just to tie up these little loose ends. You need to nip the clutter in the bud before it can become a problem again; otherwise, you're back to square one.
Information taken from www.help4adhd.org
Getting Organized Despite AD/HD
Being quite the little neat freak, organization is very important to me. In fact, if my office or home is messy, I literally cannot function until I get it all straightened and organized. I’m pretty sure there is a diagnosis for this (i.e. OCD) but I must admit that my self diagnosed ‘OCD tendencies’ have helped me excel in life far more than they have hindered me. Conversely, individuals with AD/HD often find it very difficult to get organized. In this entry, I will impart some organization skills designed to help those with AD/HD overcome the madness to finally get organized.
My first point is very basic; determine what needs to be organized. If you’re like many people with AD/HD, this could include your entire house, office, car, etc. etc. This is where you start categorizing. Let’s take the house for example. The whole place is a wreck; you can’t find anything when you need it and, when you do finally locate it, you don’t need it anymore. Start by making a list of all the areas that need organizing. You can rank these areas from least to most involved. Start with one of the smaller, easier projects and work on that area only. When you finish the first easy project, move on to the next until you finally reach the more difficulty areas at the end of your list. Starting with relatively simple projects will ease you into the process of organizing and help you find a system that works before tackling the more in-depth organizational tasks.
Next, Make sure to set a schedule and stick to it. If your goal is to clean your bedroom, you may want to allow yourself two or three days, depending on the size of the room and the extent of the disorganization. If you’re only organizing a small closet or drawer, you might only allow yourself a half day. Either way, make sure to work on a consistent schedule so you finish the project by the ‘due date’; otherwise, you’re likely to be left with an even bigger and more disorganized mess.
Plan a way to reward yourself with each area you complete. Rewards could include treating yourself to dinner at a nice restaurant, buying an item you’ve wanted for a while or engaging in an activity you enjoy but don’t get to do very often. The reward should be appropriate to the task. For a small task, only give yourself a small reward, but allow bigger rewards for more involved tasks. Make sure you only give yourself the reward AFTER you have finished organizing the area – don’t reward yourself for something you didn’t do.
Now, gather everything needed to do the job. This could include boxes, plastic storage containers, garbage bags, masking tape, markers, pencil and paper, cleaning supplies, labels, etc. Start with three boxes and a trash bag. Label the boxes "Keep here," "Take Elsewhere," or "Undecided." Put everything except trash into one of those three boxes; put the items that need to stay in the area you are organizing in the "Keep Here" box; if the item is still needed and useful but doesn’t belong in the area you’re organizing, put it in the "Take Elsewhere" box. If you cannot decide whether or not you should keep or discard the item, place it in the "Undecided" box. Do this until all the items are sorted. When you’re done, put all the items in the "Take Elsewhere" box wherever they belong, even if the places they should go are not yet organized – you can deal with these areas after finishing the task at hand. Close and seal the “Undecided” box with masking tape. With a marker, write a future date a few (e.g. three to six) months away on the outside of the box. This is the date when you will re-open the box and review the contents. Mark the re-open date on a calendar or in your day planner (see “The Daily Planner” entry) to remind yourself when it is time to open the box. Place the box in a storage area. When you review the items on the designated day, make one of the following choices: 1.) If you have not looked for the item during the three to six month storage time, then you don't need it. Put it in the trash or donate it. 2.) If you have looked for the item or have decided to keep it, put it in the appropriate place. Neatly organize the items in the “Keep Here” box in the area you just cleaned out.
Put all trash in the trash bag. Since you’ve probably accumulated a lot of clutter over the years, throw away or donate everything you don’t absolutely need. Try to consolidate the things that you do still need, but don’t use on a regular basis. For example, I have kept every single paper and every single class note I’ve written since high school (it’s part of the OCD thing). I still occasionally use these things for references or the basis for other papers or blogs such as the one I’m writing now; however, I don’t use them regularly. So what should I do with this huge pile of material? The answer, of course, is to organize! I have everything organized by subject matter (e.g. history, psychology, English, previous papers, etc.) They are all stored in a three-ring binder labeled on the outside, and placed on a shelf. This way, I still have the things I need, they’re just organized and out of my way.
You will likely need regular breaks during your organizing session; however, make sure to set a time limit (e.g. no more than five or ten minutes for a half-day project). If necessary, set a timer to remind you when your time is up. When your break is over, go right back to organizing.
Make sure you don’t stop at just the one room, closet, drawer, etc. Keep repeating these steps until every area on your list is organized.
Information taken from www.help4adhd.org
My first point is very basic; determine what needs to be organized. If you’re like many people with AD/HD, this could include your entire house, office, car, etc. etc. This is where you start categorizing. Let’s take the house for example. The whole place is a wreck; you can’t find anything when you need it and, when you do finally locate it, you don’t need it anymore. Start by making a list of all the areas that need organizing. You can rank these areas from least to most involved. Start with one of the smaller, easier projects and work on that area only. When you finish the first easy project, move on to the next until you finally reach the more difficulty areas at the end of your list. Starting with relatively simple projects will ease you into the process of organizing and help you find a system that works before tackling the more in-depth organizational tasks.
Next, Make sure to set a schedule and stick to it. If your goal is to clean your bedroom, you may want to allow yourself two or three days, depending on the size of the room and the extent of the disorganization. If you’re only organizing a small closet or drawer, you might only allow yourself a half day. Either way, make sure to work on a consistent schedule so you finish the project by the ‘due date’; otherwise, you’re likely to be left with an even bigger and more disorganized mess.
Plan a way to reward yourself with each area you complete. Rewards could include treating yourself to dinner at a nice restaurant, buying an item you’ve wanted for a while or engaging in an activity you enjoy but don’t get to do very often. The reward should be appropriate to the task. For a small task, only give yourself a small reward, but allow bigger rewards for more involved tasks. Make sure you only give yourself the reward AFTER you have finished organizing the area – don’t reward yourself for something you didn’t do.
Now, gather everything needed to do the job. This could include boxes, plastic storage containers, garbage bags, masking tape, markers, pencil and paper, cleaning supplies, labels, etc. Start with three boxes and a trash bag. Label the boxes "Keep here," "Take Elsewhere," or "Undecided." Put everything except trash into one of those three boxes; put the items that need to stay in the area you are organizing in the "Keep Here" box; if the item is still needed and useful but doesn’t belong in the area you’re organizing, put it in the "Take Elsewhere" box. If you cannot decide whether or not you should keep or discard the item, place it in the "Undecided" box. Do this until all the items are sorted. When you’re done, put all the items in the "Take Elsewhere" box wherever they belong, even if the places they should go are not yet organized – you can deal with these areas after finishing the task at hand. Close and seal the “Undecided” box with masking tape. With a marker, write a future date a few (e.g. three to six) months away on the outside of the box. This is the date when you will re-open the box and review the contents. Mark the re-open date on a calendar or in your day planner (see “The Daily Planner” entry) to remind yourself when it is time to open the box. Place the box in a storage area. When you review the items on the designated day, make one of the following choices: 1.) If you have not looked for the item during the three to six month storage time, then you don't need it. Put it in the trash or donate it. 2.) If you have looked for the item or have decided to keep it, put it in the appropriate place. Neatly organize the items in the “Keep Here” box in the area you just cleaned out.
Put all trash in the trash bag. Since you’ve probably accumulated a lot of clutter over the years, throw away or donate everything you don’t absolutely need. Try to consolidate the things that you do still need, but don’t use on a regular basis. For example, I have kept every single paper and every single class note I’ve written since high school (it’s part of the OCD thing). I still occasionally use these things for references or the basis for other papers or blogs such as the one I’m writing now; however, I don’t use them regularly. So what should I do with this huge pile of material? The answer, of course, is to organize! I have everything organized by subject matter (e.g. history, psychology, English, previous papers, etc.) They are all stored in a three-ring binder labeled on the outside, and placed on a shelf. This way, I still have the things I need, they’re just organized and out of my way.
You will likely need regular breaks during your organizing session; however, make sure to set a time limit (e.g. no more than five or ten minutes for a half-day project). If necessary, set a timer to remind you when your time is up. When your break is over, go right back to organizing.
Make sure you don’t stop at just the one room, closet, drawer, etc. Keep repeating these steps until every area on your list is organized.
Information taken from www.help4adhd.org
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