Empowering Minds, Bridging Understanding, Celebrating Neurodiversity: Support for Individuals with ADHD/Autism, Their Families, and Professionals.
Is ADHD a Gift? Look for “Islands of Competence.” Is ADHD a gift? Some say yes. Some say no. Look beyond the black-and-white. There are strategies to find out what they are. Encourage students to see the pluses where they excel above others. Common Strengths Dynamic Personality: Watch for self-deprecating humor. Risk-Taker: Victories seem impossible,…
ADHD is characterized by inappropriate levels of impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. Add challenges like self-regulation and behavior, and they present a major challenge in the classroom. Teachers can provide solutions. The first step is to identify specific characteristics. Characteristics Struggling in relationships Less engaged Avoidance of working (alone, in groups) Battles with authority Intrinsic motivation…
Ask yourself about ADHD: Cure disorganization? Trouble getting out the door? No chance completing school/work tasks? It’s all about having good habits. The symptoms of ADHD can be tied to brain wiring. Incompatible activities can make it inconvenient to follow. Combinations of tasks cause a delay in the beginning. It’s difficult to maintain forward progress….
Math Learning Disabilities: Do they exist? Students with ADHD often struggle in math. The question is: Are there really math learning disabilities? Yes, but they’re tough to diagnose. Some research contends that 26% of students with ADHD have dyscalculia. Others say that the number is higher (71%). Identifying when a challenge rises to something…
Overly aggressive. Bad temper. Spiteful and vindictive. Not all people with ADHD qualify for the Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). But, an estimated 65% do. People with ODD can look like anyone, but the negative behavior must last at least 6 months. A timeclock is one way. More common is to determine the frequency that is…
A whirlwind of excitement followed by an enormous crash. Push, push, push. Here’s a piece of candy. That’s our folks with ADHD. What do we want? Motivation.. Extrinsic motivation is the one we know. Intrinsic maybe not. Research has found that they differ in how effective they are at driving behavior. Is one better than…
Crash! Bam! Scream! What’s going on? It’s just another round of ADHD. Trade those tantrums into words of kindness. Actions too. They speak louder than words. Kindness is a virtue from which others flow, ultimately leading to happiness. People with ADHD have been well documented for being disconnected due to their emotional challenges. The goal…
25% of people with ADHD suffer from some source of anxiety disorder. This stress manifests in oppositional behaviors, negativity and meltdowns. It can thereby be harmful to both physical and emotional health. Recognizing this situation is the first step in remedying its impact. People with ADHD often have dysfunction in the right parietal lobe of…
Yea! School’s out. So what can we expect? A lost of more that 2 months of grade-level equivalence. It’s the summer slide. What can we do about it for our students with ADHD? During the summer months, students with ADHD tread water, at best, but are more likely to fall behind. This loss of…
Act your age! Immature? You bet, and there’s science to back it up. It takes longer for people with ADHD to mature. This nonlinear process causes a back-and-forth that stifles long-term development. Children can be more than 3 years behind. It takes adults until their late 30s to reach maturity levels of 21-year-olds. The decreased…