I recently attended a workshop for adults with ADHD or those who suspect that they have it. It was presented by Dr. Umesh Jain, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry in Toronto who is a nationally recognized speaker, researcher, teacher and ADHD specialist. Presenting with him was Rick Green, an award-winning Canadian comedian/writer/actor/producer/director who recognized his ADHD as an adult. The purpose of this workshop was for adult ADDers (as this group has named themselves) to understand their individual "flavor" of ADHD and to utilize their strengths and learn some basic lifestyle strategies in order to "unleash the power within and create their own Totally ADD life".
As a Special Education Teacher and a Behavior Specialist for 24 years, ADHD kids are the norm for me. I often like to say that I've worked with so many ADHD kids that I've "caught" it myself. Over those years I have been seeking answers to the much asked questions about ADHD: What is it? Why does it happen? Who gets it? What do you do about it? I began this quest in and around 1991 when I attended a workshop by Dr. Russell Barkley, Ph.D, the then recognized pioneer and specialist in ADHD. His 638 page textbook with appendices and 68 pages of references was read, re-read and bookmarked by me as the be all and end all of ADHD information. The only problem was that the treatment plan was very clinical and had to be adapted and translated into a regular school setting to make it practical for teachers and most of all do-able in a regular school setting. And that is exactly what I proceeded to do over the next 10 years . In my schools. The progress was slow but sure.
My role as a Special Ed. Teacher has brought me up close and personal with ADD/ADHD and these kids have been my greatest joy and my greatest challenge. The personality types are fun, exciting and off the wall but the behaviors certainly mask these very positive qualities at first glance. ADHD kids can be a classroom teacher's worst nightmare if he/she does not recognize the profile. Worse still is the mis-identification of an ADHD child who is then wrongly placed in a Special Ed classroom and mixed with Learning Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities or kids with aggressive behavior. I have seen such children, especially at grade 6-8 level when they either shut down or cause such disruption that they may then placed in a residential treatment facility or a Section 23 classroom.
This recent ADHD workshop for adults has given me a valuable new perspective. It has given me an inside view of the ADHD experience from adults who have experience some or all of what I've just described.. The sad and disturbing common denominator for all of these ADHD adults, who ranged in age from 20 to 50+, was that their school experience had ranged from being very negative to devastating. It was traumatic in the sense that most had never felt that anyone understood them and worse yet, that no one tried. The fact that many of these intelligent, creative and energetic people had left school early thus limiting not only their career choices but their personal potential for life. Many gave up on themselves and considered themselves stupid or sick or just plain crazy and eccentric. The devastating damage to the self-image and confidence of so many people was very evident to me that day.
I walked away that day with sadness but also with some new insight into how to effectively address the needs of an ADHD child. With knowledge comes confidence and power to make a positive, loving difference in the lives of our children. From this experience I've developed a list of what every ADHD child needs to hear. I'd like to share them with you and the children in your circle of love.
#1 Explain ADHD to us in clear,simple terms and tell us what it looks like in us.
#2 Tell us what's good about us.
#3 Show us how to use our energy to get things done, have fun and be the spice of life.
#4 Tell us honestly what we're doing that irritates people around us.
#5 Show us amazing things in the world so that we can get excited about learning.
#6 Show us ways to organize our things so that we can find what we need easily to reduce frustration.
#7 Show us how to use a calendar, memory helps and a watch to keep track of time to get excited about tomorrow and look back at all we accomplished yesterday.
#8 Show us how to relax when things get hectic and we start feeling disregulated.
#9 Teach us about disregulation, frustration and anger and show us how to calm before an embarrassing blow-up erupts.
#10 Teach us ways to focus our attention on important things at hand.
Aletha McArthur , Program Director/Teacher Specialist
Founder of New Growth Family Centre Inc.
Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada
As a Special Education Teacher and a Behavior Specialist for 24 years, ADHD kids are the norm for me. I often like to say that I've worked with so many ADHD kids that I've "caught" it myself. Over those years I have been seeking answers to the much asked questions about ADHD: What is it? Why does it happen? Who gets it? What do you do about it? I began this quest in and around 1991 when I attended a workshop by Dr. Russell Barkley, Ph.D, the then recognized pioneer and specialist in ADHD. His 638 page textbook with appendices and 68 pages of references was read, re-read and bookmarked by me as the be all and end all of ADHD information. The only problem was that the treatment plan was very clinical and had to be adapted and translated into a regular school setting to make it practical for teachers and most of all do-able in a regular school setting. And that is exactly what I proceeded to do over the next 10 years . In my schools. The progress was slow but sure.
My role as a Special Ed. Teacher has brought me up close and personal with ADD/ADHD and these kids have been my greatest joy and my greatest challenge. The personality types are fun, exciting and off the wall but the behaviors certainly mask these very positive qualities at first glance. ADHD kids can be a classroom teacher's worst nightmare if he/she does not recognize the profile. Worse still is the mis-identification of an ADHD child who is then wrongly placed in a Special Ed classroom and mixed with Learning Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities or kids with aggressive behavior. I have seen such children, especially at grade 6-8 level when they either shut down or cause such disruption that they may then placed in a residential treatment facility or a Section 23 classroom.
This recent ADHD workshop for adults has given me a valuable new perspective. It has given me an inside view of the ADHD experience from adults who have experience some or all of what I've just described.. The sad and disturbing common denominator for all of these ADHD adults, who ranged in age from 20 to 50+, was that their school experience had ranged from being very negative to devastating. It was traumatic in the sense that most had never felt that anyone understood them and worse yet, that no one tried. The fact that many of these intelligent, creative and energetic people had left school early thus limiting not only their career choices but their personal potential for life. Many gave up on themselves and considered themselves stupid or sick or just plain crazy and eccentric. The devastating damage to the self-image and confidence of so many people was very evident to me that day.
I walked away that day with sadness but also with some new insight into how to effectively address the needs of an ADHD child. With knowledge comes confidence and power to make a positive, loving difference in the lives of our children. From this experience I've developed a list of what every ADHD child needs to hear. I'd like to share them with you and the children in your circle of love.
#1 Explain ADHD to us in clear,simple terms and tell us what it looks like in us.
#2 Tell us what's good about us.
#3 Show us how to use our energy to get things done, have fun and be the spice of life.
#4 Tell us honestly what we're doing that irritates people around us.
#5 Show us amazing things in the world so that we can get excited about learning.
#6 Show us ways to organize our things so that we can find what we need easily to reduce frustration.
#7 Show us how to use a calendar, memory helps and a watch to keep track of time to get excited about tomorrow and look back at all we accomplished yesterday.
#8 Show us how to relax when things get hectic and we start feeling disregulated.
#9 Teach us about disregulation, frustration and anger and show us how to calm before an embarrassing blow-up erupts.
#10 Teach us ways to focus our attention on important things at hand.
Aletha McArthur , Program Director/Teacher Specialist
Founder of New Growth Family Centre Inc.
Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada