Category: ADHD Information

ADHD Awareness Month 2021

October is ADHD Awareness Month, a whole month devoted to all things ADHD: what ADHD is (and what it isn’t), how it shows up in youth and adults, and the wide variety of supports available once you know that ADHD and Executive Function challenges are part of the picture.

As the director of the ADHD Awareness Month Coalition, I am thrilled to be involved in the dissemination of reliable information to assist adults and children to live well with ADHD. Check out www.ADHDAwarenessMonth.org which is focusing this year on five different topics of interest:

  • ADHD relationships and communication
  • Comprehensive treatment plans for ADHD
  • ADHD parenting
  • ADHD and co-occurring conditions
  • Diagnosis of ADHD in children and adults

ADHD Awareness Month is excited to feature short video interviews with top ADHD professionals as they share their understanding and expertise:

  • Melissa Orlov
  • Prof. Samuele Cortese
  • Dulce Torres
  • Dr. J. Faye Dixon
  • Dr. Thomas E. Brown

“I don’t want to make it seem as though pills are the answer to everything because they’re not. It’s also very important to have somebody who understands these things to be able to talk with the person and assess what things might be addressed by medication most effectively, and what things just need to be talked about and thought about and understood, and getting support for it.”  ~ Dr. Thomas E. Brown

New video posts will be added weekly, so keep checking back on the www.ADHDAwarenessMonth.org website for experts’ videos, questions and answers about ADHD, myths and facts, as well as ADHD Art, ADHD Memes and ADHD Stories submitted by the public.

Submissions received by 11:59 pm ET on October 28, 2021 will be entered into a random drawing for prizes from Ready Rocker, ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO), Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) and Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD).

If you haven’t done so already, sign up for the ADHD Awareness Month mailing list that will keep you informed of updated content and resources during October – and all year long!

ADHD Coaching to Support Healthy Lifestyles

Research done by Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D. and Mariellen Fischer, Ph.D. and published in the Journal of Attention Disorders addressed the reduction in healthy life expectancy of people diagnosed with ADHD due to adverse health and lifestyle activities. The longitudinal study was eye-opening, but pointed to the need for individuals and the professionals with whom they work to talk about lifestyle choices in order to positively impact life expectancy.

At the 2019 Annual International Conference on ADHD Melissa Knight and I made a presentation about how ADHD coaches can help their clients in addressing lifestyle choices such as nutrition, exercise, sleep, driving habits, smoking, etc. that impact estimated life expectancy and the quality of one’s life.

I was happy to see the following write up on the ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) blog highlighting the November, 2019 presentation.

The Role of ADHD Coaching in Supporting Healthy Lifestyles: Taking Research into Practice

By Melissa Knight, MA, PCC and Roxanne Fouche

Take Away: The importance of working together as a team when providing support for someone with ADHD. The team members can include a therapist, doctor, educator, coach and parents.

More Information: High-risk behaviors that occur earlier in life influence possible health concerns as people age, which then influences the increased risk for earlier mortality. What we have learned is that although ADHD is a serious public health concern, improved estimated life expectancy (ELE) may be achieved with proper treatment. It may be possible to improve the risks associated with lower ELE through treating ADHD, especially in improving self-regulation.

It is important that coaches become aware of this research to educate and support our clients with ADHD in implementing strategies for a healthier lifestyle. Coaches can play a significant role in facilitating change for our clients. Through this process, increased awareness concerning ADHD management, self-regulation, and lifestyle choices can occur. When clients increase their awareness, implementing lifestyle changes can follow.

Through Powerful Questioning and Direct Communication, Awareness is created, leading to Designing Actions. When a coach inquires about a client’s lifestyle, this provides an opportunity for the client to explore how behaviors can impact health. Through this process, the coach also helps the client to identify their values and motivation, which supports the client in understanding why a goal is important. When values are connected to motivation, there is a stronger possibility of success. Next, the client can move forward into brainstorming and strategizing alternative lifestyle choices. In addition to providing education to their clients, ADHD coaches are accountability partners. It is this accountability piece that is crucial for keeping these goals in the here and now for the clients in between coaching sessions.

Contact me for information about ADHD / Executive Function coaching to discover and implement individualized strategies, skills and habits that support healthy lifestyles, effectiveness and well-being. ADHD coaching is conducted in person in San Diego, by phone or via the internet.

ADD Successful Goal Setting

As the new year starts, many people make promises to themselves regarding better physical or financial health, learning a new skill, or how they conduct themselves in the world. Although these goals are heart-felt, unfortunately most research shows that New Year’s Resolutions are often abandoned by the end of January whether or not ADD/ADHD characteristics are part of the picture. It’s not that we don’t want these things, and it’s not because we lack willpower. We often give up on our goals because we haven’t set ourselves up for success.

How many times have you caught yourself making a promise to yourself or to someone else, saying “this time it’s going to be different“ without really changing the way you approach the goal? It doesn’t make sense to do the same things over and over and expect different results. There is an alternative.

As an example, I would love to play the piano much better. It would be so gratifying to sit at the piano, look at complicated music, and just have my fingers play music effortlessly. But it’s a huge goal and I can’t just magically wish it to happen.

As I set myself up for success for this goal, I need to consider what has worked (or kind of worked) for similar goals, as well as what has not worked at all. I need to be honest with myself. In order to set myself up for success, I also need to think about:

  • WHAT exactly I want to accomplish
  • WHY this goal is important to me
  • WHEN I want to do the things I set out to do … and
  • HOW I want to plan for success

It’s a combination of SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) and knowledge of oneself and how to leverage our interest and motivation.

For my piano skills goal, I want to be able to play songs in an Adult Intermediate piano book with ease and have memorized six pieces by the end of the year. I want to do this to push myself a bit, and have fun perfecting a skill that gives me joy.

I know that when I make too big of a goal, I can get frustrated. I know that I cannot work on too many goals at once, as that can get overwhelming. I also know that I work best with flexible structure.

I want to start this week, keeping track of the time I practice and log a minimum of 1 ½ hours/week. That’s a little over 15 minutes a day, which is do-able. I am going to try to do my piano practice in the morning, but on busy mornings, I would like to sit at the piano at the end of the day. My reward (and inspiration) will be listening to piano music via a streaming service.

I will share this goal with my family so I can have some accountability and although I don’t like the idea of playing for an audience, maybe I can record my playing so they can listen to it without the pressure of performance. Additionally, my intention is to give myself “permission to be human,” knowing that there will be some weeks that I will not meet my goal. After those weeks, I will revisit my plan and adjust accordingly.

So what goals do you want to work toward? What would make your life easier or more rewarding? What would make a big difference?

As you move toward your goals, the assistance of an ADHD / Executive Function coach may help you determine the strategies and habits that will provide more success, fulfillment and balance in your life. Contact me for an initial consultation and we can talk about how ADHD coaching can help you successfully achieve your goals with ADHD.

Researching ADHD Can Be Like Drinking From A Fire Hose

October is ADHD Awareness Month, a wonderful opportunity to get – and share – reliable information about ADHD for yourself, your child or someone else you care about. The problem is that if you do an internet search for “ADHD”, you get a whole host of websites to visit, options to try, research to consider, and people to consult – it’s like drinking out of a fire hose!

Where do you start? Start with the basics. Even if you’ve been dealing with your own ADHD or that of a family member for a while, it’s vital to keep up to date with research, treatment options, and resources! For a great foundation in ADHD, the following websites are wonderful places to learn or update knowledge about how to live well with ADHD.

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) is a leading resource on ADHD that provides support, training, education and advocacy for children and adults living with ADHD, their families, educators, as well as healthcare professionals.

  • In addition to the helpful in-person meetings that CHADD supports around the country and the Ask the Experts and CHADD webinars that it hosts, I love having access to some of the best information on the web related to ADHD. Check out the numerous fact sheets and infographics with general ADHD information as well as specific information for adults, parents and educators.

Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) is the leading organization for adults with ADHD which provides information, resources and networking opportunities to help adults with ADHD lead better lives.

  • It is powerful to be around people who “get” you, who have walked in your shoes and are accepting and nonjudgmental. One aspect of ADDA membership that I love is the opportunity to be part of Virtual Support and Work Groups and Virtual Workshops with people who truly understand the challenges and have great ideas for moving forward!

Understood is an organization for parents of children 3-20 who struggle with learning and attention issues, which gives parents information, expert advice, resources and a community.

  • One of my favorite things on this website is the series of simulations called Through Your Child’s Eyes that help parents (and others) experience what it might be like to have reading, writing, attention, math or organizational challenges.

The Annual International Conference on ADHD will be held November 7-9, 2019 in Philadelphia. Representatives from CHADD, ADDA and the ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) work together to put on a not-to-miss conference that stimulates the mind and nurtures the soul.

  • At this conference, you will have the opportunity to be inspired by the experts, add to your repertoire of skills and strategies, as well as be in the company of a large group of people who understand – and celebrate – ADHD!

As you prepare for October’s ADHD Awareness Month as an adult or a family member of someone with ADHD, start with reliable, evidence-based information and think about how you might share that information in your schools, your workplace, around the dinner table, or on social media!

And, of course, if you want to learn more about ADHD coaching in person in San Diego or virtually via the phone or internet, contact us. We would be delighted to help you develop the skills, tools and strategies to thrive with ADHD!

 

Shining a Light on ADHD Myths and Facts

If you have ADHD, it’s more than irritating to hear people repeat ADHD myths that you know are just not true.

I invite you to join the ADHD Awareness Month Coalition and international ADHD organizations as we focus on the 2019 ADHD Awareness theme, ADHD Myths and Facts. This year we hope to dispel the harmful stories that perpetuate stigma and that prevent people affected by ADHD to seek assessment, get appropriate treatment or share reliable information about ADHD.

This year we will be focus on the most common ADHD myths such as ADHD is caused by bad parenting and ADHD is over-diagnosed and share fact sheets written by ADHD researchers and experts to provide much-needed information to dispel the myths.

How can you be part of this year’s ADHD Awareness endeavors?

If you are curious about how ADHD coaching or consulting might be helpful to you or someone you know, contact me at 858-484-4749 or Info@FocusForEffectiveness.com. I am happy to share resources in San Diego or online.

 

2019 Annual International Conference on ADHD

The 2019 Annual International Conference on ADHD will be held November 7 – November 9, 2019 in Philadelphia. The conference is organized by ACO, ADDA and CHADD, three organizations dedicated to the empowerment of people impacted by ADHD and associated challenges.

I am pleased to announce that my colleague, Melissa Knight, and I will be presenting a conference session on the role of ADHD coaching in support of healthy lifestyles. This is an important and timely topic related to research done by Dr. Russell Barkley and the impact of ADHD – and specifically self-regulation – on health outcomes.

Keynote speakers at the conference include Dr. Anthony L. Rostain, Dr. Ross Greene, Dr. Roberto Olivardia, and Maiken Scott. As there will be many fabulous opportunities for learning and connection, I invite you to check out the conference offerings and attend if you can. Spread the word!

October’s ADHD Awareness Month – Setting the Record Straight

It’s astonishing that although ADHD has long been recognized as a real brain-based medical disorder, we can still hear people say things like, “ADHD is just a manufactured ‘disease’ promoted by Big Pharma” or “Yeah, everybody has a little bit of ADD” or “People with ADHD just need to get motivated and try harder.”

During October of every year we celebrate ADHD Awareness Month, an opportunity to dispel the myths and share the facts about ADHD. This year’s theme is “Setting the Record Straight” and there are a number of ways you can get involved:

  • Submit a video for the ADHD Awareness Month Video Contest in one of four submission categories: Family, Child, Adult and Professional. Submissions will be accepted through Wednesday, October 10, 2018 at 11:59pm ET. Voting will begin on October 12 and winners will be announced on October 30, 2018. For more contest rules and submission details, go to the ADHD Awareness Month website.
  • Check out the wonderful ADHD stories or share your own in about 150 words – what do you want the world to know about ADHD?
  • Check out the creative ADHD Art or share your own representing what ADHD looks or feels like.
  • Submit your ideas for the ADHD Awareness Month Meme Contest. The contest opens on October 1, 2018.
  • Sign up for the 2018 International Conference on ADHD to be held in St. Louis, MO from November 8 – 11, 2018

Unless people live with ADHD themselves or know someone who does, it’s easy to buy into the myths. When we share information about ADHD and our experience with it, more people are given the opportunity to truly understand the challenges and the possibilities with ADHD.

Please help us set the record straight by sharing information about the contests and the website resources with family, friends and colleagues.

The mission of the ADHD Awareness Month Coalition is to educate the public about ADHD. The coalition members include the ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO), Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), and Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).

What does Pi Day have to do with ADHD Awareness?

Happy Pi Day. Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14) because 3, 1, and 4 are the first three digits in pi. (For those who don’t remember high school math, pi  is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, so the formula is pi = C/d.)

Pi Day has gotten me wondering. How is it that Pi Day has gotten recognition and acceptance – and even celebration – when many people may be only vaguely familiar with the concept? They don’t question it. They don’t say that they don’t believe in pi. They don’t say it’s a made-up thing. They don’t say it’s an excuse or that the circumference or diameter of a circle need to try harder.

Wait a Minute – Where’s our Day? Where’s Our Celebration?

Although October is ADHD Awareness Month, there is no ADHD Day, despite the fact that ADHD affects people 24/7 … every day. ADHD doesn’t only impact those diagnosed with ADHD, but it affects the whole family system – the people with the diagnosis and those who love people living with the consistently inconsistent and often frustrating characteristics.

What ADHD Awareness Looks Like

If we have ADHD, it would be helpful to be aware of the challenges (and gifts) of ADHD. How much different would life be if we were able to understand and accept our ADHD and executive function challenges – and then implement the strategies, tools and habits that would allow us to live the life that we envision more easily?!?

Imagine what it would be like to start with an understanding of our own ADHD and go from there in designing a life that uses our strengths to work around those things that don’t come as easily to us. Imagine what it would be like to stop focusing on what might have happened and instead recognize our missteps as learning opportunities so we might set ourselves up for success.

If we are living with someone with ADHD, how different life would be if there were more awareness and honest, loving communication about personal ADHD challenges and strategic ways to work around them for effectiveness, family harmony and life balance? It all starts with awareness.

Personal and Public Awareness

Start with your own awareness of how ADHD impacts you and your loved ones … and then share what you know about ADHD with educators, people in the workplace, family members, and others who can benefit from knowing more about this brain-based condition that affects approximately 4.4% of the adult population and about 9% of children.

And if you are curious about how ADHD coaching might help in increasing awareness and developing personalized strategies, tools and habits, feel free to contact us. We’d be happy to help in any way we can.

2017 ADHD Professionals Conference

I am honored to be presenting at the 10th Annual ADHD Professionals Conference with my Research Committee colleagues, Dr. Rebecca Toney and Casey Dixon. During our presentation entitled, “The Power of Research to Transform Coaching,” we will be discussing the direct application to ADHD coaching of research regarding strategic self-control, cueing desired actions, and self-monitoring for success.

It is exciting to be part of a vibrant community of professionals attending the ADHD Coaches Organization conference in Reston, VA. We have the opportunity to meet and greet colleagues and friends, increase our knowledge base, share ideas for the application of evidence-based practices, and generally connect and collaborate for the benefit of the ADHD community.

Lead With Your Strengths

You build a life on your talents and strengths – what is good and right about you – not on your weaknesses, however skillfully they might be corrected. Dr. Edward Hallowell, Delivered From Distraction

Can you name your personal strengths? When asked that question, most people stumble for an answer. A 2001 study in the U.K found that only about 1/3 of the people can identify their own strengths. We can safely assume that the numbers are greatly reduced for people with ADHD.

It’s frustrating to have one’s ADHD weaknesses and challenges come to mind much more easily than one’s strengths and gifts. It’s no wonder, really, as ADHD challenges seem to be ever present, somehow overshadowing the strengths that we bring to the world.

Advantages of Using Strengths

Despite people’s perhaps natural tendency to orient toward weaknesses, we know through research that people who use their strengths are happier, more confident, have higher levels of self-esteem, have more energy and vitality, experience less stress, are more resilient, are more likely to achieve their goals, perform better – and are more engaged – at work, as well as being more effective at developing themselves and growing as individuals. (A. Linley, J. Willars and R. Biswas-Diener, The Strengths Book)

It Starts With Awareness

To a certain extent, focusing on the negative is a survival technique ~ we need to be aware of the lion that is about to pounce. However, after a lifetime of frequent frustration and challenges, focusing on the negative can become a habit. Fortunately, we can change habits that don’t serve us – and it starts with awareness.

Identify Your Strengths

So how do you move forward? The first step is to identify your strengths; you can do so by taking the free 15-minute VIA Survey. Taking the survey will move you toward recognizing, appreciating and remembering your strengths so you can build on them for more and more success.

If we can be of assistance as you identify and use your strengths in new and different ways, contact us at info@FocusForEffectiveness.com.