ADHD Tips - ADHD coaching

ADHD Symptoms Depend on the Situation

/in /by

Children with ADHD tend to behave better under these certain circumstances:

1. New and unfamiliar settings. When situations are exciting and new, children with ADHD behave better. This is because boredom, which causes a decrease in behavior control, has not set in. For example, during the first exciting days at school with a new teacher and a new classroom, children with ADHD behave much better than when the school year becomes routine. Boredom during the school day can be reduced by using bright and colorful school materials and textbooks, which may help children with ADHD work better in school.
2. Immediate rewards for behavior. Children with ADHD pay better attention to tasks in which they are given immediate and frequent feedback and rewards.
3. One-on-one attention. Children with ADHD tend to behave better when they interact individually with others. For example, the child may seem less active and impulsive during one-on-one meetings with grandparents or friends. This also means that group situations are a difficult environment for children with ADHD.
4. Tasks in the morning. Children with ADHD often work better in school and on homework in the morning than they do later in the day. Unless a child is on extended-release medication, homework may be completed more efficiently in the morning than in the evening.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Barkley, R. A. (2013). Taking charge of ADHD: The complete, authoritative guide for parents (3rd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.

 

 

What Causes ADHD?

Heritability of ADHD

/in /by

ADHD very clearly runs in families. In fact, over 25% of immediate family members (mothers, fathers, siblings) of children with ADHD also have ADHD. Studies with twins also confirm the heritability of ADHD. If one identical twin has ADHD, there is a 75-90% risk that the other twin will have ADHD as well. For fraternal twins, the risk is less profound, but still 6 to 10 times greater than among unrelated children.
Genes contribute much more greatly to ADHD than do environmental factors. The number of genes involved in inheriting ADHD is still unclear as scientists continue to study the human genome. Thus far, specifically, 9 genes may be related to ADHD. The DRD4 gene is often longer in people with ADHD. This gene is related to novelty seeking, which means that the person requires more dopamine in order to be stimulated. Therefore, the person with a long DRD4 gene may be more likely to take risks, act impulsively, and experience restlessness. The DAT1 gene may also contribute to symptoms of ADHD. This gene is also longer in people with ADHD and helps control dopamine levels in the body.
Parents should not feel blame or accept blame from others for their child’s genetically inherited disorder. Like inheriting the genes for height or eye color, this is something that is out of a parent’s control.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Barkley, R. A. (2013). Taking charge of ADHD: The complete, authoritative guide for parents (3rd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.

Picture retrieved on August 3, 2015 from: https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/news-detail.php?nih-finds-genes-that-may-be-new-parkinson-therapy-targets

 

Parenting Pointers – Children with ADHD

/in /by

Dr. Russell Barkley stresses the importance of practicing “scientific parenting.” Much like scientists, parents of children with ADHD must be open and critical to new information. The following points describe the steps you need to take in order to be a scientific parent.

  • It’s okay to be uncertain. No one, including professionals, has the perfect guide to parenting a child with ADHD. Keep an open mind regarding information about ADHD or you may miss out on useful information.
  • Gain knowledge about ADHD. After admitting your uncertainty about parenting a child with ADHD, make a point to seek knowledge. Read the books, read the blogs, and ask questions! Knowing as much as possible about ADHD and learning from others’ mistakes will prepare you for the journey of raising your child.
  • Be critical of information. In other words, don’t believe everything you hear or read about ADHD. Reading opinions and other people’s experiences may be useful to you, but only professionals and credible sources can be truly trusted.
  • Try new things and don’t give up! Don’t be afraid to try new parenting methods if your old ways aren’t working. Experiment and do not be discouraged if the method fails. Failure will lead you in the direction towards success.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Barkley, R. A. (2013). Taking charge of ADHD: The complete, authoritative guide for parents (3rd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.

Picture retrieved August 3, 2015 from: http://renewconnectenjoy.com/workshops/

 

ADHD Tips - ADHD coaching

ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

/in /by

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is commonly comorbid, or simultaneously occurring with ADHD. ODD is a problem that first becomes noticeable in the preschool years or during early adolescence. The following information discusses the symptoms and criteria needed for a diagnosis of ODD. Please remember that not all people with ADHD have ODD and vice versa; however, the two commonly occur together.

Of the following list of symptoms, at least 4 must be present for at least 6 months to be diagnosed with ODD. The behaviors must also occur with at least one person who is not a sibling. For children under the age of 5, the behaviors should occur on most days for at least 6 months. For those over 5, the behaviors should occur at least once per week for at least 6 months in order to be diagnosed with ODD. These symptoms must cause distress to oneself or others in close social contact with the person, or it must negatively impact areas of functioning such as school, work, or social situations.

Symptoms:

  1. Loses temper often.
  2. Easily annoyed or often touchy
  3. Frequently angry or resentful
  4. Often argues with figures of authority, such as adults
  5. Actively defies authority figures and/or rules
  6. Annoys others on purpose
  7. Blames others for his or her misbehavior or mistakes.
  8. Has been spiteful or vindictive 2 times within the past 6 months.
  • If symptoms occur only in one setting (school, home, work, social environment) ODD may be categorized as mild.
  • If symptoms occur in 2 settings, ODD may be moderate.
  • If symptoms occur in 3 or more settings, ODD may be considered severe.

If you believe that you or a loved one may be struggling with ADHD and/or ODD, please contact Dr. Gordon today!

 

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5.

 

ADHD Tips - ADHD coaching

ADHD and Stereotype Threat

/in /by

Stereotype threat is a very commonly researched phenomenon that affects people’s performance on tests and other evaluated tasks. Stereotype threat occurs when a member of a stereotyped group is evaluated on a task on which society believes they should not perform well. The member of the group is distracted and self-conscious about his or her performance due to the stereotype. For example, in a society that believes girls are not good at math, a girl may become distracted and discouraged during a math test, and therefore earn a low grade. This, in turn, confirms the stereotype.

Research about stereotype threat tends to focus on race and gender; only few studies have examined the existence of stereotype threat for people with ADHD. Since ADHD is strongly related to academic underachievement, students with ADHD often view themselves as less capable of performing well on tests than their peers. Belonging to a group that typically does not perform well on tests could cause those with ADHD to be at risk for stereotype threat. Research finds that students with ADHD are at risk!

Some participants were part of the “stereotype threat group” in which stereotype threat was evoked by reminding them of the stereotypes of ADHD. These participants with ADHD were reminded of their diagnosis as well as reminded that people with ADHD tend to not perform well on tests. Their scores on a GRE test were lower than their peers with ADHD who were not reminded of their diagnosis and stereotype. This suggests that when people with ADHD are reminded of their poor academic performance stereotype, they are at risk of underperforming on evaluated tasks.

What can we do to prevent stereotype threat? 

It is important to not remind people with ADHD of their stereotypes, especially before an exam. Having a role model who has proven the stereotype to be false is also encouraging for people with ADHD. Additionally, getting help for ADHD and gaining test-taking skills can give students the confidence to perform well on tests. Of course, the biggest goal would be to reduce and eliminate the stereotype that people with ADHD always perform poorly on tests.
Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Foy, S. L. (2015). Challenges from and beyond symptomatology: Stereotype threat in young adults with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 19(7), 1-12. doi:10.1177/1087054715590159

 

ADHD Tips - ADHD coaching

Sleep Problem or ADHD?

/in /by

Sleep disorders and ADHD share many of the same symptoms. Children with sleep apnea were found to have symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, learning difficulties, and aggressive behavior, which are similar to symptoms of ADHD. As for adults, symptoms of sleep disorders are also similar to those of ADHD. Both include trouble concentrating, problems with organizing, memory problems, and difficulty completing tasks. Sleep problems are extremely under-diagnosed in both children and adults, possibly because few pediatricians and physicians claim to be confident about helping patients with sleep disorders.
With sleep problems causing and potentially exacerbating symptoms of ADHD, it is important for people with ADHD to get a good night’s sleep. Remember to refrain from using electronics before sleeping. The light emitted from phones, laptops, and TVs interfere with the body’s melatonin levels and disrupt the sleep cycle. Also, talk to your doctor about concerns with sleep. If you think your behavior is not just caused by a sleep problem, Dr. Gordon is here to help with identifying and treating ADHD.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Breus, M. J. (2013, May 1). ADHD or Sleep Disorder: Are We Getting It Wrong? | Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleep-newzzz/201305/adhd-or-sleep-disorder-are-we-getting-it-wrong

 

ADHD Tips - ADHD coaching

White Noise to Improve Attention

/in /by

Due to the belief that people with low dopamine levels may benefit from external stimulation in order to better concentrate and perform tasks, white noise was suggested to help children with ADHD perform better in school. Although, white noise may be distracting for people without ADHD, it may provide enough brain stimulation for people with ADHD to improve their functioning.

This idea was confirmed through a study of one boy in first grade who had ADHD. Instead of focusing on his schoolwork, his attention was often on verbal, motor, and passive off-task behaviors. Verbal off-task behavior includes talking when not permitted to or making sounds for the class to hear. Motor off-task behaviors include standing, walking around, or playing with school supplies. Passive off-task behaviors are the times that a person visually focuses on something other than the task at hand. Before the boy was prescribed medication and before he listened to white noise, his behavior was off-task for about 89% of the time. When he listened to white noise in class with headphones, his off-task behaviors decreased to about 62% of the time. Even better results occurred when he began taking ADHD medication and listened to white noise, which reduced his off-task behavior to only 45%.

Since the addition of white noise through headphones increased attention in this boy with ADHD, other children may likely benefit from white noise as well. The sound, not only, immediately reduced all types of off-task behavior, but it also led to improvements in writing and math assignments. Perhaps most importantly, the child agreed that the white noise was helpful and easy to use.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Cook, A., Johnson, C., & Bradley-Johnson, S. (2015). White noise to decrease problem behaviors in the classroom for a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 37(1), 38-50. doi:10.1080/07317107.2015.1000234

 

Movement May Improve Performance in Children with ADHD

/in /by

A 2015 study of 52 boys between 8 to 12 years of age found that moving in the form of spinning or rolling in a chair, fidgeting, getting out of a chair, among other physical movements may actually increase the performance level of children with ADHD. Over the course of 4 weeks, these boys, some diagnosed with ADHD and some without ADHD, completed a series of memory tasks in a classroom-like setting. Their levels of movement were carefully observed, as were their levels of attention to the task.

As expected, the boys with ADHD showed more movement behaviors and fewer attentive behaviors than the boys without ADHD. Interestingly, higher levels of movement experienced by boys with ADHD were positively associated with higher scores on the memory tasks. In other words, the more that boys with ADHD moved and fidgeted, the higher their scores were.

It may seem counterintuitive that more movement could possibly cause ADHD children to earn higher scores. However, according to research, it actually makes sense. Children with ADHD have decreased activity in the frontal and prefrontal cortexes in the brain. Since physical movement increases cortical arousal, the extra movement may create the brain activity that these children normally lack. So, the movement that increases cortical arousal may cause children with ADHD to perform better than they would without moving.

 

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Sarver, D. E., Rapport, M. D., Kofler, M. J., Raiker, J. S., & Friedman, L. M. (2015). Hyperactivity in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Impairing deficit or compensatory behavior? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. doi:10.1007/s10802-015-0011-1

 

ADHD Tips - ADHD coaching

Siblings of Children with ADHD

/in /by

The entire family is affected by a child’s ADHD symptoms. Research regarding the siblings of children with ADHD reveals that they are negatively affected by the other child’s behavior. Here are some commonly reported feelings experienced by siblings of children with ADHD:

  • Feeling less important or forgotten about due to the family focus on the ADHD child.
  • Experiencing sorrow because their family is not “normal.”
  • Feeling victimized by their ADHD sibling due to acts of physical and verbal aggression and, therefore, constantly having to keep vigilant.
  • Frustration due to living in an environment with conflict and noise. Siblings often desire a more quiet and peaceful place.
    Feeling as though parents minimize their ADHD sibling’s violence and aggression. Oftentimes, violence is not taken seriously, leaving siblings with a sense of unsafety.
  • Resentful feelings due to ADHD controlling the family’s vacation, parties, holidays, etc.
  • Feeling as though it is their duty to take care of the sibling. For some children, this caretaking role is viewed positively, but for others it is a difficult burden.
  • Feeling as thought their identity is defined as being the sibling of an ADHD child.
  • Wanting their parents to understand what it is like to have a sibling with ADHD.

It is important to remember that one person with ADHD affects the whole family. If necessary, family intervention should take place in order to better maintain a healthy family life despite the struggles with ADHD. Siblings’ concerns regarding the ADHD child’s aggression should be taken seriously as safety is a priority and proper treatment for aggression should be utilized. Siblings should be involved in the treatment of the ADHD and should be rewarded for their help with the care of the ADHD child. Perhaps, most importantly, parents need to spend alone time with the non-ADHD children in order to keep a healthy relationship and give the child as much individual attention as possible.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Kendall, J. (1999). Sibling accounts of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Family Process, 38(1), 117-136. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.1999.00117.x

 

ADHD Tips - ADHD coaching

Tokens for Good Behavior

/in /by

Token economies have been successful in reinforcing positive behavior in children with ADHD. As the name implies, a token economy involves giving a child a token for each good behavior. These tokens can be in the form of a sticker chart, coins, or anything that physically indicates the child’s good behavior. Be sure to establish a reward for earning a certain number of tokens. Here are some tips for successfully managing a token economy:

  • Begin an economy where, in the beginning the child earns rewards frequently. Over time, the rewards can become less frequent.
  • Make sure the reward is reinforcing to the child. Let the child choose which reward he/she wants to receive upon earning a certain number of tokens.
  • You can take away token for bad behavior. However, the reason for removal of tokens must be clear to the child and consistent.
  • Never remove all tokens or leave the child with a token “debt.” This has been shown to be ineffective.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Reynolds, C., Vannest, K., & Harrison, J. (2012). The Energetic Brain. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.