Help! I have a teenager with ADD!

Teens with ADD can be creative and wonderful - full of energy and ideas. They also have the potential to get into trouble, just like other teens. In fact, they are more likely to get into car accidents and have higher rates of teen pregnancy, just to start. Remember to keep a sense of humor, create a "safe" space for your teen and stay positive! If you are looking for more information about ADD teens, we recommend the book, "Teenagers with ADD: A Parents' Guide" by Chris Zeigler Dendy.

How do I determine the right school for my K ? 12 learning disabled child?

Parents want to select a school for a student that is a good ?fit? for their child with learning disabilities. The first factors are those which would be true for ALL students, whether having learning disabilities or not. These factors include:

• The child's age
• The size of the school and location
• The sports and activities available
• The level of academics and amount of homework
• Whether the school is private or public

Then parents need to consider the learning disability:

• Its severity and TYPE such as dyslexia or nonverbal learning disability
• The presence of co-occurring disabilities such as AD/HD or sensory integration difficulties
• The availability of services their child will need, such as specialized reading methods, speech and language therapy or occupational therapy

Talk to professionals and peers about any prospective school, public or private. In addition...

By Rebecca Shafir, Hallowell Center, Sudbury

Over the last 20 years, there has been considerable progress in understanding the functions of the prefrontal cortex of the brain and its regulation of mental activities that allow for self-control and goal- directed behaviors. A disorder of executive functioning is not an ?official? DSM IV diagnosis ? Attention Deficit Disorder is. EFD merely describes a deficit of one?s abilities to successfully engage in independent, purposeful and self-serving behaviors. The seat of executive function is believed to be in the prefrontal cortex.

The major executive functions include:

• response inhibition (impulse control, resistance to distraction and delay of gratification)
• working memory - internalization of speech and the ability to set goals, plan, organize, make decisions and question
• self-regulation of emotion and motivation

Recently an advisory board to the FDA voted 8-7 to advise the FDA to add a black box label to Ritalin, Adderall and similar stimulant medications used to treat ADD. The black box warning is the strongest warning label that can be placed on a medication. The panel based its decision on an FDA report that found 25 children and adults had died suddenly from 1999 to 2003 after taking ADHD drugs. Dr. Hallowell believes that the recommendation is not sound, and provided a specific response that we placed on Dr. Hallowell and Dr. Ratey's educational website (called "bluehorn")...

Drs. Hallowell and Ratey have announced the multi- session professional education courses they will be giving in 2006 and early 2007. These courses are for psychiatrists, psychologists, pediatricians, family physicians, social workers, coaches, teachers and very interested parents. They include lectures and question and answer periods by phone as well as reading materials and recordings. Each session lasts for 1 hour and 15 minutes and includes 45 minutes of lecture and 30 minutes of Q&A.

This year's professional courses are:

• State of the Art: Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Treatments of ADD
• ADD Today 1: The Biology and Treatment of ADD
• ADD Today 2: Life Management for Those with ADD
• Harnessing the Psychiatric Effects of Exercise

Pricing for the courses varies, depending upon date of registration and the number of courses selected. To see the course dates, syllabi, credit information and other details, please click on the link below.

?The best way to change a life of frustration into a life of mastery is by developing talents and strengths not just shoring up weaknesses.? - Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. and John J. Ratey, M.D

• Are you looking to find yourself?
• Do you need to identify your talents and strengths?
• Have you had trouble keeping a job or finding what you do best?
• Could ADD, anxiety or a learning disability be getting in your way?

Our new Career Success program is suited for young adults age 16 to 29, mid-career job seekers and those looking for meaningful work at pre-retirement age.

Dr. Hallowell's much anticipated new book, CrazyBusy - Overstretched, Overvooked, and About to Snap - Strategies for Coping in a World Gone ADD will be released on March 28th. We have introduced a new website devoted to tips and ideas that can help you manage your CrazyBusy life. That site is at www.CrazyBusyLife.com and we hope you'll visit!

The media is quite excited about the book, and you can expect to see Dr. Hallowell on major tv shows as well as in national magazines talking about his book. As the time draws nearer we will send out notices about his appearances, including book signings around the country.

Caroline Maguire is a personal coach specializing in individuals and children with ADD and the families who support them. Caroline received her undergraduate degree from Trinity College and she is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Industrial Psychology. Caroline is a graduate of the ADD Coach Academy for a certification in ADD Coaching. She understands the unique challenges of ADD to create customized systems to accommodate individual clients' learning styles. Caroline coaches children ages 10 and up.

If you have questions about child and parent coaching, Caroline can be reached at 978-287-0810.

email: [email protected]

phone: 508-545-2250 Hallowell Connections or 978-287-0810 Hallowell Center (medical)

web: http://www.drhallowell.com