Greetings!
Welcome to the Summer 2006 issue of the Hallowell
Connections Newsletter. We hope you have a
relaxing summer; we'll be here to respond to any
comments or questions that you'd like us to
address in future issues. As always, feel free to
forward our newsletters to others who might be
interested in learning more about Hallowell
Connections.
- Melissa Orlov, Newsletter Editor
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FAQs |
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Question: What is the difference between
Asperger?s Disorder (AS) and Attention Deficit
Disorder (ADD)? Children and adults with
Asperger?s Disorder (AD) are
often misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder
(ADD) and vice versa. Both diagnoses share some
similarities, and it is possible for a person to have
both diagnoses, but there are distinct differences
between the two conditions.
ADD is primarily characterized by restlessness,
impulsivity and distractibility. It is marked by
hyperactivity and/or inattentiveness. Socially,
ADDers typically talk too much and interrupt others,
but are usually very engaging and interactive.
The major distinction between AS and ADD is that
in
AS there is a marked impairment to initiate and
sustain connection with others. People with AS
do
not demonstrate or read nonverbal behaviors such as
eye contact, facial expression, vocal inflection and
gestures that help regulate social interaction.
Vocabularies may be extraordinarily rich and some AS
children sound like "little professors". However,
persons with AS can be extremely literal and have
difficulty using language in a social context. AS
persons have difficulty with transitions or changes
and prefer sameness. There is also a tendency to
demonstrate an obsession with repetitive patterns of
behavior, interests, and activities. Many persons with
AS exhibit exceptional skill or talent in a specific
area. It's important to remember that the person
with AS perceives the world very differently. These
persons may be perceived by others as being
aloof, ?in their own little world? and oblivious to the
feelings of others. Many behaviors that seem odd or
unusual are due to those neurological differences
(believed to be a right hemisphere dysfunction) and
not the result of intentional rudeness or bad
behavior. Because of their eccentricities, ASers
easily become victims of teasing and bullying.
The confusion between ADD and AS results from
some overlapping features. Both disorders are
characterized by reduced performance on tasks of
executive function and information processing. Both
ADDers and ASers may have difficulty making and
keeping friends, but for different reasons. Intelligence
scores are often in the superior to exceptionally high
ranges. Because both groups have unique difficulties
ADDers and ASers may be seen as anxious. And, like
ADD, AS is most certainly not the result
of "improper
parenting".
A complete neuropsychological evaluation is
recommended as a way of determining a differential
diagnosis. Treatment may involve medication, but the
most successful treatment approach is with social
skills groups. ASers need to learn how to
demonstrate and read subtle non-verbal messages,
friendship skills, anti-bully tactics, and stress
reduction. A coach or therapist who specializes in
executive function can be a helpful addition to the
treatment team.
By Rebecca Shafir, Hallowell Center, Sudbury,
MA
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The Summer Vacation: Smart Strategies for Students with AD/HD |
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School is over. Your children do not have homework
until September! Hopefully they had a good year and
can enjoy a well-deserved vacation.
Or maybe they didn?t have such a wonderful year.
The expected B for your son in History turned into a
C- after finals. Or the A your daughter thought she
would receive in Math became a B because half her
homework assignments were late.
What can your child accomplish in the coming
summer months to start the 2006-2007 academic
year in good shape?
Your child or adolescent should
review the
year with you, his/her counselor, or coach
at
the
Hallowell Center. The last thing children want to do is
dwell on their challenges, but they don?t want to
forget the specifics or have to dig up papers and
marks in the Fall to see what went well and what
didn?t.
- See if your child can isolate WHY certain
subjects and activities were successful so the
pattern can be continued in the coming year.
- If some subjects, activities, or settings
presented challenges, make a list of these and
brainstorm ideas of what will help to prevent
the
same occurrences in the coming academic year.
- Think about technology. No more
excuses
about losing assignments, forgetting deadlines or
losing slips of paper! You can buy or learn to use a
personal digital assistance (PDA) and try it out over
the summer so you will be all ready for the fall. Will a
PDA or other organizer work well for your
adolescent? See if he or she can learn to use it and
give it a try.
- Does your child use digitally recorded
books? Children with a learning disability may be
eligible to obtain books from Recordings for the Blind
and Dyslexic (www.rfbd.org). Teachers can assist
with signing up if necessary. Students can save a
lot of time and also understand the material better if
they hear it as well as read it.
- Kurzweil (www.kurzweiledu.com), Dragon Dictate
(www.dragontalk.com), and Inspiration
(www.inspiration.com) are three of many
available
programs that can also assist with reading,
writing
and organizing papers.
- If your adolescent is a rising senior, use the
summer to start the college personal
statement. If
your adolescent does not know the colleges where
he or she will submit applications, it may seem a little
too early to do this. BUT, an increasing number of
colleges use the Common Application
(www.commonap.org), so printing out a copy of the
Common Application and working on it as well as one
or two of the essay questions over the summer puts
your student way ahead. That way the family
eliminates some of the stress of the Fall when your
son or daughter will be a senior and VERY busy
finalizing the college list, visiting schools, having
interviews, and STILL trying to have a good semester
academically.
When your student and you have done everything
listed above, then you can relax. Just stay focused!
By Renee LeWinter Goldberg and Marvin Goldberg,
Hallowell Center Educational Planners
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In the News - Adult ADD |
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The Boston Globe recently ran a good article about
adult ADHD that includes scientific information as well
as the criteria doctors use to diagnose ADHD. You
may be interested in it for your own use or to send
to
someone else whom you feel could learn a bit more
about ADHD. The link to the online version of the
article is below.
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New Course - ADHD for Parents and Educators |
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Drs. Hallowell and Ratey will be teaching a 7-week
teleconference on ADHD specifically for parents and
educators. Sessions are:
- What is ADD, Really?
- Getting a Complete, and Accurate, Diagnosis
- The Biology of ADHD for Non-Scientists
- An Overview of Effective Treatment - There's
More to It Than You Think
- School Success with ADHD
- Everything You Need to Know About
Medication
- Alternative and Complementary Treatments
The course runs once a week, starting October 18th
at 8:00 EST and lasts 75 minutes per session. There
will be readings and recordings of the sessions
included in the tuition of $55 per session (total
tuition
is $385)
Please visit our educational website for more
information, and pass information about this
course along to anyone else whom you think might
have interest in it. The link is below.
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Clinician & Program Spotlight: Olga Soler and the Dore Program |
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Olga Soler, Program Specialist with the Dore Program
at the Hallowell Center, acquired the experience she
needed to become a Dore Program Specialist from a
varied background. She was in the professional
theater where she received movement training at the
Herbert Burkoff Studio, the Martha Graham Dance
Studio and the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in
New York. She received a BS in Education with a
psychology minor at Southwestern University in
Texas and a BA in Communications at Atlantic Union
College in MA. She taught Kindergarten to middle
school for several years and also worked extensively
with the early childhood population in many creative
venues. The fusion of psychology, movement and
education enabled her to put together two programs
of her own, ?Dance Alive? and ?Trauma Drama? which
have been featured at many wellness conferences
across the country and in the UK. Dore Centers were
a natural progression from that since Dore uses
exercise to stimulate the cerebellum with remarkable
results for those with ADD and ADHD difficulties.
Below Olga answers questions people most often ask
about the Dore Program:
- How does the Dore Program work?
It is
a
scientifically well-established fact that exercise
affects the brain in many positive ways. We at Dore
have put together a research-based program of
exercise that stimulates the Cerebellum. We use
balance equipment and ocular motor testing
equipment to monitor the progress of our clients and
prescribe exercises at progressively advanced levels
that actually cause this vital part of the brain to
grow and perform more efficiently. This has marked
positive affects on people with dyslexia, ADD and
ADHD difficulties.
- Why the Cerebellum?
Research
shows
that the
cerebellum is responsible for much more than we had
thought formerly. It is prominently involved in
regulating the fine motor functions, balance and
coordination, short-term memory, and the functioning
of executive skills like motivation and organization. It
has much to do with concentration and verbal
fluency as well as the ability to put thought to
paper. It has been shown with SPECT and PET scan
imaging that the cerebellum is underdeveloped in
people with dyslexia, ADD and ADHD as well as other
disorders like dyspraxia, dysgraphia and aspergers.
- How do these exercises help the
cerebellum?
These exercises help the cerebellum in much the
same way that other exercises do, by creating
neuropathways in the brain to the functions we want
to see go into automaticity. The brain has been
seen to have neuroplasticity well into a person?s later
years. That means that the brain can learn and
retrain and remodel itself virtually all our lives. When
we repeat a certain action enough times, it creates a
path in our brain that can be accessed quickly when
we need the information. This is known as
automaticity. The cerebellum is responsible for the
automaticity of the brain. When it is working well, it
puts what we learn into automatic memory for easy
access. Much like a librarian puts books on the
shelves in the right sections of the library so we can
find them when we need them. When it is not
working well, we see many of the symptoms of ADD
and ADHD and more.
- Can the program be done when someone
is on
medication?
The program can be done with
or
without medication but many clients find that
because of the program they eventually can be
released by their physician from the need for
stimulant meds related to ADD and ADHD. We always
recommend consulting the physician before removing
meds at any time during or after the program.
- How many exercises do you have and how
long
do they take?
We have more than 300
exercises but
no one is required to do all of them. We only
prescribe the ones that are right for the patient at
the stage of development he or she is at. You are
required to do the exercises ten minutes twice a day
with 4 hours between the two sessions. If you do
them in the morning it sort of calibrates you for the
day so morning is good for many people. Doing them
just before homework or heavy reading or writing is
also good. You will have to do the program for at
least 18 months to two years in order to get the
maximum benefit. It isn?t a quick fix but we have not
seen any regression in people who do the program
according to our criteria. We have seen many people
experience remarkable improvements in reading,
writing, math, concentration, coordination and sports
ability. Best of all as far as we can see the results
are permanent.
- Are the exercises difficult to do?
You will
need to
have enough mobility to be able to bend and stretch,
but most ordinary adults and children can do them
without too much trouble.
- Is anyone suitable for the program?
There are
certain conditions that make people ?not suitable?
such as current vertigo or epilepsy, but when they
do the free initial screening we can determine their
suitability.
- How do we start and where do we go from
there?
You start with a free initial screening. If you are
suitable, we set up a first appointment that usually
last 3 hours. At this time we will test your balance on
our posturography equipment (the kids call it the
space machine because the prototype was designed
by NASA) and your ocular motor functions. We will
also do a dyslexic screening and you will also be
examined by a doctor. After this you will receive
your exercise prescription for the first 6 weeks. You
will do these at home with supervision or with special
accommodations for people who do not have a
helper. At that time you will come in again and get
reevaluated (one hour appointment) for another
prescription of exercises and so on every 6 weeks till
you are done.
For more information and/or to make an appointment
please call the Hallowell Center in Sudbury at (978)
287-0810.
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