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April Newsletter |  |
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If you have children you are probably hurtling towards the end of school - such a busy time of year! In honor of this busy time we've produced a newsletter of "shorts." Lots of good stuff in short articles and resource listings to get you ready for - and through - the summer. To highlight a few of the resources - Dr. Hallowell will be at the Cape Cod Institute with his "ADHD across the Lifespan" talks for adults and at Leelanau for his family camps again this summer. On April 26 Dr. Hallowell is giving a free teleseminar on "The ABCs of ADHD." Two marriage seminars (by phone) are coming up - one for couples (starts 4/26) and one for the professionals who help them. There is a course on conquering procrastination, as well as a talk about stress and worry in kids, and more. There is much here, and we hope you'll find it useful. Next issue, back to our more regular format of longer articles and news. If you have suggestions for a story, please feel free to send them along. Melissa Orlov, editor
Q: I'm concerned about my daughter's Facebook usage. What do I need to know as a parent to help her navigate this "world"? A: One of the most common complaints I receive from parents whose children are struggling with emotional issues is the obsessive quality of their child's participation on Facebook. "There are unique aspects of Facebook that can make it a particularly tough social landscape to navigate for kids already dealing with poor self-esteem," said Dr. Gwenn O'Keeffe, a Boston-area pediatrician and lead author of new American Academy of Pediatrics social media guidelines. Could these feelings just be an extension of an existing depression or a distinct condition linked with using the online site? Despite the fact that researchers are mixed in their opinions, it seems obvious that a troubled child could become further deflated seeing their happy-go-lucky peers comparing friends' tallies and having good times. It's even harder for a child or teen with poor self esteem to read judgmental or hurtful remarks about them as posted on the Facebook wall for all "friends" to see. Facebook can be a very healthy way for people to connect to each other, but it can go too far. The social media guidelines were written to help pediatricians and parents to be aware of Facebook depression, cyberbullying, online harassment, sexting and other online risks. You can access the social media guidelines HERE. Rebecca Shafir M.A.CCC Q: Hello Dr. Hallowell, I have an ADD question which has dogged me forever and is particularly obstructive in my marriage, and that is, how do I keep from making the same old mistakes over and over? If the person with ADD has only "now" and "not now", i.e. lives in the present, how then is a person to learn from their mistakes? Even reading literature on the subject is not too helpful as I always forget what I read, even if it's a relaxing novel. My husband says I'm sleep walking through life, never really seriously working to change a problem, or else, giving up on changing anything when it gets too difficult, or when things seem to be going well. It's like I float through life. Any suggestions?
My reprinting your letter to serve as a reminder to me as I write this provides one tiny example of how I tackle the problem you so eloquently describe. You need to provide external structures to compensate for what your brain can't retain. You also need to tell your husband to switch gears out of the "moral model," i.e. telling you you aren't working seriously to change a problem or telling you you back off when it gets too difficult. That kind of talk implies you have a moral flaw, you lack grit and character. While I hope he intends to be helpful rather than just verbally spank you, he is not being helpful at all. His words are shaming and discouraging, hardly inspiring or motivational. Maybe that kind of talk works for a football coach, but not for a husband.
The film 'Race to Nowhere' is on many parents' radar-screen. We've seen the movie in packed school auditoriums alongside other confused parents, wondering how we can raise a happy and well adjusted child in this over-scheduled, test-obsessed new world. We silently fear that if our sons and daughters don't take the advanced-level courses and excel in sports and music, they will get left behind. The real question is, "behind" what, or even, who? Isn't it true that many adults end up stressed, over-worked, and often times disillusioned, regardless of where they went to college? Instead, shouldn't the goal be Adult Happiness? A special gem of a book, The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness: Five Steps to Help Kids Create and Sustain Lifelong Joy written by Dr. Edward Hallowell, presents the specific steps to help us nurture a child to find happiness and fulfillment that begins in childhood and deepens and grows in adulthood. Connection, play, practice, mastery, and recognition: five concepts that hold the key to raising children with lifelong joy. The next time you gaze at your child and imagine their future, consider looking at it from the lens of "happiness"; whatever storms may blow into their lives, they will always have the roots of joy.
Good News for the Hallowell Center in Sudbury, MA I am pleased to announce that on April 26 the Hallowell Center in Sudbury will open its doors in a new freshly refurbished location. Not to worry! It is at 144 North Road, the front of the building we currently occupy. To find us, as you drive up the hill, instead of bearing left at the fork, you will now bear to the right, and park in the first parking lot on your left. We're located in Suite 2450 on the second floor of the building marked 144. The new suite of offices is spiffy, if I may say so, but also cozy. It will give a more personally connected feel. If you have questions, please speak to any of us on the staff. We are all excited about this move and believe it will kick off an era not only of enhanced service at the Hallowell Center but also of enhanced warmth and personal attention. Edward (Ned) Hallowell, M.D.
Summer is a great time to improve your Working Memory! Working memory underlies several cognitive abilities that affect academic success and work performance: reading comprehension, mental math, problem solving, concentration and attention, reasoning, social skill building, and project planning. Cogmed Working Memory Training is a 5 week program for all ages done at home on your computer with phone coaching by a qualified Cogmed coach. The training is challenging and effective. It is the only working memory training program supported by several randomized, controlled, double blind studies. To participate in a free webinar go HERE. You can even try a free demo on U-Tube. To learn more about Cogmed Working Memory Training call the Hallowell Center at 978 287 0810 x117. Register now for summer openings.
Career Goals and College Success "Where you go to college, whether you go to college, is much less important than what you study." Rich Feller, author of Knowledge Nomads and the Nervously Employed If you are the parent of a young adult in college or are a young adult, yourself, you may want to consider career coaching early in your (or your young adult's) college experience. Hand-in hand with learning/ developing executive function skills such as initiating, shifting, controlling emotions, planning and organizing and monitoring oneself, students with AD/HD need to be interested in what they are studying. College students with AD/HD need to see the purpose for putting in the hard work in order to obtain good grades and eventually land a job that is satisfying and rewarding. In addition, as Dr. Hallowell and Cathy Corman identified in their book, "Positively ADD," two keys to success for people with ADD were, "people did what they were passionate about," and "people did what they were naturally gifted/ skilled at doing." Career coaching can help a young adult develop a picture of their ideal job, prioritize career-related interests, identify talents and skills and research possible career/work options that fit his or her personality. I sometimes talk to young adults who know many of their shortcomings but don't see their talents and skills. However there are written and verbal exercises that young adults can work on with a coach to identify transferable skills (Bernard Haldane called them dependable strengths). O'NET online HERE describes the skills needed for most occupations in the U.S. A student can work with a coach to identify 3 - 5 target occupations that would be good matches for him or her. The student can then conduct some informal research by talking to their college career counselor, their professors and others to better determine which of the occupational targets are most compelling and most marketable. Once a student has an occupational goal, that vision of his or her potential future can help the student persist in a program of studies as well as provide guidance as he or she selects courses. The likelihood of a satisfactory transition to the world of work, and the ability to support oneself, is higher if a student has spent time assessing himself or herself and exploring options for fields of study and careers that fit the student's interests and skills. Robin Roman Wright is a Career & AD/HD Coach at the Hallowell Center in Sudbury who works with teens, young adults and adults of all ages to enhance career satisfaction and develop time management, decision-making, organizational and study skills. She offers coaching by phone or in-person and can be reached at (978) 287-0810 or by e-mail at wrightconsulting@comcast.net.
Impact of Elimination Diet on Childhood ADHD May Not Be So Clear There has been much buzz about the INCA study, including the conclusion from the lead author, Lidy Pelsser: "64% of children with ADHD are actually experiencing a hypersensitivity to food." CHADD experts have looked at the study. Without more research that supports the findings, they urge people to slow down and not jump to trying an elimination diet. Read the article HERE Is ADHD a Gateway Disorder? Two recent studies show that getting an�ADHD�diagnosis in childhood is associated with�nicotine�and�alcohol dependence in adulthood. By being aware of the connections with substance abuse and ADHD, doctors and parents can know the warning signs. To read the article, go HERE
Join Katherine Ellison Author of Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention Author Katherine Ellison will be at Newtonville Books May 31 at 7 p.m. for a reading and discussion about Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention. The books is a hilarious and heartrending account of one mother's journey to understand and reconnect with her high-spirited preteen son--a true story sure to beguile parents grappling with a child's bewildering behavior. For more information go HERE. ADHD and Coexisting Conditions As many as two thirds of children with AD/HD have at least one other coexisting condition.The symptoms of ADHD may overshadow other disorders. But just as untreated ADHD can have a huge impact, so too can other untreated disorders which can cause unnecessary suffering. To read the article go HERE. Parent to Parent: A Family Training Program CHADD and Parent to Parent can help you develop a far more effective partnership with your child's teacher and school. This seven-session class includes a state-of-the-art curriculum with training provided by an experienced, certified Parent to Parent teacher. For more information go HERE.
Hallowell Center Sudbury Location Has Moved On April 27th the Sudbury Office will open its doors at the new location - 144 North Road (the same Cummings Park location, but in the new building ) Suite 2450, Sudbury, MA. 01776. The phone number will remain the same - (978) 287-0810. Every Other Tuesday, Sudbury, MA - Free ADHD Adult Support Group 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Sudbury Hallowell Center. No registration necessary and free to the public. For more information: Call Rebecca Shafir (978) 287-0810
ADHD Effects on Couples Professional Phone Seminar This seminar for counselors is given by Dr. Hallowell, Melissa Orlov and Dr. Kevin Murhpy. It will be held by phone on six separate dates (May 5,11,17,24 and June 2,7) from 8:15-9:45pm EST. Each session includes specific presentation and reading materials that will be sent to the participant in advance. For more information and to register click HERE.
Managing Stress and Worry in Children and Families - June 8, Beverly, MA The Essex County Community Foundation's annual Youth-at-Risk Conference Location: Endicott College, Post Center, 376 Hale Street, Beverly, MA. Time: 8:00am - 3:15pm. Dr. Hallowell's Keynote is 9:15-10:15am. The Event is Open to the Public. Registration opens mid-April. For details click HERE. ADHD Summer Enrichment Camp at Leelanau School - July 18 - 22, Glen Arbor, Michigan Click HERE to learn more about Dr. Hallowell's ADHD Summer Enrichment Camp The ADHD Effect and You July 25 - July 27, Chautauqua, NY - This introductory course helps you understand what's happening in your relationship, and why. Given Week 5 at Chautauqua. For more information, go to this link and look under "education" and then "special studies." Unwrapping the Gifts: A Strength-Based Approach to ADHD Across The Life Span - August 8 - 12 Cape Cod, MA This week-long series meets Monday - Friday from 9:00am - 12:00 pm. Hosted by: The Cape Cod Institute. For information click HERE Delivered from Distraction - September 12, Charlottesville, VA Hosted by: Little Keswick Foundation for Special Education. Event Location: Piedmont Virginia Community College, Earl V. Dickinson Building, Charlottesville. Time: 7:00PM �- 9:00 PM. The Event is free and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. �For further information visit the WEBSITE.
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508-545-2250 Hallowell Connections
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