What is Hyperfocus?

Many people assume that anyone with ADHD can't focus. But in fact, ADHDers can often find themselves hyperfocused. Here's a bit more on that extreme from ADDitude Magazine.

Focus on hyperfocus

It's no secret that children and adults with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) often struggle to focus on tasks they find uninteresting. High distractibility -- in children with ADHD who are unable to stay focused on a classroom lecture or in adults with ADD who never get around to doing their paperwork -- is a key ADHD symptom and diagnosis criterion.

What you might not know about ADHD is that there's another side: the tendency for children and adults with attention deficit disorder to focus very intently on things that do interest them. At times, the focus is so strong that they become oblivious to the world around them.

For children, the object of "hyperfocus" might be playing a video game or watching TV. For adults, it might be shopping or surfing the Internet. But whatever holds the attention, the result is the same: Unless something or someone interrupts, hours drift by as important tasks and relationships fall by the wayside. "People who think ADD means having a short attention span misunderstand what ADD is," says Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D., a psychologist in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the author of ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life. "A better way to look at it is that people with ADD have a disregulated attention system."

Read more at ADDitude magazine -

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/612.html

ADHD and behaviour

If you have ever parented a child with ADHD, you know that discipline can be a challenge. Here are some great tips on dealing with behaviour at home.


Rhonda
 

Does your struggle with ADHD behavior look something like this?

You’ve told your child with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) to pick up his dirty clothes from the bedroom floor. Not a single sock has been deposited in the hamper. Did he not hear you — or did he ignore your discipline?

Annoyed, you shout and, worse, feel yourself getting angry and nearing a power struggle. Then come the threats -- no TV for a week, no friends visiting for a month, and whatever else you can think of in your fury. The incident costs everyone dearly: Your child feels angry and demoralized, and you feel like anything but a loving parent. And for what? A pile of clothes in need of a washing machine.

Later that evening, during a quiet moment at the kitchen table, you think back to what happened -- and what has been happening for months now. You wish you had used more effective communication and question whether you love your child any more, whether you’re a fit parent. Don’t worry: You do and you are.

You’re feeling the emotional turmoil and stinging regret every parent experiences when trying to love and discipline your child. Here are some strategies that will help you feel less like an ogre and more like a mom the next time your child needs some “enlightenment”:

Read more on the ADDitude Magazine site - http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/2519.html

7 myths about ADHD

Ever wondered if ADHD is a real medical disorder, if your kids might outgrow the condition or if your child might have avoided ADHD all together if you had only parented him/her differently? Here are some of the top ADHD myths - and reasons why they're not true. Another great article from ADDitude Magazine.

Rhonda

7 Myths About ADHD... Debunked!

Few psychological conditions have generated more discussion in recent years than attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD). Yet, people continue to harbor many mistaken beliefs about ADHD. Read on to learn the truth.

Myth #1: ADHD isn't a real medical disorder

ADHD has been recognized as a legitimate diagnosis by major medical, psychological, and educational organizations, including the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Education. The American Psychiatric Society recognizes ADHD as a medical disorder in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - the official mental health "bible" used by psychologists and psychiatrists.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (also known as attention-deficit disorder) is biologically based. Research shows that it's a result of an imbalance of chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, within the brain. Its primary symptoms are inattention, impulsiveness, and, sometimes, hyperactivity.

People with ADHD typically have a great deal of difficulty with aspects of daily life, including time management and organizational skills.

Myth #2: Children who are given special accommodations because of their ADHD are getting an unfair advantage

The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that public schools address the special needs of all children with disabilities, including children with ADHD. Special accommodations, such as extra time on tests, simply level the playing field so that kids with ADHD can learn as successfully as their non-ADHD classmates.

Myth #3: Children with ADHD eventually outgrow their condition

More than 70 percent of the individuals who have ADHD in childhood continue to have it in adolescence. Up to 50 percent will continue to have it in adulthood.

Although it's been estimated that 6 percent of the adult population has ADHD, the majority of those adults remain undiagnosed, and only one in four of them seek treatment. Yet, without help, adults with ADHD are highly vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. They often experience career difficulties, legal and financial problems, and troubled personal relationships.

Myth #4: ADHD affects only boys

Girls are just as likely to have ADHD as are boys, and gender makes no difference in the symptoms caused by the disorder. But because this myth persists, boys are more likely to be diagnosed than girls.

Myth #5: ADHD is the result of bad parenting

When a child with ADHD blurts things out or gets out of his seat in class, it's not because he hasn't been taught that these behaviors are wrong. It's because he cannot control his impulses. The problem is rooted in brain chemistry, not discipline. In fact, overly strict parenting - which may involve punishing a child for things he can't control - can actually make ADHD symptoms worse. Professional interventions, such as drug therapy, psychotherapy, and behavior modification therapy, are usually required.

MYTH #6: Children who take ADHD medication are more likely to abuse drugs when they become teenagers.

Actually, it's just the opposite. Having untreated ADHD increases the risk that an individual will abuse drugs or alcohol. Appropriate treatment reduces this risk.

The medications used to treat ADHD have been proven safe and effective over more than 50 years of use. These drugs don't cure ADHD, but they are highly effective at easing symptoms of the disorder. The drugs do not turn kids into addicts or "zombies."

Myth #7: People who have ADHD are stupid or lazy - they never amount to anything

People with ADHD are of above-average intelligence, recent studies show. They certainly aren't lazy. In fact, many well-known, high-achieving individuals from the past are thought to have had ADHD, including Mozart, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, George Bernard Shaw, and Salvador Dali. The list of high-achieving ADDers in business today includes top executives, such as David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue Airways, and Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinko's.

It's ADHD Awareness Week!

Sunday marks the first week of ADHD Awarness week!  The ADHD Awareness Coalition did the survey that looks at the impact of having ADHD on children and adults. You can read about the report by clicking on the link below.

ADHD Awareness Week: ADD Statistics About Anxiety, Sleep, Work | ADDitude

Here's an exerpt:

Workplace and School Impact

The survey covered many areas of life impacted by ADHD including employment among adults and satisfaction with school in children, as reported by parents.

More than half (60 percent) of adults with ADHD surveyed said they had lost or changed a job and attributed the job loss to their ADHD symptoms. More than 36 percent reported having 4 or more jobs in the past 10 years, and 6.5 percent responded they have had 10 or more jobs within the past 10 years.

According to the ADHD Awareness Coalition, finding the right career and asking for some minor accommodations on the job can be the keys to achieving success in the workplace.

Of parents with a child or children with ADHD, 44 percent reported their child to be dissatisfied with their school life, with responses ranging from extremely dissatisfied to slightly dissatisfied, and 41 percent reported dissatisfaction with their social life using the same range of dissatisfaction.

After receiving appropriate treatment, most children with ADHD experience a dramatic turnaround and are able to focus and children with hyperactivity or impulsivity are able to pay attention in classroom lessons, according to the ADHD Awareness Coalition.