May 2, 2012
Jonathan D. Carroll, M.A.
ADD, ADHD
ADD, ADD Coaching, ADHD, ADHD Child, ADHD Coaching, Adult ADD, Adult ADHD, Chicago, Deerfield, Glencoe, Glenview, Gold Coast, Highland Park, Hyde Park, Kenilworth, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Lincolnshire, Northbrook, Northfield, Parenting Children with ADD, Parenting Children with ADHD, Wilmette, Winnetka
Individuals with ADD and ADHD often times get stereotyped. While it isn’t always negative, the impacts of backing an individual into the corner can be quite dangerous. I’ve heard many different things said about us folks with ADD and ADHD.
There are so many negative and hurtful stereotypes associated with ADD and ADHD. In reality, it can often times hamper one’s treatment. As I discussed in an earlier piece on Girls with ADD and ADHD, it really can adversely impact diagnosis and treatment; especially in females. Think of it this way…ADD and ADHD generally manifests itself differently in girls. That is why around 25% of ADD and ADHD cases are female. We all can visualize what a boy with ADD or ADHD generally looks like; but girls are more difficult to diagnose. Using stereotypes to describe individuals with ADD and ADHD really adversely affects how an individual seeks help to improve performance.
Yesterday, I was reading The Daily. In an article related to President Barack Obama’s reelection efforts and new slogan, Allen Adamson suggested that voters have ADD and related this to voters understanding very simple concepts and are generally idiots. This ties into many negative stereotypes for individuals with ADD and ADHD. It is bad enough that schools often use terminology like child needs to work harder or this child cannot be taught, but when you have a mainstream publication allowing an expert to associate this type of horrible terminology with ADD and ADHD, it is very dangerous. If Adamson had said the same thing about someone with another condition, there would have been plenty of outrage (and rightfully so!). I’d like to say this is the first time I’ve dealt with this type of thing, but it isn’t. Another time I had a colleague suggest that ADHD is a version of mental retardation. This same colleague went on to add that people with ADHD are brain-damaged. Growing up with ADHD and being a former teacher, it is amazing how little some of the people we trust the most know about our condition.
So what are we supposed to do? As I advise my clients, losing control only reinforces the other person’s notion. When my colleague made those horrific remarks about ADD and ADHD, it would have been very easy for me to get angry. Instead, I collected my thoughts, formulated a plan and decided to share some information with the colleague. While I’m not sure what she did with the information (that is out of my control), I felt good about my response. At the end of the day, we can only control how we respond to a situation. If you are presented with a similar circumstance, I would strongly recommend not immediately reacting to the situation. In an earlier piece, I discussed the pause button. I would strongly suggest working on this skill.
For more information on my ADD, ADHD and Executive Functioning coaching, please visit www.adhdcoachchicago.com. To learn more information about some of the other services I provide, please visit www.carrolleducationalgroup.com and www.iepexperts.com. I can be found on Twitter at ADHDEFCoach. You can also find me on Facebook, Digg and Tumblr. My good friend and fellow ADD/ADHD Coach Tara McGillicuddy invited me as a guest on ADD/ADHD Support Talk Radio. Tara does many wonderful things and you should check out her website here. Feel free to email me at jonathan@adhdefcoach.com if you have any additional questions.
April 13, 2012
Jonathan D. Carroll, M.A.
ADD, ADHD
ADD Coaching, ADHD Coaching, boredom, Chicago, Council for Exceptional Children, Deerfield, Denver, Ellen Arnold, Executive Functioning, females with add, females with adhd, Girls with ADD, Girls with ADHD, Glenview, Gold Coast, Highland Park, Hyde Park, Jonathan Carroll, Kenilworth, Lincoln Park, Manipulatives, Northbrook, Northfield, Test Taking Strategies, Wilmette, Winnetka, women with ADD, Women with ADHD
I am at the Council for Exceptional Children Conference (CEC) in Denver and listening to Dr. Ellen Arnold discussing females with ADD and ADHD. Due to the way it often times manifests itself in females, many will go undiagnosed for many years of a young ladies’ life. Females account for only around 25% of diagnosed cases. Dr. Arnold identifies these items below as typical symptoms for girls with ADHD…
- Wandering thoughts…lacking focus
- Forgetting important documents like permission slips and assignments
- Difficulty completing assignments
- Gets upset more often than boys as a girl hits adolescence
- Lacks feelings of being good at anything
- Running late
- Distracted by stimuli in the environment
- Told by teachers/parents/coaches to try harder
- Come across as spacey
- Feel different than her peers
- Bedroom is a disaster
- Regularly use boredom as an excuse
- Disorganization isn’t always visible
- Are pleasers as opposed to advocators
- Regularly fail or struggle on tests
- Reading presents challenges
Dr. Arnold suggests these following success strategies. These include…
- Identify strategies to overcome boredom
- Need to highlight an individual’s strengths
- Identify the best ways to listen
- Doodling
- Toe tapping
- Repeating back information to check for comprehension
- Find the best way to maximize performance through one’s own strategies
- Become one’s own best advocate
- If something works, USE IT!!!
- Finding movements that minimalize distractions
- Stay positive…avoid negative language of self and others
- Use stickers or Post-It notes to write down thoughts…compensates for a lack of working memory (blurt book…a separate notebook to write down thoughts)
- Identifying how a behavior helps meet a goal
- Becoming one’s best self-advocate
- Use differing manipulatives for stimulation and movement
- Better to read aloud as opposed to reading to one’s self
- Helps with comprehension and drifting
- Learn differing test-taking strategies
- Use physical activitity
If you feel that a female in your life meets some of these concepts, I would strongly recommend exploring the possibility of ADHD. Also keep in mind that this can also apply to males as well. For more information on ADD and ADHD in girls, please visit The Center…A Resource for For Women and Girls with ADHD.
For more information on my ADD, ADHD and Executive Functioning coaching, please visit www.adhdcoachchicago.com. To learn more information about some of the other services I provide, please visit www.carrolleducationalgroup.com and www.iepexperts.com. I can be found on Twitter at ADHDEFCoach. You can also find me on Facebook, Digg and Tumblr. My good friend and fellow ADD/ADHD Coach Tara McGillicuddy invited me as a guest on ADD/ADHD Support Talk Radio. Tara does many wonderful things and you should check out her website here. Feel free to email me at jonathan@adhdefcoach.com if you have any additional questions.
April 11, 2012
Jonathan D. Carroll, M.A.
ADD, ADHD, My ADHD Stories
ADD, ADD Coaching, ADHD, ADHD Coaching, Belief, Believing, Buffalo Grove, Chicago, Deerfield, Dr. Ned Hallowell, Evanston, Executive Functioning, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Kenilworth, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Niles North High School, Northbrook, Northfield, Positive Reinforcement, Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka
I was recently reading a wonderful piece by Dr. Ned Hallowell on the power of positive reinforcement for children with ADD and ADHD. It made me think about a time in my life when I experienced a similar-type experience.
As the saying goes (and I wrote about it here), sometimes negative situations can turn into positive ones with a little faith. In my case, it came my freshman year of high school. School presented its difficulties to me, so in response I would often times act-out in class and create disruptions. While it wasn’t appropriate to the classroom setting, it was difficult for me to stay focused on a subject. Very few of my educators understood a lot about ADD and ADHD. Instead of working with me, they would ridicule me to my peers, parents and other educators.
I attended Niles North High School in Skokie, Illinois. It is about 15 minutes north of Chicago and about 20 minutes from my current home in Northbrook. At my parent’s first conference at my high school, the first few teachers were very negative. It got to a point where my parents were considering placing me in a private school. Then my parents met with my English teacher Dr. Livingston (and I am not making this up). My dad started off with what bad things are you going to tell me about my son? Dr. Livingston spent the whole session praising me and my abilities. When my parents came home that night, they shared the story about Dr. Livingston and his positive feelings about my work.
From that day forward, I worked extra hard in class. So much so that I was moved from a lower-level English class to an honor’s class by my Junior year. Having a teacher believe in me made all the difference in the world. His class wasn’t easier, but I made sure I didn’t let Dr. Livingston down.
I’m not sure where life has brought Dr. Livingston, but I really owe him such a huge Thank You for believing in me…it has stayed with me a very long time.
For more information on my ADD, ADHD and Executive Functioning coaching, please visit www.adhdcoachchicago.com. To learn more information about some of the other services I provide, please visit www.carrolleducationalgroup.com and www.iepexperts.com. I can be found on Twitter at ADHDEFCoach. You can also find me on Facebook, Digg and Tumblr. My good friend and fellow ADD/ADHD Coach Tara McGillicuddy invited me as a guest on ADD/ADHD Support Talk Radio. Tara does many wonderful things and you should check out her website here. Feel free to email me at jonathan@adhdefcoach.com if you have any additional questions.
April 3, 2012
Jonathan D. Carroll, M.A.
ADD, ADHD, Executive Functioning
ADD, ADD Coach, ADD Coaching, ADHD, ADHD Coaching, Adult ADD, Adult ADHD, Chicago, Deerfield, Employment, Evanston, Executive Function, Executive Functioning, Executive Functioning Coaching, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Job, Kenilworth, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Northbrook, Northfield, Potential, Underappreciated, Underemployed, Undervalued, Wilmette, Winnetka, Working with ADD, Working with ADHD
Many of my adult clients with ADD and ADHD often share the same concern…why do I feel like I am not living up to my potential? It certainly is a fair question, but one that doesn’t have a simple answer. From having a job that one feels is not up to his or her ability level to being passed over for promotions or positions that one feels should be his or hers presents some real frustrating moments. Here is how I can best explain the whole situation…
Having ADD and ADHD presents many challenges that do not quite fit into the normal world. In other words, things us folks with ADD and ADHD are expected to do just don’t get done as simply as others. For example, when we’re given a task involving a mundane thing like filling out forms, it can be torture. Our brains have to work especially hard to just focus on the task. So in reality, we are working harder than our non-ADD and ADHD peers on certain things that seem easy on the surface. Keeping up is essentially like running a race from behind and trying to keep up with the group. To an employer, it appears as if we are not as productive or efficient as others in our work environment. Appearance often defeats reality…
While the above statement may seem obvious to some, it really isn’t that simple. Just because we may have a greater understanding of our ADD and ADHD doesn’t mean the rest of the world will play along. A boss may get upset with a certain form not being filled in properly despite the amount of time it takes us to do it. In reality, we’ve worked harder on that form than our work peers, but not as productively. It causes us to begin to doubt ourselves and our abilities. But, keep in mind that your boss isn’t this horrible person, it just means that we aren’t living up to his or her expectations. Often times, the easiest thing we can do is blame our boss or employer. I will hear, my boss is horrible or my boss just doesn’t understand my needs. But in reality, your boss is dealing with pressures of his or her own that have nothing to do with you. In one of my other entries, I discussed Narcissism of ADD and ADHD. It is important to keep in mind that these situations aren’t always about you and your feelings, but a bigger picture that is out of our control.
The best advice I can give anyone dealing with this type of situation is to start working with an ADHD coach. You can find a list of coaches on different Websites including the ADHD Coaches Organization, CHADD or ADDA. Having someone help you better understand, manage and plan for your ADD and ADHD will make a huge difference. Relying on yourself isn’t a recipe for success.
For more information on my ADD, ADHD and Executive Functioning coaching, please visit www.adhdcoachchicago.com. To learn more information about some of the other services I provide, please visit www.carrolleducationalgroup.com and www.iepexperts.com. I can be found on Twitter at ADHDEFCoach. You can also find me on Facebook, Digg and Tumblr. My good friend and fellow ADD/ADHD Coach Tara McGillicuddy invited me as a guest on ADD/ADHD Support Talk Radio. Tara does many wonderful things and you should check out her website here. Feel free to email me at jonathan@adhdefcoach.com if you have any additional questions.
March 28, 2012
Jonathan D. Carroll, M.A.
ADD, ADHD
ACO, ADD Coach, ADD Coaching, ADHD Coach, ADHD Coaches Organization, ADHD Coaching
Last weekend I spent a few wonderful days in beautiful Atlanta with fellow ADD and ADHD coaches from across the USA and Canada. It was an excellent opportunity to learn from other coaches as well a professional development opportunity.
The Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder Coaches Organization (ACO) is an excellent resource for anyone looking for more information on ADD and ADHD coaches as well as helping to grow and promote the field. I would strongly recommend visiting the website and learning more about ADD and ADHD coaching through our organization.
While the sessions were quite educational, the richest learning opportunities came from our conversations. It was nice getting to know different coaches and professionals while at the same time learning about that person’s style. There are many wonderful and dedicated coaches promoting ADD and ADHD coaching. Each one of us has a differing style and offers services that directly impact the lives of our clients. If you are considering coaching as an intervention for your ADD and ADHD, I would strongly recommend speaking with a few different coaches and seeing who’s style makes you the most comfortable.
For more information on my services, I can be found on Twitter at ADHDEFCoach. You can also find me on Facebook, Digg and Tumblr. For more information on my work, check out www.carrolledu.com and www.iepexperts.com. Feel free to email me at jonathan@adhdefcoach.com if you have any additional questions.
March 11, 2012
Jonathan D. Carroll, M.A.
IEP, Special Education
ADD, ADHD, Advocate, Attorney, COPAA, Special Education, special needs
I’d like to thank the fine folks at COPAA for putting together a wonderful program. For those of you that aren’t familiar with COPAA, it is the Council for Parent Attorneys and Advocates. Many of our gains in Special Education laws and procedures are a direct result of the tireless work of COPAA. I would strongly advise parents and professionals join COPAA and help support this outstanding organization. Additionally, it will keep you in the know with trends in Special Education laws and regulations.
From a personal standpoint, I was misdiagnosed as a child with a behavioral disorder (instead of ADHD) and was misplaced throughout my educational experience. If I was in school today, it would have been a different experience. That being said, it makes me very happy that there’s individuals now fighting for every child. Meeting and listening to passionate professionals helps all of our children with learning differences. I just wish this was available to my parents and many other parents that felt as helpless as mine did throughout a negative experience. If you want to know where my professional passion comes from, look no further than my parents. Despite feeling helpless in the education process, they put forth one hell of an effort. If you’re as passionate, please get involved with COPAA. Even the smallest contributions make a huge difference.
I can be found on Twitter at ADHDEFCoach. You can also find me on Facebook, Digg and Tumblr. For more information on my work, check out www.carrolledu.com and www.iepexperts.com. Feel free to email me at jonathan@adhdefcoach.com if you have any additional questions.
March 10, 2012
Jonathan D. Carroll, M.A.
School, Special Education
504 Plan, ADD Coach, ADD Coaching, ADHD Coach, ADHD Coaching, COPAA, IEP, Occupational Therapy, OT, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Special Education, special needs, speech therapist, speech therapy
There’s many wonderful professionals advocating for the advancement of children with special needs. For many of us that have personally struggled with education, it’s the passion and commitment from these professionals that have helped to advance the education for students with varying learning needs.
For those of you that aren’t familiar with COPAA or think I’m going to start singing a Barry Manilow song, it stands for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates. For more information, please visit www.copaa.org.
Helping families navigate the Special Education process isn’t as easy as it should be; so working with a qualified professional makes a huge difference. As a former Special Education teacher and professional advocate (as well as an ADD/ADHD and Executive Functioning Coach), I cannot stress enough the importance of doing your own preparation work. Working with a qualified professional throughout the process will help you identify what’s best for your child as well as how to make the process go as smooth as possible. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. Using a good advocate though out the process is your own personal ounce of prevention.
Stay tuned for more…I’ll be updating some interesting things on Twitter. Follow me at ADHDEFCoach. You can also find me on Facebook, Digg and Tumblr. For more information on my work, check out www.carrolledu.com and www.iepexperts.com. Feel free to email me at jonathan@adhdefcoach.com if you have any additional questions.
March 1, 2012
Jonathan D. Carroll, M.A.
ADD, ADHD
ADD Coaching, ADHD Coaching, Adult ADD, Adult ADHD
I’ve seen many different reactions from adults with ADD and ADHD. The two most common emotions are relief and anger. I get asked by many of my adult clients when is a good time to tell someone about ADD and ADHD and how should we do it. There is no simple answer to these questions.
Let’s face it, our culture’s understanding of ADD/ADHD has grown over the last decade or so. When I was diagnosed over 30-years ago, some people considered me mentally retarded. Today, having ADD/ADHD is like needing glasses. But there are still those that don’t buy into the whole ADD/ADHD diagnosis. Many of my adult clients fear being labeled. It’s certainly fair. As I tell all of my clients, we can only control how we feel and react to a situation. Other individuals will react the way they want to react. We don’t have any control over the reactions of others.
Keeping that in mind, here’s what I advise my clients to do…
- Set up a specific time to talk with the individual you’d like to tell. Be prepared with some facts about ADD/ADHD. Don’t spring this news on anyone. It’s better to prepare yourself mentally and give the other person an opportunity to dialogue about your situation.
- Prepare yourself for different types of reactions. People will react in different ways, so don’t be caught off-guard. If someone doesn’t react with sympathy, that’s his or her problem. Just stay focused on your message.
- After letting someone know, don’t start using the I have ADHD card. While it may be the truth, it makes you seem like your taking less ownership of your mishaps. We live in a result-based world, so produce results. Don’t produce excuses.
Following up on my last statement, that is ultimately what gets almost all of my clients into trouble. It’s not so much the ADD/ADHD moments, it’s the excuses. I hear too many times it’s not my faultfrom my clients. That reinforces many people’s preconceived negative notions about ADD/ADHD. Take ownership of your mistakes. It’s OK, it happens to the best of us. Individuals with ADD/ADHD often struggle from actually trying too hard. We want to be perfect, so in the process of attempting perfection, we almost become worse. Our efforts are focused in the wrong ways. By accepting that we’re not perfect and we will make mistakes is a HUGE step in the process. Remember, it still doesn’t mean that others are going to accept our faults, but it does mean that the person with ADD/ADHD identifies an area of concern and addresses it. That, my friends, is how we begin the growth process.
I can be found on Twitter at ADHDEFCoach. You can also find me on Facebook, Digg and Tumblr. For more information on my work, check out www.carrolledu.com and www.iepexperts.com. Feel free to email me at jonathan@adhdefcoach.com if you have any additional questions.
February 21, 2012
Jonathan D. Carroll, M.A.
ADD, ADHD, School
ADD Child, ADD Teenager, ADHD Chicago, ADHD Teenager, Immature ADD, Immature ADHD
The answer to this question is a resounding YES. But it doesn’t mean that he or she is damaged or bad, it means that he or she is less mature. My experiences with clients and from personal experience has taught me that expectations have to be realistic with clients. Understanding that almost all of my clients come from a less-mature place helps the process.
Why does this happen? That is where the conversation will get a bit more complicated. It is my opinion that young people with ADD and ADHD work very hard to keep up with other peers. That being the case, there’s just too much that he or she has to do to be age appropriate across the board. The concept of working harder or grow up aren’t as easy for us ADD and ADHD folks as one would think. So keeping everything in perspective really helps the process.
My advice to any parent or interested party dealing with this concept is to be patient and understanding. Instead of assuming that a child or adolescent gets it, work under the assumption that he or she doesn’t quite connect the dots. Remember, you’re not lowering expectations but you’re helping the individual stay up with everyone else with a little more support.
My good friend and fellow ADD/ADHD CoachTara McGillicuddy invited me as a guest on ADD/ADHD Support Talk Radio discussing medication as an intervention for ADD and ADHD (click here). It is also available on iTunes as a Podcast (click here). Tara does many wonderful things and you should check out her website here.
I can be found on Twitter at ADHDEFCoach. You can also find me on Facebook, Digg and Tumblr. For more information on my work, check out www.carrolledu.com and www.iepexperts.com. Feel free to email me at jonathan@adhdefcoach.com if you have any additional questions.
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