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What Works With ADD/ADHD
Have you ever had one of those "aha!" moments when things just start to "click", everything just seems to fall into place, and life works? Finding interventions, strategies and forming teams to help with ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder/ Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can feel like having an "aha" moment. With the right interventions, life works. Here are some simple ideas, to help you find What Works With ADD/ADHD.
The challenge is that, for children, adolescents, and adults, ADD/ADHD affects every area of life; the solution is to use a comprehensive, team approach with multiple interventions. Parents, family members, teachers, physicians, and counselors can work together as part of this team. If you are a parent, you will benefit from using specific strategies to help you train and focus your child's behavior attention and concentration. If your physician recommends either a stimulant or non-stimulant medication for your child, ask about benefits and risks, possible side- effects and long-term results of taking the medication. Weigh the benefits and risks thoroughly before following any course of medication. If you are uncertain about giving your child a prescribed medication for ADD/ADHD, get a second, even third opinion.
What Works With ADD/ADHD is consistency. Be consistent and positive; reward your child for the behavior that you want to continue. In the classroom, your child’s teachers need to be educated about ADD/ADHD. You and your child's teacher need to work together as a team to help your child. You may find it necessary to make minor adjustments in a classroom. At times, with severe ADD/ADHD, you may want to consider special classes for your child. ADD/ADHD is a pattern of behavior that covers all areas of life, including your child's social life. Help them with their relationships with others.
Every problem has a solution. If you are an adult with ADD/ADHD, try a comprehensive, team approach, working with your immediate family, healthcare providers, and others in your life to strengthen your efforts. Ask your employer or human resource department if you can work out adjustments in your schedule or work environment to help you succeed at work. If you have difficulty working out strategies with your employer and you live in the United States, consult the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and other related legislation. Structuring your environment can be beneficial to you. What Works With ADD/ADHD is finding and working with rehabilitation counselors, vocational counselors, and other mental health counselors including marriage and family counselors to help you and your family adjust to ADD/ADHD. For adults, as with children, medication may help you gain more self-control, increase attention and concentration, reduce impulsivity, and help you organize your life. Try a support group to help you know that you are not alone with ADD/ADHD.
If you have ADD/ADHD, you may have difficulty staying "tuned" to assignments and responsibilities. You may shift frequently from one uncompleted activity to another without completing the previous task. People may say your work and workspace seems careless or messy. Others may say that you often seem as if you are not listening to them, and your mind is elsewhere. They may even feel like you did not hear what they just said. It is difficult for people with ADD/ADHD to follow through on instructions, organize activities, and sustain the mental effort and self-application needed to concentrate. People with ADD/ADHD often miss appointments, forget to bring lunch, forget to bring homework to class or paperwork to work. The results of having ADD/ADHD are evident in school, work, and social situations. Use a day planner as a reminder for appointments, things to bring, and things to do. Use a day planner as a life planner. By this, I mean write down tasks and responsibilities to remind you of what you need to do at a specific date and time. Using day planners provides structure, reminds you what to do during each day, and "fills in the blanks" that come from difficulty with attention span and concentration. Day planners used as life planners help keep you organized.
Use your day planner for everything. Take it with you all the time, everywhere you go. Write everything in your day planner. Use your day planner as an action plan, not a "to do" list. Learn to estimate how long tasks will take. Make sure to include all your tasks. Did you forget anything? If so, go back and write it in your action plan. Plan for contingencies. When something unplanned comes up, it can throw your entire schedule off course. What if something takes longer than expected? What if you are stuck in traffic or in a line? Your entire days' plans would have to change, so plan well. Learn to resist impulses and distractions-stick to your action plan. Be realistic; do not plan more than you can do for each day. Think about what you need to do, not what you should do or would like to do, and determine what you can delegate (what can others do)? What can you eliminate altogether? How can you make your life simpler? What tasks can you do together (at the same time or one following the other)?
If you have ADD/ADHD, your life is messy, disorganized, and cluttered. Get rid of clutter. Get organized. Just starting a task may seem overwhelming, but there is hope. Counselors can help you find the reason you hold on to things, and help you learn to let go of clutter. Once you let go of clutter, organize what you have left. You will find it much easier to concentrate without the distraction of clutter.
By learning and implementing What Works With ADD/ADHD, your will find that life is more manageable, work is more successful, your relationships flourish, and you will be less frustrated and overwhelmed. Start today to move forward with your life in the positive and rewarding direction that comes from ADD/ADHD strategies.