ADD Journal

LIfe with ADD is something I don't have personal knowledge about - I don't have ADD.  I can, however, tell you what it is like to parent my child (not every child) who has ADD.  My husband and I have read a lot of information about ADD - parenting techniques, strategies for kids who have ADD, strategies for teens who have ADD, transitioning into adulthood with ADD, organization for ADD, etc.

The author who has given us the most helpful "aha" information has been Dr. William Dodson. In his article "Secrets of the ADHD Brain", Dr. Dodson talks about an ADHD Owner's Manual. This is a strategy where the person who has ADHD records things he/she has done to get in the zone over a month long period .  At the end of the time period, the person will have personal strategies to get in the zone.

When S is in his zone, he can accomplish so much.  It is amazing even to him.  The last few weeks of S's junior year I had him write for a few minutes every day about things that had worked for him.  The tricky part for him at first was he wanted to talk about things that didn't go right. Nope.  Write what worked for you today no matter how big or small.  

This is S’s compiled list:

a.  Do Math early in the day

b.  Things have to be interesting to me

c.  Getting up earlier allows the opportunity to take Concerta earlier

d.  Occasional change of environment/change of pace

e.  Switch back and forth between subjects that are similar (German and Russian) - loves foreign languages!

f.  Knowing when medication is working correctly or when it needs to be tweaked

g.  Knowing that an end is in sight - chunking work - creating lists

h.  Desire to finish the slowest part of a task

i.  Having knowledge related to task

j.  Being able to trust those who help me so I don't have to worry.  I can focus on my task.

k. Desire to improve at a skill/task

l.  Creating a sense of urgency - "crunch" time

m. Task list on calendar (like to check things off my list)

n.  Desire to brag about accomplishments

o.  Don't put writing off - get it done

Interesting piece of information:  S was tasked with writing about what worked for him.  He didn't go back to compile the information until the end of July when asked if it was completed. It's a work in progress…

I will be on the couch with chocolate.