A Great ADHD Hobby: Geocaching!

We have recently discovered a great new way to spend time as a family. A family doctor, whose own child has ADHD, had recommended Geocaching, which we have come to understand as a little-discussed adventure/sport/game/hobby. I’m really not sure which of those fits best!

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt in...(Continued)

A Vision for ADHD - Part IV

We have stirred the pot in the area of education for ADHD kids. As a few had indicated, it certainly deserves further thought and discussion. We will revisit education for those dealing with ADHD in the coming weeks.

For now, I'd like to expand the field of view for my vision for ADHD. Let's move to the area of public information.

Before we can help educate the outsiders to the experience of ADHD, we probably need to re-educate ourselves. ADHD as a disability or disorder, while accurate in today's context, may also be one of our greatest ...... (Continued)

A Vision for ADHD - Part III

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Now, a little more seriously, about that design framework for an alternative school concept…

Do you realize how little schools have changed in the past 200 years? Sure we have added some computer labs and there’s no doubt that we have perfected the teachers’ unions, yet so much is substantially the same. Look then or now and the scene is pretty similar: The kids are sitting at a small, confining desk most of the day, being taught the “fundamentals”, in a class size of a couple of dozen kids. The kids have off all summer, which is obviously a good thing – how else would we all take care of our crops? Take a look at an old TV show or movie depicting an early 1800’s school house and it looks strikingly similar to today’s educational environment.

Once in a while, progress, whether natural or man-made, requires substantial, sometimes violent, upheaval. I believe we are long overdue for this kind of change in our educational systems. For those of you who feel that my thinking is naïve, uninformed or overly simple, I don’t propose that I have all the answers, but I can assure you that I have a few questions and concerns. I have seen enough to know that while our schools are wonderful overall, for the ADHD subset it leaves alot to be desired.

I want to start a serious dialogue on what a “dream” ADHD school would be like. Let’s start by breaking down and discarding all of our preconceived notions. Throw out what you imagine a classroom looks like – for that matter take down the walls! Drop your initial reactions to what the hours, curriculum, testing/grading systems, teachers, and discipline should be.

Let’s start from here and free-flow some thoughts:

- Would most of the average day be spent working in an open-air, covered outdoor pavilion?

- Would the students work at desks, lab tables or mostly standing at project tables allowing the kids to fidget in place a bit?

- Would one day a week be spent working on some charitable effort chosen by the students?

- Would one session a week be spent using distance learning? From home? Or taught by a teacher from across the globe?

- Since those with ADHD often respond better to positive reinforcement, what rewards and incentives would be used and how?

- How would goals and performance be set and measured? Would goals for the school year be worked out, for each individual student, between the teacher, parent and student? Would components of a child’s learning criteria be split between the teacher’s goals, the parents’ goals and the student’s goals?

- What kind of new curriculum might we see?:
Win/Win Negotiation? Sounds complicated for a child, but how much more could we all accomplish if the “childish” dealings with others we all occasionally have were already trained out by the age of 10?

Time Management/Organization/Planning? This is the bane of those with ADHD! Why not teach children to be more efficient and effective with their efforts? Say no to “Where is my homework/wallet/keys??”.

Life discipline? Part health, part philosophy – maybe the McDonald’s of this world won’t stand a chance against these kids. If the government would like to take some of the money they won’t need for public medical costs and support this particular program, I’m sure we could find a way to accommodate them.

Delegation? Knowing what we are not good at is just as important as knowing what we excel in. Being able to manage our weaknesses through delegation can be a huge help in avoiding problems in your career, when you are dealing with ADHD.

An Animal Care Program? A child knowing that they need to get in to school to take their turn feeding and walking one of the class pets could go a long way with anxiety issues, not to mention improvements in impulsivity control, empathy and responsibility.

- Would there be a lunch program? Food education and a gluten-free, dye-free diet, with "grazing" ( many small, healthy snacks/meals)throughout the day could provide for more stable moods and behaviors in school and at home.

- Would the school have ongoing therapy? In group, in private or both? Cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation and yoga could all be part of the mix.

- What would the guiding mission of this school be? John Glennon had commented on Part II of this series and he put out a thought that seemed incredibly obvious, but at the same time I had never considered this significant point:

"...it’s incredibly important to realize that we have no shared vision about the
reason we educate our children. I would say this is akin to Dewey’s Aims of
Education. We don’t know if we’re educating them to be good citizens, good
thinkers, good soldiers, or just preparing them to move into a vocation/business
of some sort once they’ve graduated. Without this shared vision, we have
wandered aimlessly which has culminated in a poor system."

As I had stated earlier, this is only meant to start the ball rolling. We have a shared responsibility here. So with that, I turn the podium over to you, the reader. Please take a minute to share your thoughts by using the "comment" section below. I would really like to get the take of some of the parents who are homeschooling their ADHD kids (thanks for the suggestion Jack Blackthorn), as well as adults with ADHD who have thoughts on their own school experiences.

A Vision for ADHD - Part II

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As an ADHD adult, once again I find that impulsivity is riding shotgun. I have thrown out the idea that our schools, for a significant portion of society are due for radical change. But to be honest, I have not come close to fully fleshing out what they should be. It would be presumptuous on my part, to assume that something so important should flow from the thoughts of just one individual. That being said, I feel it is important to keep filling in the pieces as to what such a school might be like and why it could work.

Many comments I have received have centered on whether or not this could work:

“Our schools can barely afford what they have now. How can they afford a series of special schools?”
“It sounds wonderful but this could never happen in my lifetime”
“Won’t this be a problem for acceptance at colleges or jobs?”

I want to take any preconceived notions we have about school and throw them out the window.

Money and Funding:
As a CPA and financial consultant, I am working with educational institutions big and small. I feel that many educators at the primary school level have followed the status quo in both their programs and their finances. Creative thinking could come up with alternatives for funding.

Is it possible to establish sponsorship programs that have no effect on the educational material itself? An arm’s length relationship with sponsors could easily be established.

Our universities have learned to use fundraising appeals to provide endowments that could fund a school for generations. I am not talking about selling wrapping paper and candy bars. Direct mail campaigns and professional solicitation of large corporate and individual grants or gifts can be very powerful.

Lastly, there has been a proliferation of reports of financial abuse in schools in the past few years. We hear that a school’s budget is cut to the bone. Shortly thereafter, we read in the paper that administrators had been expanding their personal lifestyle on the school’s dime. There was one report of a school that hired a law firm on retainer, then also hired several of the attorneys as employees, with full benefits. We are hearing more of these cases, not fewer.

I do not passively accept the premise that we can’t afford such a program. I would greater argue that we cannot afford to ignore the potential for contribution from some of our brightest students, because they are outside the bell curve.

Something from the Future:
We cannot leave such important things for others to address down the road. If not myself to spearhead such a movement, then who? I believe that you create change. You don’t stand at a bus stop waiting for it to arrive. To motivate yourself to change, you accept that the change is needed, that failure to change is harmful, and that no one will do it for you. I am there on all counts. This can happen in our lifetime and I am committed to seeing it through.

An Acceptance Problem for Colleges and Employers:
Sometimes change requires upheaval. If I am right on this concept, I believe that the students such a school would produce would become not only accepted, but highly desirable. In any institution, there are needs for different contributions. Colleges and universities seek diversity in their student bodies. The best businesses today are looking for those who think differently, as they understand that innovation comes from those who have imagination in their hearts.

I have received many words of enthusiastic support for the idea of an alternative to public education for the ADHD student. Although this is only one component in the vision I have for ADHD, it is certainly a critical piece. In the next post, we’ll start to set up a creative framework for alternative schools for ADHD students.

Stay tuned for A Vision for ADHD – Part III: A Design Framework (or lack thereof).

A Vision for ADHD

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I want to take ADHD to the world. Too often ADHD is met with a lack of understanding and a great deal of critical disbelief. Even those who care and have taken the time to become educated in this area often don't seem to fully understand.

We as a group need to get past the idea that "different" is bad. We have such great strengths and much of our recent historical progress could be attributed to those who think differently. We need to be one voice; proud of whom we are instead of always apologetic for not fitting in to "normal" expectations.

I would rather be part of the rare few than be just another sheep in the pasture. It is my personal mission to develop opportunities for excellence, on our own terms, for those with ADHD. Imagine a system of wide-spread support, education, public information, networking and empowerment.

What kind of success could we achieve for ourselves and for our society, if there were open-minded educational opportunities for the ADHD'rs of the world? What if 10% of our schools thought like the approximately 10% of the individuals did? If we had schools that focused their efforts on developing the creative strengths of the ADHD'rs while spending time training them to organize, plan and delegate efficiently, the possibilities would be limitless. Instead, our children are trained in an environment where the educators are trying to be "accommodating" to our "difficulties". What if schools were structured in a way that encouraged targeted thinking without the limits of a textbook or classroom plan that at times may be incorrect or, at best, stifling for the imagination? If properly established, the results could be so staggering, as to the member of society that it produces, that people would be clamoring to get their children labeled as ADHD, so they could participate in the "gifted" schools.

Our minds have their greatest capacity for learning in our earliest years. So why do we create the most indelible imprint on a child's understanding that they are anything less than the brightest sparks that they are? We are taking some of our greatest, brightest resources and crushing them before they have had a chance to truly share their gifts.

We have taken a backseat to the needs of those within the bell curve. Is this possibly efficient rather than effective? How often is popular opinion or popular choice downright wrong? Using the 80/20 Principle/Pareto's Principle, we could suggest that 10% (to 20% - work with me here) of our students will be producing 80% of society's results in the future. Are our schools sure they have picked the right 20% to design our schools around? What if they are wrong?

I believe that the world of ADHD needs new educational and supporting opportunities now and that a few can make the difference for many.

Stay tuned my friends. I am not even close to finished.

ADHD Accommodations and Support

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Recently, someone had asked me what my view was on the following, in regards to ADHD:

- What should a person with ADHD reasonably expect from society in terms of accommodations and support?

- To what extent should society make accommodations or allowances for ADHD disabilities?

- How hard should a person work to make their ADHD behavior/performance conform to that of people without disabilities?

My deepest belief is that we cannot rely on the government to take care of every individual in every circumstance. Unfortunately, we live outside the bell curve when it comes to "normal" needs. Therefore, I think we have to strive to do more with less. Condoleezza Rice was taught by her father early on that, as a black person years ago, she would have to work twice as hard to be considered half as good. She clearly has risen to the challenge. Sometimes adversity makes us stronger.

That being said, where accommodations exist, a person with ADHD should seek to use those accommodations. Why would we take a bright child, who has difficulty staying focused during a test and punish them, providing them a damaging label of a failing grade, and hurt their self-esteem? There are those who would see extra benefits of additional testing time, as an example, to be an unfair advantage. As a society, do we not have an obligation to reach the greatest potential of each of our citizens, even if they think differently? This seems to benefit the society as a whole if we can help all to hit their potential.

The person who has ADHD equally has an obligation to society, as well as themselves. We should always strive, in our lives, to self-improve and grow. We are equally responsible for our own success. This means that we should come to understand our differences - strengths and weaknesses alike. The more we can reduce our negatives and strengthen our positives, the more we are improving the overall society.

Conforming is not always the answer. In general, the best situation for a person's mental health and well-being is one in which we have built a life around our strengths. If you are a scatter-brained artistic type, then build a life celebrating your creative ability and have someone else manage the mundane details that drag you down. I wouldn't suggest that someone force themselves to conform to an environment that does not bring out the best in them.

Remind yourself that the only one who can change you or your life is you. No one will do it for you. Find your balance, seek self-improvement and then celebrate your ADHD!

An Impulsively Passionate Life with ADHD

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So far, my posts are showing a very dark side to ADHD. Time for a bit of a lift!

The ADHD/Hunter type of person can also be a bit of fun. Impulsivity used properly can add quite a bit of spice to life. Just a few examples:

There was the time my wife, our two young kids and I walked into a store for winter gloves for the kids and left with rental skis and plans for a weekend trip to go skiing the next day. This was the kids’ first time on the slopes and my first time in close to 20 years. What a ball! None of us will forget that trip. Thank you ADHD!

How about the time that I came to realize that I missed the feeling of being at the beach? I grew up on the south shore of Long Island. We spent a ton of time on the water and at the beautiful beaches. But now, the demands of life made it that I only would see the beach for five minutes every other winter. ADHD to the rescue! Off to the surf shop! Surfboards and wetsuits for all! We started our routine of watching the sunrise over a cup of coffee at 5 or 6 AM on the beach and playing in the surf. Home by 9AM – energized and ready for a productive day.

I was at a fundraiser dinner. They had a “silent” auction. You walk around and look at the auction items and write down your bid on a list. Throughout the night you can check the bids and can outbid the last. I overheard a family member saying how she would love to win the auction for a house on Fire Island for a week. ADHD handed me my cape and – Presto! – I outbid everyone on the house. I really couldn’t afford it, but it was fun and exciting. It became the adventure of a lifetime. We ended up with over 20 family members for the weekend in the house to celebrate my father’s birthday. Since there are no cars on Fire Island, getting supplies for 20 for the weekend meant having to shuttle everything by boat and little red wagons.

ADHD can help create some very exciting moments. Impulsivity can be the spark that makes for choosing the path less traveled. Kept under control, the impulsivity of ADHD can help you live a passionate life.

Celebrate your ADHD!