Gifted Adults Can Have ADHD Too The Gifted Adult, by Mary-Elaine Jacobsen, Psy. D. New York: Ballantine Books, 1999. My motivation for reading this book was (1) personal – always nice to feel “gifted” and “special”; and (2) my consistent impression that the parents of the kids I work with are gifted, but may suffer from a case of ADHD or Strict Moral Upbringing or SBU (that’s my own acronym!) and feel their own unease coming out when they see their children struggling. This book is incredibly pragmatic. It even includes a self-assessment that you can score. But first of
Diagnosing ADHD with Brain Imaging
Diagnosing ADHD with Brain Imaging In a related field, autism research, new findings show a brain-scanning measurement of “grey matter (GM) volumetric data, to assess whether individual ADHD adolescents can be accurately differentiated from healthy controls based on objective, brain structure measures…” from Autism Speaks, https://asdresearchinitiative.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/grey-matter-adhd-autism/ While this study is looking for biological measurements to identify people with autism spectrum disorders AND ADHD, it explains that the screening mechanism is a good way to detect ADHD. Rather than compare brain waves (see my blog post here), it looks at actual structures of different parts of the brain. Many doctors and psychologists say that
The “Myth” of ADHD?
The Myth of the ADD Myth Review of The ADD Myth: How to Cultivate the Unique Gifts of Intense Personalities by Martha Burge (San Francisco: Conari Press, 2012) Ms. Burge asks some provocative questions in this book, such as, “Intensity: Gift or Disorder?” While the word intensity here has a specific meaning, as described by Dr. Kazimierz Dabrowski as a particular giftedness, I appreciate her implication of how “intense” a person with ADHD can be. People with ADHD really are intense people; they feel intensely, they think intensely, they play intensely… and they fall apart intensely. Ms. Burge, a life
Middle School & High School – Organizing Materials
This is not “my” system; I have been inspired by several other people who have worked out functional systems. In particular, I refer to these two authors: That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week by Ana Homayoun (2010) & Seeing My Time by MaryDee Sklar (2012) Supplies needed: A 1” binder for each subject – total 5 binders – different colors 5 packs of 5 tabbed dividers for each subject For an example, see: https://www.staples.com/write+on+tab+dividers/directory_write-on+tab+dividers? A pack of 5 dividers – transparent, with pockets (sometimes these are with the folders) For an example, see: https://www.staples.com/Avery-Two-Tone-Double-Pocket-Insertable-Plastic-Tab-Dividers-5-Tab/product_710149?cid=PS:GooglePLAs:710149&KPID=710149 Loose-leaf paper, with a reinforced
Twice Exceptional Learners Are “2E”
The term “2E” refers to being Exceptional, as in gifted, and Exceptional, as in having special learning needs. Many children who have learning differences/disabilities are also gifted, perhaps in math, the arts, or other areas. A thought-provoking theory about giftedness is that these special traits or talents are “intensities”. I like this description for many reasons, one being that it honors the basic abilities that most people have to create, to think mathematically, to understand literature, to relate on some level to the creation they are witnessing. For example, most people shudder at the thought of public performance, but they
Brain Screening Can Help Diagnose ADHD
This technology, called electroencephalogram (EEG) or quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG), has been around for many years. It can help diagnose ADHD by detecting brain-wave patterns that are distinctive to people with ADHD. People with ADHD have areas of their brains that are *under-aroused* or hypoaroused. When the ratio of under-aroused brainwaves is greater to active brain waves, it may indicate a disorder that responds well to stimulant medication. As stated by Edward Hallowell and John Ratey in Delivered from Distraction(2006), “New studies have shown that people who show the characteristic pattern of cortical hypoarousal are likely to respond well to stimulant medication. This provides
Good Nutrition Can Lessen ADHD Symptoms
I just recently read this information in “ADDitude” magazine online. They outline several ways to relieve symptoms of ADHD without medication. I have seen these ideas discussed over the past several years, and some in particular ring true: – fatty oils / fish oil – iron, zinc & vitamin C and vitamin B6 – lots of protein in the diet to keep energy steady throughout the day They note that for the fish oil, “The best supplements have two or three times more EPA than DHA.” I know that the “gentle” forms of iron work much better — the other types
ADHD Medication Advice from Most Experts Is Positive
While some parents prefer no medications for their children with ADHD, many others are administering them with good results. The most common recommendation I hear is, “Use medication AND behavioral interventions.” Don’t just pop a pill and expect everything to come into focus. If a child or young adult does not know how to organize his school work, taking a pill that stimulates a neuro-receptor in his brain will not help him learn that executive skill. For parents struggling with this decision, I would like to present the many “pros” I have read about medication. Yes, there are some “cons,”
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for ADHD
A great book on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, for people who have ADHD has just been released in paperback. While it is intended for therapists who want to help people with ADHD to build skills in executive functioning, the first half of the book presents evidence about the areas in life where working adults may struggle and fail, in spite of being talented, articulate and hard-working. It’s called Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD: Targeting Executive Dysfunction by Mary V. Solanto. She is a psychiatrist at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. I’ve taken