If your budget allows, a card table, pool table, pin ball machine and air hockey would be very welcome additions that provides the best in an entertainment area. Happy adolescents will be the byproduct of this fun space that provides stimulation, enjoyment and socialization. Chase that boredom away!

Linda Tiani is an experienced gift advisor and party organizer for adolescents and a new CHADD consultant residing in Northern Virginia.

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Getting Organized!
Ann Weinfeld Saunders, LCSW-C

     Once things are sorted, think back to what you envisioned your drawer to look like, keeping in mind how you want it to function. Begin putting back only those things that coincide with your image. You'll find a home for the other items elsewhere. One "trick of the trade" is to "contain" like items. If a segmented desk organizer isn't available, use small cardboard or plastic containers to house your things. When items begin spilling out of the container, it's time to discard or give away the excess.

     If beginning the task is too daunting and the help of a nonjudgmental person is not sufficient, you may want to contact the Washington/Baltimore Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers (202-362-6276) for names of professionals in your area to help you get started.

Ann Weinfeld Saunders, President of S.O.S. - Simple Organizing Solutions (410-532-7571). She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the National Association of Professional Organizers.

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Summer Camp for Kids with ADHD

     When looking for a summer camping program for your ADHD youngster, what questions do you need to ask in order to assure a successful experience? First, you must be honest with yourself in regard to the amount of individualized attention your child requires for success. Does he need to be redirected fairly often, occasionally, or rarely? Does he need "time out" more than once a day? How does he relate to his peers when upset? Does he need mediation to resolve conflicts or can he manage with occasional reminders of fair play? Would he be more successful in a "special needs" program or can he be in a non-specialized program and still feel good about himself?

     Your honesty about your child’s needs are crucial in helping you and the camp decide if a specific program is likely to make your child’s summer successful and memorable. Will your child be successful in a general population program, or does a program staffed with specially trained adults sound more like what you are looking for? All non-specialized summer camps staff for group, not one-on-one, supervision. Even the most well-intentioned camp director at a top-notch camp may not be able to provide the special staff required to give your child the individual supervision he may need. The goal is to set your child up for success, not to send him to camp "no matter what". Do all you can to help your child’s summer be a fun-filled experience.

• Camp New Horizon

Day Camps

• Camp New Horizon

The Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks, Therapeutic Recreation Services, and the Overlea-Fullerton Rec. will offer a five week summer day camp for children, ages six through twelve, with Attention Deficit Disorders and/or level five learning disabilities. Arts and crafts, drama, sports, games, swimming, nature study and field trips are part of the fun. The camp will be held at Overlea High School and will cost $200 for the entire session. For further information call the Overlea Fullerton Rec. Office at 410-887-5307.

• Almost/Totally Summer Camp

The camp is for young people ages six through eleven with mild disabilities including LD and ADHD in the Catonsville area.The five week full day session costs $280. Call Adapted Re. and Sports Program Office at 410-744-8140 or 410-887-5370

Topside

Odyssey School’s Summer Tutoring/Sailing Camp runs from June 15 through July 24 and costs $2,100. Call 410-467-6668 for further information.

Residential Camps

• All Children First

The Baltimore County Department of Parks and Recreation, Therapeutic Recreation Services, offers this camp for children with Attention Deficit Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury. The first session is for children entering grades 4, 5, or 6 and runs from June 28 through July 4. The second session is for children entering grades 7 or 8 and runs from July 5 through 11. The camp is held at Bishop Claggett Center in Frederick County and costs $200 per session. For further information call the camp hotline 410-339-6652.

• Norbel Camp

The Norbel School offers two sessions for students with ADD or LD. The camp is held at Catoctin Mountain Park. The July 5 through 10 session is for children entering 4th through 8th grades. The July 12 through 17 session is for children entering 1st through 6th grade. The cost is $400 per session. Call 410-358-1233 for further information.

• Camp Glencoe

The Jemicy School offers this residential camp at St. Timothy’s School. The camp offers a special blend of education and activities for children with dyslexia. For further information call 410-653-2700.

~ Tish Michel

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Expressions from an adult with add

 

and when I die. . .
and when I’m dead and gone. . .

there’ll be one child born
and a world to carry on.

How did I get to this place of indecision and impotence?

Overwhelmed on every front

and gaining on none?

How does it all go so fast,

and the people so certain in their way?

No false moves on their part, it seems.

And yet I doubt every move

and must do it over,

check it,

undo it,

correct it,

re-do it,

apologize for the inconvenience I’ve caused,

and then

never have the energy to complete it.

(the next crisis interlopes.)

Longer hours for fewer results.

More time with less to show for it.

 

My solution is isolation. Self-imposed.

My default answer to requests is NO.

No one depending on me, no one to disappoint.

DON’T BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW.

I can’t let people down.

To be seen as shirking my responsibilities.

To seem cavalier, careless, thoughtless, or unaware to others.

To cause injury or pain accidentally

simply by not paying attention

or not trying hard enough

or being seen as not trying hard enough.

BE ALERT. PAY ATTENTION. WATCH OUT. YOU’RE RIDING FOR A FALL.

 

Pretty soon

I will have pulled in

the four sides

of my square

so much

that all that will remain

is a small dot.

Easily flicked away.

~ anonymous ADD Adult

Comment:

     When reading this very moving poem, I was saddened by the clear suffering and depression this author must be experiencing. Given that the author has ADHD, this poem also reflects a hopelessness frequently seen in Major Depression. Historically, we have considered a depressed mood to be part of ADHD. Recently researchers and clinicians have had excellent results when treating these depressive symptoms with antidepressants concurrently with the stimulant used for ADHD. Major Depression occurring simultaneously with ADHD is a very treatment-responsive disorder for which a person need not suffer unduly. I only hope that the author reads this commentary and seeks help from an experienced clinician.

~David Goodman, M.D.

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 Adult Support Group News

 

As adults with ADD many of us look back to a time when we were captives of our symptoms, possessing neither knowledge nor understanding of ourselves. Restless and dissatisfied, we had struggled alone, suffering silently the all-too-familiar failures and frustrations that beset ADDers, completely unaware that we truly were different from others--and with legitimate reason for being so. But that time has passed--gone forever!

As CHADD members we are moving forward step by step, gaining understanding and acquiring skills to free us from our earlier bondage while putting us in command of our symptoms. No longer must we wage war on our weaknesses or withdraw in worthlessness, because through building on our strengths we can realize our value. CHADD is our life raft, plucking us from the waters that overwhelm us. Some climb aboard while still strong swimmers, others require assistance, frantically gasping for breath, while still others need to be pulled aboard and resuscitated. But once in the boat we are on our way to safety.

Supported by a network of people and information we become stronger, both as individuals and as an organization. The arsenal of books, tapes, and videos is abundant and the stockpile increases steadily. Our army grows rapidly, right through the ranks from new recruits to the most experienced and respected commanders. Not everything we are told (even by professionals) fits our personal experience and we must trust ourselves to sift out what is erroneous or unhelpful, keeping in mind that research to date is limited and that a full picture of ADD has yet to appear. We who experience it from an inside perspective can do much to educate others and promote understanding of our condition. We do wish to thank our CHADD speakers who have all given generously of their time and talents because of their interest in us.

We welcome suggestions for improvement, and even more welcome are any resources you can offer to carry them out (coming up with good ideas is the easy part!) Our Monday night peer support group will be discontinued at this time due to minimal participation; however, we will use the hour (7-8 p.m.) prior to our guest speaker at monthly CHADD meetings for discussion and peer support. Thank you for the support you have given to our organization as well as to one another.

 

~ Gayle Voigt

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Review of New books

If you wish to purchase any of these books through this web site, Baltimore County CH.A.D.D. will receive 5% of the proceeds

Parent

Helping The Child Who Doesn’t Fit In by Stephen Nowicki, Jr., Ph.D., and Marshall P. Duke, Ph.D. Peachtree Publisher, 1992 While only one reference to ADHD and no mention of CH.A.D.D is made in this book, I chose to review it because it is about Dyssemia, which is defined as difficulty in using and understanding nonverbal signs and signals.

Any parent who feels his child has difficulty making and maintaining friends and succeeding in social situations, -ex. school- will want to read this book. Teachers will also find this an extremely helpful "how to" book. Six chapters are devoted to discussing various forms of nonverbal language such as use of space and touch, facial expressions, gestures and postures. The authors show how a parent or teacher can informally assess a child’s needs and offers numerous tips at the end of each chapter to help the child improve each nonverbal skill.

The second part of the book discusses formal assessment of auditory and visual perception. They detail The Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy (DANVA) which these authors developed is detailed. The subtests include understanding and sending facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, postures, and personal space.

Nowicki and Duke attribute Dyssemia to (1) the environment where the child lacks appropriate situations and experiences, (2) neurological learning disability in social perception and (3) emotional difficulties.

The authors maintain that once dyssemia is diagnosed, timely and ongoing remediation at home and school can help the child learn to discriminate nonverbal cues, understand the meaning of nonverbal cues, learn to express specific nonverbal cues, and apply what has been learned about nonverbal cues to social situations. Nowicki and Duke conclude "children must be encouraged to remain aware of their potential processing difficulties, to practice the ways they have learned to overcome these weaknesses, and then to apply what they have learned to their activities with others."

~ Tish Michel

Daredevils and Daydreamers by Barbara Ingersoll, Ph.D., Doubleday, 1998.

Whether this is the first book you will read on ADHD or the one hundredth, you will want to own this book. It is an excellent resource that should be shared with others. All of Dr. Ingersoll’s books are easy to understand, enjoyable to read and full of valuable information.

This comprehensive text on ADHD includes information from Dr. Ingersoll’s other books (Your Hyperactive Child; Attention Deficit Disorder and Learning Disabilities; Distant Drums, Different Drummers, and Lonely, Sad and Angry: A Parent’s Guide to Depression in Children and Adolescents), yet in no way is it a "rewrite". The text contains over 175 citings of cutting-edge research. I have circled many of the references for future readings.

Each chapter begins with a "Then and Now" section to show the development of understanding of ADHD in the past ten years and future direction. The book begins by defining ADHD and related co-existing learning, emotional and behavioral disorders. She then discusses how to obtain an appropriate evaluation. A chapter is devoted to discussing medical management making it clear that medication is now recognized as the first line of treatment. While the text is geared toward helping children with ADHD, it also presents much valuable information for adults with ADHD.

Since many people require a multimodal approach to treat ADHD effectively, Dr. Ingersoll provides a comprehensive discussion of psychotherapy and training approaches. A chapter is devoted to treating problems often associated with ADHD such as sleep problems, lying and stealing, social problems, and the like. I was particularly interested in her chapters entitled "Bless This House: Holding it Together on the Homefront" and "School Days, School Daze".

In closing, I was so favorably impressed with this book that Dr. Michael Sherlock will include this text in his workshop on March 14 (see description in workshop section).

~ Tish Michel

 

 

On parenting:

In the past few months, I have come across several new and wonderful parenting lectures, manuscripts and books; I have also rediscovered an old favorite. If you are raising one or more ADD kids you probably feel as I do and welcome all the help you can get on how to make our jobs as care givers more effective and less stressful for us and our children.

Several common themes are present in these books. We need to be firm, fair and consistent with our children. Children need ABC’s: A for Antecedents (clearly communicated rules and expectations); B for Behavior (child’s actions); and C for Consequences (positive and negative results of behavior). Positive/Affirmative discipline techniques are needed to help our children achieve their potential.

My all time favorite is How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, Avon Books, 1982. I continue to rank this 17 year old book among the most helpful and informative. I have had one of the cartoons from this book on my refrigerator for at least five years; it’s the one about granting a child his wish in fantasy. This technique has helped be defuse many a potentially stressful situation. Also I still occasionally write my son a "please remember to do" note, fold it into a paper airplane, and launch it in his direction when I have his attention. Written reminders delivered in a fun way are a helpful tool in my home.

Who’s In Charge by Ruth Peters is excellent if you feel as if your child is out of control and running the family. Dr. Peters will clearly show your how to regain control with a positive behavioral management system. This is a wonderful book for any parent to own; however it is most helpful to those of us who have "high maintenance" kids. She has written an entire chapter about children with ADHD. Another chapter is devoted to helping children achieve academically through her study skills program. This book is easy to read, concise, practical and most comprehensive. Marvin Silverman (Parent Survival Training) states " just as an automobile comes with an operating manual, each child should come with a copy of Who’s In Charge.

I bought Power Parenting for Children With ADD/ADHD A Practical Parent’s Guide for Managing Difficult Behaviors by Grad Flick because I liked the title and Harvey Parker (CH.A.D.D.’s founder) wrote a glowing foreword. This book is hot off the press and bound to be around for many years to come. This is not your typical "quick fix/how to" book. It is an outstanding textbook for parents of children with ADD. The book is well written and has a summary at the end of each chapter. The 38 pages before the table of contents and the six appendices (including information for teachers and a comprehensive recommended resource guide and glossary) add to the integrity of this book. It is jampacked with clearly explained techniques and strategies. Do you know what "time in" is? This is when you catch your child being good and acknowledge and reinforce the behavior through your gentle touch and words of clearly expressed praise for appropriate behavior. Dr. Flick also teaches you games to play with your child to help build visual and auditory attention skills. This book will be a most valuable addition to your ever growing ADD library.

I hope I have enticed you to read some of these parenting books. Please let me know what you think after you have had the opportunity to read one or more of the above books. and also let us know about books you recommend for our future newsletter book review section.

~Tish Michel

 

On Study skills:

It is critical for students with ADHD to develop good study skills. There are many resources on this subject, several of which were presented at the CH.A.D.D. National Conference. I recommend Study Strategies Made Easy by Leslie Davis M.Ed and Sandi Sirotowitz, M.Ed., Specialty Press, 1996. Written for the student, parent or teacher, this curriculum is presented in easily understood language which could be used independently by the student or serve as a program guide for course use. It guides the learner through basic skills of organization, communication and reading comprehension to more advanced levels of note-taking, memorization and test-taking strategies. And of course what would a study guide be without addressing the four letter words home*work? Not only do the authors attempt to provide guidelines to follow but they also try to help the student develop an understanding of why and how homework is meaningful. Too cerebral? Maybe, but it is our job to present the avenues for education and not necessarily to walk them!

~Betsy Campochiaro, RN, MSN

 

 

Do you have ADHD and want to know more about it? The best book for you is Distant Drums, Different Drummers by Barbara Ingersoll, Ph.D., Cape Publications Inc., 1995. This book is about the problems ADHD kids might have and how to solve the problems. For instance, one of the solutions to the problems is taking a medicine like Dexedrine or Ritalin. Another solution is to keep your room really well organized, so that you can find everything easily. At the end of the book is a self-assessment checklist with things such as: "I get along with my Mom", "I take turns and play fair", "I stick with my homework until it’s done", and "I take care of my room and my belongings". You would check off either "no problem" or "needs work". Dr. Ingersoll is a very good writer. This book tells almost every little detail that a child with ADHD might want to know about, except not enough what is good about having ADHD, which is too bad.

The author is trying to write a book to teach children about their disorder. The moral is, "no matter what color, race, or disorder, everyone can be friends if you try". This book is wonderful, telling children scientific facts in an understandable way that makes the facts un-boring. This book makes children feel good about themselves, though they have the disorder. I try my hardest to have a few more criticisms for the book, but I fail to think of even one more bad thing about the book. It tells how maybe ADHD may be the living warrior of the past disorder. That could make almost any little boy I know with ADHD feel much better about himself.

This book is a wonderful book for any child who battles ADHD. This book is a book that I recommend to especially little boys, this is because there are a few chapters which are about age-old warriors, cavemen, and the Middle Ages. The beginning of the book is for either girls or boys. Adolescents may like the book, but there is a pretty good chance that they will not want to read this book. That is because this book seems to be mostly aimed at younger-than-adolescents. The second bad thing about the book is that through the whole book the author writes ADHD, when some of the people who read the book might have only Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD. I think that the writer should have written "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" or "Attention Deficit Disorder". That was only a small part of the book though. Still, my overall summary is: Outstanding!

~Nicole W. Brynes (age 9)

 

parents:

Willie by Ann Colin, Viking, 1997.

Have you at times felt f r u s t r a t e d and e x h u s t e d trying to raise a child with ADD? Have you felt that raising a child with ADD is like running a maize which has far too numerous brick walls and blind alleys? If your answer is yes, then you will surely relate to life with Willie. Ann Colin has kept an eloquently written journal about the first five years of her son’s life. This is a compelling account of a family’s persistent effort to help their child. We see the struggles Willie has in various preschools as his family consults numerous doctors. The searches for knowledge, teamwork and unconditional love for their son helps this family eventually achieve an appropriate academic environment, competent medical management, and an affective behavioral plan for home. This diary will touch your heart.

 

~ Tish Michel

 

Voices From Fatherhood: Fathers, Sons and ADHD by Patrick J. Kilcarr, Ph.D. and Patricia O. Quinn, M.D., Brunner/Mazel, 1997.

This book addresses the often neglected issues of Dads and their sons. Typically at work all day, fathers are often not as involved in raising the children as are mothers although there are noteable exceptions. Fathers are in a very favorable position to help their sons discover their strengths and abilities and overcome the problems so often encountered with ADHD. This book declares the importance of this relationship along with the joys and problems often encountered when one or both father and son have ADHD. The dynamics of parenting, family structure and function emphasis Dad’s unique role. Management, discipline and medication issues are reviewed. There contains many self reports from Dads depicting struggles and successes with their sons. These depictions are all too familiar demonstrating the common treads that run through ADHD families. Some guilt may be diffused by a "oh it happened to him too" experience. It even provides the reader with insight from grandfathers! This book hits home with many of the issues and makes it a very worthwhile book for fathers, mothers and grandparents. It’s easy to read and understand and should be in the library of every family that deals with ADHD.

~Betsy Campochiaro RN, MSN

 

 

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Adults

The ADDed Dimension - Everyday Advice For Adults With ADD by Kate Kelly, Peggy Ramundo, and D. Steven Ledingham.

Scribner, 1997.

"I’m in a phone booth at the corner of Walk and Don’t Walk." I laughed when I read this quote because I too have experienced the frustration of being so lost I could not give even the least helpful information to save myself. Not that every ADD adult is directionally challenged as I am, but we all have been--I’m quite sure--and will again be lost in some sense. We get lost in details, lost in space, lost in confusion, even lost in our own minds. As Kelly puts it, "We can’t give directions to save our lives, we forget our own phone numbers, and we put the paper upside-down in the copier every time . . .."

The ADDed Dimension is packed full of real-life situations that the three ADD authors have collectively encountered. The book is written in short vignettes, mostly no longer than a page. So in real ADD style, the reader can open the book anywhere, complete a reading in a few minutes, and either put it aside or progress (backwards or forwards) for as long as his interest and attention span holds up. (Don’t forget to mark the pages you’ve read as it could be a long time before you stumble across the book again--no doubt while trying to locate some other lost item). Each page comprises three parts: a notable quote, a related experience, and a suggested strategy for coping for example, "abilities and disabilities in memory and attention are not the measure of someone’s worth, [and] as much as possible, we should seek out and surround ourselves with people who understand this."

I must confess to not having read the book from cover to cover--not yet anyway--so perhaps I should be judged unfit to review it; but so far it has made me laugh, and it has made me cry, and above all, it has encouraged me. It also inspires me to want to write my own ADD experiences. Perhaps I’ll have it published someday!

~ Gayle Voigt

 

Adult ADD Reader, $16.00, Adult Support of Washington, (206) 759-5085. (the book includes addresses and phone numbers of the authors).

There are a number of good books currently on the market containing excellent information. This booklet in particular is unique because rather than being just one book, it presents a vast array of articles written by numerous experts in the field. Even though much of the information is geared towards adults, it targets children’s issues as well. Personal experiences are shared with a sense of humor and compassion.

Dr. Daniel Amen’s "Healing the chaos within: The interaction between ADD, Alcoholism and the children and Grandchildren of Alcoholics" is a compelling report noting the many similar characteristics between adults with ADD and adult children of alcoholics. Interestingly enough, he states that alcoholics with ADD seem to stay sober longer providing both disorders are diagnosed and properly treated. On a different note, Dr. Edward Hallowell’s article "The Emotional Experience of Attention Deficit Disorder" conveys the misunderstandings, deep emotions and challenges facing an ADHD/ADD child. He captures the ADD struggle through a heart-warming portrayal of a fictional character, Max McCarthy, who represents many of Dr. Hallowell’s patients.

In closing, I would like to say that I highly recommend this book. Although I have only reviewed a few of the authors, every writer included in this booklet has been enlightening in their own way. Newcomers will find it a tremendous resource. Experienced ADDer’s will find the articles regarding medications and coping strategies to be informative and up-to-date.

~Anna Ballon

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ADHD Research update:

Attitudes, Satisfaction, Knowledge and Medication Experiences with ADHD Treatment: Results of the ASK-ME Pilot Study Susan C. dosReis, BS Pharm, Julie M. Zito, PhD, and Daniel J. Safer, MD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common childhood psychiatric disorder and Ritalin^® (methylphenidate) is a psychostimulant widely used for treatment among youth with this disorder. A sizable increase in Ritalin^® use is occurring across the nation. This increase merits further investigation. Assessment of the families’ attitudes and satisfaction with medication treatment for ADHD can provide some potentially important information on treatment effectiveness and can identify aspects of the child’s clinical care that need further attention. Thus, additional research that will assess medication treatment for ADHD from the parents’ vantage point is warranted.

To address this need, we have developed a survey of parents’ Attitudes, Satisfaction, Knowledge, and Medication Experiences (ASK-ME) with the medication their children are receiving for treatment of ADHD. This survey address our hypothesis that parents experiences with their children’s medication treatment will directly impact attitudes toward and satisfaction level with the medication treatment. This "second hand" impact may in fact be very important in medication treatment.

Parent members of Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CH.A.D.D.) were recruited for a pilot study of the survey. Parents were eligible to participate if a) their child had taken medication in the past twelve months; b) their child was less than 20 years old; c) they knew what medications their child was taking for ADHD; and d) they were currently living and had lived with the child for the past two years. Thirty parents completed the survey. Findings from the pilot study are presented here (15 surveys were completed by Baltimore County CHADD parents).

The demographic profile of this sample is characteristically similar to what is reported in the literature. Ninety percent of the children are between the ages of 5 and 14 years and there are four times as many boys as there are girls in the sample. The vast majority (90%) of these children are receiving care from a pediatrician, although one-third of parents indicated that a psychiatrist is also involved in the child’s care. A similar proportion indicated that a psychologist is also providing care for their child’s ADHD. Seventy-seven percent of the sample is Caucasian, 7% is African-American and 13% is Hispanic.

Several questions pertain to the child’s medication history. Nearly 50% of the parents indicated that they first identified their child’s ADHD problems and referred them for treatment, while one-third reported that a school agency first referred their child for treatment. The average age at which a child is first referred for treatment is six years old. The majority of children take one medication for ADHD. Just over 20% of parents reported that their child takes two or three medications. Approximately two-thirds of children take medication all year round, 20% take it during school days only, and the remainder take it during school days and occasional non-school days. The average length of time that children have been taking medication for ADHD is three years; and approximately 66% of the children have been taking the medication continuously since it was started.

With regard to alternative treatments, nearly 75% of children have received counseling therapy and only 7% indicated that their physician had prescribed a special diet to treat their child’s ADHD.

An assessment of parental knowledge suggests that the majority of parents are well-informed regarding medication treatment for ADHD. Approximately three-fourths of parent responses were accurate with respect to the effect of Ritalin^® on ADHD symptoms, the effect of diet on hyperactivity, and the effect of alternative treatment modalities. With regard to parental attitudes, 90% feel that medication helps a child with ADHD. In general, 80% of parents are satisfied or very satisfied with their child’s ADHD medication treatment.

We are presently expanding the study to include additional parent members of CH.A.D.D. as well as parents from other