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ADDitude
2. Parents with Attention De cit: What I’ve Learned as an ADHD Mama
3. Stress Reducers for Adults with ADD | ADDitude - ADHD Information and Resources
4. Help for ADHD Moms: Easy, Fast Dinner Solutions
5. Help for ADHD Moms: Easy, Fast Dinner Solutions
6. 10 Productivity Tips for ADHD Adults
7. Bene ts of ADHD: Focus on the Positives
8. End the Cycle of ADHD Clutter: Organization Tips | ADDitude - Attention De cit Experts
9. Too Disorganized for Day Planners
10. Cogmed Working Memory Training: Improve ADHD Symptoms
11. Mentoring Children With ADHD | ADDitude - Attention De cit Information & Resources
12. My ADHD Husband: Learning to Accept an ADD Spouse
13. ADHD Medications Overview: Strattera, Concerta, Adderall, Ritalin and More
14. Goal Setting
15. ADHD in Women: Mothers Share Symptoms with Kids
16. Life With ADD: Reassembling a Life: Diagnosing and Discovering ADHD
17. ADHD Relationship Advice: Fighting Fair With Your Non-ADD Spouse | ADDitude - ADHD
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18. Helping ADHD Children Organize Their Thoughts | ADDitude - Attention De cit Information &
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19. Save Your Relationship: 10 Rules for Adults with ADHD
20. Is Your ADHD Child Addicted to Video Games?
21. Too Loud! Too Itchy! Too Much! ADD and Hypersensitivity
22. Alternative ADHD Treatment: How Fish Oil Can Help Symptoms
23. 10 Mindfulness Techniques to Eliminate Stress
24. Adult ADD Treatment Plan for Better Memory and Attention
25. Adult ADD: Organizing Piles of Paper at Home and Work | ADDitude - Attention De cit
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26. Alternative ADHD Treatment: Green Time as a Natural Remedy
27. ADHD Shame: How to Stop the Self-Blame and Apologies
28. Helping ADHD Children Recover from a Bad Day at School| ADDitude - ADHD Information
and Resources
29. Best ADHD Webinars of 2015: Treatment, School, Parenting, Adult
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 30. The Gift on an ADHD Diagnosis: Learning to Stress Less
31. Treating ADHD With Adderall: FAQ About Stimulant Medication
32. ADHD Symptoms: Forgetting Names, Drifting Off, Losing Concentration | ADDitude -
Attention De cit Disorder Symptoms
33. Are Parents Overmedicating ADHD Children? Judith Warner's We've Got Issues | Attention
De cit Disorder News - ADDitude
34. Making the Most of a Gap Year for ADHD Teens
35. It's Not You, It's the (Ineffective) ADHD Therapy
36. What Is Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)?
37. ADHD Success Stories: 6 Adult Superstars with Attention De cit
38. Subscribe to ADDitude
39. ADHD Emotions: Understanding Your Emotion Commotion
40. ADHD and Anxiety in Children: Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis
41. Curbing Online Distractions at Work | Information on Attention De cit Symptoms, Diagnosis,
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42. Get Organized with Adult ADHD at Work and at Home
43. ADHD and the Fear of Failure: Powerful Insights
44. Organization Advice for ADD Adults | ADDitude - Attention De cit Advice
45. Does ADHD Cause Obesity? Not Exactly, But Losing Weight Is Hard
46. Famous Celebrities with ADHD: Real-Life Role Models
47. Advice for Parents of ADD Kids: How to Move Past Mistakes
48. Expert Tips: Keeping an Organized Book Bag
49. Get Organized in College: A Planner I Can't Ignore | ADDitude - Adults and Children with
Attention De cit Disorder and Learning Disabilities
50. Hypersensitivity Disorder: Why Highly Sensitive People Have ADHD
51. Special Education Summer Learning for ADHD Kids
52. Turning Assignments in On Time
53. ADHD Parents: Pep Up Your Inattentive Kid
54. ADHD Time Management: My Anxiety — Organized
55. The Importance of Routine and Schedules for Adults with ADHD: Time Management
56. Organize Your ADHD Mind: Improve Your Focus and Defeat Distraction by Training Your
ADD Brain
57. My Solution for My Terrible, No Good Working Memory
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 58. Clear Your Clutter: Organization Tips for ADHD Hoarders | ADDitude Magazine
59. ADD Adults Can Succeed at Work, Home, and Getting Organized | Attention De cit
Symptoms, Treatment, Diagnosis, Parenting, and More - ADDitude
60. Metacognition: Problem-Solving Skills for ADD ADHD and LD Children | Information on
Attention De cit Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Parenting, and More - ADDitude
61. Long-Term Effects of Stimulants | Information on Attention De cit Symptoms, Diagnosis,
Treatment, Parenting and More
62. Managing Adult ADHD: Impulse-Control Rules to Live By
63. ADD Adults: Get the Promotion at Work You Deserve | ADHD Info and Resources -
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64. ADHD and Of ce Jobs: Can Medication Help you Focus at Work? | Attention De cit Disorder
Information & Resources - ADDitude
65. Quick Cleaning Tips for Messy Adults with ADHD
66. Health Coverage for Mental Health Services | ADDitude - ADHD & LD Adults and Children
67. My Spouse Has ADhD: Tips for Partners
68. ADHD Nutrition: 3 Healthy Snacks for Picky Eaters
69. Best Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques for ADHD
70. Can Emotional Problems Cause ADHD? | ADDitude - Attention De cit Information &
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71. ADHD Adults: When Procrastination Is OK
72. Cooking with ADHD - How to Host a Dinner or Survive One
73. Therapy for Attention De cit: Secrets of ADHD Treatment
74. Learning Strategies for Students with ADHD: Motivation
75. How ADHD Children Learn: Visual, Auditory, Tactile | ADDitude - ADHD Information and
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76. Helping My Daughter with ADHD Deal with Transitions
77. Recently diagnosed, ADA information
78. Picking ADHD Professionals to Treat Your Child
79. ADHD Adults: Productivity, Focus, Waiting, Time Management | ADDitude - Attention De cit
Disorder Advice
80. ADD/ADHD at College: Budgeting and Spending Money | ADDitude - ADHD & LD Adults
and Children
81. Organization for ADHD Adults: Structure — The Cure for Chaos
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82. Helping Children with ADHD and Learning Disabilities
83. ADHD and Anxiety: Comorbid Conditions in Adults with ADD | ADDitude - Attention De cit
Disorder
84. ADHD Organizing Rules: Clear Clutter from Your Home and Life
85. ADHD Adults and Friendships: Expressing Gratitude | ADDitude - ADHD & LD Adults and
Children
86. ADHD Adults and Friendships: Expressing Gratitude | ADDitude - ADHD & LD Adults and
Children
87. Smarter Child Discipline Strategies: Stop Nagging!
88. ADHD Supplements, Vitiamins, and Foods: Daily Medication Boosts
89. Adult ADD: Diagnostic Criteria for ADHD Flawed
90. How to Build Con dence in ADHD Adults | ADDitude - Attention De cit Blogs
91. Beat Boredom with ADHD: Stay Motivated, Energized, and On-Task
92. ADHD Tools for Work and Home: Gadgets | ADDitude - Attention De cit Information &
Resources
93. Exercise for AD/HD
94. Do I Have ADHD? Symptoms of ADD in Adults
95. A Classroom Designed for ADHD: Strategies for Teachers
96. About LD in ADHD Kids: Central Auditory Processing Disorder
97. About LD in ADHD Kids: Central Auditory Processing Disorder
98. About LD in ADHD Kids: Central Auditory Processing Disorder
99. ADHD Diagnosis: How to Respond Positively
100.The Civil War That Goes On In My ADHD Brain
101.Best ADD Tools: Reader Recommendations
102.10 Mindfulness Techniques to Eliminate Stress
103.What is the Right Dose of Ritalin? An ADHD Medical Expert Answers
104.Some Like It Hot
105.Stop Procrastinating! Help Your Child Start His Schoolwork
106.What Should I Do to Prepare for an IEP Meeting with the School?
107.Secrets of the ADHD Brain and Nervous System
108.ADHD Diet: A High Protein Breakfast for Children
109.Friends: A Natural Treatment for Adult ADHD | Information on Attention De cit Symptoms,
Treatment, Diagnosis, Parenting, and More - ADDItude
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 110.A Sweet Tooth
111.Signs of Sensory Processing Disorder in Children with ADHD
112.ADHD and Executive Functioning: Reading, Writing and Math Problems
113.Friends with Attention De cit: How to Be Best Buds with an ADHDer
114.Why Your ADHD Emotions Feel Out of Control
115.Strattera: Non-Stimulant ADHD Medication for ADD Kids and Adults
116.Two IEP Fixes That Will Turn Your Child’s Life Around
117.Adult ADHD Organization Strategies: Saying Yes to Clutter | ADDitude - ADHD & LD
Information and Resources
118.What Is ADHD vs. De ance, Laziness, or Disrespect
119.What Does ADHD Feel Like To an Adult?
120.Your How-To Guide to Treating ADHD Without Medication
121.Minecraft Addiction is RealâEspecially When It Comes to ADHD!
122.AD/HD and Dif culties with Reading Skills
123.The Civil War That Goes On In My ADHD Brain
124.LD OnLine
125.ADHD Coaches
126.How to Organize Your Home Room-by-Room: A Guide
127.What Are Your Executive Functions? Understanding EFD
128.Bene ts of ADHD: Focus on the Positives
129.Symptoms of Insomnia vs. ADHD: What a Sleep De cit Looks Like
130.ADHD Medications Overview: Strattera, Concerta, Adderall, Ritalin and More
131.What It's Like to Have ADHD: What You Don't Know
132.Going Off Antidepressants Was a Bad Idea (For Me)
133.Bene ts of ADHD: Unique Strengths and Abilities
134.ADHD and Exercise: Physical Activity Before School Matters
135.How Do You Know If You Have ADHD? Some Hints
136.What Is Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)?
137.ADHD Characteristics and Traits in ADD Children and Adults | Attention De cit Hyperactivity
Disorder Help & Info - ADDitude
138.Dysgraphia in Children with ADHD: Signs and Symptoms
139.Routines for ADHD Kids: Wake Up and Smell the Calmness
140.ADHD Diet: What Foods to Eat & Avoid for Improved Symptoms
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141.What Are Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors?
142.What It's Like to Have ADHD: What You Don't Know
143.The Best Time Management Apps for Adults with ADHD
144.Running Late? Time Management Tips for ADHD Adults from ADDitude
145.Help Your Child Focus: Attention Tips from Parents and Teachers
146.Healthy Meals Ideas Even the Pickiest Eaters Will Love
147.Insomnia Solutions for Racing Brains: ADHD Mobile Sleep Apps
148.Talking About Your ADD Diagnosis: Myths About ADHD | ADDitude - ADD & LD Adults and
Children
149.ADHD and LD School Accommodations
150.ADHD Diet for Kids: Using Food to Help Your Child's Symptoms
151.Subscribe to ADDitude
152.What Does ADHD Feel Like on Our Worst Days?
153.No More Relationship Drama! Advice for All 7 Types of ADDers
154.9 Brain-Training Apps Like Lumosity, Eidetic, Mind Node
155.Sample Letter to Request ADHD School Accommodations
156.Get Organized Gifts for ADHDers Who Lose and Forget Stuff
157.ADHD and Sensory Integration Dysfunction: Symptoms and Diagnosis
158.ADHD Stress Management & Coping Skills: Put Yourself First!
159.College Is a Whole New World | Mastering College Academics for ADHD Students
160.What Is Wrong With Me? ADHD Truths I Wish I Knew As a Child
161.Music Therapy for ADHD Kids: Bene ts of Classical Music
162.Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew | 14 Tips to Help ADHD Adults Meet the Deadline
163.Feeling Antisocial? 3 Friendship Challenges for Adults with ADHD
164.10 Things I Wish I Understood When My Child Was Diagnosed w/ ADHD
165.Debunking ADHD Doubters: Explaining Attention De cit Disorder
166.Sensory Processing Disorder or Hypersensitivity with ADHD
167.Practical Advice for Overwhelmed Moms w/ ADHD
168.A No-Shout, No-Spank Positive Parenting Way to Discipline
169.How to Raise Your Self Esteem Each Day
170.How to Balance Reward and Consequences for Bad Behavior
171.What Average Dose of Adderall? Common Medication Misconceptions
172.Cooking with ADHD Children: Build Social Skills and Self-Esteem
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 173.Overcome ADHD Challenges to Achieve Dreams: Help for ADD Adults | Attention De cit
Hyperactivity Disorder Help & Info - ADDitude
174.10 Worst Jobs for Anyone with ADHD (and a Creative Mind)
175.Career Advice: Finding Right Job for ADHD Adults | ADDitude - Attention De cit Information
& Resources
176.Does ADHD Cause Obesity? Not Exactly, But Losing Weight Is Hard
177.Positive [Parenting] Charge: How to Reinforce Good Behavior
178.The Epidemic of ADHD and Shame
179.ADHD and Paying Attention: Why Children Can’t Focus
180.ADHD and the Fear of Failure: Powerful Insights
181.Encouraging Creativity in ADHD Middle Schoolers with Alone Time
182.''I Don't Know How to Express My Feelings.''
183.''I Can't Do It All'' How to Manage Mom Burnout
184.Treating ADHD with Mediction: 9 Questions to Ask Your Doctor
185.Friendship Advice for Adults with ADD / ADHD: Keeping In Touch | Attention De cit
Hyperactivity Disorder Help & Info - ADDitude
186.What It's Like to Have ADHD? Sometimes It Sucks
187.Famous People and Entrepreneurs with ADHD Share Secrets to Success
188.10 Things I Learned from Seeing a Therapist
189.Getting My Son Organized | Information on Attention De cit Symptoms, Diagnosis,
Treatment, Parenting and More
190.Why Your ADHD Emotions Feel Out of Control
191.What Are Learning Disabilities?
192.Bene ts of ADHD: Unique Strengths and Abilities
193.Why Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder Are Confused with ADHD
194.What Does ADHD Feel Like To an Adult?
195.The Civil War That Goes On In My ADHD Brain
196.Dream Jobs for People with ADHD: Careers for Creative Problem Solvers
197.What Are the Side Effects of ADHD Medication on Children?
198.Adult ADHD Symptoms/Signs: You Know You Have ADD When | ADDitude: Attention De cit
Disorder Community
199.Using Fish Oil to Treat ADHD Symptoms in Children | ADDitude - Attention De cit Disorder
Experts
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 200.Learning About Inattentive ADHD in Adults the Hard Way
201.What Are Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors?
202.ADHD Children and Medication: Tics as Side Effects | ADDitude - Attention De cit Disorder
Experts
203.ADHD and Learning Disabilities: When Things Don't Add Up — Dyscalculia
204.Parenting ADHD Children: Better Discipline Secrets | ADDitude - Attention De cit Disorder
Experts
205.Is Sensitivity Common in ADHD Kids? | ADDitude - Attention De cit Information &
Resources
206.What It's Like to Have ADHD: What You Don't Know
207.ADHD Misdiagnosis: 10 Commonly Misinterpreted Symptoms
208.ADHD Coaches Help ADD High School Students: College Transition Plan
209.ADHD in Young Adults: How to Establish Good Habits as a Teen
210.ADHD Meds Work Better Than Behavioral Parent Training
211.ADD / ADHD In College: Success and Inspiration | ADDitude - ADD & LD Adults and
Children
212.My Child Doesn't Read Enough | Information on Attention De cit Symptoms, Diagnosis,
Treatment, Parenting and More
213.Win a Forbrain Headphone System for Better Learning, Attention, Retention
214.Your How-To Guide to Treating ADHD Without Medication
215.What Is Wrong With Me? ADHD Truths I Wish I Knew As a Child
216.What Your Doctor Needs to Know About Diagnosing ADHD
217.Secrets to Managing an Anxiety Disorder Without Medication
218.Inattentive ADHD: Symptoms of Distraction, Spaciness
219.Better Focus at Work: Solutions from ADHD Adults
220.The Key to ADHD Stress Management – Don’t Panic
221.15 Inspirational Quotes for Adults with ADHD
222.Organize Your ADHD Mind: Improve Your Focus and Defeat Distraction by Training Your
ADD Brain
223.Do I Have ADHD? Symptoms of ADD in Adults
224.How to Organize Your Home Room-by-Room: A Guide
225.Bene ts of ADHD: Unique Strengths and Abilities
226.College Advice for Teens with ADD | ADDitude - ADD & LD Adults and Children
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227.Get Up! When Your ADHD Child Can't Wake Up in the Morning
228.ADHD Diagnosis Guide | ADHD Experts Blog: ADD Treatment Options and Coching Tips
229.ADHD Diet for Kids: Fighting Tough Symptoms with Food
230.Procrastination Causes and Help to Stop Procrastinating | Attention De cit Hyperactivity
Disorder Help & Info - ADDitude
231.What It Feels Like to Have ADHD in Middle School
232.How I Became the Simple ADHD Expert | Special Education for ADD, ADHD, and LD
Students and Children - ADDitude
233.Explaining an ADHD Diagnosis to Children
234.Why Your ADHD Emotions Feel Out of Control
235.10 Common Myths About ADHD Parents Always Hear
236.Signs of Sensory Processing Disorder in Children with ADHD
237.15 Inspirational Quotes for Those Bad Days with ADHD
238.What Does ADHD Feel Like on Our Worst Days?
239.Secrets of the ADHD Brain and Nervous System
240.Secrets of Success for Adults with ADHD: Peter Shankman
241.Understanding Sensory Processing Disorder in Teens and Adults
242.Controlling Strong ADHD Emotions: Readers Offer Advice
243.How to Stop Anxiety and Manage Panic Triggers
244.Mood Disorders and Depression: Signs and Symptoms of Related Conditions
245.ADHD Emotions: Understanding Your Emotion Commotion
246.ADHD Diet and Nutrition That Will Supercharge Your Brain
247.ADHD at School: A Special Ed Teacher We Love
248.ADD / ADHD Adults: Late Diagnosis | ADDitude - ADD & LD Adults and Children
249.The ADHD Mind â Demysti ed for Neurotypicals!
250.ADHD Supplements and Vitamins That Help Symptoms
251.When Did You Realize You Had ADHD — And Needed Help?
252.The Importance of Diagnosing Adult ADHD, by Ned Hallowell
253.Using Behavioral Therapy to Treat ADHD: A Guide for Parents
254.Coping With College
255.Accepting Your ADHD: An After-Diagnosis Survival Guide
256.The Anxiety of Paperwork and the Post Of ce for an Adult with ADHD
257.Beating ADHD Negative Thinking: Strategies for Staying Positive
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258.Spirituality and ADHD: Personal Story About Religion
259.Expert Advice for Parents of ADHD Children: Grandparents | ADDitude - ADHD & LD Adults
and Children
260.ADHD Marriage Help: How to Fight Right and Forgive Faster
261.Smart, Healthy Snacks for ADHD Children | ADDitude - Attention De cit Disorder
Information & Resources
262.7 ADHD Apps For Saving Time and Energy
263.How Fidgets Help Promote Focus in Kids with ADHD
264.ADHD Organizing Rules: Clear Clutter from Your Home and Life
265.ADHD and Relationships: Is My ADHD Husband Lazy?
266.7 Types of Behavior Therapy for Children with Autism
267.My Proudest Moment as An ADHDer: Readers Share Their Stories
268.Fired No More! Holding a Job with Adult ADD | Attention De cit Hyperactivity Disorder Help
& Info - ADDitude
269.''How Ritalin Saved My Child:'' An ADHD Medication Success Story
270.Organization Tips for ADD / ADHD Adults: Clutter Cure | ADDitude - ADD & LD Adullts and
Children
271.Meaning of ADHD: How to Explain ADD to your Child
272.Parenting ADHD Children: Easing Stressful Mornings
273.ADHD Diet: What Foods to Eat & Avoid for Improved Symptoms
274.10 Things To Do Before School Starts: A Guide for Parents
275.ows » ADHD Treatment »
276.Right Goal, Wrong Strategy – 11 New Treatment Ideas
—The Treatment Is Wrong, Not the Person
Most parents, teachers, and spouses don’t understand how an ADHD brain is wired, and use
techniques that work only for the neurotypical brain. When the treatment doesn't work for the
ADHDer, they admonish the person and insist that he re-try it. This approach suggests that the
person didn't succeed because he has a fundamental aw: “You’re lazy!” or “You didn't really
try.” But, the technique is wrong, not the person.

—Say Good-Bye to Non-ADHD Solutions

Treatment tools that work for ADHDers are easy to acquire, but you have to commit to give up
the old neurotypical techniques. It's hard work to undo habits that a person has built up over a
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lifetime to compensate for a nervous system that plays by different rules. Your life will change
when you understand your ADHD nervous system and why the treatments you've used haven’t
worked. Here's what does work.

—Find Your Cheerleader

The key to being successful and happy is having a cheerleader who unshakably believes that
you are good, intelligent, and loving. The most successful ADHD adults have been loved,
supported, and valued as kids by a parent, teacher, brother, or even a sports coach. A
cheerleader's chief job is to distinguish between the child’s worth and his achievements.

—Know Thy ADHD

ADHD therapy should start with understanding what ADHD is—what is possible for the person
to achieve, and what is not. Parents should not hold ADHD kids accountable for things that can’t
be accomplished right now (though they may be possible later). Accountability and responsibility
are good things, but only if they lead to success. It’s essential that everyone in a person’s family
be part of the treatment team—knowing all about ADHD and how to be part of the solution.

—Take Meds to Level the Playing Field

The right ADHD medication at the right dosage can take the patient’s attention span, impulsivity,
and motor movements to higher levels. If you've tried ADHD counseling or coaching without
ADHD medication and didn't get the outcome you expected, try it again with medication. Most
ADHDers who take medication feel as if they are on a level playing eld, often for the rst time
in their lives.

—Get Things Done with ACT

Meeting a deadline or doing something that your boss thinks is important doesn't motivate
people with ADHD. ACT — Acceptance and Commitment Therapy — helps focus and motivate
an ADHDer when rewards don't. With ACT, patients re ect on what matters most to them —
family, setting a record or gaining fame, faith in God — to motivate them. ACT requires a patient
to ask himself the question: “Am I doing something that matters to me?”

—Fill Your ADHD Toolbox

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Once you are on the right medication at the right dosage, carry a pen and small pad with you
and make an inventory of things you do right — a list of what has worked and has gotten you
this far. Think about those times when you’re in the “zone,” when you’re engaged, productive,
and energized. When did it happen? What took you out of the zone and what got you back in it?
After a month, you’ll have 20 or so techniques that you know will work for you when you
procrastinate.

—Spark Interest When You're Not Interested

ADHDers have to create interest where none exists to access their abilities. Example: A medical
student with ADHD was unking gross anatomy. His ADHD coach had him imagine he was the
ER doctor treating President Kennedy—the student’s idol and his inspiration for going to med
school—after he was shot. He had to know anatomy to save Kennedy’s life. With this imagined
urgency, the student mastered anatomy and graduated second in his class.

—Change the Format

ADHDers often nd it hard to demonstrate what they know to someone else. So they need to
look for novel ways to showcase their talent. Example: A young man with ADHD struggled with
writing assignments in English class. He was bored by the books he was assigned to read. He
talked with his teacher and, instead of writing book reports, he persuaded the teacher to let him
write parodies of the books. He zipped through assignments and received the top prize in
English.

—Grab the Reins at School

Adults and kids with ADHD want someone else to make things interesting, but we often have to
do it ourselves. Example: In school, if there are ve English courses to choose from, nd out
which instructor is bright and engaging. Sit in on classes and ask students for their opinion. Take
the course that engages you the most. To make sure that your child gets in the course, write an
accommodation into his IEP that allows him to register ahead of his classmates.

—Create Competition to Avoid Boredom

People with ADHD are able to master new jobs and activities quickly, only to lose interest in the
things they just mastered. Challenge and competitiveness can help. Trying to beat a personal
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 best or a rival, or imagining the task as a video game in which you have to get to the next level,
holds the interest of many ADHDers.

—Find a Nudge to Stay on Task

Body-doubling is a technique used by tutors, but it can also help ADHDers at work. Example: An
attorney with ADHD was tired of always meeting deadlines at the 11th hour. He cleared his desk
of distractions, and got his assistant to bring him one case at a time. They discussed what he
needed to do and she checked up on him. At a set time, she took away the original le and
body-doubled him into the next task.

—Stack the Deck in Your Favor

ADHD treatment is at high risk to fail unless a trusted signi cant other is involved — and stays
involved — from the beginning. For at least the rst year, the motivation for treatment and the
ability to see the bene ts will reside primarily in someone other than the patient.

—More Treatment Options

There is no one-size- ts-all treatment for ADHD. Discover the many options available to you and
nd out what will work best for managing your attention de cit.

The 8 Best Songs for Growing ADHD Brains

These classic tunes are like music therapy for children with ADHD scienti cally proven to help
boost brainpower, language skills and even sleep.

The Bene ts of Music Therapy

Music can work wonders on the ADHD brain, improving everything from language development
to impulse control. The following pieces of classical music were scienti cally tested and found to
help children concentrate and focus better. Think of these songs as background music — it
doesn’t need to be loud for the bene ts to shine through!

Took notes on articles

Made music playlist
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Trying to understand what ADD is and Isnt; How to indentfy patterns and chnage them; how
Jessie and help me and I can support here; Techniques to manage and assist

How Music Unlocks the ADHD Brain—One parents creative take of how to use music to assist
and adapt as educational stratagy.

Exercise: An Alternative ADHD Treatment Without Side Effects

Physical activity may be good for focus. Plus, it’s an inexpensive, self-prescribed, and
accessible alternative ADHD treatment for both adults and children.

…to help increase attention and improve mood.”

While most of us focus on exercise as a way to trim our waistlines, the better news is that
routine physical activity rms up the brain -- making it a simple, alternative ADHD treatment.
“Exercise turns on the attention system, the so-called executive functions — sequencing,
working memory, prioritizing, inhibiting, and sustaining attention,” says Ratey, author of the
forthcoming Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (Little, Brown).
“On a practical level, it causes kids to be less impulsive, which makes them more primed to
learn.”

The latest news about exercise is that it helps kids push through past failures and attack things
they didn’t succeed at before. “The refrain of many ADHD kids is, ‘No matter what I do, I’m
going to fail,’” says Ratey. “Rat studies show that exercise reduces learned helplessness. In
fact, if you’re aerobically t, the less likely you are to learn helplessness.”

So how, exactly, does exercise deliver these bene ts to the ADHD brain? When you walk, run,
or do a set of jumping jacks or pushups, your brain releases several important chemicals.
Endorphins, for one, hormone-like compounds that regulate mood, pleasure, and pain. That
same burst of activity also elevates the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels.
These brain chemicals affect focus and attention, which are in short supply in those with ADHD.
“When you increase dopamine levels, you increase the attention system’s ability to be regular
and consistent, which has many good effects,” explains Ratey, like reducing the craving for new
stimuli and increasing alertness.
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 You don’t have to be a marathoner, or even a runner, to derive bene ts from exercise. Walking
for 30 minutes, four times a week, will do the trick. “Get your child involved in something that he
nds fun, so he will stick with it,” suggests Ratey. Team activities or exercise with a social
component are especially bene cial.

Studies have also found that tae kwon do, ballet, and gymnastics, in which you have to pay
close attention to body movements, tax the attention system. “A very good thing for kids and
adolescents with ADHD,” says Ratey.

More schools are including exercise in their curricula to help kids do better in the classroom. A
school in Colorado starts off students’ days with 20 minutes of aerobic exercise to increase
alertness. If they act up in class, they aren’t given time-outs but time-ins — 10 minutes of
activity on a stationary bike or an elliptical trainer. “The result is that kids realize they can
regulate their mood and attention through exercise,” says Ratey. “That’s empowering.”

Adult ADD Treatment and Symptom Management: Have You Considered Every Option?
One way to stand up to adult ADD/ADHD symptoms? Consider all the options you have in life.
Here are seven treatment choices I make every day to cope with my attention de cit.

I am writing myself, and all of you, a little reminder: attention de cit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/
ADHD) does not make our choices for us and is not the sole voice in the choir of our waking
thoughts. Every day you and I have choices. Here are the ones I try to remember to make:

1. Choosing to Treat ADD/ADHD

Part of my adult ADD treatment is learning which choices are available to me, and making the
most effective ones.

For me, because medication is part of my treatment, my rst choice most mornings is to take it
before I get out of bed. This clears the fog of confusion that plagues me when I wake up.
Clearing the fog makes me less grumpy … and when I’m less grumpy, I’m better able to
prioritize my actions and thoughts.
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 2. Considering Every Option

I like options, even though too many of them overwhelm me. When I’m stressed — I have a
husband, three stepchildren, two dogs, and two cats swirling around me while I’m trying to think
— I remind myself to sit down, review the situation, and list my options. I write them down
because, duh, I have ADD/ADHD, and I don’t remember things unless I do. So I look at my list
and try to make a plan.

3. Prioritizing

Sometimes I draw pictures of all my choices ... especially if particular tasks suggest a visual
approach. I do event-planning and, to keep myself engaged, I draw a person in the middle of a
poster board (me!) and big talk-balloons above my head, lled with the things I need to do. I
number them to remind me which ones to do rst.

4. Asking for Help

If I nd it hard devising the list, or the plan that follows from it — because I’d rather be, oh, I
don’t know, learning the tango or eating a sandwich — I talk it over with my therapist. She
frames things in a way that make choices less overwhelming, and then lobs them back in my
court.

5. Starting the Day Off Right

I can choose to stay in bed too long, and have a rushed, crappy morning, or I can choose to get
up on time. Then I can choose to leave the house on time or let my mind wander. This takes
work, because my mind loves to wander and I have lots of ideas in the morning. I can choose to
pack a snack, or be miserable an hour later when I’m at work and feeling hangry (hungry plus
angry equals hangry!). I hit the mark more often than not.
6. Practicing, Practicing, Practicing...Symptom Management
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 I can choose among a lot of little things, too: putting my ATM card back in my wallet, lling my
gas tank, instead of only asking for $5 worth, because I can’t sit still long enough at the pump. I
can choose to sort my laundry when it comes back from the ’mat ... instead of starting off the
day with wardrobe confusions or underwear shortages.

7. Remembering That the Little Things Mean a Lot

I mention these minutia of daily life for two reasons:

Non-ADD/ADHDers: Understand that mundane details mean more to us than they do you.
These are the devils that regularly frustrate us. You may not think these are real chores for us,
but that’s the point. It is in the nature of ADD/ADHD, and its impact on people’s lives, that small
things are dif cult, that we must approach them mechanically. Hyperactive adults aren’t
intentionally aggravating you. ADD/ADHD isn’t about the big disruptive things that people do. It’s
best de ned by the little things that shouldn’t be so hard.

ADD/ADHDers: I nd it helpful — and I hope you do, too — to think of the day as a series of
choices to be made. I don’t always make perfect ones, but I try for a decent batting average.
Each day I remind myself of the penalties of not making better choices (and I do mean remind,
not torture, myself). By good-faith efforts at making better decisions, we do not cure ourselves,
but we manage the symptoms that would otherwise be making decisions for us.

It’s not easy, but do we have another choice? We do, but I would argue — I just did — that it’s
probably not the better one.
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