Check Out This Resource: Parent to Parent: ADHD Training

Hello,

I am eager to tell you about the Parent to Parent Training classes which begin very soon, on March 11. The classes encompass six 2-hour classes presented by an experienced and certified Parent to Parent Teacher (me). Click here for a .pdf document that describes the course in greater detail.

Feel free to call or email me directly,

Ruth

Ruth Evenhouse, ACAC,
Associate Certified ADHD Coach
CHADD Certified Parent to Parent Trainer
revenhouse@hotmail.com
(616) 392-4381

Tuesday, Feb 9, 2010 Meeting

Our regularly monthly meeting for Tuesday, February 9, was cancelled due to weather, but fear not! We've still got several interesting & useful handouts to share with you *and* we'd still love to hear your questions, comments and experiences regarding this month's planned topics.

February's discussion topic: How to Ask for Help! (It's easier to do than it sounds)

• Click here to download a handout on asking for help from Ruth Evenhouse
  

Additionally, Ruth shared handouts related to disability rights as they relate to ADHD, filing insurance claims related to ADHD and tax filing; click on any of those hyperlinks to pull up the related documents.

We'd also planned on sharing information and tips on how to start, and stick with, a regular exercise routine. While we all know how important exercise is to our physical health, most people greatly underestimate how important it is to our mental health and our brain's ability to function efficiently as well. You'll be amazed at the positive impact that regular exercise, even if it's only at a moderate level, can have on your ability to manage your ADHD symptoms. Stand by for more information on this topic at our March meeting instead.

Do you know how to ask for help when you need it? If so, what has been an effective approach to asking for help for you?

What has your experience been with submitting claims to your insurance company related to your treatment and management of ADHD and related concerns?

Have you noticed a difference in your attitude or mental functioning between times that you're exercising regularly and times that you aren't able to do so? What impact have you observed that diet has on you, cognitively speaking?

Post Meeting Discussion: "Relationships and ADHD"

(This is a repost of the 10/13/2009 entry on the old FOCUS+ blog)

Click here for meeting notes.

Ruth Evenhouse guided a discussion on the topic of "Relationships and ADHD", which focused primarily on close personal relationships.

Issues raised:

• Stress associated with impulsive behavior by a person with ADHD - sudden plan changes, impulsive statements, impulse shopping, etc. The groiup also discussed the flip side of that issue, i.e. how many of us with ADHD have difficulty adjusting quickly and effectively when someone else changes plans on us on short notice.


• The frequent disconnect between individuals with ADHD and those close to them without ADHD regarding things like organization. Individuals with ADHD are frequently disorganized, with information in piles instead of being neatly filed and with the all-too-common side effect of arriving late for appointments or missing them altogether.


• The fact that ADHD minds are drawn to the newest and/or most interesting tasks before them instead of the most urgent or important ones.

Some options for improving those factors in relationships, as well as the ability of the person with ADHD to function effectively, included:

• Hiring a professional organizer to help cull and organize elements of a person's work or personal life and to put in place a realistic, sustainable organization system with the apropriate tools.


• For the more budget-minded among us, one member suggested a DIY (Do It Yourself) approach by reading The Personal Efficiency Program (PEP). available at Amazon.com and most bookstores.


• Setting up "launch pads" for onesself and one's children that are pre-staged every evening for the morning' s launch. Homework, backpacks, lunches, car keyes, cell phones, etc. are all placed in one specific area for "grab and go" use in the morning. This speeds the process, lessens stress and greatly reduces the chance of running late because one hat to search for his or her car keys for a half hour.


• Setting up ground rules. If the punctual, non-ADHD partner is ready to go, then she/he has the option of leaving alone to arrive on time for the event and the slower partner can simply follow when ready.


• Setting up a calendar/to-do list that is permanently visible at one's workstation or in one's home. This avoids the out-of-sight, out-of-mind problem. A calendar can also help one to be more realistic when factoring in preparation, clean-up and travel time for activities.


• Using an alarm watch or something similar to remind the person to "remember to remember" - to pause and ask themself: what am I forgetting to do right now?

Finally, the group took some time to acknowledge the positive impact that ADHD can bring to a relationship. Persons with ADHD can be very spontaneous, energetic, enthusiastic and creative people. Very often they (we) are mutually drawn to people who need that "spark" but also bring with them the more practical and organized characteristics that we need.

Any comments or personal stories you'd like to share on this topic?

Any questions that you didn't get the chance to ask?

Any other suggestions for how to make sure that the impact of ADHD on a relationship is a positive, or at least a neutral, one?