Molly Raaymakers, MA, LLP from Neurotherapy Associates of West Michigan has agreed to present at our April 13 meeting to address the relationship between neurofeedback and the strategies for controlling or coping with ADHD symptoms. Watch this blog for more information regarding this meeting.

Video Podcast: ADHD & Self-Employment

ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a condition that many people live with that can pose serious challenges to performing well in the world of work. Most employers place high value on a worker's ability to focus, pay attention to detail and handle complex tasks in a consistent manner, most people with ADHD tend to struggle with those kinds of activities more than the rest of the world. Meanwhile, a lot of the special attributes that people with ADHD tend to possess in greater levels than the rest of the world - energy, creativity and a love of novelty and variety - can often go unnoticed or at least under-appreciated by many employers. Not surprisingly, I've encountered a lot of people with ADHD who want to know how feasible and/or desirable it might be for them to become their own boss, choosing self-employment over traditional employment. Everyone's situation is unique, of course, but the video podcast included in this blog entry covers a lot of the considerations that are shared almost universally by people with ADHD who would like to run their own business.



What has your experience been with self-employment? Is/was it better suited to how you operate as a person with ADHD? Did it introduce new challenges? How did you handle them? What other advice or considerations do you have for other aspiring entrepreneurs with ADHD?

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

www.focusplus.org URL Working Again!

For 2010, FOCUS+ made the decision to rebuild its web site and blog and to relocate them to new web site and blog hosting services. While the process overall went very smoothly and early feedback on the new site and blog have been positive, we did encounter some difficulty getting our old domain name, www.focusplus.org, redirected to link to the new site. But it's done!

Be sure to add www.focusplus.org and focus-plus.blogspot.com to your Favorites folder, and to subscribe to the RSS feed for the FOCUS+ blog (look on the right hand side of this window for details) to be sure to stay current on new developments from our group.

Rick Diamond Update

We have new details regarding the guest presentation at our March 9 FOCUS+ meeting!

Rick Diamond will be discussing: "Job Coaching or How to Work WITH Your AD/HD"

Rick is the Director of Employment Services for Disability Network of the Lakeshore, a position he's held for 14 years. He is the former Co-Chair of Michigan’s Freedom to Work Initiative Implementation and is a member of Michigan’s Job Coalition.

In representing Community-Based non-profit organizations, Rick has served for the last nine years as a member of Ottawa County’s Workforce Development Board, a board which oversees all workforce development as well as training activities funded or administered by the Ottawa County Michigan Works!

March 9 Presenter: Rick Diamond, Michigan Rehabilitation Services (Holland Office)

Do any of these questions relate to you or your family?

• As a K-12 student with ADHD, is there anything special I should be considering as I plan for continuing my education or entering the workforce after graduation?


• Are there any resources available to help me with that transition?


• How can I identify the best career options for me, considering my interests and abilities, the current and future job markets, and - of course - the impact that ADHD has on me?


• Does ADHD qualify as a "disability" under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?


• What types of reasonable accommodations have employers and employees used in the past to effectively address the impact of ADHD on a person's job performance?


• How can I most effectively discuss my ADHD with my current employer, or a prospective employer?


• What the heck is Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS)?


• What the heck is the Disability Network of the Lakeshore (DNL)?

Rick Diamond from Disability Network of the Lakeshore and the MRS Holland office will be on hand at our March 9 meeting to address these questions and more with our group.

Do you have a specific question that would be appropriate for Rick? Post it here and we'll make sure he has the chance to review it prior to our meeting.

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?