Monthly Archives: July 2009

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Learning about ADHD

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When I meet people and tell them that I am an Attention and ADHD Coach, I am often asked how ADHD is diagnosed and what parents should be looking for if they think their child might have ADHD.  This can be a difficult question to answer, especially since I am not a medical practitioner.  I do share the fact that there are many different factors that go into a diagnosis and just because a child is “hyper” or “doesn’t pay attention”, it doesn’t mean that he or she has ADHD.  In addition, I often refer them to Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) that provides excellent information to parents and professionals.  CHADD provides information about ADHD symptoms, the evaluation process, and much more.  The organization was founded in 1987 and their mission is to improve the lives of people affected by ADHD.  I encourage everyone to use CHADD as a starting point for any ADHD research.  As you do additional research, you can come back to CHADD to learn what this long-standing organization has to say. 

Are you a member of CHADD?  What other resources have you used to learn about ADHD?  Please share a comment with our readers.  Thanks!

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Turmoil to Tranquility – Controlling ADHD; Rochester (MI) Community House

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7 – 8pm

In this interactive two-session workshop on September 21st and 28th, participants will learn strategies to overcome the challenges related to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).  The workshop will equip parents to help children develop academic, social and family solutions.  Learn coaching techniques and establish time saving routines. Leave this workshop with an action plan tailored to at least two specific goals.  Having two sessions will allow participants to develop an action plan, implement it and refine it before implementing the plan for the long term.

Cost is $20 payable to the Rochester Community House, in Rochester, Michigan.  See registration information at the bottom of their class information page.  Contact us or leave a comment if you have any questions regarding the workshop or getting registered.

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Local Business Relationships Help Small Business

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I had the pleasure to attend a Troy (Michigan) Chamber of Commerce meeting today and received a debrief from the 2009 Mackinac Island Policy Conference.  It was great to brainstorm with my fellow members about ways that we can drive positive change in the region.  The message that sticks with me is that “they are we”.  Meaning, if we want to see change in our local economy, we are in a position to facilitate change through discussions with local politicians, large company business leaders and most importantly for me, other small business owners.  We can’t wait for others to do it for us.  As an entrepreneur, that makes a lot of sense.  As a start, I will be attending local “office hours” with our state senator and representative as often as I can to provide input and ask questions.

If you are a small business, run, don’t walk to your local Chamber of Commerce.  They can provide you with business information, networking opportunities and training.  If you are in Troy, Michigan, I highly recommend our Troy Chamber of Commerce.  It is a valuable organization that helps drive positive business change in our community.

Do you belong to a chamber of commerce?  What do you see as the best benefits?

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ADHD Coaching on College Campuses

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This week, I had my first opportunity to attend the annual conference of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD).  This is an impressive group of professionals.  Most of the professionals I met work in the disability services area of their college or university.  If you will be in college this fall and you have any type of disability or ADHD, I encourage you to contact your disability services office if you have not already done so.  They are ready, willing and able to support you in your college career!

I attended two pre-conference events on ADHD coaching today and would like to share some highlights.

The morning session was titled “Coaching College Students with LD and ADHD:  Current Trends in Theory, Research and Practice”.  David Parker expertly facilitated and presented.  The other presenters were Sharon Field, Theresa Maitland, Kristen Rademacher  and Karen Boutelle.  All of the researchers/presenters did a fabulous job of sharing information and connecting with the audience.  While I am already familiar with the pilot results of the Edge Foundation’s ADHD Coaching study (since I am a Research Assistant on the study), it was great to learn about positive results at both UNC Chapel Hill and Landmark College.  The body of research on ADHD coaching is growing and the preliminary results are positive.  My understanding is that the Landmark College results will be published later this year.  I’ll share links to the information when they are published.  

In the afternoon, Karen Boutelle from Landmark College presented “Basic Coaching Skills for Non-Coaches:  Supporting Students in Managing Executive Function Challenges”.  Karen shared excellent information with the group on ways to support students with coaching-inspired behaviors.  Even though I am already a trained coach, I learned a lot of great information from Karen.  What stuck with me the most is the idea that all professions and relationships can benefit from coaching inspired behaviors.  The next time you are listening to someone at work, home or school, try to listen so that you really understand the other person’s concerns.  As Karen says, listen so that you “get it” when you are talking to someone.  Karen had us practice this listening and the impact was powerful!  Try it tomorrow.

Please share your thoughts about the disability services office on your campus.  When will you contact them?

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