One of my favorite resources for parents just learning about kids with ADHD is to send them to youtube lectures of Dr. Russell Barkley called 30 essential ideas for parents.  It is long, and awesome. Try putting it on while you do your normal browsing. Pretend its an audio book that gets started up again every time you open your browser. Worth your time, if you or a loved one struggle with ADHD.

I really like Dr. Russell’s approach. He explains that ADHD is a disorder of intention and performance, not knowledge. ADHD is an executive functioning disorder. People with ADHD struggle to execute the things they know they should do. He also stresses that ADHD is chronic. 1 in 6… mayyyybbbee 1 in 3 kids may grow out of their diagnosis. For the rest of them, this is a chronic deficit their brain is battling. Daily. Hourly. And it is neurobiological, meaning, its not a learned behavior. Its happening, and will continue to happen, because the brain is organically and naturally existing with these deficits.

There are 7 executive functions that the brain performs. ADHD interferes with all seven. They are:

1. Inhibiting impulses

2. Self-Awareness + Environmental awareness

3. Nonverbal working memory (Remembering what, when, of what you are supposed to be doing)

4. Verbal working memory

5. Emotional Regulation

7. Problem Solving

Having a chronic deficit in any one of these areas is a big deal. Having deficits in all sevem makes intervention of parents, schools, or modifying your own environment (if you have ADHD) requisite. So, how do we treat and intervene with ADHD? Reengineer the environment to help those with ADHD to show what they know. How can we compensate for the deficits in executive functioning that keeps the brain from doing what it knows it should? All interventions must be OUT that that place in the environment where they are not doing what they know. Think External. Think Visual. Think structural outside of their brains:

• Put important information in their visual field

Post it notes, task lists, cues, signs, charts, etc. Tape things to bathroom mirror.

• Put time outside of them to help them with time periods or deadlines (prevent time blindness)

Watches, counters, timers, etc.

• Break up lengthy tasks or one spanning long periods of time into many small steps

Do long projects, book reports, reading, over time in small sections

• Externalize sources of motivation. They can’t create internal motivation. Put consequences in

Make Deals, find rewards, the token.

• Externalize mental-problems solving

Objects to represent abstract idea. Marbles for math. Maps. Hands on everything.

• Replenishing the resource pool of Willpower

See previous post on the will power tank.

• Practice incorporating emotional regulation in daily life

Practice calming down (by self or with help), talk through problems, and practicing keeping track of emotions and making adjustments to pep up or slow down when needed.