2017 ADHD Professionals Conference

I am honored to be presenting at the 10th Annual ADHD Professionals Conference with my Research Committee colleagues, Dr. Rebecca Toney and Casey Dixon. During our presentation entitled, “The Power of Research to Transform Coaching,” we will be discussing the direct application to ADHD coaching of research regarding strategic self-control, cueing desired actions, and self-monitoring for success.

It is exciting to be part of a vibrant community of professionals attending the ADHD Coaches Organization conference in Reston, VA. We have the opportunity to meet and greet colleagues and friends, increase our knowledge base, share ideas for the application of evidence-based practices, and generally connect and collaborate for the benefit of the ADHD community.

Happy ADHD Awareness Month – Knowing is Better!

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October 1 is the beginning of ADHD Awareness Month. This year’s theme is “Knowing Is Better.” It’s always better to know what is getting in the way so that you can take positive steps toward managing ADHD.

Despite the prevalent “Squirrel!” jokes, ADHD is no laughing matter as it affects 9.5% of children in the United States and 4.4% of U.S. adults. Research has shown that ADHD contributes to problems in school, lost productivity at work, challenges with relationships, and problems with the law, among other things. But a lot can be done to reduce the symptoms of ADHD and improve functioning – and awareness is the first step.

October is your opportunity to share what you know about ADHD and rebut many of the myths that have negatively affected children, youth and adults with ADHD.

Below are some actions that you can take to help yourself or others learn more about ADHD:

As we raise awareness, more people can get the assistance they need to live happier and more rewarding lives.

 

 

Wacky Ways to Succeed with ADHD

Sarah and I are very happy to be contributing authors to the ADHD Awareness Book Project’s Wacky Ways to Succeed with ADHD, joining other ADHD coaches and experts from around the world in sharing strategies, stories and tips to help people live well with ADHD.

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What I love about the idea of the book is the permission to find your own way to circumvent challenges, however “wacky” they might seem to someone else. It’s an invitation to experiment, play with possibility, and use the creative, out-of-the-box thinking that is so common to people with ADHD.

HONOR YOUR UNIQUENESS

Every person with ADHD has a unique combination of strengths, values, interests, and challenges.  As people pinpoint what is getting in their way, they are one step closer to crafting personalized strategies that can help them work around things that do not come as easily for them.  We learn from what didn’t work and we build on what has worked in the past, tweaking as necessary until we find something that allows our strengths to shine!  And if the strategies stop working after a while, we figure out new ways to work more effectively, focus more easily, and keep starting on projects until they get done.

One person might go to sleep in their workout clothes so that they are much more likely to exercise when they wake up.  Someone else might program the coffee maker to brew at a certain time so they can gently awaken to the smell of coffee ready to be poured.

FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU

We can get stuck in the shoulds, thinking I shouldn’t have to do X, I should do Y.  But just because someone else does something a certain way doesn’t mean that we have to use the same strategy.  We need to find out own, albeit wacky, ways that work for us.

So experiment a little! Be creative! Find your own “wacky” but effective-for-you ways that help you live and flourish with ADHD!

And if we can help you devise personalized strategies that work with your ADHD, feel free to contact us at Info@FocusForEffectiveness.com.

A Great Start for the School Year

The beginning of the school year is a great time to start fresh, appreciating what went well last year and figuring out ways to circumvent challenge areas.  Below are some tips that might help set your child and family up for success this new school year.

  • Adjust bedtimes and wake up times progressively earlier each day so your kids are accustomed to the school schedule and are well rested on the first important days.
  • If your child is attending a new school, you might visit the school and get a “lay of the land,” the location of classroom(s), lockers, gym, bathrooms, and how they might need to move from one class to another.
  • Review medication, if applicable.
  • Even if your child has a 504 or IEP, prepare a short letter introducing your child to the teacher, sharing strengths and interests, areas of ADHD or related challenges, what has worked in the past, agreed-upon accommodations and modifications, your contact information and willingness to be a partner in your child’s education. If the 504 or IEP document needs to be changed to reflect your child’s current needs, request a 504 or IEP review meeting.
  • Go to an office supply store with your child and purchase organization systems and supplies that have worked in the past – or that your child is interested in trying. (Such supplies might include a month-at-a-glance wall calendar, a magnetic white board for reminders, two-pocket notebook dividers for a place to put completed homework and things to file, etc.)
  • Talk with your child about what worked last year; attention to what went well (and why) is the first step to being able to repeat the actions that brought success.
  • Approach this new school year as a “fresh start” to address challenge areas. Explore what your child may want to do differently in class, on the playground, getting out the door in the morning, homework and study habits, etc. and help them come up with strategies they would like to try.
  • Come up with some family strategies/routines that will serve everyone – a set time to wake up and a routine for the morning; time in the evening to make the lunch, pack the backpack, and lay out clothes to be worn; a checklist and/or launching pad by the door for things that your child needs to take to school; exercise before starting to do homework or studying, an understanding about internet/music/phone use during homework time; and “incentives” to abide by the new routines.

If we can help you set your child or teen up for school success, contact us at info@FocusForEffectiveness.com.

Here’s to a great school year – for your whole family!

ADHD Coaches Organization International Conference

Sarah D. Wright and Roxanne Fouche will join other coaches from around the world at the ADHD Coaches Organization International Conference to be held from May 1 – May 3, 2015.

In addition to connecting with colleagues and enjoying the information shared by the keynote speakers, Dr. Ari Tuckman and Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, Sarah and Roxanne will be making presentations of their own. ÂSarah will present “ADHD Coaching Matters: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Evolution, Evidence, Effectiveness, and Best Practices of ADHD Coaching” and Roxanne will co-present “From Strengths Spotting to Strengths Building: A Toolkit for ADHD Coaches” with Mindy Schwarz Katz.

It’s an honor to be selected to speak at any conference, but particularly gratifying to be in a position to contribute to the ADHD coaching profession at the ACO Conference. Future posts will share some of the highlights of the conference for both ADHD coaches and those who work with them.

Lead With Your Strengths

You build a life on your talents and strengths – what is good and right about you – not on your weaknesses, however skillfully they might be corrected. Dr. Edward Hallowell, Delivered From Distraction

Can you name your personal strengths? When asked that question, most people stumble for an answer. A 2001 study in the U.K found that only about 1/3 of the people can identify their own strengths. We can safely assume that the numbers are greatly reduced for people with ADHD.

It’s frustrating to have one’s ADHD weaknesses and challenges come to mind much more easily than one’s strengths and gifts. It’s no wonder, really, as ADHD challenges seem to be ever present, somehow overshadowing the strengths that we bring to the world.

Advantages of Using Strengths

Despite people’s perhaps natural tendency to orient toward weaknesses, we know through research that people who use their strengths are happier, more confident, have higher levels of self-esteem, have more energy and vitality, experience less stress, are more resilient, are more likely to achieve their goals, perform better – and are more engaged – at work, as well as being more effective at developing themselves and growing as individuals. (A. Linley, J. Willars and R. Biswas-Diener, The Strengths Book)

It Starts With Awareness

To a certain extent, focusing on the negative is a survival technique ~ we need to be aware of the lion that is about to pounce. However, after a lifetime of frequent frustration and challenges, focusing on the negative can become a habit. Fortunately, we can change habits that don’t serve us – and it starts with awareness.

Identify Your Strengths

So how do you move forward? The first step is to identify your strengths; you can do so by taking the free 15-minute VIA Survey. Taking the survey will move you toward recognizing, appreciating and remembering your strengths so you can build on them for more and more success.

If we can be of assistance as you identify and use your strengths in new and different ways, contact us at info@FocusForEffectiveness.com.

Happy ADHD Awareness Month!

October is ADHD Awareness Month, a whole month of ADHD activities and information! According to the website, www.ADHDAwarenessMonth.org, the mission of ADHD Awareness Month is “to educate the public about ADHD by disseminating reliable information based on the evidence of science and peer-reviewed research.” For great information about ADHD, including an adult self-test for ADHD, stories about ADHD, a list of events (some of which are online), blogs, resources, and posters to share, go to www.ADHDAwarenessMonth.org.

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The information on the ADHD Awareness Month website was compiled by a coalition of organizations dedicated to assisting those with ADHD, including ADDA (Attention Deficit Disorder Association, which focuses on adult issues, www.add.org), ACO (ADHD Coaches Organization, www.adhdcoaches.org), CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, www.chadd.org), ADDitude magazine (www.additudemag.com) and the National Resource Center on AD/HD, a program of CHADD (www.help4adhd.org).

During this month of raising awareness of ADHD, we can all share information with those who don’t seem to “get” ADHD. In addition, you might spend time this month increasing awareness of how your own ADHD strengths and challenges – or those of someone you know – affect work and home life. The first step in moving forward is focusing awareness on what is, and is not, working. The next step, of course, is making a plan to address those things that you would like to change.

So what do you notice about your own ADHD? We’d love to read your comments. And if we can be of help as you pinpoint how ADHD impacts you and what strategies, tools and habits you might use to live effectively with ADHD, contact us at info@FocusForEffectiveness.com.

Scheduling Yourself for Success in College

Here’s sneak peek at a tip that Roxanne Fouche contributed to the upcoming book, Inspirational Ways to Succeed with ADHD:

Ratemyprofessors.com and similar websites are popular because they help college students get a sense of prospective classes and professors.  In addition to choosing professors whose teaching style seems to match your particular learning style, you might also pay attention to when the classes take place.  Consider the following:

  • Do you do your best thinking in the morning, afternoon or evening?
  • Do you need time between classes to relax, study or perhaps finish up last-minute assignments?
  • Do you need to exercise before class to prime your brain for learning?
  • Do you need time to eat something nutritious between classes?

Schedule your classes according to what you know will help you succeed.  Recognizing what you need to thrive in college is the first step – the next step, of course, is doing what you can to make sure that your needs are met.

If we can be of assistance in helping you succeed in college, contact us at info@focusforeffectiveness.com. We’d be delighted to talk with you about how ADHD coaching might help you thrive!

What Are Your “Magic Wand” Wishes?

If you had a magic wand, and you could – with one touch of this magic wand – give yourself the strategies, the skills, the insight or the appreciation that would serve you, what would your magic wand wishes be?

As individuals with ADHD have very unique combinations of strengths and challenges, the answers vary from person to person, but typical responses include:

  • focus without constant distraction
  • stop procrastinating and start on things that need to be done
  • actually finish what I start
  • prioritize
  • get organized
  • keep track of things that I have to do
  • keep track of my belongings (phone, keys, glasses, etc.)
  • get to places or get stuff done on time
  • understand and accept my ADHD
  • keep going when things get tough
  • use my gifts rather than being stopped by my ADHD challenges
  • not be ruled by my impulses
  • have more confidence in myself

The magic wand question is a good one to ask yourself.  What do I really want?  What ADHD traits would I like to get a handle on?  What would make me happier and more efficient?  What would allow me to flourish with ADHD?

And then, with a coach, a friend, or your own wise counsel, take a breath and begin planning how to realize those desires.

Don’t try to change everything at once, and recognize that it’s probably best to start small so you can sustain the changes.  Those small successes create a self-reinforcing positive spiral that allow you the momentum to keep adding habits that work for you.

So what are your magic wand wishes?  Feel free to comment below.  And if we can be of assistance in helping you plan how to realize your magic wand wishes, contact us at info@focusforeffectiveness.com.