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The Difference of ADD Part II

“ADDers do not fit into the standard school system, which is built on repeating what someone else thinks is important and relevant. “–Dr. William Dodson

I wanted to continue my discussion of Dr. Dodson’s article because he brings up some very interesting points I did not address in the first post. He says non-ADHD, or neurotypical, is not “normal” or better. There is a difference in the way their nervous systems operate.

He also says that the cognitive and behavior therapies used to manage ADHD do not have a lasting effect because these therapies are designed for a neurotypical system. What motivates a neurotypical person does not work well to motivate a person with ADHD. The person with ADHD needs to create their own system or “owner’s manual.” I think many adults with ADD have learned to do this more or less by trial and error. If they are able to function well in the neurotypical world, they have found their own ways to do so.

Dr. Dodson lists some suggestions of how people can create their own successful strategies by tuning into what is working for them now and to apply these techniques to other areas of their lives.

Another statement that really stood out for me is, ” the first thing for coaches, doctors, and professionals is to stop trying to turn ADHD people into neurotypical people. The goal should be to intervene as early as possible, before the ADHD individual has been frustrated and demoralized by struggling in a neurotypical world, where the deck is stacked against him.”

The Difference Called ADD

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What does it feel like to have ADD?

Click image to slideshow by Additude Magazine

“ADHD is like a browser with 600 tabs open, each to a different website.”–adult with ADD

“No matter how clever the alien becomes at attempting to pass as an earthling, some telling awkwardness in his manner, some fatal expression of his true nature will, in unguarded moments, betray him for what he is: “different.”–Gabor Mate M.D. in Scattered

To say someone with ADD has a deficit of attention is a misnomer. People with ADD have a deficit of attention for something that does not interest them. They have an abundance of attention for many things. I think that has been called curiosity.

In his article, Secrets of the ADHD Brain, William Dodson M.D. states “ADHD is not a damaged or defective nervous system. It is a nervous system that works well using its own set of rules. Despite ADHD’s association with learning disabilities, most people with an ADHD nervous system have significantly higher-than-average IQs. They also use that IQ in different ways than neurotypical people. By the time most people with the condition reach high school, they are able to tackle problems that stump everyone else, and can jump to solutions that no one else saw.”

I don’t like calling ADD a “condition” either because that makes me think of illness. I prefer calling it a difference. I do think kids can have trouble functioning in school with ADHD if they are not helped to develop coping skills to adjust their temperaments and differences to the neurotypical, linear thinking environment. Teachers can make accommodations and modifications in the classroom and work load to help kids with ADHD engage and manage with their school work requirements.

” Far from being damaged goods, people with an ADHD nervous system are bright and clever. The main problem is that they were given a neurotypical owner’s manual at birth. It works for everyone else, not for them.” (Dodson)

SOCS-Very/Vary Musing

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“You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.
What mood is that?
Last-minute panic.” –Bill Watterson

This is how I ~~often~~ sometimes feel when requested to respond to a writing prompt. Is it my rebellious nature? The prompt today is to write about the words very/vary.

I admit the word “very” is useful. It allows me to indicate or describe something that is not average or a matter of greater degree in various categories.

Very happy, very sad, very angry,

Very easy, very difficult, very hard, very frustrating,

Very big, very small, very much, very little,

Very hot, very cold, very sunny, very rainy, very stormy, very…

Or for extra emphasis, to show an extreme, I can use it twice like in the lyrics to the song by Nat King Cole, “Love”, when he sings ” V is very, very extraordinary.”

If something is “very” it does sound more dramatic and intense. It does help describe a greater depth and breadth of feeling about something. Very is an ordinary word for something extraordinary.

|LindaGHill|

Age Like an Okinawan

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Senior Planet alerted me to a You Tube video of Dr. Andrew Weil talking about longevity in Okinawa. Many of us have read about “Blue Zones” or regions of the world known for centenarians. Many things have been written about the diets and philosophies of the people in these zones in hopes that we may emulate them.

Dr. Weil discusses how he has made several trips to Okinawa and has found many factors that may contribute to their people’s longevity. A couple of factors he mentions are healthy diet and physical activity. One factor he chose to emphasize, and that really caught my attention, is the cultural value placed on aging in Okinawa. He says the people there are not ashamed of aging and are considered valued members of their community. They are considered ” living treasures.” Dr. Weil argues that the extreme negative attitudes towards aging in our culture are what influences the way we age and contributes to the negative manifestations of aging we see. Food for thought?

Try to catch yourself when you are making negative self-talk about getting older. Things like ” I’m having a senior moment,” or when you have a ache or pain saying, ” Oh, I must be getting old.” I have heard 40 year olds making these remarks about getting older. Just think if you feel that way at 40, how will you feel at 60?

When we internalize our culture’s negative attitudes toward aging we can not help looking at ourselves negatively and feeling negative about getting older. I would like to age like an Okinawan and feel like a “treasure.” How about you?

Are You Quiet?

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A user's photo.

From Susan Cain’s new Facebook page Quiet Revolution.

San Francisco: A Drone’s Eye View

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Here are some nice shots of San Francisco and its bridges done by danesdrone on You Tube:

Makes me homesick. Beautiful city. This poem reminds me of the fog coming over Twin Peaks into the valleys of San Francisco.

The Fog by Carl Sandburg

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

Over 55 and Need Help with Paying for Perscriptions, Food, Utilities and Other Basic Needs?

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This is heartbreaking to think about that there are older people in America who need this kind of help. But I am glad there are agencies such as National Council on Aging that will help. According to NCOA:

“Many adults over 55 need help paying for prescription drugs, health care, utilities, and other basic needs. There are over 2,000 federal, state and private benefits programs available to help. But many people don’t know these programs exist or how they can apply.”

Thank you to the EngAGE blog for sharing this information and I am passing it on. If you or someone you know needs this help you can go to NCOA to find out how to apply for benefits.

Woman Smiling

The Birds and the Bees and the Grapefruit Tree

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We went to Palm Desert for the weekend. We have put off coming out here for far too long. It has been about a year since we were last here. It is beautiful in the desert right now. Warm and sunny but not too hot.

The place where we are staying has many citrus trees on the property. The trees are in bloom with sweet smelling blossoms. There is fruit on the trees as well. There are grapefruit, orange and lemon trees.

There is a lovely large grapefruit tree in the backyard. The grapefruit tree provides shade and sweet perfume. It has been wonderfully relaxing to sit on a lounge chair, on the back yard patio, near this tree.

There are many honey bees, bumble bees, and hummingbirds flying amongst the citrus blossoms. As I sit very still I can watch the hummingbirds up close as they drink from the blossoms. There is a light breeze and mocking birds are singing. Very magical.

When you take the time to notice, you realize there is great beauty in the world. I feel such joy, my spirit soars and my heart is full to bursting. I whisper a prayer of thanks.

“If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happened better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb. (Don’t Hesitate)” –Mary Oliver

20150307_115248 Palm Desert Grapefruit Tree

Grapefruit tree in Palm Desert

SOCS-My Best Companion

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” To love oneself is to struggle to rediscover and maintain your uniqueness.”

–Leo Buscaglia

Friend, pal, ally, buddy, companion, to love. Can you be a good friend to yourself? Be still and listen to that inner voice, listen to what it has to say about who you are, what you love and care about, what makes you happy or joyful, sad or angry, or inspired. Accept all your feelings and accept yourself.

“Loving yourself…does not mean being self-absorbed or narcissistic, or disregarding others. Rather it means welcoming yourself as the most honored guest in your own heart, a guest worthy of respect, a lovable companion.”–Margo Anand

I can be happy in moments of solitude. Content. Alone with my thoughts. My reverie. It is good to be able to enjoy your own company. To enjoy spending time with yourself. Those who enjoy their own company are not afraid to be alone. This is a great strength.

My Inner Life

“Tis true my garments threadbare are,

And sorry poor I seem;

But inly I am richer far

Than any poet’s dream.

For I’ve a hidden life no one

Can ever hope to see;

A sacred sanctuary none

May share with me.

Aloof I stand from out the strife,

Within my heart a song;

By virtue of my inner life

I to myself belong.

Against man-ruling I rebel,

Yet do not fear defeat,

For to my secret citadel

I may retreat.

Oh you who have an inner life

Beyond this dismal day

With wars and evil rumours rife,

Go blessedly your way.

Your refuge hold inviolate;

Unto yourself be true,

And shield serene from sordid fate

The Real You.”

–Robert W. Service

|LindaGHill| |Loveisindablog|

There Might Be Something Good About Siri Afterall

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I know I have been writing lately about the risk to our creativity caused by an addiction to technology like Smartphones. And I have written about how this addiction can prevent authentic face to face communication with other people. I still feel these are some of the big down sides of being so hooked on our technology.

But today I found an article about a very positive use for Smartphones. This was a New York Times post by Judith Newman about her son 13 year old son Gus who happens to have Autism and his relationship with Siri, the Apple Intelligent Personal Assistant.

I already was aware of the ability of technology to engage kids with special needs. Technology is one of the tools used in modern schools to teach kids the curriculum. The computer lessons are often designed like games to help kids learn phonics, spelling and math. The kids enjoy interacting with the games and the games reinforce what is being taught in the classroom.

Ms. Newman’s post described how the features of Siri are beneficial to her son’s special needs. Kids with autism can have major difficulty engaging with other people socially in conversation. They can have special interests or obsessions about certain topics that they want to talk about to the exclusion of all else. They do not pick up on cues from other people that they are not interested and they find it hard to be able to take turns in conversation. Siri is able to talk with Ms. Newman’s son Gus on all his favorite topics without losing patience with him. Even though the voice recognition feature has some problems this is actually a plus for Gus because he is made to enunciate. This helps him practice speaking clearly. Siri also models being polite. When Gus got a bit sharp with Siri over some music suggestions she had made, Siri told him he had a right to his opinions. This helped him realize that he did not need to get angry if he did not agree with someone and then he thanked Siri for the music.

This sounds like a great use for this type of program for kids that need to learn and practice the art of conversation. It is a help to parents who need a respite from the long discussions with their kids about their child’s special interests. I would not want to see the kids getting attached to these devices to the exclusion of everything else but I do see how they can be beneficial in certain ways.

Definitely something worth further investigation, don’t you agree?