Individuals diagnosed with ADHD usually have difficulty with social skills, even though they may be extremely “sociable.” However, some children diagnosed with ADHD are extremely challenged socially; their parents and teachers often describe them as children who “just don’t get it.” These children usually have no idea why they are being punished and why they…
Having lived in six different countries, I can say that our culture is primarily a “to do” culture versus a “to be” one. I believe that both of those are important and necessary, but what is missing out here is the balance between the two. In the case of a family with one or more…
It is well known that individuals who are diagnosed with ADHD have a very hard time performing “boring” tasks. Therefore, I suggest that they try to combine the less interesting activities with interesting ones. Here are some suggestions: Listen to music while doing chores and/or homework Find a buddy to go to the gym or…
The first time Rachel (not her real name) entered my office, I thought she could easily be a model! When she mentioned to me how unattractive and stupid she was feeling, I realized how low her self-esteem was. With low self-esteem and negative self-concept often comes low aspirations and expectations which, if not reversed, could…
Repeating everything to your children over and over again is like a vaccine that immunizes your children’s ears against your words! In order to really get your children to listen, try talking less and giving your child doable choices. Make what you say count and be consistent with the consequences. Say, for example, “Johnny, time…
Let’s be clear… there are some GREAT things about having ADHD! Don’t believe me? What about these: 1) You don’t always think like everyone else… but who cares?!? Linear thinkers don’t always get your wacky way of thinking. You might get lost in the details sometimes, but so what? You’re an out-of-the-box thinker who uses…
Recently, I had an intake session with a famous professor from an Ivy League University. Five minutes before the session, his secretary called to let me know he would be 10 minutes late for the call. Exactly 10 minutes after the hour, my phone rang. The first thing this Ivy League professor told me was that…
My childhood memories from my brother has always been bitter since all I remember was him being punished because he was perceived by the majority of the people around him to be annoying and ill mannered. I clearly remember when we were growing up how people around us were treating him because he was very…
Both early intervention and a multi-disciplinary approach in the family and school environments can be critical in shaping the path of a person with ADHD. “JJ” is a 10 year old who has been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and depression. He has been raised in a very successful family who has a very hard time…
Many times parents tell me that their child takes forever to do homework. This is extremely common for students with ADHD. Sometimes the reason is a slow processing speed. Sometimes, distractibility and lack of focus when the subject is not an interesting topic is the cause. Commonly, homework takes longer because these children erase…
