I am sharing this particular article for a few reasons:

1. ADHD is very hereditary; most families with an ADHD child will have an ADHD parent.  It is extremely common for parents to discover ADHD in themselves, along with their children.  There are many good things that can come from these discoveries; this story is a great example!

2. Like the mother and daughter in this article, learning about my own ADHD helped me see that I do all of the same irritating things that my son does.  It was a humbling discovery, but a helpful one!

3. This story illustrates a very, very important point about the correlation between undiagnosed/untreated ADHD and substance abuse.  As Danielle, the teenage daughter, explained, “Knowing that there wasn’t something wrong with me also helped me stop using drugs and alcohol…”  Her experience is far from unique!

I would like to explore the topic of ADHD and substance about more in the future.  Meanwhile, enjoy reading about Danielle and Kimberly. I hope you will find inspiration in their story: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/923.html.
 

-Susan Kruger

(Google+)

To share The ADHD Circuit^® with a friend, invite them to join the series at this webpage: Invitation to Join My Winter Email Series: The ADHD Circuit^®

Previous ADHD Circuit^® articles can be found here:

Article 1 – The ADHD Circuit^®: Article 1: The ADHD Circuit^®

Article 2 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 2): My Personal Journey Through The ADHD Circuit^®. . .for a Cup of Milk!

Article 3 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 3): ADHD Is Not an Excuse!

Article 4 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 4): Is it Creativity…or ADHD?

Article 5 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 5): How to Avoid the “Tasmanian Devil Tailspin” of School Work

Article 6 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 6): A Simple Learning Solution Hiding in Plain Sight

Article 7 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 7): “EVERYTHING Is Wrong With My Kid!”

Article 8 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 8): Improving Social Skills

Dear Joe,

You have a great question!  First, I am a big proponent of teaching communication/interpersonal skills to ALL children/students, not just students with ADHD.  I wish “Dale Carnegie”-style courses were taught in schools because interpersonal skills are golden for everybody!

Unfortunately, however, parents are in a tight bind trying to teach these skills on an individual basis because: 1) Children don’t have the patience to learn these skills from us, and 2) we often don’t have the patience it requires to repeat lessons like this over-and-over-and-over…

Therefore, if your child needs help building social skills, I would highly recommend working with a counselor!  As you may know from previous articles, ADHD was definitely impacting my son’s emotions and relationships.  We started working with a counselor at the beginning of the school year and are seeing very significant gains.  I was very skeptical because my son seemed so far beyond logic that I wasn’t sure he would respond to counseling.

However, we noticed improvements right away; baby steps, but forward progress, nonetheless.  For example, he still had meltdowns, but when I would ask him “What would Michelle (counselor) want you to do right now?” the meltdown would not escalate.  When he had a problem on the playground, Michelle helped him talk through it. After two months (eight sessions), the meltdowns were happening about once every two weeks, instead of daily.  After four months, they are almost non-existent.

At Christmastime, I received feedback from over a dozen relatives about him:  ”Mark seems happier.”  “He actually looked me in the eye.”  “He didn’t run away from me.” “I used to think Mark didn’t like me, but we got along great today.”  No one knew about our struggles, they were simply sharing their observations. I was actually was more shocked to learn about the behaviors they had noticed in Mark over the previous few years than the progress they had observed most recently.  But, at least they were reporting positive things!

For the record, as a parent, I am the Polite Police!  I have always insisted that he say “thank you,” that he look people in the eye, etc.  However, he wasn’t internalizing the importance of those skills until he heard them from someone else. It goes to show you that parents’ hands are often tied on this topic!

If you think that counseling is worth a try, ask your pediatrician for counselor recommendations and/or locations that hold classes for students on interpersonal skills.  Shop around until you find someone you feel comfortable with.  Trust your instinct on this!

Also, I can share a specific list of topics that the counselor has been addressing with Mark:

-How to name specific feelings,
-How to identify specific things that bother him than rather than getting mad at “everything,”
-How to understand his peers’ perspectives and feelings,
-How to cope with upsetting feelings,
-How to manage anxiety,
-How to be polite, and
-Why it is important to be polite.

As I already said, every child should learn specific skills and strategies like these for managing feelings and relationships.  Children with ADHD may have a more magnified and urgent need to learn them at a young age, but this training will give them a great advantage and serve them for life!

I appreciate Joe’s question and welcome all responses and questions.  Hopefully, our experience provides some optimism for other families.  It seems that the skills Mark is learning are making a wise young man out of him.  It is a wonderful thing to observe!

-Susan Kruger

(Google+)

To share The ADHD Circuit^® with a friend, invite them to join the series at this webpage: Invitation to Join My Winter Email Series: The ADHD Circuit^®

Previous ADHD Circuit^® articles can be found here:

Article 1 – The ADHD Circuit^®: Article 1: The ADHD Circuit^®

Article 2 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 2): My Personal Journey Through The ADHD Circuit^®. . .for a Cup of Milk!

Article 3 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 3): ADHD Is Not an Excuse!

Article 4 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 4): Is it Creativity…or ADHD?

Article 5 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 5): How to Avoid the “Tasmanian Devil Tailspin” of School Work

Article 6 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 6): A Simple Learning Solution Hiding in Plain Sight

Article 7 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 7): “EVERYTHING Is Wrong With My Kid!”

At the same time, I am trying hard not to learn too much.  I think that the fact that I don’t have the patience to follow and comprehend some of the super-medical/technical reports I am finding is an advantage.  It keeps my questions and understanding grounded towards my purpose, which is to understand what I need to understand to help myself, my son, and many others who simply want to improve their everyday life.

Jean, an ADHD Circuit subscriber, sent a gracious note to our office last week. She wrote, “I love this clear explanation of a simple task like the 23 steps to getting Mark a cup of milk. I am going to use this article to help my son better understand his own ADHD.  The psychologist can’t do what Susan does well.”

Of course, I’m flattered and grateful for Jean’s comment, but in this case, the psychologist has a disadvantage…she knows too much!  She has spent many years and thousands of dollars on her education.  She has immersed herself into psychology and the brain and memorized every last 10-syallable medical word about every part and function of the brain.

This is good stuff in many situations.  But, it becomes a challenge when you have to explain it to a young student who doesn’t have the first clue what is going on inside his body.   All he wants to do is stop feeling unsuccessful and get a handle on his life.

I certainly don’t mean to insult or devalue the years and years of detailed study into the biology of the brain.  I hope it goes without saying that every person who has devoted themselves to a greater discovery and understanding of the brain has my utmost respect!  Anything I present in The ADHD Circuit ultimately comes from their hard work.  But, intentional ignorance is bliss.  At least for the moment.

In that spirit, I will share another observation that keeps resurfacing.  Please understand this is merely an observation and verbal “I wonder” moment.  Many people who have ADHD have “comorbid” conditions like: auditory processing disorder, sensory disorder, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, learning disabilities, Tourette’s syndrome, and more.   It appears that medical diagnoses are focused on labeling symptoms rather than “causes.”

I realize this is likely because we first identify symptoms and often do not understand what causes them for many years.  But, it seems likely to me that the same root cause of ADHD – inefficient neuron connections – could explain the root cause of an auditory processing disorder, other sensory disorders, anxiety, etc.

Of course, I know there are finite details that differentiate each of these conditions from each other, but this awareness can provide some comfort in realizing that there are not 10 things wrong with your kid…or you.  Maybe just one thing…with ten different implications.  Perhaps if you can improve that one thing, you can see improvement in all areas.

Why Is This Important?

I spent the better part of eighteen months trying to identify my son’s challenges so we could get him proper help. We heard and/or considered a dozen different “labels” as possible explanations for his challenges.   Each label was a distraction.  Fortunately, my husband and I were able to stick to our guns (based 49% on continued research and 51% on parental intuition) and pressed for all of our healthcare providers to address ADHD first.  We felt certain that we needed to address ADHD before anything else would be valuable.  So far, that has proven to be the case.

Last week, I spoke with a long-time friend for the first time in almost a year.  She was exasperated over challenges with one of her children.  She listed several different diagnoses she had received for him, all in the same family of conditions I just listed.  “Practically everything is wrong with him!” she said in a totally deflated tone.

She is clearly overwhelmed and feeling very distraught.  “Perhaps there is one underlying cause that is contributing to all of his challenges,” I suggested.  That seemed to give her a new perspective.  Hopefully, that perspective can make the process less daunting.

In Conclusion

We are programmed to complicate our lives and it can be a real challenge to keep things simple.  When thinking about ADHD and the variety of “comorbid” conditions that often go along with it (or vice versa), it makes sense that all of these conditions would be caused by inefficient and/or ineffective electrical connections since the brain is nothing but one giant web of neurons.

Of course, we owe it ourselves, our children, and healthcare providers to dig deeper to better communicate and treat all symptoms.  But, understanding that having many symptoms does not necessarily mean “many things wrong” can really help you – and your child -  become less overwhelmed!
 

-Susan Kruger

(Google+)

To share The ADHD Circuit^® with a friend, invite them to join the series at this webpage: Invitation to Join My Winter Email Series: The ADHD Circuit^®

Previous ADHD Circuit^® articles can be found here:

Article 1 – The ADHD Circuit^®: Article 1: The ADHD Circuit^®

Article 2 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 2): My Personal Journey Through The ADHD Circuit^®. . .for a Cup of Milk!

Article 3 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 3): ADHD Is Not an Excuse!

Article 4 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 4): Is it Creativity…or ADHD?

Article 5 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 5): How to Avoid the “Tasmanian Devil Tailspin” of School Work

Article 6 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 6): A Simple Learning Solution Hiding in Plain Sight

I was wondering if you have any suggestions for a student who wants to use an e-planner, rather than a paper one?

First, I believe that the only way an “e-planner” will be helpful for a student is if it is on a “smart phone.”  Computer-based e-planners are simply not as flexible and handy as a paper planner or smart phone.

With that said, I cautiously support the use of mobile phones.  In fact, about 24 months ago, I changed one page in our book.  If you have the SOAR^® Study Skills book, you may have already seen this on page 34.

If you have an older printing of our book, page 34 essentially says, “No way!” to electronic planner devises.  BUT, smart phones have made me change my tune!  This is the excerpt from the current printing of page 34:

Some Cautions About Using Mobile Phones

I used to completely discourage the use of mobile phones as “planners” for two reasons: first, it was difficult to enter information in them.

Secondly, it was challenging to see several dates at one time, making weekly planning impossible.  However, smart phones are changing the game and these issues are no longer “issues.”

The single best advantage to using a smart phone is that it is always accessible and rarely out of your reach. Using a phone also allows you to program alarms and SMS messages as reminders, which can be very useful for managing schoolwork and after-school activities.

However, there are some things you should keep in mind if you plan to use your phone as your planner:

1. 1. Only use your phone IF your school allows it to be used in class for recording assignments, dates, etc. If your school does not allow the use of phones in class, you should stick with a traditional planner.
   2. All of the guidelines from this chapter still apply: you should still review your week on Sunday evening and coordinate with your family, record homework as it assigned in class, check your list of assignments before you leave school at the end of the day, etc.
   3. Alarms and SMS reminders should only be used as “back-up” reminders. You should review your calendar and assignment list weekly and daily to be aware of your responsibilities.  This process prevents them from  becoming “last-minute” and taking twice as long to handle.

Planners…and Smart Phones: A Lifelong Tool

Developing the habit of using a planner(or smart phone as a planner) does take some effort, but the payoff is well worth it!  Not only will you find that schoolwork is easier to manage, your grades will automatically improve, and your stress level will decrease because YOU will be in control. Learning these management skills now will make life in the “real world” much easier and will allow you to achieve great success!

-Susan Kruger

(Google+)

I am very proud to share a “new” contributor to this week’s newsletter.  In reality, he’s not new at all.  He has been behind the scenes every step of the way with SOAR^®…going all the way back to my days as a “study skills tutor,” before SOAR^® even existed.  He’s a truly inspirational teacher!

Please allow me to introduce you to my husband, Brian, as he shares one of his favorite classroom-management strategies…

Enjoy!

-Susan

Students: Check Emotional “Baggage” at the Door!

It’s second hour in Mr. K’s class, and the bell has just rung.  Mr. K is ready to get started with his lesson, but here’s what he doesn’t know is lurking under the surface:

-Susie was just dumped by her boyfriend because of an untrue rumor posted on Facebook last night.

-Jimmy was just stopped by his coach in hallway and reminded that Coach really needs Jimmy’s best performance in the big game tonight.

-Sarah has butterflies in her stomach because she’s hoping today is the day that Jimmy will ask her to the homecoming dance.

-Eric thinks he failed is history quiz today despite all of his studying last night.

“So, who’s ready to learn about continuously compounding interest, today?  What does it mean if interest is compounding continuously?  Susie?  Jimmy?  …Anybody?”  Mr. K wonders why much of his class seems to be on a different planet.

How can the students drop their personal issues (which all feel like world-ending situations to them) and focus on “continuously compounding interest” with the flip of a switch?  The answer is they can’t.

GETTING IN THE GREEN ZONE

Here’s how I combat the problem.  (You won’t find this in any teacher’s textbook.)  Rather than starting class with some form of curriculum, I start with neutral ground.  I begin each day with a teacher-lead activity that takes 2-5 minutes of class time.  The activity is high interest, unrelated to the curriculum, but is also predictable.  Here’s my weekly schedule:

-Monday: My Crazy Weekend. I share an amusing, but personal story of my weekend…students love to hear about the “real life” of their teacher!

-Tuesday: Tuesday’s Two Minute Mysteries. I read a mystery from Donald J. Sobol’s book, Two Minute Mysteries…the students love to play “detective” and try to solve the mystery before I reveal the answer.

-Wednesday: ‘Would You Rather Wednesday’s?’ I read scenarios on a card from the old board game, Would You Rather…? For example, I might ask the class “Would you rather have five bottles stuck on the fingers of one hand for a year or have a bucket stuck on your foot for a year?” This always stirs up fun debate.

-Thursday: Puzzle Thursday. I read a riddle or display a visual puzzle for the class to solve; this is challenging, but engaging.

-Friday: Bad Joke Friday.  I share a truly bad joke such as:

Q: When is a door, not a door?

A: When it’s a-jar!

The students typically roll their eyes and groan, but at the end of the semester, I often hear this was students’ favorite activity!

So what have I accomplished in the end?  Some would argue I’ve wasted valuable class time in a setting where every minute counts.  I would disagree.  In those 2-5 minutes, I’ve cleared the “inner-head trash” of 34 teenagers.  I’ve helped reset their brains to a neutral state that’s better-equipped to learn about “continuously compounding interest.”

Susie’s grinning and shaking her head at my bad joke.  Jimmy’s imagining what it would be like to have five bottles on his fingers instead of whether or not he’ll make the winning play.  Sarah solved the Two Minute Mystery and is confident that Jimmy was impressed.  Eric correctly answered a very challenging riddle and feels a little smarter.

I’m not suggesting that these activities will create world peace, but they do:

-Capture the attention of the entire class,

-Put a smile on everyone’s face,

-Create a bond between the teacher and the student, and

-Make for a smoother transition to the “real” curriculum at hand.

Now when I ask the question, “What does it mean if interest is compounding continuously?” I might get an answer like, “the compounding doesn’t stop?”  This might be the right answer or might be the wrong answer, but at least it is an answer.  It then gives me a starting point to engage with the students over the curriculum.

But Wait! There’s More…

It wasn’t until I had been using this strategy for several years that I discovered some unintended benefits.  Over the years, I’ve kept in touch with a lot of graduates.  They often tell me what those 2-5 minutes meant to them.  My students shared the following:

-They thought I was doing it for the sole purpose of entertainment.  They thought it was cool that I cared about them to do something to brighten the mood of the class.

-They liked having something to looked forward to at the beginning of every class.

-One student said, “Walking into class, I found myself thinking… I wonder what kind of kind of ridiculous joke he has today?” In this case, I was thrilled to hear that their attention was already focused on anticipating my actions before they even entered my door.

-They were disappointed if I had a substitute teacher!

-Students perceived that I “cared” about them more than other teachers because of the “connection” that was made through mutual laughter and debate.

Getting Started

It is easy to get started with this simple, but very effective strategy; there is so much material available!  However, I have listed a few links below to help you get started.  Choose things that appeal to you, because your delivery will be much more natural.

Good luck, and most of all…have fun!

-Reader’s Digest (www.rd.com) – particularly the “True Stories” or “Jokes”

-www.puzzlemonster.com

-www.mindbreakers.com

-www.5minutemystery.com

-www.mysterynet.com

-Cards from bored games, like Trivia Pursuit, Would You Rather, Cranium, Balderdash, Truth or Myth, etc.

-www.history.com/this-day-in-history

-Brian

Mom took me to an eye doctor. “Everything’s fine,” he said.

But, I kept complaining.

After another year, Mom took me to another ophthalmologist. “Everything’s fine,” he said.

My mom is a physician and was hand-picking the top doctors from her large hospital. We had no reason to question their conclusions. I just thought I was crazy. But, that didn’t stop me from complaining.

Finally, Mom took to me to yet another eye doctor. “Everything’s fine,” she said. “But, since she is complaining about glare, let’s try a pair of glasses with tinted lenses.”

They worked great and instantly stopped the glare! But, there was one significant problem.

The glasses had GIANT lenses with a dark rose tint. I was already a shy and self-conscious eighth-grader; there was no way I was wearing those babies outside of the house! For a while, I used them to read at home. Otherwise, I continued to suffer.

Over time, I developed a couple coping mechanisms: One was to do my homework in extremely dim light (which I still prefer). The second, and most effective, was simply to avoid reading my textbooks. That did not serve my grades very well (until I learned study skills), but my eyes were grateful.

FAST-FORWARD TWENTY-FIVE YEARS…

Last year, I was in the midst of total chaos trying to get help for my son. I suspected he had dyslexia, but wanted to rule out vision issues first. So, we visited an eye doctor in our new hometown. As we talked, the doctor was excited to introduce me to a woman named Karen.  Karen is a counselor specializing in education issues and was renting another office in the same complex.  He gave her a call.

Karen came in to meet us while the doctor did a thorough vision exam on my son. “Everything looks great,” he concluded. “From what I can tell, his eyes can process everything just fine. However, I can’t tell what the brain is doing with the information it receives from the eyes.”

Karen quietly asked, “Have you had him screened for Visual Stress Syndrome?”

I WASN’T CRAZY, AFTER ALL!

Karen explained that Visual Stress Syndrome causes a variety of challenges for people when they read. People with VSS complain that text appears to be moving, blurry, uneven, or flowing with “rivers of white.” Due to the physical discomfort and erratic neurological signals, some students exhibit significant behavior problems because of VSS.

“Rivers of white” is a perfect description of my challenges. This was the first time that someone else described my experience!

WHAT IS VISUAL STRESS SYNDROME?

Like ADHD, dyslexia, and many other learning disabilities, VSS is a neurological condition. It is not an “eye” condition.

Imagine holding a prism in sunlight and seeing all the colors of the rainbow refracting from it. This is exactly how the eyes processes light; they break light into colors and send neuron signals to the visual cortex in the back of the brain.

Researchers believe that people with VSS have optical receptors that are hyper-sensitive to certain colors of light. When the hyper-sensitive receptors are triggered, they send a surplus of electrical signals, creating an erratic pattern of activity in the brain. Maps of brain-wave activity seem to confirm this theory. (See image.)

VSS IS MORE COMMON THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE!

90% of students with learning challenges have VSS.  Yes, that’s right…90%!

Dr. Laura Weisel, a neuro and cognitive psychologist, collected data from over 4500 students with a wide variety of learning challenges; 90% of these students tested positive for VSS.

BUT, THE TREATMENT IS SO, SO SIMPLE.

When I was in middle school, my eye doctor didn’t know about VSS, but she was on to something when she prescribed tinted lenses. Recommended treatments for VSS include:

1. Glasses with tinted lenses. (I wonder if sunglasses would work. Hmm…)

-OR-

2. Colored overlays/transparencies to place over reading material. (Change the background color on monitors when reading a computer screen.)

Color overlays are the cheapest and fasted way to correct VSS. Color sensitivity varies by individual, so each person will need to test the color overlay that works best for them. In some cases, a combination of two colors will be optimal. The only way to know for sure is to try them. (Colored overlays are available at: http://irlen.com/index.php?s=overlays and http://www.howtolearn.com/products/i-read-i-succeed.)

HOW DO YOU DIAGNOSE VSS?

The treatment for VSS is so simple and inexpensive, I recommend that you self-diagnose by trying colored overlays to see if they make a difference. Formal diagnosis, however, is available in some areas. (See http://irlen.com/index.php?s=findclinic or www.powerpath.com.)

OH, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

Karen gave me a set of overlays. Mark and I experimented and discovered our preferred colors. They clearly make reading more comfortable for me! As for Mark, he prefers Eye Lighters. Eye Lighters are clear, tinted rulers that help him track his place in the text. They serve the same purpose as an overlay, but are more appropriate for a young second-grader.  He still struggles with dyslexia, but knowing about VSS has helped him progress faster.

My neighbor and her daughter both struggled with severe reading disabilities. Learning about VSS has been miraculous for them…their struggles have nearly vanished with color overlays!

CONCLUSION

90% of students with learning challenges have Visual Stress Syndrome.  It commonly exists with other neurological conditions, but may exist alone. VSS causes symptoms that look like other neurological conditions. Therefore, if your child has any learning difficulty, you should screen for VSS by trying the colored overlays or consulting a professional.
—

Thank you to Karen Smigelski, MA, LPC, CAADC of Willow’s Edge Counseling for sharing her knowledge and resources regarding VSS.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• VSS should always be considered before testing for ADHD. Visual attention tests are a common tool used in diagnosing ADHD. Therefore, VSS could cause false positives for ADHD. If color overlays have been found to work effectively for a student, the overlay(s) should be used during the ADHD testing.

• Always get a thorough vision and hearing evaluation for any child who is suspected of having a learning disability. Dr. Weisel specifically suggests asking your ophthalmologist to test binocularity. Binocularity describes how well your eyes coordinate with one another. 50% students with learning challenges have binocularity problems.

Dr. Weisel has also surveyed professionals testing for learning disabilities and asked if they ever checked to see if the individuals they evaluate can see or hear. None of them do. They all assume that the individuals can see and hear just fine. This was my experience. I paid a lot of money to have my son tested for a learning disability, but I was never asked if he had hearing or vision evaluations. I scheduled those on my own.

• Fluorescent lights are a major culprit! If possible, classrooms should offer alternative lighting. Dr. Weisel suggests another alternative; in one section of the classroom, keep the lights bright. In another section of the classroom, remove one of the fluorescent tubes. In a third section of the classroom, remove two tubes. In the final section, remove three tubes. “Students will naturally gravitate to the area where they can best learn,” she says.  (Taken from Learning Disabilities Study Shows Complex Issues Behind Learners’ Struggles, KET ALQ, April 2008.)

• VSS is beginning to emerge as a suspect in causing migraine headaches. If you or someone you know suffers from migraines, this would be an interesting topic to research in the next few months/years.

• The best color for overlays may not be the best color for lenses. Colored overlays change the reflection of light. Colored lenses, however, work by changing the color of the light as it enters the eye directly. This difference is subtle, but quite significant. For this reason, you must test the best lens color independently from your preferred color of overlays. (The same considerations apply to background color on a computer monitor.)

• To change the background color of your monitor on a PC, right-click on the desktop and selecting “Preferences.” From there, select “Window Color and Appearance” and test background colors from the drop-down menu. (Sorry, I don’t have instructions for a Mac.)

• More information about Visual Stress Syndrome (aka Irlen Syndrome) is available at: http://irlen.com/index.php?s=index and http://www.powerpath.com/vss.html.

-Susan Kruger

(Google+)

To share The ADHD Circuit^® with a friend, invite them to join the series at this webpage: Invitation to Join My Winter Email Series: The ADHD Circuit^®

Previous ADHD Circuit^® articles can be found here:

Article 1 – The ADHD Circuit^®: Article 1: The ADHD Circuit^®

Article 2 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 2): My Personal Journey Through The ADHD Circuit^®. . .for a Cup of Milk!

Article 3 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 3): ADHD Is Not an Excuse!

Article 4 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 4): Is it Creativity…or ADHD?

Article 5 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 5): How to Avoid the “Tasmanian Devil Tailspin” of School Work

I hope this small snippet gives Will, and other students who struggle like Will, a better understanding of what their dynamic brains are capable of! Please, please, please share this with anyone you know who may be struggling with a learning disability.

For additional reference, see:

Brain Biology = Hope for Reading Disabilities – Part I

Brain Biology = Hope for Reading Disabilities – Part II

-Susan Kruger

(Google+)

Today, I am going to share some general recommendations that will help Will “catch up” and read on grade-level within the next 12-18 months. The following information may sound a little overwhelming at first, but I will pull it all together in a simple and manageable plan at the end.

As I proceed, I will be sharing several links from previous articles I have written that provide more specific background knowledge. Corinna may need to invest 2-4 hours reading the information for a solid understanding. But, that’s a small investment of time to her; she is hungry for help…and hope!

To be clear, however, these recommendations are based on very limited knowledge. I have not met Will; I have not seen or heard him read, evaluated his reading skills, or seen any test results. This is an important distinction because I have made some assumptions about his situation.

Nonetheless, my goal is to provide insight and considerations to help his parents find reliable resources and navigate some tough decisions. I know his struggles are far from unique, so I hope this information is helpful for other parents and teachers, as well.

MORE ABOUT WILL

Will is nine years-old and in third grade. He repeated second grade and his principal is suggesting that he repeat third grade again. He was formally diagnosed with dyslexia. His reading level is very low and he struggles with some of the common signs of dyslexia, such as “b”/“d’ reversals and poor fluency.

He had been getting two hours of daily reading instruction in a pull-out program at school. Very recently, that time doubled to four hours per day since he is now being pulled from Science and Social Studies. Finally, he has hearing challenges with approximately 65% hearing loss.

PLAN OF ACTION: STAGE 1 – THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

Before I even begin to talk about reading, I must address Will’s current situation in school. The decision to have a child repeat a grade is a very tough one. I know Corinna was not comfortable with the suggestion of Will being held back a second time. She’s absolutely right to worry about this! I don’t know all of his circumstances, but if this was my son, I would not support the retention another year.

My greatest concern about holding him back another year is the hit to his confidence. For this reason alone, I would not want my son to repeat another grade. Will’s reading challenges can be addressed with proper interventions (specified below).

Will struggles with reading, but otherwise, he is a normal nine year-old. He is a smart and social child whose cognitive and emotional development is on par with other students his age. Will’s general growth will be stunted if he is the only 10 year-old in a room with 29 students who are two years younger; there is a WORLD of difference between the humor, interest, and intellectual development of 8 year-olds versus 10 year-olds!

Next, I would insist that he return to science and social studies lessons with his class. (Corinna has the right to insist on this!) If two hours per day of reading instruction has not led to significant improvement after all of this time, 24 hours a day won’t help, either! At least, not with the current style of instruction.

Most important, however, is that Will LOVES science. The one-and-only thing that he actually likes about school has now been stripped from him so he can spend four hours doing something that is causing him extreme misery. Why on earth would we do that to a child??? If this persists much longer, Will will totally give up on himself.

SPECIAL EDUCATION?

Proceed with special education testing. Will would most likely quality for an IEP. In the meantime, he should have a 504 plan in place outlining special accommodations, especially to provide assistance for his hearing challenges.

PLAN OF ACTION: STAGE 2 – ADDRESSING THE READING

Miscue Analysis

If you read any of my articles in the Cue to Reading, you will not be surprised that my first recommendation is to do a miscue analysis. There is a formal process for doing a miscue analysis, but Corinna can observe Will’s reading, as described in the Cue to Reading articles. The miscue analysis will help Corinna determine the cueing systems that Will is currently using for reading; it is important for Will to know that he does a lot of things “right” when he reads! Of course, it will also highlight which cueing system is most challenging for Will.

All About Spelling…to Fix Reading

“Dyslexia” is a broad term, so the miscue analysis is critical. However, it typically indicates a deficiency with the visual cueing system. In this case, I highly recommend the program, All About Spelling. All About Spelling is based on the Orton-Gillingham model, which is the most popular instructional method for reading intervention.

Traditionally, Orton-Gillingham training and instruction has been very complex and expensive. All About Spelling, however, is brilliantly simplified and affordable! We used this program with my son over the summer and saw significant gains from it; his reading quickly caught up to grade-level!

Handwriting

Typically, students with dyslexia also struggle with writing. I will assume this applies to Will, especially since his mom reported concerns about reversing letters such as “b” and “d.” The ability to take notes and write quickly is extremely important in middle school, high school, and college. Studies indicate that “transcription fluency” (handwriting) is the greatest predictor of long-term school success for a child.

With this in mind, I also recommend Handwriting Without Tears. Handwriting Without Tears is also brilliantly simple! I never thought I would ever be excited over handwriting or have any reason to rave and rave about a handwriting curriculum, but I can’t say enough good things about this program! (See a video I made a while ago, highlighting HWT as the “perfect model” for learning, here.)

The author has taken great care to present letter-formation in a format that will maximize the strong parts of Will’s brain…and improve the weaker “brain muscles” along the way. Marie Rippel, author of All About Spelling, also wrote a great article about helping students who struggle with “b” and “d” reversals. That article is available here.

Working with His Hearing Impairment

Finally, I would like to address Will’s hearing challenges. I do not have any experience working with hearing impairments, nor have I done any research, so I am not qualified to give comprehensive advice about this topic. I would simply encourage Corinna to seek as much professional advice as possible and research options online. Many success stories regarding hearing restoration have circulated the news over the last several years. I can’t help but think that there is help for Will.

Meanwhile, there are two simple tools that can help Will during his one-to-one sessions, specifically during All About Spelling lessons that will be teaching the variations of sounds:

1. PVC Phone. Purchase two “elbows” of PVC pipes and hook them together, either in a “U” shape or an “S” shape. In the shape of an “S,” Will can hold one end to his ear while his mom clearly annunciates various sounds on the other end. Then, Will can twist the pipes into a “U” shape and hear his own attempts at making sounds.

2. A pocket mirror. With a pocket mirror, Will can watch how his mom pronounces sounds and then watch his own mouth form sounds. He can also note how many sounds look the same and, consequently sound the same. The mirror is not essential in the process of learning sound/letter associations, but it will enhance his learning with more visual connections.

WILL THIS COST A LOT OF MONEY?

No! Both programs are very reasonably priced, especially when you consider that they most likely hold the key to solving Will’s reading struggles. All About Spelling and Handwriting Without Tears each cost about $30-70, depending on how many materials you purchase.

WILL THIS TAKE A LOT OF TIME?

Surprisingly, no. The best way to maximize Will’s brain is to work in small chunks on a daily basis. Assuming Cori will need to facilitate the use of these programs at home, she and Will will see the best results from one twenty-minute session of All About Spelling and one twenty-minute session of Handwriting Without Tears per day. (See Tips for Planning Lessons for LD Students here.) Will will see major gains within 2-3 months!

CONCLUSION – ACTION PLAN

To summarize, if I were in Cori’s situation, I would do the following:

-Put Will back in science and social studies classes immediately!

-Avoid retaining him for another year of school.

-Push for special education evaluations and a 504 Accommodations Plan at school.

-Seek medical opinions about Will’s hearing loss.

-Learn about the three cueing systems and pay close attention to Will as he reads to verify his strongest and weakest cueing systems.

-Purchase: All About Spelling, Handwriting Without Tears, two PVC elbows, and a pocket mirror.

-Begin daily tutoring sessions with 40 minutes a day.

-Read to Will, using chapter books of his choice. (As outlined in one of the articles cited above.) This is an essential part of the process; it will allow Will to develop positive associations with reading, expose him to grade-level vocabulary, and age-appropriate/interesting content. Will has been stuck in “beginning” readers for a long time and he’s bored out of his mind. He needs to be exposed to a wider world of reading in the process of learning how to stand on how own two feet.

In four short months, my son’s reading level has increased by 1.5 grade levels and he’s getting straight As in a very demanding school. I shared this with Corinna and she cried. I know those were tears of hope; that is the most important thing I can offer her, or any other parent who is carrying the burden of helping a struggling reader. There IS hope!

For additional reference, see:

Brain Biology = Hope for Reading Disabilities – Part I

The Brain Biology of Learning Disabilities

-Susan Kruger

(Google+)

“My Son Is Illiterate.”

I stopped dead in my tracks.  In her four words, I could sense all of the worry and anxiety from which I am just emerging. I shared some of my stories in this newsletter last spring, explaining that my son was diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, and anxiety.  From the point we determined we needed help, it took over a year to get the proper resources aligned.

We had many battles with various healthcare professionals and with his school that resulted in a bitter, bitter meeting with his principal. (See details here:  http://studyskills.com/parents/improving-education/how-i-was-accused-of-child-neglect/)

We eventually found a doctor who would listen to us.  We secured a formal diagnosis.  We found a loving and compassionate principal at a new school who embraced us with open arms.  We have new teachers who challenge our son and hold high expectations for him, yet support him along the way.

My son is doing better now than I ever dreamed just a few months ago! The weight that is slowly lifting off my shoulders is enormous!  In fact, the ski retreat was a gift from my husband, encouraging me to take a break and “reset” after a very emotional year.

But, all of those feelings came rushing back to me in that split-second that I heard Cori’s wavering voice. I knew *exactly* what emotions were bubbling at the surface.  It’s very fresh for me.

He Is NOT Illiterate!

But, first and foremost, I was stunned to hear the word “illiterate.” I don’t know if this is what she was told OR if this is how she has been led to feel after several years of fighting for her son.  Either way, it is a crime.  I knew nothing else about him, but I whirled around and adamantly said, “No, he’s not!  He is NOT illiterate!”

She must have been thinking, “How do you know?”

I just know.

If he was mentally handicapped to the point that he was truly illiterate, she would not have chosen that word to describe his challenges. Instead, she would have been more concerned about his ability to feed or dress himself.

Learning Disability of Instructional Deficiency?

If a child is struggling with reading, he is simply not receiving instruction that matches the unique gifts of his particular brain. I say this with empathy for everyone involved here:  his teachers, his principal, his parents, and of course, for the child.

The problem is that traditional reading training is significantly incomplete. There are only a couple of pieces that are missing, but those pieces are core to everything.

So, his poor teachers are scratching their head because they have a degree and a teaching certificate that says they should know how to solve this problem. But, they don’t.  And, they are very, very frustrated because they care…a lot!  If they didn’t, they would not have chosen this vocation.

I know because I have been in this position as a teacher before. I didn’t know what I didn’t know!

The parents, however, are looking to the teachers for guidance. They also assume that the degree and certificate mean that IF there was an answer, then surely the teachers would know it.

The child assumes the same thing. In a child’s world, adults have ALL of the answers.  So, if there really was an answer to help him out, someone would have surely presented it by now.

The Solution Is Hiding in Plain Sight

Over the summer, I wrote a series called “The Cue to Reading.”  I described that the brain uses three main cueing systems to help us read and comprehend information.  These cueing systems are the foundation of proper reading instruction for ALL students. They are NOT a locked secret.  In fact, when I searched for “three cueing systems for reading,” Google found 2.3 million results.  However, the cueing systems are largely ignored or misunderstood.

I am not going to rehash them here, but I invite you to learn more about them, beginning with Article 1 of the Cue to Reading: http://studyskills.com/language-arts/the-cue-to-reading-the-three-cueing-systems-of-reading/

The Final, Critical Element

Meanwhile, I have since determined something else that is even *more* for Cori’s son to know.  In fact, it is critically important!

Her son needs to know that is he is very smart.  He needs to understand that I am not just saying this to throw false encouragement his way.  He must have genuine confidence in his ability!

His entire future rests on his self-confidence.  If the seemingly “eternal” struggles in school lead him to believe that he is not smart, his future is bleak.  At best, he can expect to have a mildly fulfilling job where he will struggle to support a family.  At worst, he could quickly become frustrated, start hanging with a bad crowd, and someday find himself in jail.  According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (2003), 85% of all people in the juvenile court system are 65% of incarcerated adults are functionally illiterate.  There is a very high correlation between literacy and quality of life!

How Do You Convince a Kid That He Is Smart?

He must understand how his brain works.  He needs to know that his entire brain is not deficient.  The brain has several different processing centers and the problem he is experiencing is isolated to one or two of these.

ALL of us have “deficiencies” in a few areas of our brain.  Unfortunately, when those challenges originate in the areas of the brain that manage reading, the “deficiency” seems larger-than-life because reading is the foundation of school and life.

The good news is, those areas of the brain can grow and develop…with the proper exercises.  In addition, the stronger parts of the brain will literally grow neuron connections around the weaker parts of the brain…with the proper exercises.

Help for Cori’s Son

I did learn more about this young man and have several suggestions for helping him develop confidence and learn to read.  I will share this information next week in Part II of Brain Biology = Hope for Reading Disabilities.

For additional reference, see:

Brain Biology = Hope for Reading Disabilities – Part II

The Brain Biology of Learning Disabilities

-Susan Kruger

(Google+)

People with ADHD often describe a similar sensation of spinning around in circles.  This how students feel with nearly every task related to school: organizing and managing papers, assignments, time and due dates, reading textbooks, taking notes, studying for tests and even, taking tests.

The brain is pretty overwhelmed as it tackles these tasks.  When it finally manages to “get started,” the frontal lobe sends a neuron signal, hoping to find a receptor.  The other sections of the brain respond haphazardly, like wave at baseball game that is *trying *to get started.

Some sections of the brain receive the signal.  Other don’t. The sections that do, stand up one-by-one, check it out, but can’t make sense of it. One by one, they sit back down.  The signal is literally left hanging.  Nothing will connect.

So, the frontal lobe tries again. The same, sporadic pattern follows and repeats.  Again and again. It’s no wonder a person with ADHD feels like they are spinning in circles; this is quite literally what the neurons in their brain are doing!

How to Avoid the “Tasmanian Devil Tailspin” of School Work

In order to manage school work efficiently and effectively, the brain needs a recognized pathway. This is true for EVERYONE, but people with ADHD are particularly susceptible to The Tailspin.  People with ADHD also need those pathways to have as few intervals (or “lights in the ADHD Circuit”) as possible to reduce the impact of “power outages” when neuron circuits fail to connect.

How Do You Establish a Pathway?

With study skills!  Big surprise, eh? GOOD study skills will establish a pathway for common learning and organizing tasks.  The key is to establish clear, efficient, and effective pathways so the brain has a crystal-clear map to follow.

Which Map Would You Prefer?

Imagine you have arrived at Auckland International Airport.  You will be staying at the Cosy Kiwi Bed & Breakfast.  You have secured your rental car and are about to exit the airport.  Which map would you prefer?

Obviously, Map A, with clear, defined pathways is going to be easiest to read while you are managing an unfamiliar rental car, in a brand new city, in a totally foreign country.  Map B would work, but is not nearly as efficient.

By definition, both of these pictures are maps.  But, for the specific goal of reaching Cosy Kiwi, they are not created equal.  Same goes for study skills.

Not All Study Skills Are Created Equal

Most study skills you will find on the internet are either:

-Not time-efficient.

-Not effective.

-or-

-Both.

Most of them are, in fact, “study skills,” but they look a lot like Map B; a meandering, jumbled, and confusing mess of pathways.  GOOD study skills should be like Map A that has a clear starting point and has marked a very clear, efficient path.

For example, I just pulled one of the dozens of study skills books I own off my shelf. In this book, one of the units is titled “Graphic Organizers and Charts.”  Hmm…Okay…So what?

The starting point is not clear.  Students do not look at this know when to *use* graphic organizers and charts.  They need a starting point that matches situations in which they find themselves, such as “How to Read a Textbook,” or “How to Study for a Test.”

When I am standing at the Aukland Airport and want to get to Cozy Kiwi, I can clearly find the Aukland Airport on Map A.  With the other map, I have to hunt, search, and squint to find the Aukland Airport.

Students do the same thing; they can learn about a graphic organizer, but they scratch their heads wondering how they are supposed to use it.  There is nothing wrong with graphic organizers, but a much more effective title would be, “How to Read Textbooks Using Graphic Organizers.”

Speaking of reading textbooks…this same book needs 67 pages to teach the process of reading textbooks.  I know for a fact that a *very effective* method for reading text-books can be described in four pages…probably even less!  Which leads to the next point…

Study skills should be efficient! Map B is NOT efficient.  It illustrates, in a jumbled and hard-to-read way, every single route you can use to get to Cozy Kiwi…and every other destination in Aukland.  On the other hand, Map A illustrates the most efficient route.  Once again, which map would you rather use?

Study Skills and The ADHD Circuit^®

Over the last 15-20 years, I have read countless articles and books about best-practices for managing schoolwork with ADHD.  To be honest, all of these “best practices” have been pretty vague, but I have always been able to nod and say, “SOAR^® does this.” And, “Yup, SOAR^® does that.” However, I didn’t understand recently, why SOAR^® was so ADHD-friendly.

The ADHD Circuit^® clearly illustrates that the fewer steps we have in any given task (circuit), the less likely someone with ADHD is to have a neuron circuit break.  It is a biological and mathematical fact that there is an inverse relationship between the number of steps involved in learning/organizing tasks and the level of success students with ADHD will achieve with them; the fewer steps, the greater the chances of success.

Of course, I did not understand this concept when I was first teaching study skills in college, but I *sensed* it.  I discovered that the more I could hone in on the specific objective and eliminate seemingly inconsequential steps, the easier a task was and the less stressed I felt.  I clearly preferred the path of least resistance! (I have yet to meet any student -or human- who doesn’t.)

So, I pruned the study skills and organizational strategies I was learning and using; I pared them down as much as possible so I could save time and feel less stressed.  I now understand that there was a biological reason why that pruning was so important.

To give you an example, Let’s take a look at the difference between the “traditional” method for organizing papers and the SOAR^® Binder system.  On the chart below, I have honed in on ONE very specific sliver of time when a student is doing homework.  In this instance, the student has completed his homework and needs to put it away:

If you assigned each of these steps to lights on The ADHD Circuit^®, you would see that number of intervals between steps (neuron connections) is dramatically reduced with the SOAR^® Binder.  As a matter of fact, the SOAR^® Binder has 60% fewer steps than the traditional method.  When you account for the compounded problem of traditional systems having 14-18x more supplies, the SOAR^® Binder is literally 1000% more efficient!

The ADHD Brain Circuit Needs Pathways

When we were in college, we noticed foot paths were always being forged across the grass in various places around campus; students were naturally forging the shortest paths to reach their destinations.  When were returned to school each fall, last year’s foot paths were now freshly-poured cement sidewalks. The university paved the newly forged foot paths EVERY summer, without fail.  (We wondered how long it would be before the university was fully covered in concrete, but I digress…)

Brains do the same thing…for repetitive tasks, they follow the same neuron pathways over and over again until those paths become rigid, like a cement sidewalk.  This explains why Mom, on the days she would drive us to school, would always forget to turn left on Silvery Lane; her neuron pathway was hard-coded to stay straight on Cherry Hill, heading towards her office.  (I hope that makes you feel better, Mom!)

People with ADHD are especially susceptible to rigid pathways, for better or worse.  (The “worse” part explains why people with ADHD can get “hyper-focused,” but that’s a topic for another article on another day.)  In the realm of managing learning and organizing tasks, people with ADHD can take advantage of these natural tendencies and create rigid pathways, intentionally, with study skills.  Effective and efficient study skills.

Conclusion

Students, especially students with ADHD, don’t need to continue chasing their tail in vain!  *Good* study skills stop the spinning by mapping out clear, efficient, and effective pathways in the brain.  At the start, the efficiency of these pathways reduce the impact of severed neuron connections.   Over time, those pathways become less susceptible to broken neuron connections as they become hard-coded in the brain.  Study skills are one of the most powerful set of tools for ALL students, but they can especially help students with ADHD thrive!

-Susan Kruger

(Google+)

To share The ADHD Circuit^® with a friend, invite them to join the series at this webpage: Invitation to Join My Winter Email Series: The ADHD Circuit^®

Previous ADHD Circuit^® articles can be found here:

Article 1 – The ADHD Circuit^®: Article 1: The ADHD Circuit^®

Article 2 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 2): My Personal Journey Through The ADHD Circuit^®. . .for a Cup of Milk!

Article 3 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 3): ADHD Is Not an Excuse!

Article 4 – The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 4): Is it Creativity…or ADHD?