StudySkills.com by SOAR Study Skills

The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 1): Introduction to the ADHD Circuit

The ADHD Circuit^® (Article 2): A Breakdown of the ADHD Circuit^®

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One year ago today, I was called in to meet with my son’s principal…and accused of “Educational Neglect!” In the eyes of the court, “Educational Neglect” is full-fledged child abuse.

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I imagine your life is a lot like mine…too many things to do and not enough time to do them! This seems to be the curse of our technological age. We have great tools for improving efficiency, but we are also expected to be infinitely more productive.

As you know, most of the time, I write about improving education for our students. Our mission at SOAR^®, however, is to “make the lives of the students, parents, and educators with whom we work as simple as possible.” (If you ever call our office and speak to Chrystal, Jill, Katie, or Chris, you will know they take this mission to heart! They are four very kind people who are proud to be of service…which makes me very proud to have them on our team!)

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I struggled in school. From kindergarten thru 12th grade, I struggled to earn mediocre grades. I would study for hours…then fail a test. Over time, I had no motivation to study. “Why should I bother?” I wondered.

As I entered college, I knew something would have to change. Based on my track-record, I would never survive. So, I found a couple of books on the subject of “preparing for college.”

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This week, I thought I would share an inspiring article from ADDitude Magazine.  I am a big fan of ADDitude and was very touched by an article about a mother and daughter who overcame substance abuse and threats of suicide through a double ADHD diagnosis.  They learned about ADHD together, and grew significantly from their experiences.

I am sharing this particular article for a few reasons:

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A few weeks ago, I received an email from Joe, an ADHD Circuit subscriber.  Joe’s son has ADHD and he want to know if I had any thoughts about managing social skills.  This was my response…

Dear Joe,

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I must admit that I’ve become a little obsessed with researching the brain lately.  I always considered myself a semi-expert in understanding how the brain works for learning, but I have never dug this deep into the biology before.

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.

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Marcia, a teacher from Wisconsin using the SOAR^® curriculum, recently asked us:

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

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When I was in middle school, I began to notice a problem with my reading.  Specifically, I was having trouble seeing the text in my textbooks. When I looked at a page, I would see a glare of white light slithering between the text and reflecting back at me. It was very distracting and painful…in the same way that seeing a camera flash in the dark would hurt your eyes. What I was seeing, however, was constant and debilitating.

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

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For the last two weeks, I have been writing about a 9 year-old boy named Will who is struggling with reading. I prepared a short video explaining some basic, yet very important information about the biology of the brain. I am sending this video to Will because I believe it will give him hope and build his confidence. As a wise friend told me last year, when I was smack in the middle of trying to find help for my son, “Once you identify the problem, 50% of it is solved!” So true!

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.

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