Thought about seeing the new Disney film with your kids this summer? Then you might be interested in this article by Bob Cunningham, Head of Robert Louis Stevenson School and professional advisory board member for the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Cunningham provides a great comparison of kids with ADHD to the new Disney film “Finding Dory”. In the film Dory struggles with many issues similar to those seen in kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other learning disabilities. Some of the most common symptoms of ADHD are attention issues, poor working memory, impulsivity, and executive functioning issues.
This movie will not only resonate with kids struggling with memory and attention issues, but also with parents. The author provides 7 key takeaways about ADHD and working memory. Highlights include the relatable struggles Dory faces with multi-step instructions, impulsivity and attention issues as well as the realities of parenting a child with ADHD. The movies allows for some great teaching moments between parent and child after the movie if they see it together.
CADDAC's past year proved very successful.The highlights being; extensive advocacy work in British Columbia, Ontario and Manitoba; this years conference held in Ontario; the launch of our PREP two day parenting program; additional full day workshops including one on adult ADHD and one on school advocacy; the launch of our policy paper on ADHD in the post-secondary environment highlighting ADHD Awareness Month; development of a platform to network all Canadian ADHD local organizations.
To view detailed documentation access CADDAC's 2015 Accomplishments
Most parents are aware that their children with ADHD struggle with poor self-esteem and find it heartbreaking to hear their child voice negative comments about themselves like, “I’m stupid, I’m just so dumb I’ll never be able to do this”. Parents hate to see their kids discouraged, afraid to try difficult or new things and to hear their children lament that they feel misunderstood and that no one likes them. A child with ADHD will receive at least twice as many negative messages in a day than other children.
Sometimes as parents, educators, coaches and others who interact with these kids we are the ones who inadvertently or even intentionally relay these negative messages in the hope that it will alter the child’s behaviour. In fact, positive consequences in the form of verbal feedback, has been shown to be far superior in changing the behaviour of children with ADHD and I would suspect most children. Unfortunately as humans in the midst of busy lives we tend to pay attention to the things that annoy, interrupt or distress us and ignore our children and the things they are doing when they are behaving well or accomplishing what we have asked of them.
So parents will need to make a conscious effort and actively work on increasing their child’s view of themselves by balancing out all the negative messages their children are getting throughout the day with more positive feedback and experiences.
Here are several links to tips that you might find useful.
http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/raising-child-with-adhd-192990-5_3.html
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/conditions/adhd/a5237/self-esteem-and-adhd-child/
http://www.adhdtogether.com/sites/default/files/Ideas-help-build-self-esteem_COA.pdf
One mother Liz Wisnieski, a graphic designer who herself has ADHD, decided that her daughters Kathleen (11) and Sarah (8), needed an extra boost to their self-esteem. When her daughter Kathleen was upset about struggling at school and having to re-start medication, Liz printed out a list of famous inventors, musicians, artists, and athletes who were diagnosed with ADHD. She lit up.
Liz realized that her daughters along with most children were only hearing negative messages about ADHD and that’s when she decided that her daughter’s needed a more visual lasting message about the positives aspects of ADHD. She designed some posters to hang in her daughters’ bedrooms to remind them of all the positives of the condition. (See below) She hopes that these posters can help bring positive awareness of ADHD to as many people as possible.
You can purchase one of Liz’s posters at https://www.etsy.com/shop/ADHDPosters
This morning CADDAC and CADDRA sent out a Media Release on the issue of lack of adequate ADHD medication coverage under BC Pharmacare.
Since British Columbia is behind other provinces in providing a full range of medication treatment options for ADHD CADDAC, CADDRA and BC physicians have begun an advocacy campaign to let the BC government know that the current situation is seriously limiting treatment options for those accessing BC Pharmacare. Currently Ritalin and Dexadrine are the only medications for the treatment of individuals with ADHD fully covered by BC Pharmacare. Concerta is the only long-acting medication and it is restricted to Special Authority Request (only for the paediatric population after failing on Ritalin and Dexedrine).
Physicians with an interest in the treatment of ADHD are being asked to write letters expressing their concern. Please access BC Pharmacare Medication Coverage for more detailed information on the current situation, a copy of the latest letter sent to Minister Lake, and the BC Letter Writing Guide to assist physicians in writing and sending a letter to the BC government.
If you live in BC and this issue is of importance to you, we ask that you bring this advocacy campaign to your physician’s attention.
Week three and four of ADHD Awareness Month continued with an additional media interview, a piece in the Huffington Post and several community events.
Heidi was again interviewed about ADHD but this time the focus of the interview was on ADHD Myths and Truths. On October the 22nd at 11:30 am Winnipeg time Heidi Bernhardt spoke with Geoff Currier of CJOB. To listen access On Demand Fill in the audio date as October the 22nd and the time as 11am. You will need to listen to the first half hour before the interview comes up.
On October the 23rd Heidi travelled to Kingston and on the 24th presented three presentations, ADHD and Learning, ADHD and Emotional Regulation and ADHD and School Advocacy to an audience of parents. The interaction and enthusiasm of this audience which continued throughout the 5 hour session was much appreciated. We would like to thank the Kingston Parent ADHD Support group for organizing and hosting this event. The yellow VW beetle covered with ADHD Awareness messages sitting on the front lawn of the venue was an added bonus!
On October the 27th the Huffington Post published this article by Patricia Tomasi titled “ADHD Stigma Is So Prevalent Parents are Delaying Diagnosis”. The article features interviews with Heidi Bernhardt, Dr. Doron Almagor and several parents discussing the continued misunderstandings and stigma around ADHD.
Through the assistance of CADDRA another community event occurred on October the 28th in the Dr. Bruce Johnson Conference room at the Shoniker Clinic in Scarborough Ontario. There were two sessions, 10 to 10:30 and 1 to 1:30. The sessions tilted, Dispelling the Myths and Misinformation About ADHD were for the general public and medical professionals who wanted to learn more about ADHD..
Again this year Durham Ontario is hosting an ADHD Community Expo. This year the expo will be occurring on November the 4th at 6pm at Sir John A Macdonald Public School, 777 Balaton Avenue, Pickering Ontario. The guest presenter will be Dr. Larry Danilewitz a Durham District School Board psychologist. Community resource booths and a parent panel will also take place. To register and for more information contact timm_karen@durham.edu.on.ca
As ADHD Awareness Month comes to a close it is important to remember that misinformation, misunderstandings and stigma around ADHD continues to exist. Awareness about ADHD needs to continue through the entire year if we hope to make lasting changes in how ADHD is perceived and how those with the disorder are understood and treated. Keep up the effort!
Week two of ADHD Awareness Month continued with more media interviews, events and awareness building, all made possible due to the efforts of ADHD groups across the country.
On October the 9th the province of Nova Scotia officially proclaimed October as ADHD Awareness Month. This was made possible thanks to three years of relentless effort by Keith Gelhorn and the ADHD Nova Scotia Action Group. View Here
On October the 13th Heidi Bernhardt was interviewed on CHEX TV, Peterborough Ontario. The topics ranged from why we no longer use the term ADD, typical symptoms, who we miss diagnosing, symptoms in the elementary and post-secondary setting and CADDAC’s new paper on ADHD in the Post-secondary setting. View the interview Here
Also brought to you by the ADHD Nova Scotia Action Group, on October the 14th from 5 to 8pm, at the Nova Scotia Community College, the Nova Scotia ADHD Awareness Expo occurred with 30-35 vendors including psychology offices, a pharmacy, Sleep experts, multiple non-profits, tutoring services, mental health services, professional organizers, and nutritionists.
On October the 14th the city of Edmonton lit their high level bridge green and purple to celebrate ADHD Awareness Week. This was organized by the ADHD Association of Greater Edmonton. More information Here
Heidi Bernhardt was interviewed by Daniele Smith on QR77 in Calgary at 3:30 on October the 15th. Listen to the interview Here . The date and time of the interview was October 15th, 2015 at around 13:45.
During the weekend of October 16th to the 19th ADHD medical professionals will be meeting in Vancouver for the 11th annual CADDRA conference. The three days include a research day highlighting and networking our Canadian researchers, and two days of conference presentations covering the latest in world-wide ADHD research and clinical practice up-dates. The CADDAC post-secondary paper will be distributed to attendees and covered in one of the presentations.
For further details go to the CADDAC web site and access ADHD Awareness Month News
Following our busy two day conference CADDAC quickly jumped into ADHD Awareness Month Activities.
On September the 30th Heidi Bernhardt was interviewed by Anna Maria Tremonti on CBC's "The Current". The interview covered CADDAC's recently published paper "Understanding ADHD as a Disability in the Post-Secondary Environment" outlining the inequity and difficulty students are having being approved for accommodations in colleges and universities. A resource developed by CADDAC to assist physicians in writing reports documenting impairments and requesting required accommodations for students with ADHD in post-secondary institutions was also discussed. Check out the episode Here!
Heidi has also been interviewed by other radio station and CHCHTV. More interview to come this week.
On October the 1st MPP Soo Wong read a member's statement launching ADHD Awareness Month in Ontario. See it on YouTube (first few minutes of this video)
For the second year in a row British Columbia has officially declared October ADHD Awareness Month. View the official proclamation Here
On October the 6th CADDAC hosted a teleconference with 13 support groups across Canada and sent the recording to another three groups who were unable to attend. Feedback from these groups was gathered through a questionnaire, collated and then presented to them, followed by an open discussion. The feedback and interaction was very encouraging. Most of the support groups were very enthusiastic about networking with each other and potentially becoming more involved with CADDAC. Many possible future endeavours were discussed such as, holding joint educational sessions and/or conferences across Canada, CADDAC training facilitators of support groups, on-going networking sessions organized by CADDAC, and increased joint ADHD advocacy. Additional resources and training that CADDAC could provide for these groups was also discussed.
Want to spread the word about ADHD, check out this really fun and quick overview of ADHD by Rick Green of TotallyADD Here
Stay tuned for ADHD Awareness Months second week of up-dates.
I first met Rick when he contacted me in my role at CADDRA at the very beginning of his journey on producing his first documentary, ADD & Loving It?! Which, by the way, has earned Rick the Centre For Addiction & Mental Health Foundation Celebrity Transforming Lives Award, and a New York Festivals award for Best Medical Documentary. Realizing that the documentary would have thousands of undiagnosed adults recognizing themselves and seeking help, Rick then created the TotallyADD.com web site. If you have not yet accessed this great resource you are missing out. This web site is loaded with videos and great information from top experts and presented in a funny, lively, fascinating format. Rick’s second film, ADD & Mastering It! promises to transform how people deal with the subtle saboteur that is ADHD is quirky, funny, fascinating, and full of strategies that work.
Rick’s story is equally quirky and fascinating. Named by the University of Waterloo as one of their top 50 science graduates of all time, Rick began his career as a teacher at the Ontario Science Centre. He left in 1979 to become a full-time comedian. Since then, Rick has written and performed in hundreds of television programs, radio shows, and stage productions and has given numerous presentations and workshops on ADHD. He has received Gemini Awards, ACTRA Awards, New York Festival Awards, and educational awards. Rick was recently named to The Order of Ontario, the province's highest official honour. Fans have sent thousands of emails thanking him for presenting ADHD in a way that’s easily understood and humorous. An achievement he’s most proud of.
This year Rick will be presenting his touching, inspirational and funny one man show “My Award-Winning, Coast-To-Coast, Internationally Acclaimed Mental Disorder” that he developed and presented at the “Cracking-Up the Capital Comedy Festival” in Ottawa, to help CADDAC find raise for our work in ADHD Awareness, Education and Advocacy. With laughter Rick will explain the power and peril of the ADHD mindset. The message is profound but simple: "I used to suffer from ADHD. Now, I just have it."
Don’t miss this Night of Laughter and Inspiration! Early bird Tickets can be ordered for the low price of $24.95, or come as a group and order a table for 8 for the reduced price of $185.
Join Rick in supporting CADDAC!
Reading comprehension has been flagged as an area of concern for many students with ADHD. The ability to understand what one is reading is essential for all areas of academic success, success in the workplace and even overall health. If you have wondered why your students or your child with ADHD demonstrates difficulty in this area you won’t want to miss our up-coming CADDAC conference.
Dr. Rhonda Martinussen, an Associate Professor of Special Education and Adaptive Instruction at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto will be addressing reading difficulties frequently seen in children with ADHD. She has direct experience teaching children with ADHD and reading disorder and is the coordinator of one of the two graduate teacher education programs at OISE. In addition she conducts research examining the relations between behavioural inattention symptoms and reading achievement in children and adolescents and has recently completed a study examining listening and reading comprehension skills in youth with and without ADHD.
During Rhonda’s CADDAC conference presentation entitled the Update on Reading Comprehension Research in Children and Youth with ADHD: Implications for Classroom Instruction and Assessment, the role of background knowledge, cognitive processes such as executive functions, and language proficiency (e.g., vocabulary knowledge) will be highlighted. She will also discuss research that examines how to enhance reading comprehension in children and youth struggling in this area. Practical tips and useful online resources will be shared.
In the past ten years ADHD Coaching has become one of the most popular types of ADHD treatment used in conjunction with medication or on its own. CADDAC frequently receives calls and e-mails asking for information on coaching as a recognized treatment for ADHD, so this year CADDAC has arranged for David Giwerc, a master certified ADHD coach, the Founder and President of the ADD Coach Academy, www.ADDCA.com, the world’s foremost ADHD coach training program and a past president of ADDA, to present at this year’s CADDAC conference.
David, also the author of the ground breaking book, “Permission to Proceed, The Keys to Creating a Life of Passion Purpose and Possibility for Adults with ADHD.” will share his unique & effective coaching models for gaining control of one’s ADHD in life at home, work and in the community. David believes that although most individuals with ADHD do not realize it, they truly are gifted beings. Once they are able to realize that the negative stories they have been telling themselves are not true, they can change their narrative to one of uniqueness and authenticity. Ultimately, they can give themselves permission to proceed by creating a life full of passion, purpose, and possibility.
David’s first presentation, having the same title as his book, will reveal a roadmap to success using proven models, tools, and strategies, which have empowered thousands of individuals with ADHD to dramatically improve their self-esteem, and has inspired them to create lives focused on a purposeful mission in many key areas of their lives.
During David’s second presentation “The ADHD Coach Approach: Building a Positive, Balanced Blueprint for the Adult ADHD Brain, he will conduct a coaching session using a volunteer attendee's character strengths profile to demonstrate how the use of common positive strengths language, as well as focus on an individual's top signature strengths, can balance the brain's natural propensity to be dominated by negativity. David will demonstrate how the use of the educational coaching models, coaching process, and use of the VIA Character Strengths can provide immediate access to one's best qualities, attributes, and capacities.
If you want to learn how to use your understanding of your own ADHD and your natural character strengths to activate your brain, access your positive emotions, and take action that will consistently lead to more success and fulfillment, then come join David at the CADDAC conference for this transformational presentation. For more detailed information on David Giwerc’s and other presentations access the abstracts.
