from CHADD

We will set our clocks forward by one hour this Sunday. When you have ADHD, the time change is more than just shifting an hour forward; it can affect sleep patterns and symptom management. What are some tips for coping?

From NY Times:

You may have heard of her "Hello Brains!" introduction to her videos that explain topics related to ADHD. But do you know the story and struggles behind Jessica and how she used YouTube to bring awareness to ADHD?

from ADDitude

To help me see the ADHD, I came up with a visual aid – of ADHD as a monkey on my back. Not a nice monkey from a nature documentary. This is a mischievous monkey who will pick my pockets and steal everything if I leave the window open…When I look over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of him, he jumps to the other side. I can’t see him, but I know he’s there.

With multiple projects constantly in the works, the old me used to feel like I thrived on multitasking. But now I look back and see how poorly that served me. At the end of the day, I had 20 windows open on my computer, yet I had accomplished very little. Now I keep a prioritized list and focus on one project at a time. It has worked for me ever since the pandemic started, and I began to recognize my monkey.

One simple change has improved my awareness and control over my ADHD. Every night I write out what I’m going to do in each lesson the next day. I’ve never prepared for the next day like this in my life. Having a small outline with bullet points allows me the freedom to listen and be present when talking to a student.

ADDitude Guest Blogs:

One mom shares all of the things her son with ADHD hears adults say, and how it inspired her to advocate, and help others understand the challenges it brings.

My mom radar went off. My son always seems happy; nothing seems to get him down. He did not seem happy right now.

“What do you think people say?” I asked, expecting him to shrug and say, “I don’t know.” He said the following instead.

That was not what I expected to hear, and it took all of my strength not to crumble under the weight of my shame. Maybe my happy kid was a little less happy than I’d thought. And I’d been so frustrated with him for not being “normal,” I’d missed it.