Help your child stand up to teasing at school with these smart playground strategies.
Source: ADDitude Magazine
Teasing and playful banter are an inevitable part of childhood, but children with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) often don't know how to respond. Parents should encourage their children to stand up to teasing without overreacting, which might escalate the problem.
Alert your child's teachers and school principal about any bullying, and let the school take care of the situation.
Suggest that the school establish antibullying rules, if it hasn't already done so.
Encourage your child to stay calm in the face of the bullying. He might count to 10 or take a few deep breaths before responding. Help him brainstorm some good comebacks. He could agree with the bully: "I am overweight. Maybe I should go on a diet." Or he could preempt taunts by saying, "Hi, what are you going to tease me about today?" The key is to remain emotionally detached.
Teach your child to yell, "Ouch! Stop that!" each time he's taunted. That will attract an adult's attention without his tattling.
Encourage your child to stand up straight, make eye contact, and speak in a firm, authoritative tone. If the bullying seems to have a specific, petty target - like the type of cap your son wears on the bus - have him leave it home for a few days.
Ask your child for a daily progress report, and offer abundant encouragement.
Showing posts with label parenting articles for adhd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parenting articles for adhd. Show all posts
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Sue Scheff: New ADHD Book
For Immediate ReleaseContact:
Michele Robinson
HWM Communications
301-530-1845
New Book Details Comprehensive PlanTo Deal Effectively with Kids with ADHD
School Success for Kids With ADHD, published this month by Prufrock Press, is a new resource that offers parents and teachers the latest information to support the total child at school, at home and in social situations. If parents have only one book to read about ADHD, this is it.
Written by three Washington, D.C. experts in child psychology and education, School Success for Kids With ADHD offers a 12-point plan–a wrap around approach—that includes parents, teachers, physicians and school counselors in supporting the child or teenager with ADHD.
School Success for Kids With ADHD sorts out the current confusion over ADHD medications by providing the latest information about which medications works best. Because 34 percent of Americans now use alternative or complementary medical therapies, the authors include the latest information about diet and stress management.
The book is organized so that no matter where you are as a parent–first diagnosed, veteran or skeptic—you can open the book and find your place. School Success for Kids With ADHD has been described as “one stop” reading about kids with ADHD because all information presented is updated and comprehensive.
The book walks the reader through the steps to develop a comprehensive plan about what services are needed to support a student with ADHD. The book’s authors strongly believe that the more information that parents and educators have, they better equipped they are to make decisions.
Topics covered include recognizing the causes and types of attention deficits and how they appear in the school context, requesting school evaluations and diagnoses, understanding the laws regarding students with special needs, advocating for these students in the school environment, and coaching students with attention deficits to success.
The authors also include a brief overview of research and medical perspectives on attention deficits, strategies used by teachers of children with ADHD, and helpful tools for parents and teachers to employ, such as homework checklists and self-advocacy charts.
School Success for Kids With ADHD is now available at Border’s, your local bookstoreor from Prufrock Press Inc., (800) 998-2208; http://www.prufrock.com/.
About the authors
Stephan M. Silverman, Ph.D., served as a school psychologist for 30 years, specializing in the treatment and instruction of children with attention deficit disorders and learning disabilities. He is the coauthor of the best-selling School Success for Kids With Asperger’s Syndrome.
Jacqueline S. Iseman, Ph.D., runs a private practice specializing in treating children and adolescents in Washington, DC. Her areas of expertise include working with children, adolescents, and families providing psychotherapy, consultations, and assessment.
Sue Jeweler, a retired teacher, spent her 30-year career working with children in the Washington, DC area. She is the coauthor of the best-selling Smart Kids With Learning Difficulties.
Michele L. Robinson
HWM Communications5520 Greentree Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
301.530.1845
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sue Scheff - Parenting the Defiant Child
Source: ADDitude Magazine
ADHD behavior issues often partner with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) -- making discipline a challenge. Try these strategies for parents of ADD kids.
Every parent of a child with attention deficit disorder knows what it's like to deal with ADHD behavior problems -- sometimes a child lashes out or refuses to comply with even the most benign request. But about half of all parents who have children with live with severe behavior problems and discipline challenges on an almost daily basis.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sue Scheff: ADHD Parenting Tips
Source: ADDitude Magazine
ADHD Parenting Tips: Be Positive and Calm
What does my style of parenting look like? Let’s say your nine-year-old refuses to comply with a simple request, like “Please pick up your toys.” Don’t repeat your request. Don’t yell or threaten a time-out. Instead, respond with action — firm, calm, quiet, and dramatic.
For instance, you might begin placing the toys into a container. If the child asks what you’re doing, you can say that the toys will remain in your possession until she pays you a small sum or performs certain chores. Your floor will be free of clutter — and your child will be more likely to comply next time.
Read entire article: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1879.html
ADHD Parenting Tips: Be Positive and Calm
What does my style of parenting look like? Let’s say your nine-year-old refuses to comply with a simple request, like “Please pick up your toys.” Don’t repeat your request. Don’t yell or threaten a time-out. Instead, respond with action — firm, calm, quiet, and dramatic.
For instance, you might begin placing the toys into a container. If the child asks what you’re doing, you can say that the toys will remain in your possession until she pays you a small sum or performs certain chores. Your floor will be free of clutter — and your child will be more likely to comply next time.
Read entire article: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1879.html
Monday, September 22, 2008
Parents Universal Resource Experts, Sue Scheff: ADHD & Iron: Can Nutritional Supplements Improve Symptoms?
How to improve your child's ADHD symptoms by increasing the iron levels in his diet.
You make adjustments to your child’s diet every time a new study touts the health benefits of this food or that nutrient. First, you included more protein with breakfast, then you introduced omega-3 fatty acids.
Now, just as you’re savoring your successes, the latest research suggests that low levels of iron can worsen attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children with the condition.
You know how important iron is to the body, carrying oxygen to the muscles and organs. But it also plays an important role in the brain, affecting production of the key neurotransmitter, dopamine.
What does this mean to your child? Read on. We’ll help you figure out if he’s getting enough of this vital mineral.
Low Iron and ADHD
When you think of a child who is iron deficient, you envision one who is pale and tired — not a hyperactive child, bouncing off walls. Well, think again. A 2004 study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found that 84 percent of children with ADHD had significantly lower levels of iron, compared with 18 percent of kids without ADHD. The lower the levels of ferritin — a protein found inside cells that store iron — the more severe the symptoms.
A small study, published this year in Pediatric Neurology, showed that symptoms improved when iron-deficient children with ADHD took an iron supplement.
Low iron may also be a factor in Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), a condition often found in ADHD children that causes an uncomfortable tingling or crawling feeling in the legs, affecting the ability to get to sleep. In 2003, the journal Sleep reported that giving iron supplements to children with both RLS and low iron stores improved symptoms.
If you suspect your child has low levels of iron, talk with your doctor about doing a ferritin test (see “Low-Iron Indicators,” left). Never give your child iron supplements without a blood test and your doctor’s approval. Too much iron can block the absorption of zinc, copper, and manganese. Keep iron supplements out of the reach of small children.
Read the entire article here: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/3993.html
Monday, September 8, 2008
What Is ADHD? Diagnosis and Treatment Information
Source: ADDitude Magazine
An expert on ADHD and learning disabilities talks about the biology behind attention deficit disorder and why it’s sometimes so difficult to diagnose and treat ADHD symptoms in children.
by Larry Silver, M.D.
In my 40 years as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I have treated thousands of youngsters. With some children, I am able to make a quick evaluation about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and outline a course of treatment. With others — more often than I care to admit — I have to tell parents that it’s not clear what is wrong. It’s not that I lack the expertise or diagnostic skills. It’s just that psychiatry isn’t quite as far along as other medical specialties.
A pediatrician can do a throat culture and tell at once whether a child needs an antibiotic; appropriate treatment follows the diagnosis. In contrast, psychiatrists are often required to initiate a specific treatment and worry about clarifying the diagnosis later on. As I often tell parents, we must “put out the fire and blow the smoke away” before we can figure out what started the fire.
If a child is having problems in school, he may have attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD), but it’s also possible that he has a learning disability. Or depression. Or anxiety. Sometimes what looks like ADHD is the result of family tensions.
If ADHD seems to be even a part of such a “mixed clinical picture,” I typically prescribe medication. If this solves the problem, terrific. But in many cases, another intervention is needed to address persistent academic, emotional, or family problems. Only weeks or months after treatment has been initiated will the full clinical picture become clear.
I understand parents’ concern about medicating their children. My clinical knowledge notwithstanding, I agonized over whether my granddaughter, who has ADHD, should be on meds. (Ultimately, we decided she should.) I have found, however, that parents often feel better about ADHD meds when they understand a bit about neurotransmitters, the remarkable compounds that govern brain function.
How neurotransmitters work
Before I tell you about these special brain chemicals, let me explain a bit about brain anatomy.
There are millions of cells, or neurons, densely packed into various regions of the brain. Each region is responsible for a particular function. Some regions interact with our outside world, interpreting vision, hearing, and other sensory inputs to help us figure out what to do and say. Other regions interact with our internal world — our body — in order to regulate the function of our organs.
For the various regions to do their jobs, they must be linked to one another with extensive “wiring.” Of course, there aren’t really wires in the brain. Rather, there are myriad “pathways,” or neural circuits, that carry information from one brain region to another.
Information is transmitted along these pathways via the action of neurotransmitters (scientists have identified 50 different ones, and there may be as many as 200). Each neuron produces tiny quantities of a specific neurotransmitter, which is released into the microscopic space that exists between neurons (called a synapse), stimulating the next cell in the pathway — and no others.
How does a specific neurotransmitter know precisely which neuron to attach to, when there are so many other neurons nearby? Each neurotransmitter has a unique molecular structure — a “key,” if you will — that is able to attach only to a neuron with the corresponding receptor site, or “lock.” When the key finds the neuron bearing the right lock, the neurotransmitter binds to and stimulates that neuron.
Read entire article here: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1572.html
An expert on ADHD and learning disabilities talks about the biology behind attention deficit disorder and why it’s sometimes so difficult to diagnose and treat ADHD symptoms in children.
by Larry Silver, M.D.
In my 40 years as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I have treated thousands of youngsters. With some children, I am able to make a quick evaluation about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and outline a course of treatment. With others — more often than I care to admit — I have to tell parents that it’s not clear what is wrong. It’s not that I lack the expertise or diagnostic skills. It’s just that psychiatry isn’t quite as far along as other medical specialties.
A pediatrician can do a throat culture and tell at once whether a child needs an antibiotic; appropriate treatment follows the diagnosis. In contrast, psychiatrists are often required to initiate a specific treatment and worry about clarifying the diagnosis later on. As I often tell parents, we must “put out the fire and blow the smoke away” before we can figure out what started the fire.
If a child is having problems in school, he may have attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD), but it’s also possible that he has a learning disability. Or depression. Or anxiety. Sometimes what looks like ADHD is the result of family tensions.
If ADHD seems to be even a part of such a “mixed clinical picture,” I typically prescribe medication. If this solves the problem, terrific. But in many cases, another intervention is needed to address persistent academic, emotional, or family problems. Only weeks or months after treatment has been initiated will the full clinical picture become clear.
I understand parents’ concern about medicating their children. My clinical knowledge notwithstanding, I agonized over whether my granddaughter, who has ADHD, should be on meds. (Ultimately, we decided she should.) I have found, however, that parents often feel better about ADHD meds when they understand a bit about neurotransmitters, the remarkable compounds that govern brain function.
How neurotransmitters work
Before I tell you about these special brain chemicals, let me explain a bit about brain anatomy.
There are millions of cells, or neurons, densely packed into various regions of the brain. Each region is responsible for a particular function. Some regions interact with our outside world, interpreting vision, hearing, and other sensory inputs to help us figure out what to do and say. Other regions interact with our internal world — our body — in order to regulate the function of our organs.
For the various regions to do their jobs, they must be linked to one another with extensive “wiring.” Of course, there aren’t really wires in the brain. Rather, there are myriad “pathways,” or neural circuits, that carry information from one brain region to another.
Information is transmitted along these pathways via the action of neurotransmitters (scientists have identified 50 different ones, and there may be as many as 200). Each neuron produces tiny quantities of a specific neurotransmitter, which is released into the microscopic space that exists between neurons (called a synapse), stimulating the next cell in the pathway — and no others.
How does a specific neurotransmitter know precisely which neuron to attach to, when there are so many other neurons nearby? Each neurotransmitter has a unique molecular structure — a “key,” if you will — that is able to attach only to a neuron with the corresponding receptor site, or “lock.” When the key finds the neuron bearing the right lock, the neurotransmitter binds to and stimulates that neuron.
Read entire article here: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1572.html
Monday, May 19, 2008
Parents Universal Resource Experts (Sue Scheff) Can Children Outgrow ADHD?
Parents of children with attention deficit disorder often wonder if their kids will stay on ADD drugs for life. A medical expert explains.
I recently diagnosed eight-year-old Aidan with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD). When I met with his parents to explain the disorder, each time I described a symptom, his mother exclaimed, “That’s me!” or “I’ve been like that all my life, too.” At the end of the appointment, she asked me if she should be evaluated, as well.
As an adult, Aidan’s mother had jumped from job to job, and had difficulty meeting household demands. As a child, she had struggled through school, often getting into trouble and getting poor grades. After a thorough evaluation of her chronic and pervasive history of hyperactivity, distractibility, and other symptoms of ADHD, she was diagnosed by a psychiatrist who works with adults.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Sue Scheff: Cutting Back on Sugar to Treat Symptoms in Children
Simple changes in diet, like cutting back on snacks with sugar, could bring out the sweeter side this holiday season in your child with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD).
Chances are, you’ve had the following chat with the doctor of your child with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) — probably just before the holidays: “Every time Johnny eats lots of sugary foods, his symptoms of ADHD worsen, and he becomes irritable and hyper. I dread this season because Johnny turns it into unhappy days for everyone.”
Click here for entire article.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Parents Universal Resource Experts (Sue Scheff) Discipline Do’s: Creating Limits for ADHD Children
5 ways for parents of ADHD children to establish a reliable structure and solid limits.
Your child with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) is loving, intelligent, cute, creative — and often wants his own way. He has the talk and charm to out-debate you, and will negotiate until the 59th minute of the 23rd hour. Like salesmen who won’t take no for an answer, he can wear you down until you give in to his wishes.
Sound familiar? Children with ADHD are more often slave to, than master of, their wishes and feelings. Those who are exceedingly impulsive and distracted seem to have a greater need for interaction and attention, even if getting it means battling with their parents. While all children require reliable structure and solid limits, ADHD kids need them more. Holding your ground is not mean or unreasonable. Here are some strategies for hanging tough.
Be clear.
Your child may be good at distracting you. You ask your son to clear the dinner table. He tries to avoid the chore by pointing out that his sister didn’t clean her room, and that you left a dirty dish in the TV room. And he has too much homework to do, after an afternoon spent with his new Wii.
Resist the bait and keep your reasonable goal of clearing the table. Re-state it in simple, direct words: “I’d like you to clear the table, please.” Telling your child why you want him to do it, or why he should want to help, is a waste of breath.
Be a deal-breaker.
When your child says she’ll clean her room in return for a later bedtime, walk away. Deal-making is for the used-car showroom. You are a good and loving parent, and your expectations are reasonable and in your child’s best interest. Allowing your child to nickel-and-dime your parenting will cheapen the power of your wise influence.
What should you do if your child raises the stakes or says something nasty? Be strong. Resist yelling or punishing, for those only demonstrate your lack of power. Stick to your original expectation and consequences. Your steadiness over time will persuade your child to fulfill your requests.
State your terms once.
When your child asks again whether he can watch the late movie after you’ve said no, do you have to answer that question another 15 times? Do you have to defend your position? Do you need to ask your child’s permission to parent?
No, no, and no. When children ask you to explain something 21 different ways, are they seeking understanding, or do they want to wear you down? Answer once or twice, and assume the message got through. “Because I said so” may be the best answer.
Create a bribe-free home.
Bribery is tempting. All parents have done it, especially in moments of fatigue and frustration. Buying our children’s time, however, is a slippery slope that leads to paying for every inch of cooperation.
What if your child is already accustomed to getting something in return? It’s time for a regime change. It’s never too late to stop overindulging your child. Once you stop, he will probably protest—loudly. But don’t be dismayed by the ruckus; a tantrum shows that change is indeed needed.
Follow through.
I work with loving parents every day who know what they need and want to do, but somehow they can’t back up their words with action. If you threaten to take away that trip to Chuck E. Cheese, do so. Giving in to an angelic grin and promise of better behavior tomorrow or rationalizing that life is tough enough and he needs some fun will teach him that he can count on getting his way. It may also teach him that he can’t count on you to deal with him.
Sound familiar? Children with ADHD are more often slave to, than master of, their wishes and feelings. Those who are exceedingly impulsive and distracted seem to have a greater need for interaction and attention, even if getting it means battling with their parents. While all children require reliable structure and solid limits, ADHD kids need them more. Holding your ground is not mean or unreasonable. Here are some strategies for hanging tough.
Be clear.
Your child may be good at distracting you. You ask your son to clear the dinner table. He tries to avoid the chore by pointing out that his sister didn’t clean her room, and that you left a dirty dish in the TV room. And he has too much homework to do, after an afternoon spent with his new Wii.
Resist the bait and keep your reasonable goal of clearing the table. Re-state it in simple, direct words: “I’d like you to clear the table, please.” Telling your child why you want him to do it, or why he should want to help, is a waste of breath.
Be a deal-breaker.
When your child says she’ll clean her room in return for a later bedtime, walk away. Deal-making is for the used-car showroom. You are a good and loving parent, and your expectations are reasonable and in your child’s best interest. Allowing your child to nickel-and-dime your parenting will cheapen the power of your wise influence.
What should you do if your child raises the stakes or says something nasty? Be strong. Resist yelling or punishing, for those only demonstrate your lack of power. Stick to your original expectation and consequences. Your steadiness over time will persuade your child to fulfill your requests.
State your terms once.
When your child asks again whether he can watch the late movie after you’ve said no, do you have to answer that question another 15 times? Do you have to defend your position? Do you need to ask your child’s permission to parent?
No, no, and no. When children ask you to explain something 21 different ways, are they seeking understanding, or do they want to wear you down? Answer once or twice, and assume the message got through. “Because I said so” may be the best answer.
Create a bribe-free home.
Bribery is tempting. All parents have done it, especially in moments of fatigue and frustration. Buying our children’s time, however, is a slippery slope that leads to paying for every inch of cooperation.
What if your child is already accustomed to getting something in return? It’s time for a regime change. It’s never too late to stop overindulging your child. Once you stop, he will probably protest—loudly. But don’t be dismayed by the ruckus; a tantrum shows that change is indeed needed.
Follow through.
I work with loving parents every day who know what they need and want to do, but somehow they can’t back up their words with action. If you threaten to take away that trip to Chuck E. Cheese, do so. Giving in to an angelic grin and promise of better behavior tomorrow or rationalizing that life is tough enough and he needs some fun will teach him that he can count on getting his way. It may also teach him that he can’t count on you to deal with him.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Sue Scheff: Parenting ADHD Children, Advice from Moms
By ADDitude Magazine
It’s the stuff attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) days are made of: You’re trying to get your daughter to finish her homework, but she insists on doing cartwheels across the living room. Or you’ve already had two big dustups with your son — and it’s only 9 a.m.
It’s the stuff attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) days are made of: You’re trying to get your daughter to finish her homework, but she insists on doing cartwheels across the living room. Or you’ve already had two big dustups with your son — and it’s only 9 a.m.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
