June 18th, 2013 by Springboard Clinic

This past week Springboard Clinic sent out our latest newsletter full of clinic news, events, and as always, information about ADHD and how to thrive with it.

In case you missed it, some highlights from this issue include:

• Information about our new parent support group
• Tips for students going to college or university, including an introduction to our upcoming student group
• Information about Springboard Clinic’s gifted testing and pre-school assessments
• The latest round of golden moments

June 4th, 2013 by Springboard Clinic

For any of us out there who have had a tough week and could use a healthy dose of encouragement, we highly recommend checking out this video:

I think we all need a pep talk

Actually scratch that, everybody should watch this video – tough week or not. This kid is the best. Trust us!

May 29th, 2013 by Springboard Clinic

Since going through an ADHD or Psycho-educational assessment is a major commitment of both time and money, it’s important to be an informed consumer about your options.

Last week Springboard Clinic introduced some questions to ask before booking an ADHD assessment, but there’s more to it than that.

Psycho-educational assessments can only be done once every two years, so if you’re going that route make sure to think about timing. For example, when applying to a new school (such as college, university, or private schools), many require that assessments be done within the past 6-12 months.

Assuming you’ve already determined that some sort of assessment is necessary now – for example there is perceived underachievement/impairment at school or work – use the flowchart below to help you decide which type of assessment will optimize the relevance of the results and the recommendations you receive:

Not all psychologists or clinics will offer this two-step approach to assessment, but for individuals with severe attention difficulties it can make all the difference.

May 23rd, 2013 by Springboard Clinic

If you or a family member has been struggling with focusing challenges, you know how isolating it can feel. ADHD impacts every individual differently, and because you will be unique in your struggle, it can be difficult to find customized support. The worst experience is deciding you want help, committing to an assessment, and then being sent away to figure out a treatment plan elsewhere.

When you’re finally ready to seek support and guidance, it is imperative that the assessment/treatment program you sign up for will treat you as a unique individual with a customized program and plan for treatment.

You may think, “I don’t need an assessment: I know I have ADHD and I’m tired of spending money and not finding any answers”. The truth is a comprehensive assessment is the first step in moving forward and it can offer a framework for exploring potential treatment options, strategies, and accommodations.

A worthwhile assessment should help you better understand what’s been getting in your way, and how your symptoms are specifically affecting your ability to follow-through on your goals. It should also help you connect with a clinical treatment team.

With that said, not all assessments are created equal.

Take the time to research your assessment options.  Here are our top 5 questions to ask before committing to an ADHD assessment:

1. Who actually conducts the assessment? Find out how much time you’ll actually be spending with the physician or psychologist. Will you experience face-to-face time with the clinician signing off on the report? Will you have the opportunity to create a relationship with a treatment team?
2. What areas of mental health are being assessed? A very high percentage of people with ADHD have a co-existing disorder, such as anxiety or depression. Make sure the assessment rules in/out more than just attention issues.
3. Does the report include recommended accommodations for work/school? Getting a diagnosis is only the first step to getting help. Find out how the clinical team approaches recommendations and accommodations to make sure you can use your report as a stepping stone to move forward.
4. What happens after the assessment? Providing ongoing treatment is difficult and time consuming so many doctors/clinics opt not to. As we mentioned in #3, a diagnosis alone will only get you so far so find out if they provide behavioural and/or pharmaceutical intervention once your assessment is complete. Better yet, can you continue to work with the assessment team in treatment?
5. Is there any help with funding? OHIP, OSAP, and private insurance can all be sources of financial support for an ADHD assessment so find out if the doctor can help with this.

Getting an ADHD assessment can be an expensive but worthwhile investment. We hope these suggestions will help you make an informed decision.

May 14th, 2013 by Springboard Clinic

Victoria day weekend is coming up. Or, for many of us I suppose May 2-4 weekend is coming up (although this year it doesn’t fall even close to May 24th – anybody else thrown off by that?)

Even if you have plans for the long weekend, we often find that it can be easy to look at it as “just another long weekend.” One extra day to sleep in – awesome!

This time around though, we propose looking at the coming weekend as an opportunity. You have one extra day to do something cool. Something different. Why not take advantage of that?

So, our proposal to you is to make a goal for this weekend – what’s ONE thing that you can do that will make the weekend a little bit more special? Don’t just use that extra time to catch up on your paperwork (although yes, that is important too!).

What do you really want to get out of your weekend?

May 7th, 2013 by Springboard Clinic

…a little black book.

Forget using your smartphone, the simple act of writing something down can do wonders to help you better remember and keep track of your to-dos, especially if you have ADHD. Sure, many of us have moved on to using technology to manage pretty much everything – it makes sense to consolidate everything into one place. But, if you’re only typing something out, the argument can be made that you’re never truly connecting to what you’re writing.

So, maybe it’s time to go back to the basics?

This recent article in the Globe and Mail makes a strong case for the little black book – we strongly recommend checking it out!

April 30th, 2013 by Springboard Clinic

Not too long ago, Springboard Clinic posted a blog about TEDxToronto and some of the amazing speakers that gathered this past October from the world of technology, entertainment, and design (hence, TED).

Although October seems like a lifetime away, we thought now might be a good time to re-introduce a healthy dose of inspiration from one of the speakers: Stefan Danis, the CEO and Chief Talent Office at Mandrake (a talent management organization).

In his talk, Stefan spoke about the power of resilience in the face of adversity – a topic we know can hit close to home for an individual with ADHD – and how stepping outside of our own boundaries will prepare you to deal with bigger challenges that life throws at you.

When confronted by his own adversity, Stefan’s version of stepping outside of his comfort zone was to enter the Gobi March having never run even close to a marathon in his life. Never heard of it? Click here to see for yourself what this “‘march” entails (hint: it is a 250 kilometer footrace through the Gobi Desert over 7 days…think about that for a second).

While you may not be interested in stretching your own boundaries to that extent, the video of his talk is well worth a look, if anything to hear about his experience during the race. At best, perhaps it will even inspire you to find your own version of the Gobi – something that will challenge you and push your boundaries beyond what you’ve ever thought possible. Because, as Stefan says, “that’s where the lessons get learned”.

Click here to check it out.

April 23rd, 2013 by Springboard Clinic

Do you sometimes feel like finding a job that actually suits your strengths is a Herculean task? There are so many possible jobs, skill-sets, and careers to consider, and when you add ADHD into the mix, it can seem daunting to even think about diving into it. But don’t get discouraged: we work with very successful ADHD people on a daily basis and it seems they’ve all discovered the same secret…

Whether you’re job searching for the first time or contemplating a career change, step back and simply consider the tasks that you like doing and that come easily to you. This approach is much less daunting than identifying the exact work environment where your skills can flourish, and it can also open you up to so many more jobs than you previously considered.

For many individuals with ADHD, there’s often a preference for tasks that require “right brain functioning”:

• Focusing on big picture concepts
• Looking for new patterns in information and ideas
• Finding innovative solutions to problems
• Selling new ideas
• Developing vision and long-term strategies
• Participating actively in teams
• Being intuitive about feelings and ideas
• Generating enthusiasm

However, some jobs require people to spend long periods of time in “left brain activities”:

• Working with detailed plans and procedures
• Following policies and regulations
• Understanding the fine print
• Approaching problems practically
• Working with numbers, statistics, and data
• Establishing and meeting goals and objectives
• Formulating a financial analysis and decision
• Getting things done in tight time frames

This may seem simple but when looking for a job, forget about the job title and instead break down the daily tasks in order to pick a job where you can spend the majority of your time doing things that come more naturally to your brain style. Ask probing questions during the interview to make sure you know what you’re signing up for. Every company needs both left and right brains so take some time to get to know your own style!

April 16th, 2013 by Springboard Clinic

Once again, CADDAC has an initiative underway to help educate the public about ADHD and to advocate against stigma. They recently created a Co-morbidity Adult Survey intended to gather information from adults who have been diagnosed with ADHD and a co-existing disorder. It is a short online survey where all respondents remain anonymous and the information is strictly confidential. The deadline for this survey is April 30^th. To begin the survey, just use this link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QMQJYK3

The more respondents to the survey, the better the information will be, so please feel free to forward the survey to anyone you know that has personal experience with adult ADHD.

The data collected will allow CADDAC to raise awareness about adult ADHD, as well as the hardships it causes and the lack of resources for those in need. A PowerPoint presentation of the results will be made accessible for free on their website. We encourage you to visit www.CADDAC.ca to learn more about what they do and to find resources related to ADHD.

April 9th, 2013 by Springboard Clinic

Whether you’re starting a new career or you’re a master of your trade, everyone can benefit from coaching.

First of all, working with a coach is a healthy outlet for life’s more frustrating moments (Read: an unappreciative boss who seems to be stifling your career at every opportunity). Secondly, it can be an enlightening journey to discover your strengths, goals, and self-confidence. On top of all that, many coaches provide their services over the phone or Skype, so you need hardly miss work.

That being said, if an employee has ADHD, the average Executive Coach may be ill-equipped for their particular challenges – and they very likely need an ADHD coach instead.

There are three main reasons for this:

1. Intention does not equal action. People with ADHD usually have an excellent ability to make goals, but where they struggle is the execution of these goals. ADHD impacts the neurotransmitters in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, which in turn impacts an individual’s ability to self-motivate, start tasks, complete tasks, and predict how long it will take to accomplish a task. Because of this, it is not enough to help an ADHD individual plan and prioritize goals. The coach must understand the cognitive “blockers” that come with ADHD in order to help design appropriate strategies to overcome them.
2. Strategies that work for the average brain will not work for the ADHD brain. You may have noticed that individuals with ADHD are particularly effective during brainstorming sessions, or they often have unique approaches to solving problems. Again, this is due to the differences in the pre-frontal cortex. While these differences allow for creative outside-the-box thinking, this also means that the typical organizational and time management strategies just don’t work for an individual with ADHD. So, while an executive coach’s systems and ideas may be effective for most clients, an ADHD coach is required to help probe the ADHD brain and uncover the way it sees “organization” and “time management,” which is often the opposite of the norm!
3. Repeated failure requires a breakthrough. Individuals with ADHD usually have a history of big ideas that don’t come to fruition. As a result, they often mistrust their intentions – they feel as though they have let themselves and others down on too many occasions, and so they lose their confidence in their ability to move forward. An ADHD coach understands ADHD, and is therefore equipped to help an individual understand the diagnosis, and how it may be impacting their life. With this, they can start separating symptoms from their identity, and build up their confidence again.

Perhaps circulate this around your office if you’re having trouble getting your company to pay for ADHD Coaching!