January 30th, 2012 by Springboard Clinic

For those who don’t know, we here at Springboard send out a quarterly newsletter full of the latest ADHD news, events and tips for the season.

This season’s ‘Winter 2012 Newsletter’ was no exeption –  we packed it full of updates about new staff members, tips for keeping an ADHD child busy, tips for getting the most out of the winter season, the latest research, an inspiring ‘golden moment’ and much more.

Click here to see our Winter 2012 Newsletter

January 16th, 2012 by Springboard Clinic

One reason why we love our job is that we get the privilege of hearing uplifting and inspiring stories from our clients on a daily basis. We call these stories ‘golden moments.’ Golden moments can be anything from graduating university, to learning how to ride a bike, to being able to get up and going in the morning where before it was a struggle to wake up before 3pm.

After hearing more and more of these stories, we decided that we shouldn’t keep them to ourselves. Accordingly, we decided to start including golden moments in our quarterly newsletter. The hope with this is that we share the amazing work our clients have been doing, but also spread the word about the positive side of ADHD

So, consider this an official call for golden moments. If you have a story or moment you would like to share (anonymously if you like) please send it our way. We would love to hear from you!

To share your golden moments please email Tara at tboulden@springboardclinic.com, or if you feel more comfortable send it to your coach.

January 9th, 2012 by Springboard Clinic

Are you sitting at your desk at work right now? If so, first of all…get back to work! Second of all, if you are, you’re likely familiar with ‘ADHD traps’ that can cause trouble – both figuratively and sometimes literally – on the job.

What are ‘ADHD traps’ you ask? Well, for one, as exciting as your job may be, you may have certain tasks that are so mundane or tedious that you put them off until the last minute. Or, in meetings maybe you tend to tune out and miss potentially important information. Or maybe there are too many distractions around you – maybe you sit in a high traffic area and people are constantly popping by to say hello. You get the idea.

Whatever the reason for an ADHD trap, while many are manageable with the appropriate coping skills, sometimes it might be necessary to take an extra step and request accommodations from your employer. Potential accommodations might include audio recorders for meetings, whiteboards for checklists, pre-deadlines with your supervisor, or moving to a low traffic cubicle.

The problem with asking for accommodations, however, is that this more often than not involves disclosing your diagnosis. This is a tricky decision. On the one hand it can be helpful to disclose so you can access your rights to accommodations, but on the other it can sometimes lead to discrimination in the workplace and limit potential opportunities for advancement if interpreted negatively.

Ultimately the decision to disclose is your own – if you feel like you may put your job in jeopardy if you continue without any support from your workplace, or if your job is already in jeopardy, disclosing might be in your best interest. But, if you’re doing well at work and managing without extra support, it might not be worth the risk.

What we’re saying is, before making any decision, be sure to carefully weigh the benefits and risk of disclosing. It is also important to explore your own feelings about having ADHD and sharing that information with others.

If you do decide to disclose, be sure to plan ahead what you’re going to say. Present the diagnosis as an explanation – not an excuse. Make sure your employer is made aware of your strengths and what you bring to the workplace– not just your weaknesses – and what your plan is to manage the things that are a little bit more difficult for you.

As an aside, if you do decide to disclose we highly recommend doing so before you run into serious problems on the job – employers will be much more receptive if disclosure is seen as an act of good faith and not just a last-ditch effort to save your job.

December 20th, 2011 by Springboard Clinic

During the month of November, Springboard hosted a holiday card contest for children. Kids who came to the clinic were asked to draw a picture of what the holidays mean to them. Below is the winner – a picture that we think pretty accurately sums up the holidays for an ADHD household.

Peace…? Maybe not something in the cards this holiday season…Joy though? Yes, this is something that can be worked toward.  Whatever joy means to you, take some time this holiday season to enjoy the simple things in life. Let things go, try to relax – make the most of whatever life throws at you, good or bad. That’s what the holidays are for, right? Rest, rejuvenation and enjoying the little things – that’s what really counts.

For your knowledge, Springboard will be closed from December 22nd to January 2nd – we’ll be in search of our own definition of peace and joy! Whether or not the holidays are something that you look forward to or dread, track your significant moments. We’ll be happy to work through them with you when we get back. At that time we will also be more than happy to help you get rid of your leftover treats!

 

December 19th, 2011 by Springboard Clinic

Promising news for adults with ADHD: Last month we posted a blog about a study that reported medication for ADHD treatment in children did not raise the risk of serious heart problems. Now, a separate group of scientists in the United States, commissioned by the government, have found similar results in adults.

The study, published a few days ago, looked at the medical records of more than 150,000 adults aged 25-64 using stimulant medications such as Concerta, Strattera, Adderall, and Ritalin, and compared them to non-users. From these records, they were able to show that those who were medicated were no more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or sudden death than non-users.

Click here for the original study, or check out the link below to an article with more information:

http://healthland.time.com/2011/12/12/adhd-drugs-dont-pose-risk-for-the-heart/

 

 

December 12th, 2011 by Springboard Clinic

Presented without comment, below is a link to an article about a 5-year old boy diagnosed with ADHD who was handcuffed and charged with battery in California. The story goes that the child had a history of behavioural concerns in the classroom, and a police officer was brought in to ‘scare him straight.’ When he got agitated, however, the police officer put zip ties on his hands and feet and brought him to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

Ok maybe we’ll make one comment: this is a good example of what not to do when dealing with an ADHD child with behavioural concerns.

http://www.kcra.com/news/29847063/detail.html

December 5th, 2011 by Springboard Clinic

A few weeks ago we posted a blog about difficult behaviours as skill deficits rather than purposeful behaviour.  This means that if your child stops to play Lego on the stairs instead of going up to brush his teeth, this may be an indication of a lagging skill and not intentional avoidance.

This concept introduced the importance of identifying skill deficits that are often present in children who have ADHD, as well as viewing their difficult behaviour and undeveloped skills as an expected part of the growth process. So, what can we do to help children develop skills such as frustration tolerance, problem solving, handling change, and so on?

There is some promising research being conducted at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), which aims to show that we can help children by using ‘social-cognitive intervention‘. Simply put, this is the development of individual goals and the training for how to reach these goals through:

• Increasing emotional awareness
• Learning to cope with feelings
• Learning to problem solve

For example, for children who have a hard time managing their emotional response to frustration when the TV is turned off, they can learn how to be aware of their feelings in these situations, how to cope with these frustrations, and how to problem solve so they can move on.

To learn more about CAMH’s ‘Coping Power’ program, click here.

 

November 28th, 2011 by Springboard Clinic

Hey Springboarders – let’s play a game! What you need to do for this game is to go and find a raisin. That’s right, just one. Go ahead, we can wait…

Ok, so now you presumably have your raisin – put it in the palm of your hand and take a good hard look at it. First of all, describe what the raisin looks like in as much detail as you possibly can. What colour is it? How big is it? Does it look like it has a lot of ridges or is it maybe a little bit smoother? Now move the raisin around in your hand– what does it feel like? Is it hard or soft? Is it rough against your fingers? Ok now smell it – what does it smell like? After you’ve taken the time to describe the raisin in as much detail as possible, pop it in your mouth and start chewing – but don’t swallow yet! Chew slowly. What does the raisin taste like? How does it feel in your mouth? Take your time with this – really pay attention to the whole experience.

Ok now you can swallow the raisin.

What you just did there was an exercise in mindfulness – the experience of being totally aware of and in the present moment. Individuals with ADHD often have huge difficulty being in the moment – they may be doing one thing, but are often thinking about 17 other things they need to do that day. Do you often find yourself polishing off a meal without even really noticing what you were just eating? Do you sometimes find yourself drifting off when sitting in a meeting and thinking about what you want for lunch or thinking about that bill you have to pay? If this sounds even remotely familiar, then you would likely benefit from giving mindfulness a shot.

So, next time you sit down for a meal, make it a goal to turn the TV off, get rid of all your distractions, and really pay attention to what your food looks like, smells like, and tastes like. The more you consciously practice this, the easier you may find that you can enjoy the present moment and really start to enjoy the simple things in life!

November 21st, 2011 by Springboard Clinic

In a large-scale study, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently reported that medication for the treatment of ADHD in children did not raise the risk of serious heart problems.

You may or may not remember this, but a few years ago – 2006 to be exact – ADHD drugs were the subject of quite a bit of controversy and concern. At that time, reports of heart attacks and strokes in children who were being treated by medication led Health Canada to temporarily suspend marketing of ADHD drugs.

Now however, the study is showing that stimulant medication used for the treatment of ADHD – such as Concerta or Adderall – are not in fact associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke or sudden death.

Interesting stuff! To read more about the study and its results click the link below:

http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/02/study-adhd-medications-dont-increase-heart-risks/

November 10th, 2011 by Springboard Clinic

If you’re like many other individuals with ADHD, you’ve likely had difficulty developing habits – whether it is a consistent study schedule, or even remembering to put your keys somewhere you’ll always find it.

As is often the case, you may start out with high motivation and high drive to put that habit in place – this time you’re going to make it stick. But, as the days go by, maybe that motivation wavers, maybe something gets in the way and you forget to keep up your habit or decide that it’s too much trouble. Maybe you even forget that you had that great idea to begin with.

The fact is, although habit-building is a powerful way to introduce structure into your life, developing a habit takes time – it can be all too easy to become discouraged if you’re not successful at first and give up.

In developing a habit, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to create the structure and support needed for each new habit change so your chances for success are strong. Below are 5 such strategies, adapted from a great book called ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize your Life, designed to help you make that new habit stick.

1. Tie a new habit with an old one. Since most of us have ingrained habits, it’s easiest to develop a new habit if it’s tied to an old one. As an example, if you decide you want to start going for morning walks, try putting your running shoes and jacket by the door where you always go to pick up the morning paper.
2.  Make the habit hard to ignore. Using the same example, try putting your running shoes in an obtrusive place, so you can’t open the door to get the paper without picking them up.
3. Put reminders everywhere. When first starting out, try putting sticky notes where you are sure to see them that remind you to act on your new habit. Want to remember to put your keys in the same place every day? Place a sticky note right by the door where you see it as soon as you walk inside.
4. Get back on the horse. Habits take time. Forgetting is not failure – it is part of developing a habit. If you forget one day, start fresh the next. Better yet, start fresh as soon as you remember – if you wanted to go to the gym in the morning, stick with a plan B and go in the evening instead. You can get back to going in the morning the next day.
5. Problem solve if it’s not working. Maybe you need a different reminder, maybe you need to tie it to a different habit, or maybe it would fit better into a different time of day. Whatever it is, take the time to look at what has been working and what has not, and go from there.

Kolberg, J. & Nadeau, K. (2002). ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize your Life. Routledge, New York: New York.