You are here: Home / Archives for attention

Redshirting* and Recent Research

Posted by Kayla
redshirting kids with adhd

If you’re looking for another reason to consider redshirting, you may want to consider findings published online recently in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. According to research done over several years on elementary to middle school aged children in Iceland, younger children may not perform as well academically in mathematics and language arts as their slightly older peers. Additionally, children who are in the youngest third of the class are 50% more likely to be prescribed stimulants to manage symptoms of ADHD between the ages of 7 and 14. Let me be … [Read more...]

Filed Under: School and ADHD-Inattentive Tagged With: ,

What To Do When They Just Can’t Sit Still

Posted by Brock
can't sit still in classroom

You know the type. You can easily recognize her in a classroom setting. The teacher’s talking, and he’s in constant motion. She’s drumming her fingers on the desk. His leg is bouncing up and down with a rhythm to match the tune in his head….except he doesn’t recognize that he’s moving. The good news is that often, the wiggling and jiggling is an attempt to pay attention. The bad news is that the constant movement looks like distracting and annoying hyperactivity. Aside from starting gym class a little early, what can you do? Take a look at the following tried and true tips to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Focusing Tagged With: ,

Joe’s Reading!

Posted by Kayla
kindle for adhd

Wonder of wonder. Joe is reading. He's deployed at the moment, and boredom may have something to do with it, but I suspect that the biggest difference is that he bought a Kindle! Once again, electronic devices have won out with him. Have any of you tried a Kindle with your ADHD child? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Products for ADHD Tagged With: , , , ,

Brock and Lesley

Posted by Kayla
Brock Myers

Like Kayla told you last week, I'm Brock Myers, and I'll be writing a good bit for adhd-inattentive.com. I have a 14-year-old daughter who's ADHD inattentive, and like you, I've gained a lot of valuable tips by reading Who Put the Ketchup in the Medicine Cabinet? This newsletter has allowed me to learn so much from other parents! I love the new focus that Michelle shared on the blog when she started seeing "how ADHD is really a gift and not a deficit." It's so true for Lesley who's the youngest in our family. (Her brother Edison is in his second year in university, and her sister Olivia is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , ,

Ten Years of ADHD

Posted by Kayla

This year marks the ten year anniversary of our first ADHD diagnosis. Before then, I thought ADHD referred to wild, undisciplined children who couldn't be still or shut up mainly because they were hyped up on sugar and needed a firm hand. Joe was a calm, spacey child who had never (not even once) got his name on the board or been in any sort of trouble. Sure, he occasionally forgot to wear a shirt, couldn't keep track of anything, and zoned out during class. And, yes, he was pretty annoyed at loud noises, had a terrible time getting a good night's sleep, and approached learning in a strange … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ADHD Thoughts Tagged With: , ,

College Homework and ADHD

Posted by Kayla
help your child pay attention

Recently, our oldest came home from college for a weekend, homework in tow. I know the child is 23 years old, but I was happy that he was able to find the assignment (okay, so it was online, but still). I was even happier that he had the correct book. Ron's homework was to write a comprehensive summary of three chapters in one of his business textbooks. Talk about boring. He's pretty interested in it, though. He explained enough to show me he had a good grasp of the subject, although for the life of me I can't remember what it was. We had a good discussion about how hard it is for him to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: School and ADHD-Inattentive Tagged With: , , , , ,

Five Focusing Hints – A Preview

Posted by Kayla
help your child pay attention

Here are some of the helpful hints from Focus Pocus - 100 Ways to Help Your Child Pay Attention. 7. For multi-step tasks, have kids pair a task to a finger. If you want your son to pick up the bathroom, empty the trash, feed the dog, then sweep the front porch, have him ‘put’ one task on each of his fingers. Then have him count back to you – as he holds up the first finger, he says, “Pick up the bathroom.” On second finger, he should say, “Empty the trash.” This will help him remind himself, and ensure that he heard you in the first place. 13. Pick your fidgety child to be … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Focusing Tagged With: , , , , ,

Take Five!

Posted by Kayla

It's amazing what can be accomplished in five minutes. When your child is feeling particularly overwhelmed, check his to do list, and point out one task that will only take five minutes. Set the timer, and watch the relief as one item can be crossed off as finished. This hint also works great for parents. If you have a small task you've been dreading or putting off - like washing a window or writing a thank you note - set the timer for five minutes and get it over with! Visit our websites at http://www.adhd-inattentive.com. Help your kids to be more focused, organized, encouraged and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Focusing Tagged With: ,

Reminder Clocks

Posted by Kayla

"Pay attention."     "Go to the bathroom." "Get a drink of water."     "Eat." "Take your meds."    "Pay attention."     "Move to the next problem." Hearing the nagging voice of a teacher or a parent all day long is enough to drive anyone to distraction. Thankfully, there are products on the market that can alarm, buzz, vibrate, and/or blink, reminding our child to do what he or she is supposed to do. Our boys fought over our timer. And boy did it help them stay on task, especially when they were cleaning their room! Timers for ADHD are invaluable. There are all sorts of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Products for ADHD Tagged With: