Surviving ADHD at Work and School

Accommodations range from desks designed for standing, to talking calculators and office location

School means seven classes with seven different teachers. Work means all day, five days a week, in a pressure-filled, deadline-oriented office. In either setting, there are assignments to juggle, time to manage, and priorities to organize. For someone with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, success in school or the workplace is a moving and elusive target.
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"People with ADHD can't make it out the door on time. They have trouble finishing projects, problems with paperwork, and usually, a disaster of an office," says psychotherapist Terry Matlen, author of Survival Tips for Women with ADHD. "When you take the symptoms of ADHD and put them into a work or school setting, there's more than likely going to be a struggle."

About 4 percent of adults and children are believed to have ADHD. They are forgetful and hyperactive, have trouble staying focused and paying attention, and understand or follow instructions with difficulty—all symptoms that can wreak havoc on educational and professional success. Up to a third of students with ADHD drop out of high school, and they're also less likely to attend and graduate from college.

It's no better in the workplace: Adults with ADHD lose an average of three weeks a year of productivity, according to the World Health Organization. They earn less than their coworkers, take more sick days, have more on-the-job accidents, and are more likely to be fired. They also don't get the support that students do. To succeed, they must take the lead by developing coping strategies themselves.

At School
Spurred by greater awareness of the condition and a growing number of diagnoses, schools are catering to ADHD students with innovative approaches to learning, such as under-the-desk pedaling devices that simulate bicycle riding. Desks that are designed for standing or have built-in treadmills are also popular. Movement and standing enhance focus and attention, says Katherine Schantz, head of the Lab School, which serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., who have ADHD and learning disabilities. Even squeezing rubber balls or doodling in class can promote concentration, says Schantz. In fact, past research suggests doodling boosts both concentration and recall by preventing daydreaming and helping to maintain a level of mental arousal, allowing the brain to absorb information.

Hands-on instruction using multiple senses is far more effective than the traditional classroom setting, says Schantz. Lab School students spend 40 minutes a day in academic clubs that recapture specific times and places in history. The Renaissance Club, for example, welcomes students to Florence, where they work as guild artists for a patron—their teacher—and learn about history, geography, and civics. In the Revolution Club, students dress up as historical characters to learn about the experiences and perspectives of early American life. The clubs appeal to all types of learners, including those who need to see or hear or touch to understand an idea, and liven up monotonous school days that set a student's mind to wander.

Most students with ADHD, of course, cannot attend expensive specialized schools. But mainstream curriculums are taking ADHD into account—for example, by considering where ADHD students sit. A desk near the front of the classroom minimizes distractions and allows teachers to reengage a student with eye contact or a tap on the desk. "But it must be tailored to the individual student," says Ruth Hughes, interim CEO of CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), a nonprofit advocacy group. "Some do better in the front, but others need to be in the very back, where they can wiggle and stand up and sit down without distracting everybody."

To combat forgetfulness, the bane of many ADHD children, some school districts give students two copies of every textbook: one for home and one for school. Writing and listening at the same time can be tough for these children, so some systems provide a peer note taker.

ADHD-savvy teachers also assign homework orally and hand out written instructions, increasing the likelihood that one or the other will register. Some allow students with ADHD to run occasional errands, like delivering files to the school office, to burn off fidgety energy. Alternating between physical and mental activities helps, too, as does increasing the novelty of lessons by blending films, tapes, flash cards, and group work.

At Work
Students who spend years in nurturing classrooms eventually move on to jobs, with potentially unsympathetic bosses. Some experts warn that job applicants and employees should not disclose their condition. "You don't know what your boss or coworkers think or know about ADHD," says clinical psychologist Ari Tuckman of West Chester, Pa. "There's still a lot of misinformation out there. If they have some farfetched notion about what it means, it may not be conducive to a good working situation."

The first step in minimizing the ADHD factor at work is to make it TO work, says Matlen. "Getting up in the morning requires a tremendous effort," she says. "A lot of people with ADHD have trouble shutting down at night—their brains are so overactive they can't sleep." Multiple alarm clocks may help: one on the nightstand to wake up and another five feet away that can only be turned off by getting out of bed. A third in the bathroom might even be a good idea, Matlen says.

Since productivity often varies depending on the time of day, flex time is a viable alternative to a fixed schedule. Some employees may choose to delay their start time; others may arrive early, if that's when they're most focused, or decide to occasionally work from home.

Eliminating workplace distractions like chatty coworkers can boost concentration. If available, private offices or cubicles should be requested. When you approach your boss, describe a symptom instead of naming your condition, Tuckman says. For example: "I have a tendency to get distracted if I'm in a noisy environment. Is there a quiet spot where I could sit?" Otherwise, spend an hour working in an unused conference room, or close the curtains to minimize outside distractions. A noise-blocking headset or soft music can muffle—if not eliminate—office racket. Even adding a "do not disturb" sign or turning the desk to avoid facing the door can help those thrown off by interruptions. Meetings in particular can be nervewrackingly chaotic or deadly dull. If you tend to zone out or lose track, record them and review the sessions later, undisturbed.

Since people with ADHD are often visually oriented, files, schedules, and other documents should be color-coded. To combat time management problems, break projects into smaller tasks and create a schedule allocating a specific amount of time to each piece. Use a vibrating watch to (silently) stick to that schedule—and to remember phone calls and meeting times.

Moving around throughout the day can counter a tendency to fidget and chatter. Scheduled breaks are helpful, especially before and after long meetings. "Take the long way when you're walking around the office," says Tuckman. "Take the stairs instead of the elevator, and go for a walk or to the gym at lunch. Tell people that you do your best thinking when you're moving around­—that it gets the juices flowing."

Source: U.S. News

**DYSLEXIA AWARENESS WEEK** - 1st - 7th November 2010

Dyslexia Scotland are delighted to announce an exciting programme of events to celebrate Dyslexia Awareness Week, now in its 20th year.

The theme of this year's Awareness Week is 'Hidden Dyslexia'.

Dyslexia Scotland, in partnership with Edinburgh City Libraries and Bank of New York Mellon, is planning an exciting programme of events to take place from 1st-7th November in the capital.

Come along and join in - there's more to dyslexia than you think. CLICK HERE for the programme.

Source: Dyslexia Scotland

Entrepreneur to open school for dyslexic children

THE first dedicated centre for youngsters in Wales with dyslexia will open next month.

The not for profit Tomorrow’s Generation Trust will initially provide specialist dyslexic teaching during the school holidays and during weekends.

The trust was set up by Swedish-born entrepreneur Anders Hedlund who, like his father and son, also has dyslexia.

The school is based at his home in Cardiff, in a 1,400 sq ft environmentally friendly building with solar panels and a rain harvesting system

Mr Hedlund, the founder of Christmas cracker-to-gift- wrap company International Greetings, said the strategy was to provide specialist teaching, based on dyslexia software such as Lexion, which is used with successful results in 80% of schools in Sweden.

“It has always been my dream to help dyslexic kids in Wales,” he said. “Our aim is to be the number one school for dyslexia in the world. It will take time, but the strategy is also to establish satellite schools in other cities in the UK and potentially overseas.”

Mr Hedlund said many youngsters with dyslexia were wrongly diagnosed with having behaviour problems, and as a result were unfairly labelled as “lazy and stupid”.

“It is therefore not surprising that youngsters with dyslexia suffer from low self-esteem,” he said.

“Our vision is to get the kids back into conventional schools as quickly as we can. And when they do, near the top of the class rather than the bottom.

“It is all about providing them with the right toolkit to be successful back in the mainstream.”

Initially the school accommodates up to eight pupils at anyone time – increasing to potentially 12 from next year. The plan is to have a mixture of children whose fees are paid for by parents – at around £350 a week – and, as it becomes established, taking pupil referrals from local education authorities.

As a charitable trust the school will also look at fundraising activities to subsidise places for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Each pupil will be provided with their own secured laptops so from home they can access the centre’s dyslexic learning software.

They will all be individually assessed before starting the school, which will allow for specific learning provision.

Trustee Sean Jenks said: “We want to work in partnership with local education authorities as well as looking to providing teaching during terms times from next year.”

The school is aimed at key stage two children aged from seven to 11. Mr Jenks said the strategy was also to work closely with the higher education sector – providing opportunities for postgraduate research into dyslexia, as well as a resource for trainee teachers.

Mr Hedlund said: “If we can accommodate 50 teachers a year they can then in turn teach 500 to 1,000 pupils a year.”

Trustees of the charity include former chairman of International Greetings and Welsh Water John Elfed Jones and the father of First Minister Carwyn Jones, Caron Jones.

Mr Hedlund said: “Lexion is used in around 80% of schools in Sweden. It has also been used in trials in Swedish prisons and has been incredibly successful with inmates who had not been able to read or write.”

The school, which will accommodate its first intake for next month’s half-term, will have a “hall of fame” showcasing people with dyslexia who have been highly successful, including entrepreneur Richard Branson.

by Sion Barry, Western Mail

Source: WalesOnline

ADHD brain chemistry clue found

US researchers have pinned down new differences in the brain chemistry of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

They found ADHD patients lack key proteins which allow them to experience a sense of reward and motivation.

The Brookhaven National Laboratory study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

It is hoped it could help in the design of new ways to combat the condition.

Previous research looking at the brains of people with ADHD had uncovered differences in areas controlling attention and hyperactivity.

But this study suggests ADHD has a profound impact elsewhere in the brain too.

Researcher Dr Nora Volkow said: "These deficits in the brain's reward system may help explain clinical symptoms of ADHD, including inattention and reduced motivation, as well as the propensity for complications such as drug abuse and obesity among ADHD patients."

The researchers compared brain scans of 53 adult ADHD patients who had never received treatment with those from 44 people who did not have the condition.

All of the participants had been carefully screened to eliminate factors which could potentially skew the results.

Dopamine pathway

Using a sophisticated form of scan called positron emission tomography (PET), the researchers focused on how the participants' brains handled the chemical dopamine, a key regulator of mood.

In particular they measured levels of two proteins - dopamine receptors and transporters - without which dopamine cannot function effectively to influence mood.

ADHD patients had lower levels of both proteins in two areas of the brain known as the nucleus accumbens and midbrain.

Both form part of the limbic system, responsible for the emotions, and sensations such as motivation and reward.

Patients with more pronounced ADHD symptoms had the lowest levels of the proteins in these areas.

Dr Volkow said the findings supported the use of stimulant medications to treat ADHD by raising dopamine levels.

The findings also support the theory that people with ADHD may be more prone to drug abuse and obesity because they are unconsciously attempting to compensate for a deficient reward system.

Andrea Bilbow, of the ADHD charity ADDISS, said the study might help convince people who argue that ADHD is more to do with bad parenting than any concrete medical difference.

She said: "The findings of this new research will go a long way to helping us understand the presentation of symptoms but more importantly it may give teachers more of an idea of what interventions should be used in the classroom in order to accommodate children with ADHD.

"For far too long there has been an assumption that children with ADHD are deliberately wilful which has led to mismanagement and ultimately permanent exclusions from school."

Professor Katya Rubia, of London's Institute of Psychiatry, said: "This study widens our horizons. It shows that ADHD is not just about abnormalities in the attention systems of the brain, but also abnormalities in the motivation and emotion centres.

"It suggests that teachers need to make sure that school tasks are interesting and exciting, so that children with ADHD are motivated to remain interested."

Source: BBC

Dyslexic policeman 'victimised'

Above Ch Insp Haynes

A senior police officer has told an employment tribunal that he was "victimised" because he is dyslexic.

Ch Insp Phillip Haynes, 42, of Gloucestershire Police, says he was passed over for promotion after he raised the condition with his bosses.

Mr Haynes claims a letter detailing extra time he needed to pass his superintendent exam prejudiced the promotion board against him.

The force told the hearing in Bristol that they had tried to help Mr Haynes.

Victoria von Wachter, representing Gloucestershire Police, said the force had done a lot to assist Mr Haynes during the selection process.

'Not fit'

Mr Haynes, of Newnham-on-Severn, said he first became aware that he might have been dyslexic when he was 12.

After twice failing the interview stage for promotion to inspector, he sought help from a dyslexia expert who wrote to Gloucestershire Police asking for special allowances to be put in place for Mr Haynes in his day-to-day duties and in future interview situations.

Mr Haynes said he thought this communication "caused the [promotion] board members to decide that I was not fit to be a senior police officer".

He said he felt "victimised" after his next promotion application was failed at the paper application stage.

He was also unhappy at subsequently being moved from being an acting superintendent back to being a chief inspector.

The former soldier, who joined the county's constabulary in 1989, said: "I have found my treatment to be extremely distressing."

The hearing continues.

Source: BBC

SNP accused of failing kids as dyslexia numbers double in schools

THE number of Scots schoolchildren with dyslexia has almost doubled in two years.

Shocking new figures show 4169 youngsters with the learning disability in classrooms last year, compared with 2875 in 2007 and 2290 the previous year.

Charity Dyslexia Scotland say they fear there are many more who have not been identified and are missing out on vital support.

Dyslexia causes difficulty with reading, writing and memory. Celebrity sufferers include former Formula One champion Jackie Stewart and Scottish rugby hero Kenny Logan.

Cathy Magee, chief executive of Dyslexia Scotland, said: "We welcome the fact that people are becoming more knowledgeable about dyslexia and that, as a result, there is a greater willingness to talk about it.

"It is likely that this has led to the increased numbers being identified as dyslexic in schools.

"Although as one in 10 people in Scotland is thought to be dyslexic, there is a long way to go towards identifying and then helping all dyslexic learners appropriately."

Figures show three times as many boys as girls are dyslexic. There were 1098 girls with the learning disability in 2008 and 3071 boys.

The SNP promised £30million of additional support for children with dyslexia and autism in their election manifesto in 2007.

Labour education spokeswoman Rhona Brankin said: "Identifying children with dyslexia is one thing.

"Supporting them is another matter and one the SNP are failing.

"Tight council budgets has triggered a decline in the number of support staff who are there to ensure that children with dyslexia and other learning needs get extra help in the classroom."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Changes to the recording of additional support needs were fully introduced for the 2008 statistics, therefore previous years cannot be compared on a like-for-like basis."

Source: The Sunday Mail

Ed Balls: Helping children with special needs is a moral imperative

We can remove the barriers that hold some pupils back

Being a parent of a child with special education needs or a disability can be hugely frustrating. Over the past two years I've met many headteachers and teachers who are passionate about making sure these children progress. But too often parents tell me they still have to fight the "system" to get the high-quality provision their kids need and deserve.

That's why, last year, I asked Brian Lamb to lead an independent inquiry into how we improve parental confidence in the assessment system for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). His interim report today sets out two key recommendations which we will implement.

First, in response to concerns raised by all too many frustrated parents, we will strengthen their appeal rights if they are unhappy with their child's statement of SEN. Parents will now have a new right of appeal if their child's statement has been reviewed but not amended by the local authority. So if parents feel their children's needs have changed but have not been picked up, they will be able to demand that it is looked at again.

And second, following campaigning by John Bercow in his last months as a Conservative backbencher, we will now change the law so that all schools are inspected on how they support children with SEN and disabilities. Making the achievements of these children a top priority for Ofsted inspectors, alongside the extra funding and guidance we are giving to schools, will help to ensure that children with SEN and disabilities realise their full potential.

I am determined to move support for children with SEN to the centre of education policy. Getting pupils with SEN the help they need is a moral imperative: by working together we can remove the barriers which hold some children back and stop them succeeding. And when you consider that 70 per cent of young offenders and two-thirds of excluded children have a special educational need, this is vital to any vision of a fair and cohesive society. But as we will see when the primary school results are published tomorrow, making sure children with SEN get a better deal is not just an add-on: it's also core to the school standards agenda.

We should celebrate the fact that extra investment in schools, more teachers and teaching assistants has delivered real progress over the last 12 years. Over 100,000 more 11 year olds are reaching the expected level in English and in maths than in 1997, with standards now rigorously monitored by the new independent watchdog Ofqual. Children with SEN have made faster progress in recent years: from just one in three getting to the expected level in English six years ago to around 45 per cent today.

But while we are all impatient to go further and faster, as the number of children not getting to the expected level becomes smaller it becomes harder to make progress. Despite the big improvements in outcomes for children with SEN, it's a stark fact that of those 20 per cent of children not getting to the expected standard – level 4 – in English over two-thirds have a special educational need.

Of course, for some children with very severe learning disabilities, getting to level 4 by the age of 11 is too high a threshold for success. And not getting to this level does not mean, as some commentators will claim, that these children "cannot read or write". Most of them absolutely can – but not at the level we'd like them to reach by the end of primary school.

Raising standards and ensuring all children succeed means we must intervene early, not wait until it's too late. We need to identify children's additional needs early on and act quickly to give them extra support. That's why we are training 4,000 new specialist dyslexia teachers. And all children falling behind at primary school in any of the 3Rs will be able to get one-to-one and small group tuition.

We also need to ensure that how a school delivers for its most disadvantaged children is a crucial part of how a school's performance is judged. It's no good having great average results when some children are left behind and not given the support they need to fulfil their potential. So our new School Report Card will give parents a fuller picture than the traditional and rather narrow league tables printed in the newspapers.

National curriculum tests at 11 – whether in their current form or the new "stage not age" tests currently being piloted – are the only reliable and objective measure of how individual primary schools are performing and provide vital information to parents. But the Report Card is being introduced because we want schools to be recognised for more than just the overall test and exam results, the average result of the average child.

I know these tests are controversial with some headteachers. But I do hope this week that the debate will not simply be about the testing system itself. What really counts is that we act to make sure every child can succeed and ensure schools are accountable for the progress of every child.

Today's Lamb Inquiry report is an important step forward for thousands of parents and children. But we will need to go even further in the coming months if we are to really give every child with a special educational need or a disability the best start in life.

Ed Balls is the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

Source: The Independent