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adhd sticker chart

Sticker Charts!

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A great way to motivate your children to behave well and get their homework and chores done!

A visual reminder of chores and appropriate behaviors is critical for children just as many adults need a to-do list.

  1. Create a chart listing all chores and behaviors that your child should complete by the end of the day.
  2. Add stickers under each completed chore either at the end of the day or immediately following the chore. Let your child pick out the stickers in order to add to his/her excitement of receiving them.
  3. After a certain number of stickers are earned, reward your child!Many children love to earn the privilege of going to a store and choosing their own toy, for example. Other reward ideas include choosing a movie to watch, choosing a restaurant for dinner, or inviting over a friend each month. Make sure your child knows the rules and rewards for the sticker chart before starting so that he/she is motivated to behave well. Keep the chart somewhere your child can easily see it, such as on his/her bedroom door.Here is an example of a sticker chart for you to use as a model for your own:

adhd sticker chart
Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

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written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

ADHD diagnosis

Types of ADD/ADHD

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ADD may have either a predominantly inattentive presentation, a predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation, or a combined presentation.

Inattention Symptoms:

  1. Makes careless mistakes in work; fails to give attention to details
  2. Difficulty paying attention during tasks
  3. Does not appear to listen when spoken to
  4. Does not follow instructions; fails to finish tasks
  5. Difficulty keeping things in order (including managing time)
  6. Avoids, dislikes, or hesitates to engage in tasks that demand extensive mental effort (writing essays, homework)
  7. Loses things needed for tasks (losing pencils, keys, glasses)
  8. Easily distracted (both by external events and unrelated thoughts)
  9. Forgetful (forgetting chores, bills, returning calls)

Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Symptoms:

  1. Fidgets with hands, taps feet, squirms in seat
  2. Leaves his/her seat often when sitting is expected
  3. Runs or climbs in inappropriate settings (or feeling restless in adults)
  4. Unable to remain quiet during activities
  5. Acts as if “driven by a motor”
  6. Talks excessively
  7. Answering before the question was finished or not waiting turn in conversation
  8. Difficulty waiting for turn
  9. Interrupts or intrudes on others

At least 6 (or 5 for those 17 and older) symptoms of inattention must be present for at least 6 months in order for ADD to be predominantly inattentive.

At least 6 (or 5 for those 17 and older) symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity must be present for at least 6 months in order for ADHD to be predominantly hyperactive/impulsive.

If enough symptoms from both categories are present, a combined presentation may exist.
Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

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written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Barlow, D., & Durand, V. (2015). Abnormal psychology: An integrative approach (7th ed., pp. 515-516). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

ADHD diagnosis

Parenting a Child with ADHD: The A³PC Method

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Although, parenting a child with ADHD can be frustrating, techniques exist to help parents promote their child’s success. The A³ parent-child interactions technique focuses on providing affection, positive attention, and affirmation to help children cope with ADHD.

1. Affection
Children with ADHD typically receive negative attention from peers and adults, which makes it even more important for them to receive affection at home. It may be difficult to show affection when a child’s behavior is frustrating, but take notice of how often you are giving affection to your child and try to increase that number.

2. Positive Attention
Giving affection is part of giving positive attention, but more than affection must be shared with your child. Try to give 10 -20 minutes of undivided attention to your child with ADHD per day. During this time, have your child choose a game to play or allow him/her to simply talk to you. Developing a positive relationship with children allows them to develop higher self-esteem and confidence, which is important for children with ADHD.

3. Affirmation
Praise is essential to encourage good behavior. Saying phrases such as “good job,” is only a start to praising your child. More importantly, praise must target a specific behavior. In order to make sure your child knows exactly which behavior warrants praise, tell them specifically which behavior was good, what that behavior means, and the consequence of the good behavior. For example, “great job (praise) doing all your math homework (specific behavior), that is very responsible of you (meaning of behavior). Now you can understand the math lesson better tomorrow” (consequence of behavior). This kind of speaking may seem awkward at first, but an awkward start is worth promoting good behavior!

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

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written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Reynolds, C., Vannest, K., & Harrison, J. (2012). The Energetic Brain (pp. 28-30). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

 

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Strengths of Those with ADHD

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Although, the word “disorder” has a strongly negative connotation, it is essential to keep in mind that those with ADHD do have strengths. Some behavioral characteristics of ADHD can actually help, rather than hinder, successful performance. Here are some strengths that those with ADHD often display:

Energy. When high energy is channeled in a proper direction, it can be a powerful source of work ethic and achievement. Energy gives people the motivation to begin new projects, create innovative ideas, and lead others. Ty Pennington, host of the former show Extreme Home Makeover, attributes his success to his highly creative energy due to ADHD.

Focus, passion, and exuberance. People with ADHD can experience long periods of “hyper-focus.”  This occurs when their high energy and passion leads to becoming completely engrossed in a certain interest. For example, you may notice that a child with ADHD is extremely involved with one activity, such as reading a book or playing chess. Interruption of this activity can lead to anger or irritability; however, such intense focus can be beneficial for completing tasks that demand attention.

Multitasking. Leadership positions often demand that a person be able to switch quickly from one task to another, which many with ADHD are able to do effectively. Those with ADHD are typically able to process lots of information quickly, which is beneficial in all areas of life.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Reynolds, C., Vannest, K., & Harrison, J. (2012). The Energetic Brain (pp. 28-30). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

ADHD diagnosis

What About Girls?

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There is estimated to be 3 times as many boys than girls with ADHD. This is the case for nearly all developmental disorders including autism, motor disorders, and aggression problems. Like boys, girls with ADHD experience behavioral, academic, and social problems. Unlike boys, however, girls are more likely to become depressed and internally affected by these issues.

Surprisingly, numbers of male and female adults with ADHD are relatively equal. This may be due to the idea that, as with many disorders, adult women tend to be more help-seeking and willing to attend therapy than adult men, leading to an increase in statistics regarding adult females with ADHD. It may also be due to the idea that hyperactivity (more commonly seen in boys) tends to become outgrown quicker than inattentive symptoms (more commonly seen in girls).

Regardless of gender ratios, ADHD is certainly not restricted to males. It is important for girls with ADHD to get help, especially since lack of inhibition and impulse control in childhood can lead to self-injury later in life, which is typically not seen in males.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Hinshaw, S., & Scheffler, R. (2014). The ADHD Explosion. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

ADHD diagnosis

Ways to Cope Without Medication

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Behavioral interventions alone may be enough to manage behavioral issues of ADD and ADHD; however, combination therapy, in which both behavioral and biological treatment is used, is viewed as most effective.
Here are some types of behavioral interventions that may minimize your struggle with ADD or ADHD:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

Often benefiting adults with ADHD, CBT allows people to recognize their unwanted actions or thoughts and learn to modify them. This technique, proven effective for many psychological interventions, is typically not used for children, as children often need a more direct reward system for motivation.

Direct Contingency Management

For this therapy, trained teachers and/or counselors reward children with ADHD for positive behaviors. This is often done in a classroom or summer program. Our Parent Management Training program teaches parents behavioral strategies to enhance functioning of their child with ADD or to replace oppositional defiant behaviors.

ADD/ADHD Coaching

This is an effective intervention for children with ADD/ADHD. Coaches provide education to parents and individuals with ADD/ADHD regarding the facts and management of ADHD. ADD/ADHD teens and adults or parents are taught to set goals, prompt and measure desired behaviors, give rewards for behavior, remove rewards for misbehavior, help develop environmental accommodations and develop appropriate compensatory strategies.

Social Skills Groups

Children with ADHD may benefit from a group setting in which social skills such as cooperation and teamwork are rewarded by a group facilitator. The behaviors learned in this group setting can then be applied to other environments.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
Brianna Malinowski
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Hinshaw, S., & Scheffler, R. (2014). The ADHD Explosion. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

 

ADHD diagnosis

ADD Students – Homework and ADHD

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Tips for Assisting ADD Students / Students with ADHD

  • Organizing information and note taking: Students with ADD / ADHD require extra assistance to organize and prioritize their homework. At home, parents can help organize and prioritize assignments and record important dates onto a home calendar.
  • Providing a quiet environment for ADD Students: Make sure that the homework environment is quiet with minimal distractions.
  • Maintaining a routine: Routine brings order and order assists in the facilitation of focus. Homework should be completed at the same time each day in the same quiet environment.
  • Break into parts: The academic rule of thumb is that there should be 10 minutes
    of homework added on for each grade level, i.e., 4th graders should be able to handle 40 minutes of homework each night. However, for a child with ADHD, 40 minutes may be too long to sustain attention on one given subject area. Therefore, homework should be ‘chunked’ into smaller segments.
  • Manage time and set goals: After helping your child break their homework into smaller segments or chunks, set time completion goals and accuracy goals. Use a timer to externalize the time cue and provide the additional structure.
  • Rewarding: Use positive reinforcement. Keep your attention focused on positive behavior. Set clear reward for homework completion and even for completion of each homework ‘chunk’ discussed above.
  • Consequences: Adhere to the plan and set up realistic consequences for not completing the homework.
  • Communicating: Communication between the teacher, parent, and child is critical. Establish a weekly or even daily report card which reports missing assignments, test grades, and up coming projects and tests; and
  • Seek professional help: Know when it is time to ask for assistance from professionals.

students with ADHD

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have ADHD treatments and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

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Tips for Creating an ADD-friendly Study Environment

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ADD affects a multitude of characteristics that make it difficult to complete quiet tasks. Distractibility, short attention span, trouble concentrating, and hyperactivity are contradictory to the characteristics needed to complete homework and studying.

A recent article describes ways to create a less distracting environment for students with ADD during musical instrument lessons. These tips can be extended to creating a less distracting environment for the completion of homework and other quiet activities.

To create the best environment for your loved one with ADD, try these suggestions:

  • Clocks. Avoid ticking clocks as these can be distracting to children with ADD.
  • Phones. Silent phones during the child’s homework time. Children with ADD can be, not only distracted by the ringing noise, but also by thoughts of thecontent of the phone call.
  • Windows. Homework should be completed away from windows as weather, cars, animals, and people outside the windows can take attention away from homework.
  • Aromas. Smells of food can be especially distracting to children with ADD. Keep a closed door between the study environment and the aroma of cooking.
  • Interruptions. Unless it is an emergency, do not allow any visitors or family members to interrupt your child when he/she is doing homework.
  • Background noise. The study environment should be away from any distracting background noise including loud conversations or television.
  • Pets. Animals in the study space can serve as a distractor during homework.

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
Brianna Malinowski
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Melago, K. (2014). Strategies for successfully teaching students with ADD or ADHD in instrumental lessons. Music Educators Journal, 101(2), 37-43.

ADHD diagnosis

Smartphones Helping to Increase Attention

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ADHD, while commonly known to be a disorder found in children, can persist throughout adulthood, with about 2-4% of adults living with this diagnosis. Adult symptoms of ADHD may include the following:

  • Difficulty paying attention
  • Difficulty controlling impulses
  • Impairments in working memory (temporary storage of information)
  • Difficulty planning and organizing
  • Trouble with multitasking
  • Hard time completing tasks
  • Difficulty with time perception

Improving organizational skills is an effective way to manage ADHD with the use of calendars, shopping lists, to-do lists, and alarms. Results of a 2014 study give insight into a new technology-savvy way for people with ADHD to manage their time and tasks. Participants who used various organization apps on their smartphones and who received support via texts and phones call from coaches, reported higher levels of attention, decreased hyperactivity, and decreased depression than participants who did not use organization apps or receive support.

It may help to try including organizational smartphone apps into your life! Here are some examples used by participants in the study:

  • Google Calendar (Time management)
  • N-back (improving working memory)
  • Evernote (Notes to aid memory)
  • G-tasks (to-do-list)
  • Stayfocusd (block distractions)
  • SimplyNoise (reduce distractions)

Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

Get Started

written by:
Brianna Malinowski
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Moëll, B., Kollberg, L., Nasri, B., Lindefors, N., & Kaldo, V. (2014). Living SMART — A randomized controlled trial of a guided online course teaching adults with ADHD or sub-clinical ADHD to use smartphones to structure their everyday life. Internet Interventions, 2(1), 24-31.

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Self-Regulation and ADD/ADHD

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In many ways, ADD/ADHD can be seen as a problem with self-regulation.  Self-regulation is one of the executive skills that an ADD Coach or Executive Skills Coach attempts to remediate.  Self-regulation involves regulating not only attention and focus, but behavior and mood.  Initially, deficits with self-regulation are addressed by others providing cues, reminders, structure and reinforcement to keep an individual motivated, persistent and on-task towards a future goal.  The goal of the coach is to teach strategies and new habits so that the individual with ADD/ADHD or a self-regulation weakness is no longer dependent on others to keep them motivated and on task.

Some strategies an ADD Coach or Executive Skills Coach may utilize are listed below:

-clearly defining the goal behavior

-breaking the task into parts

-schedule and plan when the identified goal behavior will be executed

-setting up a reward system, and utilizing self reward for successful execution of goal behavior

-Utilize productive self-talk

-Utilize self-monitoring strategies

-Practice self evaluation

-Utilize external cues and reminders

-Create interest and excitement in the tasks involved or goal behaviors

-Positive Mental Attitude (PMT)

-Utilization of mood regulation techniques such as relaxation training or cognitive reframing.


The above mentioned strategies can take time to master.  But with the proper assistance and practice they can go far in helping an individual with ADD/ADHD achieve their personal goals.

ADHD Coaching is available online, by phone , and in-person