I know this is an ADHD blog.  I have made a conscious decision not to post about non-ADHD-related issues.  Today is different here in Boston.  This is one of those times when life interrups our lives, when the world transcends each of our own worlds.  At times like this we all need to find our own voices and our collective voice as Americans, but even more so as human beings.  This happens to be an easy forum for me.  So this is my voice. This hit me pretty close to “where I live.”  My father was finishing lunch with a friend less than a block away… and was getting ready to head over to the race.  We couldn’t get in touch with either of them until they arrived back home more than an hour later.  My wife works downtown at a space that hosts marathon-related events.  I am beyond thankful that I don’t have more of a story to tell than that.  But this post isn’t about me. This about US.  Whenever a tragedy like this happens, I am struck by the stark contrast of this horrible day, from every other day, (since September 11th.)  I always hope that tragedy can bring us perspective.  All to often I think we as Americans take for granted the “blanket of freedom” and safety that is provided us every day.  As a parent, this sort of thing is even more terrifying than I ever thought anything could be.  I know what kind of person I am.  If I had been there, I like to think that the “5 years ago me,” would likely have run toward the disaster to help total strangers.  I also know that if I had been there yesterday, my first and only thought would have been for my 4 year old son.  The first…

With a heavy heart we I am back to the business of ADHD today… The following is a redacted copy of a letter I wrote for a client recently to help her get the accommodations her daughter needs.  I honestly don’t know if it will be helpful or not.  I don’t know if they even consider the professional opinion of a coach.  I thought it would be interesting to share, both as a practical document and in terms of addressing the larger philosophical issue of what to do with our ADHD children, especially the bright ones.  (FYI: I haven’t met the dumb ones yet.  Misunderstood and struggling: yes!  Dumb: no way!  Perhaps my next post will be on our need to redefine “smart” in our school system and in our society.) April 2013 To Whom It May Concern: Hello.  My name is Matt Reid, ACC, AACC.  I am a certified ADHD coach.  I am located in Milton, but have clients with ADHD between the ages of 13 and 60 across The United States.  I also teach and speak to parents groups, support groups, and groups of teachers on ADHD related topics across New England.  I also have ADHD myself.  I primarily work with my clients one-on-one, but occasionally am asked by parents to get involved in their interactions with their respective school systems. This letter is to support [Removed] need for accommodations at [Removed] High School.  It is my intention to add depth to the rather brief letter provided by her doctor.  [Removed] came to me this winter with a legitimate medical diagnosis of ADHD, (combined type.)  During the course of several sessions I had with [Removed], I saw no reason to doubt the ADHD diagnosis.  She is classically ADHD, having trouble maintaining focus and sitting still.  These issues are greatly improved through the use of…

Here’s another conference nugget: Here are some interesting facts about the two stimulant families, methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate…) & Amphetamine (Adderall, etc.) Stimulants appear to be less effective on ADHD in children who are also on the Autism Spectrum  and those who’s ADHD is brain injury related. Stimulants don’t directly effect executive function.  (However, it is my non-scientifically validated opinion that being able to concentrate helps ADHD’ers work on their executive function issues.) Metadate CD capsules can be opened and sprinkled on food for kids who have trouble with the pills. New research indicates that there is no statistically relevant difference in hight with medicated kids.  There is a lag in growth, but it appears that we catch up. There is a slight difference in weight. Generic drugs only have to be within 20 – 30% of the original’s effectiveness.  Most of them are made by the same drug makers that produce the name brand though.  However, my personal experience is that I respond differently to generic Ritalin, though my insurance won’t let me get the name brand any more.  (The same goes for Catapres)  But, I’ve actually found that I respond better to specific generic producers.  When possible, I order these meds by producer. Here are some interesting contrasts between the two families: Dosing can be a little harder with the methylphenidate family.  (I’m going to call it the Ritalin family from now on to save on my typing.)  It is only 10 – 30% bioavailable.  That means that a relatively little amount of the drug the you take actually gets in to the blood stream.  It can be more effected by metabolism etc.  The Amphetamine family, (Adderall from not on,) is about 80% bioavailable. Ritalin is not effected by being taken with food.  Adderall can be.  Some research indicates that Adderall is less effective in an…

by theinplace Hey everyone. About 2 weeks ago I attended a fantastic ADHD conference though the MGH Psychiatry Academy here in Boston… well, actually Cambridge. It was geared toward medical professionals — I was probably the only coach in the room, but that’s fine with me. Basically, the conference was a review what we know about ADHD, presentations on all of the new science from the past year, and the implications of how this knowledge helps those of us with ADHD be effectively treated. Topics included stimulant and non-stimulant meds, CBT, neuro-imaging, the genetics of ADHD, managing ADHD in college students, and so much more. This is the first of what I hope to be many posts over the next few months about what I learned. I hope they are helpful. Please reach out if you are interested in more information. I will do the best I can to send you in the right direction. Possibly the most interesting and important thing that I learned was about medication and the ADHD brain. (Much of this is from a study that hasn’t even been published yet.) There are really two parts to this. 1. As brain scanning becomes more sophisticated we are better able to isolate population differences between our ADHD brains and the “neurotypical” brain.* In large scale population studies, it has been proven that there is a small but substantial difference in the size of our ADHD brains. Certain regions are, on average, smaller — as I recall about 10-15%. (As a note here, don’t interpret this as a lack of intelligence The last study I saw indicated that ADHD’ers actually have a slightly higher than normal IQ, 100 vs. 107.) There is also some really interesting information about how our brains work when they are working versus when…

As much as I hate to admit it when I make a mistake… One other thing that I learned at the conference is that a small percentage of ADHD’ers do outgrow it. I would still argue that many people who claim they outgrow it, are just living ADHD friendly lives as adults and don’t realize they are just managing their ADHD effectively. However, the newer brain scans do show that in some cases, the differences in brain size are corrected in adolescence I am endeavoring to track down the actual statistics. (I want to say it was in the low teens though.) I will post that when I have it.

I haven’t had time to read that most recent article in the Times.    However, I will say that with in the ADHD community the Times has already become a joke.  They so clearly have an anti-ADHD bias that we all need to take their “reporting” on the topic with a grain of salt, at best.   I imagine that schools wouldn’t dare such a “pop culture” source when considering how to deal with kids and family, especially when such matters can ultimately end in litigation.  But, stranger things have happened.  Certainly worth keeping an eye on. Personally, I do my best to refute ADHD misinformation as often as possible.  I would encourage all of you to do the same.  It is our combined voice as parents and many of us as ADHD’ers ourselves that will move this public debate beyond the hysterical and in to the realm of science and fact.  Let your voice be heard whenever you can.   Just look at the Autism and vaccination situation.  All that research establishing a link has been proved to have been falsified and totally discredited.  Yet, how many people still believe there is a link because the voice of reason isn’t loud enough and doesn’t come often enough.  Speak up!

This is a fantastic shake for several reasons.  It is great for us who help manage our ADHD with exercise, including lifting, and who want to lose fat and build muscle in it’s place.  I usually have one after my workout at least 4 days a week.  It gets you all those mini nutrients in the fruit as well as really effective protein delivery. But, here’s the thing:  I was a chef for 13 years.  If it don’t taste good, I don’t want no part of it!  I’m a lot like your kids that way.  Which is why this is a great option for kids who struggle with eating in the stimulants.  Believe me, I’ve been there.  My parents forced me to drink those Ensure brand shakes out of a can.  Their awfulness still turns my stomach 25 years later.  Bottom line, it didn’t take a lot of supplementing as long as we worked my eating schedule around the meds.  But, if I had had access to this tasty treat, I would have enjoyed a daily smoothie without complaint…  maybe. Matt’s World’s Yummiest Protein Shake Ingredients: 8 oz skim milk 1 sm squeeze real chocolate syrup* 1 heaping scoop Vanilla flavored Whey Protein powder** 1/2 a banana, fresh or frozen*** 10-15 Blueberries, depending on size, fresh or frozen*** 2-3 Strawberries, quartered, fresh or frozen*** Method: Start by measuring the milk in the caraffe of the blender. Add everything else and blend**** until smooth. It should fit in a Pt. glass with 1/2 a banana… though I like a whole one… *I like Alaskah organic that I get at Whole Foods.  Good flavor, consistency, ingredients. **I like the Whole Foods 365 brand.  Dissolves well, subtle vanilla flavor, and you can’t beat the price. ***I buy fresh berries when they are on sale, freeze then on a flat tray, then pack them in…

So, If you are one of the six people who have read my blog, you are probably familiar with my standard disclaimer.  It is essentially this: In an effort to avoid my own ADHD perfectionist tendencies, I choose not to edit, proofread, reread, obsess, ruminate,  hyperfocus, and generally get all mental about these posts.  I generally ask for forgiveness for typos, misspellings that spell check misses and the occasional gramatical mistake. My incredibly helpful father (a former high school English teacher) and my helpful and very “detail oriented” mother (who used to be in publishing) have encouraged me to have someone edit my postings.  I think they are worried that these posts will “be out there forever” and that it will reflect poorly on me to allow such small mistakes to exist.  (By the way, they will both be reading this… how else would I have six whole people reading my blog?) If and how I edit my blog is a really fundamental question.  Perfectionism is a serious issue that most of us ADHD’ers deal with on a daily basis.  We often drive ourselves and those around us crazy by obsessing over at best semi-important details in an unrealistic and unproductive pursuit of some kind of perfection.  (Perhaps I’ll do a whole entry on that soon.) My fear when I started this blog was that I wouldn’t have the follow through to post regularly.  I didn’t want to post unimportant things just to be blogging.  I truly want this to be a forum for what I have learned and what I continue to learn on a daily basis about how to manage life with ADHD.  I made a conscious decision to post my disclaimer and just hammer out my thoughts, because I knew the biggest enemy of my follow through was perfectionism. The whole idea…

I was reading some poems to my 3 1/2 year old last night.  I thought we could all benefit from this one. WOULDA-COULDA-SHOULDA All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas/  Layin’ in the sun./  Talkin’ ’bout the things/  They woulda-coulda-shoulda done…/  But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas/  All ran away and hid/  From one little did. Shel Siverstein’s Falling Up

I recently met Jaclyn at an ADHD awareness event.  I liked what her organization had to offer.  You decide.  Check it out! “Super Soccer Stars Shine is a unique program that uses soccer as a vehicle to teach life skills to individuals with developmental disabilities.  Our innovative curriculum, designed by licensed educators and therapists, promotes the complete growth and development of each player.  Our low player-to-coach ratios encourage and empower players to increase social potential with teammates, build self-awareness and confidence, and advance gross and fine motor skills — all while having a blast! Our program utilizes a developmentally appropriate curriculum created exclusively for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities including, but not limited to, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down’s Syndrome, ADHD and PDD-NOS.  The curriculum is tailored to continuously support the individual needs of each player.  Classes focus on simplifying soccer into specific components while teammates work together to build new skills in a fun, non-competitive and educational environment.  Each class follows a structured sequence of entertaining and engaging individual and team-based activities.   Our specially trained coaches use specific tools and techniques including picture schedules, positive reinforcement and repetition to reinforce communication, aid in transition and increase task completion.   For more information, please contact Jaclyn Grant, Operations and Special Needs Coordinator, by phone (781-777-7171) or e-mail (bostonshine@supersoccerstars.com).  We look forward to speaking with you!”

I consider low self-esteem an epidemic amongst ADHD’ers. This doesn’t surprise me at all. Much of life, particularly the traditional educational system, is structured in a way that makes us feel like failures on a day-to-day basis. It doesn’t matter how strong a person you are at your core, repeated “failures” day after day is soul crushing. So, after years of perceived failure, how do we start to rebuild our self-worth? Or, for parents of younger kids, how can we avoid the poor self-esteem trap to beging with? The answer is simple. Success. Increasingly we live in a society of false success. Everyone gets a trophy for participating, but what does that trophy mean? Not much, if you ask me. Kids are smart enough to know when you are blowing smoke at them. They know that that trophy at the end of a season where they hit .086 doesn’t mean they were a success at baseball. But somehow we think that if we give them a trophy and take them out for ice cream they will think they are David Ortiz. I just doesn’t work that way. There is no substitute for real success. Help you children find real success, by helping them find what they are really good at and really passionate about. Support them in whatever that is… as long as it is constructive, not just video games. Is it sports? Music? Chess? Art? Reading or writing? Helping with younger kids? Martial arts? Volunteering? Let them follow their passions and abilities. (I have not yet met an ADHD child or adult who didn’t have some particular gift, though often that gift is unexplored, or undervalued.) That gift, that passion will lead to success, and that success will lead to self-esteem. The best part is that the new found…

My Standard Disclaimer: In order to outsmart my own perfectionist tendencies and actually make blog entries that I don’t obsess about, I promise not to edit this post [much]. So please forgive any mistakes. It may not be done perfectly, but IT IS DONE, and I’m good with that! So, as of last week I am officially an ACC. (That is another certification. It means that I’m an Associate Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation.) Very exciting, yes. But, that isn’t why I am writing about it. I’m proud of my accomplishment, but not in the way you might think. Yes, I’ve met the minimum qualifications to be certified. But, I have confidence in my coaching ability anyway. I’m far more proud of what I think about my coaching ability. Bottom line: this certification is much more a testament to my ability to initiate, follow through, and “play the game.” In that sense it really reminds me of school. The details of the 8 month ordeal which lead to this certification (for which I had completed the requirements 8 months ago) are not so important. The important thing is that my ability to coach was far less important in this instance that was my ability to fill out forms, make phone calls, write letters/emails, put dates on my calendar to follow up, find correct documentation, follow directions, not get too angry, follow a new set of directions, fill out more forms, etc, etc, etc… The point is that this was a battle that I decided was worth fighting. The end result was a certification that is really good for me, my business, and my career. But, if I hadn’t have waded through nearly 3/4 of a year of bureaucracy would that make me less of a coach? No. It…