In this article, we are paying attention to the concepts of “broken” and “wrong.” Both are a function of attention or what one is attending to. Why this theme? Because the notions of being broken and being wrong are huge obstacles for those with ADHD.

If you attend to being broken, you can’t see being fixed. If you attend to the concept of wrong, you can get hung up on perfectionism. Dr. Mark Katz has a presentation, titled “There Is Nothing So Wrong with Us That What’s Right with Us Can’t Fix.” That is brilliant! Let’s think about different ways of looking at things. Continue reading “Attending to the Concepts of “Broken” and “Wrong”” →

Coaching teens… if that doesn’t get the attention of most ADHD parents, I don’t know what will. Recently, we did a few shows on the topics that are featured in this week’s blog post and will serve as our theme.
Continue reading “Coaching Teens” →

You get diagnosed with ADHD, the doctor prescribes a stimulant and that is it; right? Wrong! Getting the right stimulant in the right dose delivered at the right time is more of an art than a science. As Dr. Charles Parker puts it, the meds have to pass through the body to get to the brain. Metaphorically, if the digestive tract, immune system, metabolism, and other systems are under construction or out of whack, meds can be detoured away from the brain and out of the body or get bottlenecked and wreak havoc.
Continue reading “The Complexities of ADHD Meds “ →

Have you ever paid attention to the difference between narrow attention and scanning attention? Narrow attention is like texting. Attention is focused narrowly. Scanning attention is like driving a car. You’re scanning signs, speed, other cars, spatial changes in relation to yours, etc. Note, you can’t use narrow and scanning attention at the same time. That’s why texting while driving is so dangerous.

In my work as a coach and in my studies of attention, it seems to me intuition is scanning attention. Let me illustrate. Have you ever looked at someone and your intuition tells you something is different? I have. It’s frustrating, because your gut says something is different, but you can’t prove it, that is, until your narrow attention notices he had shaved off his mustache or lost 10 pounds. Many times, our intuition (scanning attention) picks up on something, but since we can’t isolate it with narrow attention, we often override what our gut is telling us. Continue reading “Narrow Attention, Scanning Attention, and ADHD” →