Famous People with ADD

Some of the most talented, creative, and successful people in this world have Attention Deficit Disorder also known as AD/HD.

Did you know that one of the most famous people with ADD was Albert Einstein?  Many people have asked the question, “What would our lives be like today if Einstein, one of the greatest minds of the last century, had been prescribed Ritalin?” Would he have been creative enough to come up with the theory of relativity or discover the law of the photoelectric effect? Maybe so, but who knows?
Check out this list of famous people who either have or are thought to have ADD or ADHD.

Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders
David Neeleman, Founder of JetBlue Airways
Paul Orfalea, Founder of Kinko's
Sir Richard Branson
Malcolm Forbes
Bill Gates

Inventors
Alexander Graham Bell
Thomas Edison
Benjamin Franklin

Explorer
Christopher Columbus

Composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This is only a short list. So the next time you think of AD/HD as a curse, a disease or the worst thing that could have ever happened to you or your child, think again! You’re in good company with a lot of famous people.
List found at www.add-adhd-treatments.com/Famous-People.html. Thank you!

Finding Help for ADHD/ADD Through CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit Disorder)

CHADD Logo

Many parents find it difficult to know what to do after their child has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It is not uncommon to feel alone, confused, and overwhelmed. At IntraLife Performance Center we have had dozens of parents get involved with CHADD to find help. They found this organization is a great place to network with parents in similar situations and receive information on how to work with children who have ADD and ADHD. Here is more information about CHADD.

About CHADD
CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is the nation's leading non-profit organization serving individuals with AD/HD and their families. CHADD has over 16,000 members in 200 local chapters throughout the U.S. Chapters offer support for individuals, parents, teachers, professionals, and others.



Mission/Objectives
CHADD's primary objectives are: to provide a support network for parents and caregivers; to provide a forum for continuing education; to be a community resource and disseminate accurate, evidence-based information about AD/HD to parents, educators, adults, professionals, and the media; to promote ongoing research; and to be an advocate on behalf of the AD/HD community.
The mission of CHADD is stated as CHADD CARES. Specifically, CHADD works to improve the lives of people affected by AD/HD through:

Collaborative Leadership
Advocacy
Research
Education and
Support

Membership
CHADD represents 20,000 members. Most are families of children and adults with AD/HD. About 2,000 CHADD members are professionals providing clinical and other services to persons with AD/HD.

For more information about CHADD, visit their website at www.chadd.org. What other organizations are out there to help parents with children who have ADHD or ADD?

Help for ADD and ADHD: a Non-Medication Approach

"My child's teacher is constantly reporting that Timmy is struggling to focus and sit still during class. He tends to get distracted by other students which then disrupts class. When we have to do homework at home I have to constant remind Timmy to stay on task. This is out of control and now it's starting to negatively affect our family life." -Mother of 8 year old son

Can you relate to this story? Many parents are in this exact situation and are struggling to know how to help their child who is diagnosed with ADHD and ADD. Although medication such as Ritalin and Aderal can be effective for awhile, there often tends to be highly unwanted side affects such as loss of appetite, stunted growth (from loss of appetite), poor sleep habits, and development of a "zombie" like personality.

It's not uncommon for parents to see that after so many months or years of their child having these side effects that its not worth the few benefits they get from taking the medication. This invokes another quest by parents to find something that can help their child. This search leads to them to neurofeedback. This is a non-medication approach that majority of people who try it find extremely effective... and without the side effects. Here is a clip from EEGinfo to help you learn more about neurofeedback and how it can help ADD and ADHD.

If you have had any experiences with neurofeedback, please post them below to help others decide if it's right for them.

How Neurofeedback Helps Attention Issues

Child with Attention Issues

Overview

The inability to pay attention is gaining rapid interest in the medical and psychology field because of the increase in people who suffer from this problem.  Research has shown in the past two decades there has been a significant increase of children who have been diagnosed with attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention-deficit disorder (ADD).  Children who are affected by this disorder tend to struggle with paying attention in school, doing homework and chores, and other tasks that require a certain amount of focus and concentration in a given amount of time.  Their relationships may also be affected because people do not understand why they have such a difficult time completing tasks.

Symptoms that may indicate attention issues

Sometime as a parent it may be difficult to know if your child is struggling because children in general are active, curious, and excited about life. The key to knowing if your child may have attention issues is if he or she cannot focus and calm down when they know they need to get a certain task done.  Here are a list of specific symptoms that may also indicate a problem.

-Difficult paying attention to details and often producing messy work.

-Easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli that others typically ignore.

-Inability to sustain attention on tasks.

-Difficulty following through and finishing tasks.

-Frequent shifts from one uncompleted task to another.

-Procrastination

-Forgetfulness in daily activities such as turning in assignments.

-Disorganization

-Impulsive decision-making.

The cause of attention issues

The inability to pay attention is not a result of laziness or low intelligence, the problem actually stems from the way a person’s brain is wired. Researchers have shown through brain image studies that people who have ADHD or ADD have decreased activity in their frontal lobes compared to people who can focus and complete tasks with little difficulty. The frontal lobes are the part of the brain that controls executive functioning skills such as organizing, focusing, problem solving, short-term memory, impulse control, and attention. Because the brain is under stimulated in that area it has a difficult executing these skills.

How neurofeedback can help attention issues

Neuroeedback is a non-medication approach that works directly with the brain to retrain the frontal lobes. To do this, the brain is observed from moment to moment through an EEG and receives feedback from a computerized game or scene when it responds in the desired manner that promotes positive behavior. Continual reinforcement will eventually lead the brain to self regulation of executive functioning skills.

Sources:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/174722-adhd-the-frontal-lobe/

http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-symptoms

http://www.myadhd.com/causesofadhd.html

http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/understanding-attention-problems/

All accessed July 23, 2011

Mother's View on Four Children Training with Neurofeedback

Below are some comments we received from a mother this week with four children training with Neurofeedback:

Child 1: 9 year old son with ADHD and school disciplinary problems
Reason for training: Help him in school and with homework. Also to help calm him down.
Mother reports: “He is doing well in school and we have had a ton of improvement on his homework. He has calmed down but I am still hoping to see more improvement. He is easy to get to homework and does not struggle to focus anymore.  We tried a lot of discipline and positive reinforcement which helped some, but we still had major issues at school.  With Neuorfeedback he is doing really well at school now and I don’t feel like I have had to do anything.  I would recommend Neurofeedback because it works!”

Child 2: 5 year old son with ADHD
Reason for training: Help him calm down, listen more, and control his emotional outbursts.
Mother reports: “He has calmed down I have noticed this most while sitting at church. He still gets mad but it is not as intense and he will calm down easier and listen. I feel we can go more placed because we are not worried about his behavior.”

Child 3: 8 year old son
Reason for training: Help improve reading and spelling.
Mother reports: “He is almost 100% on his spelling now and is reading on or just above grade level.  It is so much easier and a lot less time consuming to read and do homework. He seems happier because he does well and it is easier to read.  We spent a lot of time on homework, and Neurofeedback seemed to take care of the problem overnight. He no longer struggles.”

Child 4: 6 year old daughter
Reason for training: Help her calm down and focus better
Mother reports: “She does seem a little calmer. She is not as pushy and talkative.”

Research Shows: Neurofeedback is an 'Evidence-Based' Treatment for ADHD

We thought we'd share a clip from a press release that was published in 2009. 

NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Neurofeedback - also called EEG Biofeedback - is a method used to train brain activity in order to normalize Brain function and treat psychiatric disorders. This treatment method has gained interest over the last 10 years, however the question whether this treatment should be regarded as an Evidence-Based treatment was unanswered until now. Tomorrow a study will be published in the scientific journal 'EEG and Clinical Neuroscience' demonstrating that Neurofeedback can indeed be regarded as an evidence-based treatment for Attention Deficit- / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Neurofeedback is a treatment where real-time feedback is provided for specific brain activity (most often EEG) in order to learn the brain to suppress or produce specific brain activity. This method was initially discovered for the treatment of Epilepsy and from 1976 investigated further for the treatment of ADHD. This technique has become more popular by clinicians worldwide, and is currently provided for the treatment of several disorders. Critics have often questioned the efficacy of Neurofeedback and whether it can be considered an Evidence Based treatment or not.

In collaboration with researchers from Tubingen University (Germany), Radboud University (Nijmegen, the Netherlands), Brainclinics and EEG Resource Institute a so-called meta-analysis was conducted on all published research about Neurofeedback treatment in ADHD. This meta-analysis included 15 studies and 1194 ADHD patients. Based on this study - which will be published in the July issue of EEG and Clinical Neuroscience - it could be concluded that Neurofeedback can indeed be considered an Evidence-Based treatment for ADHD. The results show that neurofeedback treatment has large and clinically significant effects on Impulsivity and Inattention and a modest improvement of Hyperactivity.

Help Without Medicating!

Watch Studio 5 Clip

Neurofeedback is for kids too! If you're like most parents, you want to help your child succeed in any way possible. If you feel you've tried methods that just aren't working, you should strongly consider unlocking your child's potential with this safe, non-invasive approach.

If you find that your child struggles more than most to learn concepts, comprehend subjects or reading, suffers from a lack of follow-through, forgets assignments, gets frustrated easily when tasked with certain assignments, or has a difficult time following instruction…this may finally be your solution!

The neurofeedback approach is fun for most children as they view cars racing, spaceships jetting through tunnels, or tailored sets of images just for them. It's very easy to do for children of all ages, for teens, and adults. All ages benefit from the approach.

"Neurofeedback has been a miracle! Two months ago we were considering adding additional medications for our 6 year old son, but now most of his concerning symptoms are gone! This has been the answer we've been searching for. My son is improving in school, with friends, and at home. But, most importantly, he is happy!" - Mother of 6 year old ADHD/Aspergers patient.

 

Q&A

What can Neurofeedback help?
Neurofeedback enhances peak performance as well as addresses problems of brain disregulation. To name a few areas, it can help the anxiety-depression spectrum, attention deficits, behavior disorders, various sleep disorders, headaches and migraines, PMS and emotional disturbances. It is also useful for organic brain conditions such as seizures, the autism spectrum, and cerebral palsy.

Who can benefit from Neurofeedback training?
Neurofeedback is for child and adult alike. Just as both benefit from physical exercise, both benefit from this non-invasive mental exercise. Studies have shown that those with a wide spectrum of conditions benefit from Neurofeedback. To include: ADHD, autism, depression, anxiety, Aspergers, and more.

How long is the typical training program?
An average neurofeedback program runs 20-40 sessions at 45-50 min. per session. Some patients find they get the desired results sooner, and other patients working on multiple areas of functioning may need more sessions.

How is Neurofeedback done?
Sensors are attached to the scalp with EEG paste allowing a brain reading. The patient views a computer screen of games or scenes and the brain is rewarded as it trains and develops in the desired areas.

Family Training on ADHD

We thought we'd pass this along from the CHADD group...

A series of 7 two-hour classes for anyone who wants to learn about ADHD

**(One USOE credit available for Davis District educators who attend the class series)

1        Overview of ADHD

2       Assessment to multimodal treatment

3       Developing Parenting Strategies & Positive Behavior Interventions – Behavior Management, Part I

4       Strengthening Family Relationships- Behavior Management, Part II

5       Educational Rights for Your Child with AD/HD.

6       Building an Education Team: Bridging the Gap between Home and School

7       Resiliency, Teen Challenges and Future Success

Pre-registration is required

Dates and times:       The Spring 2011 Class Series will be held on 7 consecutive Tuesday beginning March 15, 2011 from 6:30PM to 8:30 PM  (1^st class only starts at 6:15 sharp)

Location:                    Davis School District Kendall Building, Professional Development Center, 75 East 100 North, Farmington

Cost:                          $60/couple ($50 for CHADD members) for the entire series (covers the cost of materials).

                                   Limited scholarships are available for financial need.  Call Linda Smith 801-292-2816

To register:              Call Carolee Hale, 801-296-1549.   

Make checks payable to CHADD of Utah.