Expert: Norm Bishop - 3/18/2008

Question
hey,
  I was diagnosed with ADD 4 or 5 years ago when I went to public school. I was originally diagnosed with depression but ended up being rediagnosed with ADD. Unfortunately, I moved to different town right after being diagnosed and haven't had any training in dealing with it.

I now live in a rural area and, like so many other kids where I live, I'm forced to be homeschooled because the school distract here doesn't have alot of funding. This disorder is very frustrating for my mother when we are trying to do school work, and I'm constantly making mistakes in daily activities.

I don't like the idea of taking a drug or a supplement, so are there any exercises or games i can do daily to help get more focused and more organized? I'm a junior in high school and I'm afraid I wont make it far after i leave school if I continue to have this problem.

Much Appreciated,
Penny

Answer
I think I already answered this question, so if this is repeated information, just ignore it.

Rural or not, all public schools and school districts that accept any federal government funds have to provide you with what you need.

Without getting too technical, there are two routes to getting assistance for your disability (ADD).  The first is Special Education.  It is covered by a federal law.  The district or school must evaluate you to answer three questions, 1) do you have a disability, 2) does your disability cause an educational impact, and 3) are you in need of special education services.  I don't know if your needs are that great...but you (if under 18, your parent) have the right to ask your local school district to conduct the evaluation.  Lack of funding is no excuse because it is a violation of federal law for them to do so.

The second route is a civil rights avenue.  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped Act guarantees that people with disabilities will not be discriminated against within an educational environment.  This law says that the school cannot discriminate against you because of your disability, they must provide "reasonable accommodations" to ensure you are on a level playing field.  In your case, the distractibility, organization, and focusing would require that you have different time limits on assignments and tests, assistance in organization, etc., otherwise, they have discriminated.

As far as homeschooling goes, your mother is a saint for doing this and will continue to meet some frustration.  She needs to clearly understand that if you could control it, you would, and that you are doing the best that you can.  She should patiently teach you organizational techniques and creat a system that will minimize the problems.  

ADHD prescription drugs are effective with about 1/2 the people who take them.  They do have side effects, some long term, some short term.  If you can learn to control your condition without drugs, then go this route.  

There are some things that may help.  Some people lose focusing because they are sensitive to foods they eat.  The most common culprits in our foods are sugars (anything listed on the ingredients list that ends in 'ose (like fructose) or corn syrup is a raw processed sugar that tends to explode in our bloodstream, giving us a rush of energy and oxygen to the brain, then rapidly goes away, causes a blood sugar that is too low to concentrate on anything.  In short, avoid or seriously reduce your processed sugar intake.  That may not be the problem, but if it is, then Candy, Soda, Sweetened Cereal, etc. are contributing to the problem.  The second culprit is preservatives put in nearly all foods on the grocery store shelf.  The key here is to just not eat much that is pre-packaged.  You can eat fruits, vegetables, etc., that don't come pre-prepared.  Actually 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended, with something containing protein in each meal as well.  

It does become complex, but if you can reduce those things, then it might help.  Other people find that a low dose of caffeine helps during instructional time.  What happens with ADHD is that your brain is discharging in the areas of the brain you aren't using, thus causing an inability to concentrate.  The drugs they prescribe cause all of your neurological system to be stimulated, so there is an increase in activity, but...it also regulates that wrong discharge...sorry to be so complex, but that is what it is.

About your limitations for the future...There are some very, very successful people who struggled in school as you experience, and then went on to become what they became.  Albert Einstein had great problems in school, but obtained a PhD and everybody knows how successful he was.  Bruce Jenner was an Olympic athlete who won gold medals, he struggled in school.  My son, one of four kids, is ADHD.  He had difficulty in school...with few accommodations he has obtained his college degree and is working successfully in the management of an auto dealership.  As he has grown older he has learned ways to use his problems as an advantage.  He still makes impulsive decisions that cause him minor problems, but is learning how to step back and think it through.  It has been a process for him, but he is a very successful adult.  What I am saying is that you should not allow this to limit you!  Learn about how you learn best and try to incorporate that in post-school learning.  If you go to college, there will be help, but you will need to advocate for yourself.  Go into the administration part of your school and ask for the disability coordinator if you think you need help...if you don't, then great.

You may want to check a couple of websites that will help.  http://www.ldonline.com has a multitude of information.  Check out the section for Students, have your mother check out the section for Teacher.  You may also want to check out http://www.amenclinics.com...this person is a brain research specialist who has discovered much about the ADD/ADHD condition. Turn this into a research project, I would love to see the result!

I hope this was helpful...Norm