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The ADD / ADHD GAZETTE
Knocking down the walls of ignorance

Gail Miller
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*** ISSUE #10 ***

The ADD / ADHD GAZETTE. A FREE online ezine all about the
issues surrounding ADD / ADHD and co-morbid conditions and
syndromes. This community has now grown to 1,569 subscribers!

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IN THIS ISSUE:

#1 -- NEWS & VIEWS

#2 -- UK FOCUS

#3 -- ARTICLE: Inattentiveness: The Quiet Disorder

#4 -- RESOURCES

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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
Items in this newsletter are published for educational and / or
informational purposes only. Any therapy, product, service, or
featured web site mentioned here, does NOT imply endorsement
or approval by The ADD / ADHD Gazette. The accuracy and
content of any web sites featured here cannot be guaranteed.
Thoughts, views and statements written by contributors are
not necessarily the views of The ADD / ADHD Gazette.
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# 1 News & Views

10 Principles For Spiritual Parenting by Mimi Doe / Marsha Walch

Often parents bringing up difficult children such as ours are so wrapped
up in the everyday hustle and bustle (disciplining their child (ren),
making
sure homework is done, fighting on their children's behalf with
education
or health authorities, trying to ensure the family doesn't fall apart at
the
seems) that they lose their spiritual empathy with their children.

After years of difficult behaviour to contend with it is sometimes hard
for parents like us to remember the indescribable feeling of
unconditional
love we felt, when our new born babies were placed in our arms for the
first time.

10 Principles For Spiritual Parenting is a must for any family concerned
about their children's (not to mention their own) spiritual growth.
Bringing you ideas on how to grow closer as a family, after reading
this book I looked at my children in a new light. The authors offer
practical ways to develop special moments with your children by
looking at the world about us in a spiritual way and sprinkled
throughout the book are quotes from children describing their own
ways of feeling at one with their surroundings and comfortable with
their God.

If you want to recapture that warm glow of family pride that often
gets lost along the way, then this book is for you. Each chapter leaves
you feeling uplifted and when things seem *really bad* and you
desperately want some inspiration, this book will lift your spirits and
give you the strength to get through the storm.

Purchase 10 Principles For Spiritual Parenting at 20% off the list price
at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060952415/theaddadhdgaze

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If you visit http://www.yourownhealth.com you can select an
interview that applies to your child's medical visit, fill it out, print
it and give it to your physician, giving him a detailed medical
history they not have the time to obtain from you .

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#2 UK Focus

New group for Single Parents living in the UK at
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/uk-singleparents
Is a new moderated list with over 20 subscribers to date. No
spam, flame, childless singles or couples etc ... It is not a dating,
singles or anything similar list.

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I took the following message off one of the autism newsgroups
this week:- Society For The Autistically Handicapped. S.F.T.A.H.
SECRETIN available in the UK in a Homoeopathic form via
Homoeopathic Doctors. SFTAH has imported Secretin into the UK
for parents to try in a Homoeopathic form. The Secretin has been
made up at a Homoeopathic Pharmacy and is available from that
Pharmacy via a Homoeopathic Doctor. If your Homoeopathic Doctor
has difficulty in obtaining Secretin, they can contact SFTAH.
Tel: UK +44 (0)1536 523274.

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The National Association for the Care and Resettlement of
Offenders have recently suggested that improving the health
of our nation’s children could help reduce youth crime.
Although the impact of children's health on crime has not been
widely studied, it is known that many young offenders have
mental health, alcohol and / or drug problems.

Their report “Children, Health and Crime” argues that health
risk factors often overlap with other factors for young offending,
such as poor parenting, social deprivation, neglect, exclusion or
a mental health history. Incarceration can exacerbate the problem
however. NACRO call for more emphasis on alcohol and drug
education, ideally starting when children are still in primary school.
Also, they want these subjects adding to the national curriculum
along with citizenship classes in secondary schools. The drug
charity Turning Point, and Alcohol Concern is backing the call
for greater education in these issues.

One recent study showed that over 1/3 of our young offenders
had drug related problems. A different study found that over
40% of young offenders had either drunk alcohol or were
inebriated during their offences. Over 50% of young male
offenders and 33% young women offenders are thought to
have significant mental health problems, which is higher than
the average 20%. Some of the things highlighted by research
are that; a: Alcohol is significantly linked to youth crime.
b: Drug dependency can trigger offending by users trying to
finance their addiction. C: Alcohol is widely associated with
violence and anti-social behaviour. Incarceration can lead to
mental health problems.

Other risk factors for youth crime include educational
underachievement and learning disabilities. One London
research project in London found that a staggering 52% of
probationers had a learning disability. Because of this NACRO
wants children screened at an earlier age for LD. These recent
findings show that often “The overall result is a downward
spiral in which the circumstances predisposing children to
commit offences can exacerbate problems of ill health which,
in turn, reinforce those original circumstances." NACRO calls
for schools to educate children in positive mental health
and wants the NHS to develop distinct children's health
service, assuming responsibility for young offenders’ health.
Also, a focus on positive parenting for difficult children

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"UK playworkers Mailing List" for Play workers and other
childcare workers to share idea's, and resources. The next
five years are going to see some very big changes, with the
introduction of Britain's first National Childcare Strategy,
which will provide training for existing play workers and create
90,000 play work posts over the next five years. To join the
UKplay workers Mailing List just follow this link:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/UKplayworkers
also,
Check out the new UKschoolgovernors Mailing List,
at http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/UKschoolgovernors

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# 3 Inattentiveness: The Quiet Disorder
by Debra Moore

The descriptive phrases infiltrate the slang of our language:
"space cadet," "air head," "out-of-the-loop," and "couch potato."
The stereotypes of the "absent-minded professor" who forgets
to wear shoes to lectures or the "clueless student" who spends
class time staring out the window are comic stock characters in
movies, books, and anecdotes. Despite this general cultural
familiarity, specific knowledge concerning what was once called
"ADD without hyperactivity" has been elusive and limited, but for
those people who live with the consequences of the condition, the
destructive effects are both concrete and pervasive.

Long considered as merely a subtype of Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), this inattentive version of ADD
has gradually gained recognition as a distinctive diagnosis. The
most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (1994)
of the American Psychiatric Association distinguishes three
categories of Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder: the
predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, the predominantly
inattentive type, and the combined type. While each of these
groups present different behavioral features, they seem to have
very similar tragic effects, such as emotional problems, poor self
- awareness and self-esteem, and difficulties with time management
and organization. Both groups experience problems performing
tasks at school and work.

Undiagnosed Dreamers
Ironically, the "low key" nature of inattentiveness may well have
made it a more insidious force for personal disaster than the highly
visible and dramatic hyperactive variation; these individuals simply
attract less notice within classrooms and families. Described as
"dismissed and undiagnosed dreamers" by learning disabilities
specialist Paula Stanford, inattentive ADDers are usually
diagnosed later in life than their hyper counterparts; in fact, many
of them may never be diagnosed at all and spend their lives
floundering and repeatedly failing to meet expectations.

Inattentive students don't annoy adults or behave in a
volatile manner. They don't wiggle in their seats and disrupt
students sitting around them. Indeed, they may even appear to
maintain concentration by staring fixedly at a textbook or a
lecturer for periods of time, but this apparent "focus" may mask
a wandering mental state. As Stanford notes, "It's hard to see
distractibility.

People expect to see a child in the back of the class "bouncing
off the wall." This example child is always talking and can never
concentrate on anything put in front of him. This child was
never an example of me ... I was not hyperactive; I just could
not concentrate, memorize or work on something that did not
interest me. (Excerpt from an essay by an inattentive ADD
adult client of Brainworks.)

The subtle and often ignored behavior patterns of inattentive
ADDers include lethargy, slow processing and retrieval of
information, and social apathy. They tend to direct negative
feelings inwardly rather than outwardly, to become anxious
and depressed rather than aggressive and openly defiant.
Instead of challenging authority figures in direct confrontations,
they may tend to adopt a type of "passive manipulation" which
leads to their becoming perpetual victims, repeatedly rescued
by family members, friends, and teachers.

During my elementary years, without realizing it, I learned how
to manipulate my teachers into letting me turn my homework or
other assignments in late...phrases like "Well, I guess, turn it in
tomorrow," were frequent. Even with my ability to manipulate
teachers, I still heard, "Why can't you do this? Why don't you
concentrate? It's not that hard....You can't see past the end of
your nose."

Passive Prejudices
Other ADD experts have pointed out that social bias may have
an impact on how inattentive disorders are detected and treated.
In the first place, our culture and educational systems tend to
punish activity and reward passivity. Paula Stanford comments,
"If people are quiet and non-assertive, we tend to say they are
'Nice' people and be proud of them." The quiet student lost amid
daydreams in the middle of the room may not be handing in
homework consistently and may be capable of making better test
grades than low C's and D's, yet this same underachieving
student will often receive "excellent" conduct ratings!

However, the most striking feature concerning inattentive
ADDers may fall within the realm of "gender issues." For
decades, ADD was defined in terms of being a hyperactivity
disorder which primarily affected young males, and referral
ratios of boys to girls for the condition have been estimated
as being as high as 10 to 1.

In recent years, the definition of the condition and the
disproportionate referral ratio have been challenged by
numerous researchers. As Dr. Russell Barkley of the
University of Massachusetts Medical Center points out
in the April 1996 edition of The ADHD Report, the view that
boys are more likely to be ADD than girls may be based on
"an assumption that the criteria for diagnosing were
developed using some gender-free or gender-neutral
procedure which is hardly the case." In other words, if the
descriptive symptoms for ADD were drawn from observations
of predominantly male behaviors, then males will tend to be
identified more than females as fitting the descriptions.
Some researchers believe if inattentive characteristics are
included in the diagnostic criteria, the ratio would reflect
a 50/50 rather than a 10 to 1 ratio.

ADD expert Kate Kelly observes, "Little girls with ADD tend
to be less physically active than ADD boys. They may receive
less punishment and disapproval than their male counterparts
but often become lost in the shuffle. Their symptoms are so
subtle that no one identifies their problems."

Treatment Issues
As difficult as it is to identify ADD inattentiveness, developing
adequate management and treatment procedures may be even
more difficult. With hyperactive individuals, management often
involves redirecting restlessness into more productive channels
or learning to control obviously overblown behaviors. The
problems of "hypers" are clearly identifiable, and their active
personalities can serve as "spark plugs" for making change.
The energy they expend may be scattered and not consistently
maintained over time, but they are generally enthusiastic about
trying new methods or making "trial runs" with coping strategies.
They often have a fierce desire for independence which serves
as a powerful motivator for obtaining jobs or career training in a
field of high interest. Many seem to be "natural-born performers"
who are attracted to creative pursuits such as art, writing, music,
or drama; at some point in their academic careers, they may be
enrolled in gifted programs. At times, their fast paced minds and
temperaments lead to flashes of brilliance and insightManaging
the symptoms of inattentive ADDers presents a different set of
challenges, often more frustrating and less clearly defined. The
essence of inattentive ADD is passivity, so coping strategies
must first activate these students to take charge of their lives.
Although these individuals will also experience difficulties
maintaining effort, their first problem is getting started at all!

In school situations, inattentive ADDers seldom participate in
extra curricular activities or join clubs. While they seem to have
an easier time making friends than their hyperactive counterparts,
these friendships are often grounded in the idea that the
inattentive person will "go along" with whatever is proposed by
peers. They are "agreeable" by nature, but this same "wishy-washy"
attitude can eventually cause peers to lose respect for the
inattentive ADDer who won't "stand up and be counted."
Moreover, the inattentive ADDer often has problems
communicating with authority figures, such as teachers and
coaches. Because they seem unable to ask questions, participate
actively in discussions, or to advocate for themselves, their
grades tend to run from mediocre to poor. They drift through the
day, moving from classroom to classroom, making very little
impression as they travel.

Chronic Dependency
Furthermore, ADD inattentives usually are not motivated by a
desire for independence, and they may end up continuing to
reside "in the family nest" longer than their peers or non-ADD
siblings. This dependency may stem from the inattentive's
inability to aggressively advance themselves in term of jobs and
career training; however, their entrenched helplessness may have
unwittingly been reinforced by a lifetime of "rescue missions" by
well-meaning parents. At an early age, the rescue pattern seems
harmless enough: Suzy forgot to take her lunch to school, so Dad
leaves work to bring money to her school. Or, Billy didn't realize his
oral report on volcanoes (assigned weeks earlier) is due the next day,
so Mom stays up all night looking through the "V" volume of the
encyclopedia for information while Billy copies facts on note cards
­ until his hand gets tired and Dad takes over!

This pattern of dependency usually develops slowly over a long
period of time, and parents may delude themselves by believing "
as soon as my child becomes a teenager, she/he will be more
responsible." During the teen years, the belief switches to "as soon
as he/she graduates" or "as soon as she/he gets a good job." What
is difficult to accept is the fact that although the child's situations
may
change, the dependency behavior will not change of its own accord.
Without specific training in areas such as goal-setting, money
management, and communication skills, inattentive ADDers may
never learn to function as adults successfully and will end up
"bouncing back home" throughout the course of their lives.

Medication Options
In addition, clinical reports indicate that medication therapy for
inattentive ADDers may follow different guidelines than those
established for hyperactive ADDers. For example, standard doses
of stimulant medicines commonly prescribed for hyperactivity
may not be as effective for inattentive individuals; sometimes
these people respond better to anti-depressant and anti-anxiety
medications. Some physicians have reported positive results for
inattentive patients from a combination of lower dosages of stimulants
and anti-depressants. For many of the ADD inattentive clients
attending Brainworks, establishing an effective medication schedule
can be a complicated and time-consuming process, one requiring
observations, evaluations, and much "fine tuning. "Inattentive
ADDers have long constituted an overlooked segment of our
educational system, and while it is true that they attract little notice
as they "suffer in silence," they suffer nonetheless. As parents and
educators become more adept at identifying these daydreamers, the
challenge becomes to develop effective management techniques
which address the distinctive needs and situations of these
individuals who are the "lost souls" of our society.

References:
Barkley, Russell. "Gender is Already Implicit in the Diagnosis
of ADHD: Shouldn't It be Explicit?" The ADHD Report, April 96.
Kelly, Kate and Peggy Ramundo. You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid
Or Crazy? Cincinnati, Tyrell & Jerem Press, 1993.
Stanford, Paula. "Dismissed and Undiagnosed Dreamers:
Solutions to Female LD/ADD Issues." Presentation at the 33rd
Annual State Conference of the Learning Disabilities Assn
of Texas, Austin, November, 1997.
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Inattentiveness: The Quiet Disorder was originally printed in
Brainworks Newsletter. Spring 1998, Vol. 11, No. 2. My thanks
go to the author and Carla Crutsinger, Director of Brainworks
brainwks@... Brainworks is a registered tm of Brainworks,
Inc. ©1999 Brainworks Inc., Carrollton, TX
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# 4 Resources

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises the use of positive
reinforcement to teach desired behaviours at
http://www.aap.org/policy/re9740.html

Tourette's Syndrome May Be Mistaken For Asthma
http://www.intelihealth.com/enews?228373

Autism is a baffling diagnosis dreaded by parents and often
not well understood by physicians. Stewart H. Mostofsky, M.D.,
instructor of neurology outlines what is known about autism at
http://www.intelihealth.com/enews?227772

UK Mums and Dads On Line. A super on line magazine
http://www.ukmums.co.uk

Study Says January Babies More Prone to Depression. New
research has shown that the time of year you were born has an
impact on your mental state for the rest of your life.
http://www.intelihealth.com/enews?228293

Timely Information for Today's Parent, the world's most
important job! Tips, clues, questions. Get deserved respect;
still have fun. Joan Bramsch, successful writer/teacher,
parent, grandparent encourages you to be Your Best.
"Children really ARE different today!" Share family
experiences; be an Empowered Parent! Subscribe for free!
~~~EmpoweredParenting-subscribe@onelist.com~~~~~~
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/EmpoweredParenting

The Panic/Anxiety Disorders site has recently switched to a
new bulletin board system. It's still a great place to meet and
find support. http://panicdisorder.about.com/mpboards.htm

PARENTSPARENTSPARENTSPARENTSPARENTS
Get the right tools for the job...of parenting! Free weekly
advice. Clean family humor too.
mailto:imailsrv@... and put subscribe
parentingthoughts your_name in body of message.

Kids Of Depressed Moms At Increased Suicide Risk report
researchers at http://www.intelihealth.com/enews?227581

A patient handout with practical ways to manage child
behaviour problems entitled "What Parents Can Do to Change
Their Child's Behaviour" http://www.aafp.org/patientinfo/behavior.html

Mothers From Hell is a loose-knit (more like velcroed--who has time to
knit?) group of women staunchly advocating for the rights of children
with disabilities. http://www.apexcomm.net/~debiski/mfhpurp.html

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LINKS
If you have a website and are looking for links. I am happy to add
a reciprocal link to The ADHD (UK) Website. Take a look at my
site at http://www.gailmiller.clara.net and email me to swap links

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SEE YA NEXT TIME ............... Gail Miller 1999 gailmiller@...