**************************************************
The ADD / ADHD Gazette
The FREE online ezine all about ADD and ADHD.
**************************************************

*** ISSUE #19 ***
October 15th 1999

IN THIS ISSUE:

ANOTHER SUGGESTION FOR KIDS WITH ODD
HELP US IN BRITAIN!
ARTICLE: The Flowers and the Thorns by Peter Jaksa, Ph.D.
RESOURCES


******************SPONSOR ************************

AMAZON UK - The leading online book retailer of products that
inform, educate and inspire. Offering a catalogue of more than
1.5 million titles, as well as a variety of other resources including
customer reviews, personal recommendations and gift certificates
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect-home/gailmiller

**************************************************

I got this letter from a reader this week regarding Kids
with Oppositional Defiant Disorder:-

When they defy you, such as go out the door despite being
grounded, that is the perfect opportunity to strip their room. Take
down all posters, remove all TVs, VCRs CD players. Store at a
neighbor's or relative's house. Remove all their cool clothes.
You leave them generic clothing only: plain tee shirts, a few pairs
of jeans, basic shoes. Basically a prison-cell/bare bones room is left.
Remove all the perks. As a parent you are obligated to feed, clothe
and house them; but no where does the law require the parents
to house the child in a room full of electronic toys, Nike tee shirts,
shoes and designer jeans. They'll realize who's in charge real quick.

Got this tip from a The Defiant Child by author Douglas Riley.
http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0878339639/gailmiller

**************************************************

Help Us In Britain ... by Gail

I wonder if anyone on the list could help please. This week there
was printed in one of our National dailies, an extremely ANTI Ritalin
article. The language used by the journalist was very emotive, what
was written was exaggerated, inaccurate or downright crazy. My
colleagues and I are completely mystified as to what possessed this
woman to write such an article when advocates like us are trying our
damndest to get the TRUTH out about ADD / Ritalin / It's (or their)
effects. We are at the sharp end, taking calls from desperate parents
every day and believe me, some of the wild and outrageous claims
this journalist makes just DONT happen here! Our professionals are
ULTRA conservative - I CANNOT see this happening here.

The article is completely over the top and basically puts back the
movement here years. Contrary to what this journalist writes the
situation is dire here. Ritalin is NOT being given out willy nilly to
kids who "lack attention, haven't been shown how to do things
and who are suffering from electro-magnetic radiation??????"

I would urger people to read Paragraph 20 particularly - It's ludicrous.
It talks about 'modern life' being responsible for ADD. Oh and lack
of excersize, reheated or vacuum-packed food and the 'supermarket
culture'. Come on friends and colleagues out there in The States, ......
this is bunkum ........ isn't it? If all this modern day stuff is
responsible,
how come Professor Still outlined ADHD in the early part of this
century? The whole article can be found at
http://www.educationunlimited.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,5500,91123,00.html

I would like to write a counter article to this and I need concrete
facts. Could someone please take the time out to look at this article for
me and help me filter the facts from the tripe (as we say here) so I can
submit something to this newspaper. Things are bad enough here
without this sort of thing doing the rounds and stirring hatred up
from the ignoramusses who are quick to comment on something they
know nothing about . HELP!!

Also, should you wish to make your own reply, there is a feedback
page at The Guardian Newspaper site and I also have the email
address of the writer which I would gladly pass on to anyone
wanting to make their feelings known to her!

HELP !!!!!!!

**************************************************

The Flowers and the Thorns by Peter Jaksa, Ph.D.

The ongoing discussion over how to define this phenomenon
called ADD is heating up again. One of the key addresses at the
CHADD 1999 conference in Washington DC will apparently
challenge the metaphors that Thom Hartmann uses to conceptualize
ADD, as a natural biological condition which is ill suited for modern
society. The real issue of course is not Thom, an exceedingly bright,
charming, and well meaning fellow whose writings have provided
hope and inspiration for thousands of people with ADD. The real
issue is how we conceptualize ADD, which in turn has profound
implications for how we perceive ourselves, and how we communicate
our perceptions to our children and other significant people in our
lives. Are people with ADD inherently flawed people? Are they
simply different, in ways that can be both good and bad? Are people
with ADD privileged in some ways, perhaps even gifted? Opinions
can - and do - run to both extremes.

The "battle lines" are roughly drawn up between the empirical
research-based approaches offered by Dr. Russell Barkley and
his colleagues, and the more experiential approaches offered by
Thom Hartmann and a few others. The researchers look at statistics
garnered from people who by and large seek treatment for problem
behaviors and are struggling in their lives. Lo and behold, this
"clinical" population is experiencing higher incidences of problems
of all types, school and job failures, emotional problems, substance
abuse, legal problems, and so on. The conclusions often reached are
that ADD is a very negative condition that ruins people’s lives, and
indeed that any perceived benefits of having ADD are a "myth."
What are needed are more services, more accommodations, and
more laws to protect this impaired ADD population.

Not so fast, claims the "other side" -- which not so coincidentally
is often represented by people who have ADD themselves. There
are many positive qualities associated with ADD which are
beneficial for the person. I have ADD, many will publicly claim,
and I LIKE a lot of what ADD does for me. The researchers
studying their sample populations don’t see people like Jack
Sandner. Jack experienced a wild youth, became a Golden Gloves
boxing champion, talked his way into Notre Dame University even
though his grades did not qualify him, and later became the high
powered head of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, earning
millions of dollars and becoming a fixture in Chicago society.
Jack publicly announced last year in a Chicago Tribune article
that he has ADD, because he wanted others to know that it’s
not something to be ashamed of and that indeed ADD has
benefited him in his life through the high energy, creativity,
and daring that was required to achieve the level of success
he achieved. People like Jack never show up in the research
statistics on the pathology of ADD, because they seldom seek
treatment and don’t volunteer for research studies.

Is Jack typical of most people with ADD? No, of course
not - Jack is probably not "typical" of anyone. What his story
illustrates however is that he discovered and acknowledged
strengths and qualities related to his ADD which benefited him
in his career and his life. These strengths are overlooked in the
research studies, would be very difficult to quantify and
measure, and vary a great deal from person to person. The
controlled research studies and survey studies have focused
on the problems associated with ADD, and the areas of
impairment ADD can cause for many people. This is important
and helpful work in understanding problems and finding effective
treatments and coping behaviors, but it doesn't tell the whole story.

On July 23, 1999, at a benefit dinner for ADDA in Schaumburg,
Illinois, we premiered the independently produced documentary
film on adults with ADD titled "Outside In." The film will be
shown on PBS in the Fall, and is currently available on videotape.
This film tells the story of four individuals who are interviewed
and followed around in their daily routines, along with expert
commentary from Edward Hallowell MD, Kathleen Nadeau PhD,
Patricia Quinn MD, Thomas Phelan PhD, Tom Brown PhD, Arthur
Robin PhD, Sari Solden MS, Sam Goldstein PhD, and others. This
film, which provides an excellent depiction of what it’s like to be
a successful adult living with ADD, was very well received by the
150 people attending the benefit dinner, many of whom were
themselves adults with ADD.

Part of the appeal is that the people in the movie are "real" people,
not numbers, statistics, symptoms, or stereotypes. Listening to
these individuals talk about themselves, and also to family
members talking about them, one gets the impression of people
who struggle with problems, who can be frustrating and
challenging at times, but also are very much capable of achieving,
loving, and being very likable people. These are people who
learn, understand, deal with the challenges and responsibilities
in their lives, and never use ADD as an excuse. One of the people
interviewed, a motivational speaker named Phil, speaks glowingly
of how his ADD features make him a more exciting speaker,
comedian, and motivator. Some in the audience looked skeptical
when he called ADD a "gift," but many others applauded him for it.
Whether or not ADD is a "gift" for Phil, he has clearly learned
how to use certain features of it to benefit him in his work.
Perhaps other features were impairing at different points in his
life ("when teachers found out I was going to be in their class,
they took early retirement!" Phil states kiddingly), but again the
point is that he found positive features and used them to his benefit.

Many people with ADD intuitively know that there is much
more to this biological condition than numbers and statistics
could ever capture. Many of the leading professionals and
experts on ADD, such as Dr. Hallowell, Dr. Ratey, Dr. Quinn,
Dr. Nadeau, and many others, also express an appreciation for
the positive sides of ADD in their writings and talks, as well as
acknowledging the problems and impairments that ADD can
cause. It should come as no surprise perhaps that each of these
professionals has also acknowledged that they have ADD. The
cynics may interpret that as a sign of positive bias or even
wishful thinking. Those who live with ADD can appreciate these
views as indications of insights and understanding that can never
come from a controlled study or tabulated questionnaire responses.
After a lifetime of struggles, frustration, failures, and loss of
self-esteem, many individuals with attention deficit disorders
NEED to recognize, appreciate, and use such potential strengths
to benefit themselves. The identification of strengths should not
be regarded as the spinning of "myths," but rather as a crucial
part in treatment and coping with ADD.

Some will be tempted to view these negative/positive
conceptualizations of ADD as a battle between negativity versus
hope, pathology versus benefits, statistics versus people, even
light versus dark. Taking extremist positions is seldom to anyone’s
benefit of course, not to mention the damage done to fairness and
simple truth. Thom won’t put on a Luke Skywalker costume, and
Dr. Barkley won’t take the stage in a Darth Vader suit. These
stereotypes should not be thrust on either of them. We should,
to be fair, take a realistic look at what each approach has to offer.
Only blind arrogance believes in the sanctity of it’s own version
of the truth.

Let me offer yet another metaphor for ADD: that of a rose bush.
For all I know this may not even be an original idea, but it is one
that captures the dichotomy of what can be good or bad about
this biological condition. The researchers can very well look at
the symptoms and problems of ADD based on a clinical population,
and see primarily thorns and the effects of those thorns. "Look at
how sharp the thorns are, look at the scratches, at the blood, at the
damage they have done," the researchers tell us. And so they have,
in different ways, for different people, at different periods in their
lives. It would be foolish to deny that ADD can cause serious levels
of impairment, or to ignore the problems that stem from this. The
Pollyanna ostrich approach is a recipe for disaster.

The thorns do not define the essence of what the rose bush is,
however, because the picture is incomplete. It takes writers like
Thom Hartmann, and clinicians such as Hallowell and Ratey in
Driven To Distraction, Nadeau and Quinn in their many books
and in ADDvance Magazine, and others like Sari Solden, to point
out the flowers nestled among the branches and thorns. Are the
thorns more "real" than the flowers? Hardly. They are part of the
larger whole, and need to be regarded seriously and dealt with
realistically. This is why education plays a crucial role, along with
medication, therapy, coaching, and requesting services and
accommodations when those are necessary. The thorns should
not be mistaken as the primary feature of the rose bush, nor the
feature that gives the rose bush it’s purpose and defines it’s
identity. The problems, impairments, and disabilities associated
with ADD do not by themselves fully define the nature of this
complex biological condition either. The presence of strengths
and potential benefits is no "myth." The best of our writers,
clinicians, and indeed researchers know and understand this.
Those who don’t run the risk of being much too narrowly focused,
limited in the scope of their thinking, and simply wrong. We must
strive for a balanced perspective that deals with the problems
without denying the strengths.

-----------------------------------

About The Author
Peter Jaksa, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist in Deerfield, IL. He is
the current President of National ADDA and author of
25 Stupid Mistakes Parents Make (Lowell House/NTC Contemporary).
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/073730121X/theaddadhdgaze
Dr. Jaksa may be reached at e-mail address: DrJaksa@...

************************************************

RESOURCES

Ooops...Wrong Planet! Syndrome http://www.isn.net/~jypsy/
Excellent site all about Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Natural Treatments for ADD and Hyperactivity by Skye
Weintraub, N.D. Discussing topics of nutritional deficiencies,
what parents and teachers should know, a review of commonly
used drugs, and effects of environmental factors.
http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1885670362/gailmiller

Dyslexia - the Gift http://www.dyslexia.com/
Exploring the positive talents that give rise to dyslexia, and sharing
knowledge about the best ways for dyslexic people to learn.

Developmental Verbal Apraxia or Developmental Apraxia of Speech
http://www.tayloredmktg.com/dyspraxia/das.html DAS is a speech
disorder that interferes with a child's ability to pronounce sounds,
syllables and words. It is the loss of ability to consistently position
the articulators (face, tongue, lips, jaw) for the production of speech
sounds and for sequencing those sounds into syllables or words

What do you think Eclectic Homeschooling means? What creative
things are you doing for your children? Read the excellent article
at http://eho.org/features/eclectic.htm to find out.


*******ADS*************************************

Subscribe to the FREE Family First Newsletter! You'll get
recipes, activity ideas, home tips, ways to promote the 'family
first' idea in your own home, holiday help and ideas, 'family first'
websites, a weekly family night idea and much more! To subscribe,
just send a blank email to: familyfirst-subscribe@onelist.com
or visit our website at: http://members.aol.com/BMValen/index.html

-------

JC TRiViA -- The daily FREE trivia contest played by email.
Get a new question every day. Answer the question by replying
to the email. Watch your score rise and fall in relation to the rest
of the world. (The more difficult the question, the more points
you can earn.) Join the most unique email trivia game on the
planet today! Send an email to: subscribe@...
with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.
Or visit us on the web at: http://www.jctrivia.com
JC TRiViA -- "The SMART way to start your day!"

----------

f you publish an e-zine or maintain a website, check out
'ZineConnection at http://zineconnection.hypermart.net.
'ZineConnection is dedicated to providing reliable resources
for E-zine publishers & marketers. Free content, resources,
and listings. Add your E-zine to our NEW Directory! Fast
& Easy!Subscribe: Mailto:zineconnection@...

-------

Attention TAX PAYERS
If you could pay your CPA $100/month to save you $600 - $800 a
month would you be interested. Would you like to cut your taxes
by at least 50% would you be interested. Would you like to get
an instant payraise at your current job without having to talk to
the boss would you be interested. IF so, Go right now to:
http://www.auditproof.com and http://www.profitsathome.com/young.htm


************************************************

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
Items herein are published for education/information purposes
only. Any therapy, product, service, or featured web site mentioned
does NOT imply endorsement by The Gazette. Accuracy and
content of any web sites featured cannot be guaranteed. Views
and statements written by contributors are not necessarily the
views of The ADD / ADHD Gazette.

**********************************************

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 http://home.freeuk.net/theadhdgazette and email me to swap links

**************************************************
SEE YA NEXT TIME ~ Gail Miller 1999
theadhdgazette@...

And remember ..........
"If your not making waves than you ain't kicking hard enough"