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The ADD / ADHD Gazette
The FREE online ezine all about ADD and ADHD.
http://home.freeuk.net/theadhdgazette

*** ISSUE #28 *** 18th April 2000
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IN THIS ISSUE .........
1; Conference
2; Help Needed
3; ARTICLE; Mothering On The Edge
4; Subscriptions
5; UK ADHD / Asperger Domains
6; Resources
7; Editorial


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1; CONFERENCE

THE NATIONAL ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER
ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES

ADDA 2000 National Conference on Attention Deficit Disorders
"Tapping the Potential, Fulfilling Life's Dreams"

May 5 - 7, 2000 - Atlanta Airport Hilton & Towers, Atlanta, Georgia

National ADDA is a nonprofit organization devoted to the needs
of adults, young adults, and families living with attention deficit
disorders (ADD/ADHD). Untreated ADD places a person at
significant risk for emotional difficulties, academic and work
problems, substance abuse, increased accident rates, failed
marriages, and lost work time. Although childhood ADD is the
most studied of all childhood disorders, adults with ADD continue
to be misunderstood, under-diagnosed, and largely untreated.

Featured presentations include:
John Ratey M.D., Harvard University, will present a full-day
seminar on: "A User's Guide To The Brain --Through The Lens
of Attention"

Kathleen Nadeau Ph.D. & Patricia Quinn M.D. will present a
full-day workshop on: "A Woman's Time and Space: Support,
Celebration and Solutions for Women with ADD"

Thomas Brown Ph.D., Yale University, will present on:
"Inattention and Executive Functions: New Understandings of ADHD"

Additional half-day seminars include "Legal Issues For People With
ADHD Through The Lifespan," a special half-day seminar for
physicians titled "Advances in Theory, Assessment, and Treatment
of ADHD," and "ADHD & Behavioural and Chemical Addictions"

Other presentations will be made by nationally known experts including
Sari Solden M.S., Stephen Copps M.D., Paul Elliott M. D.,
Edna Copeland Ph.D., Arthur Robin Ph.D., Sheryl K. Pruitt, M.Ed.,
Carol L. Garrett Ed.D,, Deborah Levy Ed.D., Wendy Richardson M.A,
David Miller M.A., Nancy Ratey Ed.M., Edward Barniskis M.Ed.
& Linda Barniskis M.Ed., Lyndon Waugh M.D., and Leslie Rubin M.D.,

On Sunday, May 7, popular author Thom Hartmann will present a
seminar called "There is Light at the End of the Tunnel," designed
to give adults with ADD the opportunity to recapture self-esteem a
nd take control of their lives.

Registration information and a conference schedule may be obtained
on the ADDA website at www.add.org, or call (847) 432-2332. E-mail
inquiries ; mail@.... Requests for brochures may be sent to
National ADDA, 1788 Second Street, Suite 200, Highland
Park, IL 60035 http://www.add.org


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2; HELP NEEDED

Dear Gail
I live in the UK. As the mother of an ADHD son and ADD myself
when I recently had to choose a subject to investigate for
university I chose:-

"WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WITH
ADD/ADHD AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
AND ARE THESE ADEQUATE?"

on which I am now writing a dissertation.

I want to hear from families in the UK living with ADD/HD who would
be willing to share their personal experiences of - for example -
Ease or otherwise of obtaining assessment, diagnosis.
Support/Services which have been offered.
Whether they have had to find out much by trial and error,
investigating possibilities themselves and having to request that
assessment for ADD/HD be made?
Whether they have had to push to be heard or have actually had
ADD/HD suggested to them as a possible answer?
Adult experiences - How easy or otherwise has it been to have an
assessment/diagnosis as an adult? Was this available through the
NHS. Were there any criteria which excluded an adult from assessment?
School awareness/facilities
AD/HD children's attitude to/progress in school -
schools which are 'ADD aware'?
GP knowledge about AD/HD
What social consequences have arisen from someone in the family
having AD/HD?.....can it be socially 'excluding'
Media representation? etc., etc., etc., in the UK.

This is purely for research, not for any financial gain. All responses will
be kept confidential and names omitted unless specifically requested
that they be included in my paper.

I should be eternally grateful for whatever help you are able to give!
Claire Hawksworth claire@...


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Dear Gail,

My name is Pauline Larre. I am a third year student at Leeds
University studying Broadcast Journalism. Your e.mail address was
given to me by both Deborah Lobe at Young Mind, and Sally Bunday
from the Hyperactivity Children Support Group.

As a final year project I am writing a documentary proposal
based on AD(H)D and the recent media controversy surrounding
the various behaviour-controlling drugs that are being prescribed to
children. I was wondering if you could direct me towards some
further information regarding both the disorder and the associated
medication.

I would also be very interested in having the possibility to talk
to a parent or family which has a child with AD(H)D and find out
more about their experiences. While I understand that it could not
be possible to provide me with contact of families, I was wondering
if you could perhaps give them my contact details and explain my
situation.

I understand that some of these families will be going through
tough times and do not want to cause any trouble, but hope that
someone might be willing to talk about their views regarding their
situation. Who best to learn from than those who are experiencing
themselves. The documentary is only a student project, and it will
not be published or broadcast and any information within it will
remain completely confidential to myself and my tutor.

Thank You so much for your help - Pauline Larre
een6pl@...

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Dear Gail,
It has warmed my heart greatly to have received so many responses to
my request last time. Thank you all so much. One of the things that is
frustrating about ADHD is the chronic feeling of being different. Your
responses have done my heart much good. Thank you!!!!
lelongino@...


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3; ARTICLE
Mothering on the Edge by Cheré Coen

The school bus arrives and the house becomes deadly quiet. It reminds
me of the aftermath of a hurricane or the brief moment when the eye
rolls over land and the sun shines and the birds sing and you can take a
breather from the hell-raising noise.

Just don’t expect it to last. The eye of a hurricane is only a
reprieve. It doesn’t last long, I remind myself as 3:30 fast approaches.
The sound and fury of my two little boys will explode into the house all
in due time.

It’s ironic that hurricane season begins for us down here in Louisiana
about the same time school lets out for the summer. And if anyone should
doubt my comparison, you have never heard my youngest scream.
Taylor the wailer is his name. He received his nickname the day he was
born when, after first greeting the world and grasping his first breath,
let out a howl that lasted twenty minutes. Ear-splitting noise. One that
drew the attention of everyone on the floor.

But that’s normal, we all thought. All babies cry. And the poor thing
did have the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck - twice! So Taylor
deserved to protest. He was entitled.

Six years later, however, we would like him to stop.

My doctor calls it Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, because
Taylor doesn’t have the brain capacity to think before he reacts. Take
away his toy and he screams. Tell him we’re out of milk and he howls.
Tell him the candy with the red die is off limits and he throws his head
back for action.

My mother calls it “being a boy” and that I shouldn’t worry. However,
she doesn’t visit very often. Yesterday she arrived to take my oldest
shopping for school supplies and sat at the kitchen table to have a talk
with me. Within minutes Taylor was at his best, voicing his objections
or approval (they are hard to distinguish) with his friends by letting
out a piercing shriek. Suddenly, the talk could wait.

I’m sure Taylor’s teacher last year had a lot of descriptive words for
him, but she was kind enough not to share them with me. Other teachers
were not as considerate. His after-school teacher offered a few choice
words and recommended taking him home and giving him a “good whipping.”
Yeah, that should stop his screaming, I thought. I reacted instead by
taking him out of the after-school program. (The only person I wanted to
"whip" was the teacher.)

Friends, family and the people behind me in the supermarket all have
their opinions too. Half think I’m a typical Baby Boomer, too lazy to
discipline my kid. The other half think I’m rushing for an answer when
the answer is he’s a male and most males lack logic and reason and the
ability to behave non-impulsively. (They might have a point there.)
On the flip side, Taylor oozes enthusiasm. Everything is an adventure,
a fascinating examination of life. He rarely sleeps, nodding off after 9
p.m. only to jump out of bed with a smile on his face before 7 a.m.,
greeting the morning as if it was his first sunrise. My parents call him
the “Wow Boy,” because he responds to everything new with a “Wow!”
His enormous brown eyes sparkle with what we call down here une joie
de vivre, or a joy of life. He’s my angel, my pumpkin, my stinky.

So I live in a noisy house, one that resembles those photos of damaged
houses after the hurricane came through. Because not only is Taylor and
company boisterous, he is also highly active, producing a maelstrom of
destruction in his wake. But the happiness he also produces is worth
every trying moment and every cry that emerges from that tiny little
mouth (how does he do it?) is overshadowed by his sweetness and rapture.

I found a wonderful little book (among many!) that has helped me cope.
It’s titled “Life on the Edge, Parenting a Child With ADD, ADHD” by
David Spohn. His chapters begin with humorous titles such as “Yes, this
is my kid. So what?” and “So, you thought your house was an investment?”
Just knowing someone else exists in the world with a Taylor of his own
gives me comfort.

“Who’s acting out, anyway?” Spohn reminds us when our children throw
tantrums. “Don't be embarrassed by behavior that isn’t yours. Second,
although people may pass judgement on you as a parent by what they see,
who needs to impress such judgmental people anyway? Unless the behavior
is truly causing someone harm, it’s simply none of their business.”
So, unless Taylor starts breaking glass with his yells, I’m not going
to worry.

OK, I lied. Of course I will worry. But I’m proud of my “Wow Boy.” And
that’s all there is to it.

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

Copyright Cheré Coen
Cheré Coen is an online features editor in Louisiana, a multi-published
historical romance author and the mother of tornadoes Joshua and Taylor.
Along with her husband, Bruce, they somehow manage to make it through
each day. Cheré's articles can be found at http://www.theadvocate.com
and her fiction, under the pseudonym of Cherie Claire, at
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Bayou/4745
You can email Cheré at ccoen@...


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4; SUBSCRIPTIONS

We have hovered around, the 2,300 mark for about 6 months now and
seem to be stuck! I can't believe that this few parents and sufferers
out there that could use our resource. Therefore, could everyone
make a concerted effort to mention The ADD / ADHD Gazette on
their message boards, newsgroups, email discussion lists etc. Also,
if you know of someone who could use the information in The
Gazette please don't hesitate to forward an issue to them.


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5; UK ADHD / ASPERGER DOMAINS AVAILABLE

ADHDinfo.co.uk
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They are for sale. If you, your organisation, or anyone you know
are interested in purchasing any of these domains, please email
me on theadhdgazette@... I registered them to use
but due to financial constraints, plus the fact that there aren't 100
hours in the day I am not going to be able to use them.


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6; RESOURCES

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experiences from their lives that can't be explained by
traditional methods. Ideal for those seeking answers. Subscribe
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Great resources for support groups, social security, special education
issues and more! http://www.ns.net/users/BrandiV/index.html


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7; Editorial

One of the things about writing newsletters like the ones I do, means
that often you leave your self open to criticism about one thing or
another. If you highlight something in particular, someone somewhere
feels they have to complain.

If you make a decision to print something controversial, again, you get
angry people emailing you to 'object'. As I run other newsletters apart
from this one there are therefore *more* opportunities to be complained
about and criticised.

However I will never be able to please all the people all of the time
and due to constant criticism about one thing or another I often feel
like packing it in. Therefore could I please appeal to readers that if they
feel the need to complain about anything this time, could they please,
please refrain ... just this once from emailing me to complain.

I have had so much criticism this week about one thing or another
plus that fact that I am having difficult times with the kids (and
school holidays here in Britain are 3 weeks this time!) I don't have
the energy or inclination to reply to any criticism which is levelled at me.

Therefore, if there is anything which you don't agree with in this
newsletter could you simply unsubscribe - instructions are at the end.

Best wises - Gail

PS Please don't email me asking me why I have been criticised ... I
don't have the energy to reply at present :-)


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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.


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SEE YA NEXT TIME ~ Gail Miller 2000
theadhdgazette@...

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