Center of Attention
Newsletter of CHADD of Northern California
Also at: http://www.chaddnorcal.org/newsletter
12 November 2001

CHADD Works to Improve the Lives of People with
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder through Education, Advocacy,
and Support

===== In This Issue =====

About the Newsletter
Feature Article: Resiliency - What helps one child succeed while another fails?
This Week: Summary of the conference
Please Tell Us
Calendar of Events

===== About the Newsletter =====

The Center of Attention is CHADD of Northern California's bi-weekly
newsletter. The newsletter is designed to keep you up to date with
CHADD of Northern California's activities and updates in the field.
It's a step toward bringing the members closer together.

===== Feature Article ======

The following article was published in a ADDvisor newsletter. We are
grateful to Alan Graham and Bill Benninger of ADDvisor for permitting
us to publish this article in our newsletter.

"ADDvisorTM is your link to trustworthy, reliable information about
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). If you would like to
participate in any of our calls or our other programs, or would
simply like more information, including times and fees, call us at:
1-866-ADDvisor. Or you can email Alan Graham at Alan@... or
Bill Benninger at Bill@.... We will give you the information
you request."

Resiliency - What helps one child succeed while another fails?

Too often we see kids who seem to have nothing going for them yet
they seem to grow and develop. What contributes to their success?
Lewis Lipsitt, in the Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior
Letter, called them 'dandelion kids'. They grow anywhere. Patti
Bortko, an educator at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
Head Start, Violence Education and Counseling Center, lists five
resiliency factors that help kids succeed: 1) the presence of a safe,
strong, sane, respectful adult who cares such as a parent, relative,
teacher, friend, etc.; 2) the availability of safe havens- a
classroom, church, friend's house, community center, etc.; 3) the
ability to use play and any work to work out their feelings and
integrate the experience; 4) the ability to escape into healthy
interests and projects; and 5) the ability to learn effective coping
skills.

The safe, sane adult can model appropriate behavior; provide
consistent age appropriate guidance and expectations; is positive in
language and discipline; accepts individual differences and is
encouraging and empowering. While the ideal person to provide this is
a parent, sometimes a relative, friend or teacher is available to
mentor a child. A safe haven is one where there is structure and
stability. The environment is orderly with adequate 'quiet' space and
privacy. There is an attitude that it is okay to make mistakes. Again
the ideal safe haven is home but for some, the child must find their
safe haven away from home.

Children who can use play and work to work out their feelings feel
encouraged to socialize with others and to draw and write about their
feelings. They use a variety of mediums to express themselves and are
encouraged to do so by caring adults. Providing opportunities to
develop healthy interests and projects can help keep kids away from
gangs and other groups who bring down a child's self esteem.
Developing hobbies and talents can help a child build confidence.
Learning the coping skills necessary to live in this world can help a
child to weather many a storm. Concern for others, anger management,
expression of feelings, conflict resolution, problem solving, concern
for others, acceptance, cooperation and negotiation are all coping
skills that child need to become successful adults. Having ADHD may
make the development of these coping skills a much more difficult
task.

By searching for resources, developing support groups , coordinating
with teachers and others who are part of our children's lives,
involving our kids in after school activities, accessing appropriate
treatment, we can help build our ADHD child's resiliency. It is a
ongoing task but one that reaps its rewards when we see our children
successfully negotiate one life event after another.

======== This Week ==========

Below is a summary of the Thirteenth Annual Conference on
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder from an attendees' point of
view. It has been edited and is being published with her kind
permission.

Ok, no one has really talked about the meat of the conference. Tom
Brown and Sam Goldstein's Keynotes were among the best and most
useful I have heard in several years! At least get the audio
cassettes! I tried to get some of Brown's stuff but believe it or
not, all his books are still for professionals. He has not (yet)
written a parents book! His publisher and I had an interesting
discussion about what and how I would use of his information. I told
her I mainly wanted a parents guide on how to use the results of his
testing procedures so that I could go on to use them in advocating
for my kids.

Jerry Mills was excellent, but didn't sing as much. I couldn't figure
out why until he mentioned he had managed another devastating injury
to his left hand. Even had pictures (YUCK!!!) Hes' coming back really
well, but I suspect he just can't play as much as he used to, yet.
His session was taped this year, btw, so you can get that one, too.

My first breakout session was one that was cancelled (State Policy
Considerations). Matt Cohen was doing his presentation on IEPs and
504s and I heard was very good. (Is this the one where they did a
sort of mock IEP?) But I chose to hit the exhibit area. Seemed to be
a lot of drug companies (more than I remember from ever before), and
almost none of the intervention programs that I have seen before.
FastForward has been there, for example, as well as others. (I am
ignoring Feingold, and the magnet people!)

My next session was also by Tom Brown on Social Ineptness and
"Emotional Intelligences" in ADHD. One of the phrases he used both
here and in his keynote is how emotions effect ADHDers and other kids
with emotional troubles (Asperger's and such). "Emotion takes up too
much of thinking or feeling. It's like a computer virus in the mind.
It uses up all the space in the mind/brain." (Think RAM or hard drive
to complete the analogy.) I especially like his "Model of Executive
Function Impaired in ADHD" and is why I went looking for his
material. But when I found his only book is a $67 clinical guide, I
passed (out)! This is one of the biggies I'd like to see him put in a
parents book! It's a neat chart that lays things out in a very
understandable way. Problem is, in the reproduction in our conference
books, it's too small for me to even read! (The joys of bi-focals, I
guess.)

Oh, yes, there was a clinician's breakout on molecular genetics that
I heard good things about, but I suspect you have to be really up on
your medicaleese to "get" it.

Managed Health Care, a Panel Discussion was my next session. One man
did'nt show, and Matt Cohen got pulled in to fill for another speaker
(so I was told) so it was a panel of 2. While interesting, it was
again more for clinicians and how to advocate for their patients and
themselves with HMOs. I guess the two that were supposed to present
family issues were the ones who were missing. Drat. Clarke Ross, and
Dr. Kessler did pretty well, it was a bit too esoteric for me. (not
to mention I was really running out of steam by now!)

While I enjoyed Peg Nichols' work on familiarizing us with the media
processes, her keynote got cut really short between starting late,
and long introductions. It's not one I recommend adding to your
library, unfortunately.

The session on "Autism, Attention, and LDs" was excellent by Dr. Raun
Melmed. Of course we had the new local mom who's son had just been
diagnosed two weeks before as Asperger's, but mostly we covered a lot
of good territory, including updates on where some of the diagnosis
is going. He wants to come back next year and present more, and I
hope he is able to! He only made it half way through what he brought.

All in all, for all the potential troubles, I think the conference
not only went better than it might have, but even better than hoped.

Linda

===== Please Tell Us! =====

We thank members for their responses to the Newsletter. Any comments,
suggestions, or criticisms will be greatly appreciated. Please
continue to help us make this newsletter more beneficial to you all.

We also invite readers to share their experiences with us and other
members. Please feel free to write to us about anything that you
would like to see published.

You can e-mail your comments to us at CHADD_Dimples@....
Simply replying to this e-mail will also send your message to the
right place.

======== Calendar of Events ==========

11/13/2001, Tues. 7-9pm - Marin
Procrastination - Deborah Lancaster, Come learn practical, useful
solutions and techniques to use in overcoming our natural tendencies
toward procrastination and disorganization. Deborah's expertise is in
helping people overcome the various obstacles commonly associated
with ADHD which prevent us from accomplishing our goals. Deborah is
an ADDult who was invited to host the first ADD support group on
America Online. She then developed the Procrastinator's Workshop,
which helped hundreds of people learn to work with and begin to
overcome their natural tendencies toward procrastination.
Town Center Corte Madera Community Room, Corte Madera - Contact:
Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
11/14/2001, Wed. 7 - 9 pm - Sonoma
The Successful ADD Adult and What Parents Need to Know NOW, Ron
Welch, MD, Kaiser Dept. of Psychiatry
Kaiser Hospital Building, Santa Rosa - Contact: Thora Lares: 707-765-4863
============================
11/14/2001, Wed. 7 - 9 pm - Alameda
Tri-Valley Parent Support Meeting,
Thomas J. Hart Middle School, Pleasanton - Contact: JoAnn Matone: 925-484-2173
============================
11/15/2001, Thu. 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm - Yolo
County Meeting, TBA
Woodland Library, Woodland - Contact: Yolo County CHADD: 530-750-3929
============================
11/20/2001, Tues. 7-9pm - Marin
Drop in Support Group, for Adults and Teens with ADHD and Significant Others
Marin Community Mental Health, Greenbrae - Contact: Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
11/21/2001, Wed. Reg: 7pm, Meet 7:30pm - Santa Clara
Palo Alto Adult, Parent and Spouse Support Groups, Separate
peer-facilitated groups let you share struggles and strategies with
each other. Includes video.
Friends Meeting House, Palo Alto - Contact: Santa Clara Warmline: 650-949-5472
============================
11/28/2001, Wed. 9-10:30am - Marin
Support Group for Parents of Children / Teens with ADHD, Share your
concerns with a parent who really understands.
10 Glen Drive, Mill Valley - Contact: Mary Jo Sorensen: 415-388-8817
============================
11/28/2001, Wed. 7:15 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. - Santa Clara
Kitty Petty ADD/LD Institute Meeting, ADHD and BiPolar Spectrum
Disorders - Matthew Stubblefield, MD
Friends Meeting House, Palo Alto - Contact: Kitty Petty ADD/LD
Institute: 650-329-9443
============================
11/29/2001, Thu. 6-8:00 PM PST - Online
Pete and Pam Wright - Advocating for Your Child,
CHADD Online Chat, Internet - Contact: Message Line: 510-291-2950
============================
12/1/2001, Sat. 9:00a.m.-12:00p.m - Santa Clara
Dr. Robert Sapolsky - "Stress: Memory, Learned Helplessness, Anxiety
in Learning and Dyslexia", Sponsored by the International Dyslexia
Association & the Schwab Foundation for Learning
Stanford SLAC, Palo Alto - Contact: International Dyslexia
Association: 650-328-7667 or visit www.interdys.org
============================
12/4/2001, Tues. 6-8:00 PM PST - Online
Ross Greene - Explosive Children,
CHADD Online Chat, Internet - Contact: Message Line: 510-291-2950
============================
12/5/2001, Wed. 7-9 pm - Contra Costa
Walnut Creek Adult Topical Meeting - Coping with Stress, Ongoing,
confidential support groups for Adults with ADHD
Kaiser Mental Health, Walnut Creek - Contact: Donna Love: 925-687-4324
============================
12/5/2001, Wed. 7:30pm - San Francisco
Women's ADD Support Group, Please Call Lynn to confirm times and
locations before attending.
CPMC Davies Campus, San Francisco - Contact: Lynn: 415-621-1078
============================
12/11/2001, Tues. 7-9pm - Marin
Making the Holidays More to Your Liking!! - Michael Vurek, LCSW,
Learn some ways for making the holidays good for you rather than
being hijacked by strong emotions. Also enjoy holiday treats at our
annual party!!! Bring something to share, if you wish. Michael has a
private practice in Kentfield and specializes in groups and
cognitive-behavioral therapy. A new 10 week group is forming.
415-451-7455.
Town Center Corte Madera Community Room, Corte Madera - Contact:
Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
12/12/2001, Wed. 7 - 9 pm - Alameda
Tri-Valley Parent Support Meeting,
Thomas J. Hart Middle School, Pleasanton - Contact: JoAnn Matone: 925-484-2173
============================
12/18/2001, Tues. 7-9pm - Marin
Drop in Support Group, for Adults and Teens with ADHD and Significant Others
Marin Community Mental Health, Greenbrae - Contact: Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================