Center of Attention
Newsletter of CHADD of Northern California
Also at: http://www.chaddnorcal.org/newsletter
28 April 2002

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

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

About the Newsletter
Calendar of Events
Feature Article: Personal Coaching for People with ADHD
This Week: Seeking Families to Testify about
Stimulant Medication and Informed Consent
Please Tell Us

===== 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.

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

Sonoma - 5/1/2002, Wed. 7 - 9 pm
Sharing and Support. -- Bring your concerns, questions and
experiences. Everyone is welcome, including parents, spouses and
significant others -- diagnosed and undiagnosed.
Kaiser Hospital Building, Santa Rosa - Contact: Thora Lares: 707-765-4863
============================
San Francisco - 5/1/2002, Wed. 7:30pm
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
============================
**** - 5/2/2002, to 5/5/2002
Journeys 2002 - ADDA's 8th Annual ADHD Conference -- As in the past 8
years, ADDA has presented the most comprehensive conference on adult
AD/HD in the world. People from all walks of life gather once a year
for this transformational 4 day event. Join us this year in Chicago.
May 2 for the Professional's Pre-Conference. May 3-5 for the
Conference.
No Directions Available, Chicago - Contact: National Attention
Deficit Disorder Association: See www.ADDAconference.com
============================
Alameda - 5/8/2002, Wed. 7 - 9 pm
Tri-Valley Parent Support Meeting --
Thomas J. Hart Middle School, Pleasanton - Contact: JoAnn Matone: 925-484-2173
============================
San Mateo - 5/11/2002, Sat. 9 am - noon
"Batteries NOT Included: Motivating the Reluctant Learner" - Richard
Lavoie, MS, MEd
-- Inconsistency is one of the chief symptoms of learning
disabilities and is unrelated to motivation and effort. If the cycle
of chronic failure is not broken, serious motivational and
psychological problems may develop. This workshop will discuss
motivation and learning: common misconceptions related to motivation,
the concept of learned helplessness, identifying and confronting the
"cycle of depression", and specific strategies designed to foster
motivation (Also relevant for adult learners with learning or
attention problems.) Fee: $20 (fee waivers are available upon
registration). Seating is limited.
South San Francisco Conference Center, South San Francisco - Contact:
Schwab Learning: Call 800-230-0988 or visit www.SchwabLearning.org
for Registration
============================
Marin - 5/13/2002, Mon. 9 am to 1 pm
Due Process and Special Education in Marin - "Lessons Learned" --
Marin SELPA and Matrix Parent Network and Resource Center are
sponsoring four attorneys to discuss strategies for avoiding and
resolving due process filings. Free and open to the public.
Marin Civic Center, San Rafael - Contact: : 415-491-6621
============================
Marin - 5/13/2002, Mon. 7-9pm
Current Strategies for Treatment Resistant Depression - Dr. Brent
Solvason, PhD, MD. Assistant Professor, Depression Research Clinic,
Stanford University Medical School. -- Conjoint meeting with CHADD
of Marin, NAMI of Marin and Behavioral Health Dept, Marin General
Hospital. Open to the general public. Free.
Marin General Hospital, Greenbrae - Contact: NAMI Marin: 415-456-9419
============================
Marin - 5/14/2002, Tues. 7-9pm
Ask the Doctor: Michael Freeman, MD -- Dr. Freeman is a psychiatrist
and researcher of national prominence with a special interest in
ADHD, mood and anxiety disorders. He has a private practice in
Kentfeild.
Town Center Corte Madera Community Room, Corte Madera - Contact:
Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
Online - 5/15/2002, Wed. 6-8:00 PM PST
Ned Hallowell, MD - A Walk in the Rain with a Brain: Explaining ADHD
to Children --
CHADD Online Chat, Internet - Contact: Message Line: 510-291-2950
============================
Santa Clara - 5/15/2002, Wed. Reg: 7pm, Meet 7:30pm
Harry D. Verby, MD -- Help for Those with Complex ADD Problems
Friends Meeting House, Palo Alto - Contact: Silicon Valley Warmline:
650-949-5472
============================
Yolo - 5/16/2002, Thu. Lending Library 7:15 pm; 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm
County Meeting -- Support Group Discussion or Speakers
Davis Branch, Yolo County Library, Davis - Contact: Yolo County
CHADD: 530-750-3929
============================
Marin - 5/21/2002, Tues. 7-9pm
Drop in Support Group -- for Adults with ADHD and Significant Others
Marin Community Mental Health, Greenbrae - Contact: Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
Santa Clara - 5/22/2002, Wed. 7:15 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Kitty Petty ADD/LD Institute Meeting -- Traumatic Brain Injuries and
Eligibility for Benefits - Nancy K. McCombs, PhD, JD
Friends Meeting House, Palo Alto - Contact: Kitty Petty ADD/LD
Institute: 650-329-9443
============================
San Francisco - 5/23/2002, Thu. 7-9pm
Co-Existing Conditions - Descartes Li, MD -- Dr. Li is a specialist
in the city treating depression and bipolar disorder. These
conditions can accompany ADHD. He is affiliated with UCSF and has a
private practice on Clement Street.
CPMC Pacific Campus, San Francisco - Contact: San Francisco Warmline:
415-442-1944
============================
Alameda - 5/23/2002, Thu. 7:30 pm - 9 pm
The Origins and Validity of High Stakes Testing. The Rights of
Students with Disabilities Under Current Law. The Status of the Class
Action Suit Filed on Behalf of Students with Disabilities in
California over the High School Exit Exam. -- East Bay LDA is hosting
a talk on high stakes testing and the current class action law suit.
Sid Wolinsky, Esq., the lead attorney for Disability Rights Advocates
(DRA), will be our guest speaker. Suggested Donation is $10 for
non-LDA Members
Berkeley Friends Church - 1600 Sacramento Street at Cedar., Berkeley
- Contact: eblda@...; 510-433-7934
============================
Marin - 5/25/2002, Wed. 9:30-11:30am
Support Group for Parents of Children / Teens with ADHD -- Share your
concerns with a parent who really understands.
30 Catalpa Ave., Mill Valley - Contact: Victoria Vogel: 415-383-6048

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

Personal Coaching for People with ADHD

by Mike Hinckley

I'm the coordinator for CHADD of the Mid-Peninsula, a branch of CHADD
of Northern California and an ADD coach. I believe in coaching and I
love being coached as well as coaching other people.

I'd been through a long period of unemployment because of a profound
loss of faith in my ability to get back to work after being fired
from several high-tech jobs. A psychiatrist who was treating me for
depression thought I might have ADHD. He soon decided he was wrong,
but not before I'd discovered books like "Driven to Distraction" and
started going to CHADD meetings. I felt that I belonged in the ADHD
community and started volunteering. That eventually brought me into
contact with Beth Blair, an ADD coach.

I clicked with Beth. We started with small steps, steps that helped
to build regular habits that let me do basic things like keep track
of when bills were due so that I stopped wasting money on late fees.
She helped me return to projects when I lost momentum. My progress
was very erratic, especially for most of the first year. But she
never lost her faith in me and my ability to do more of what I really
wanted to and less of what I didn't. She listened to me with her
whole self, which helped me become conscious of what really mattered
to me. And she helped in many other ways.

During our coaching I decided that I didn't want to return to high
tech work. While thinking about a new career I remembered that over
the years I've enjoyed helping other people go and grow. As a
graduate student I helped classmates pass courses they thought they
couldn't. When I was a manager I didn't like the administrative part
of the job, but I did enjoy helping other people succeed with
projects and their careers. And as a support group leader for people
with sleep disorders or with ADHD I've enjoyed helping others solve
problems in their daily lives. So I decided that personal coaching
would be a good new career, and that working with people with ADHD
was a good specialty for me.

It can be very challenging work and sometimes requires starting by
helping a client find a way to consistently remember our appointment
times! Sometimes job satisfaction comes in small ways. I recently
spent most of an hour session with a new client working out how they
could leave the house on time for work. A couple of days later I
received an email saying that they made it on time for the first time
in over a year! And sometimes it's frustrating. That same client is
having a hard time doing it a second time, though I know they will.

Sometimes the satisfaction goes a little deeper. I just finished
coaching a senior engineer through a six month job hunt. They found a
position they really like with a very small cut in pay. This is at a
time when many people are settling for jobs they don't like and/or
taking pay cuts up to 40%. Just as importantly, this client is doing
some financial planning for the first time, taking better care of
themselves, and spending more time with family. Along the way they
learned how to negotiate for a better job offer and how to network in
ways that they are comfortable with.

Of course, being coached isn't for everyone. It requires a
willingness to change and to put in some hard work. Sometimes
psychotherapy is a more appropriate place to start. You also want a
coach you enjoy working with and who is knowledgeable about ADHD.

If you are interested in finding a personal coach who specializes in
working with ADHD clients the following web sites can help you find
someone:

http://coachfederation.org//referral

http://www.coachvillereferral.com

It is usually best to talk to at least three different coaches before
making a choice. Coaching is often done over the telephone as well as
in person, so choices aren't limited to someone who lives near you.
If you want to know more about coaching or are thinking about
becoming a coach, send an email and we'll set up a time to talk.

You can reach Mike Hinckley at: snowleopard@...

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

Seeking Families to Testify about Stimulant Medication and Informed Consent

California's Senate Committee on Health and Human Services will be
having hearings either this Wednesday or next to discuss implementing
a cumbersome new "informed consent" process. It will single out
stimulants and ADHD to require a special form be signed by a parent
before a prescription is filled.

Already, doctors are often reluctant to prescribe stimulants because
of the higher level of fear about their use. Unfortunately this
sometimes leads to the recommendation of less effective treatment.

If you have a story about informed consent, we would like to talk to
you about what you think might be a way to inform parents without
scaring them off.

You can contact our public policy group just by replying to this newsletter.

===== 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.