Center of Attention
Newsletter of CHADD of Northern California
Also at: http://www.chaddnorcal.org/newsletter
26 May 2003

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

The Center of Attention is CHADD of Northern California's bi-weekly
newsletter, designed to keep you up to date with CHADD of Northern
California's activities and updates in the field.

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

Calendar of Events
Announcements: CHADD Latino Conference, 9/6/03
Feature Article: ADHD Across Cultures
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 ==========

============================
Santa Clara - 5/27/2003, Tues. 7pm - 9:30pm
San Jose ADD self-help group -- Share struggles and strategies with each other.
School of Choice, San Jose - Contact: Geoffrey Mangers: 408-978-3149
or geoffreymangers@...
============================
Sonoma - 5/28/2003, Wed. 7 - 9 pm
Speaker: Nancy J. LoDolce, Attorney at Law. -- Ms. LoDolce
represents families and children in general/special education
matters. After a brief introduction and presentation, Ms. LoDolce
will open the floor to answer your questions and concerns.
Kaiser Medical Office Building East, Santa Rosa - Contact: Sonoma
Warmline: 707-765-4863
============================
Santa Clara - 5/28/2003, Wed. 7:15 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Maximize Learning and Joy by Bridging the Gap Between Left and Right
Brain Hemispheres -- Linda Skerbee shares how the brain truly learns
and retains knowledge, and what the Myers-Briggs reveals about the
ADD personality. Book-signing after her lecture.
Friends Meeting House, Palo Alto - Contact: Kitty Petty ADD/LD
Institute: 650-329-9443 or visit www.kpinst.org
============================
Marin - 6/2/2003, Mon. 12:30am-2:30pm
Parent Resource Group -- Call First...(Note that this meeting is 6/2
instead of Labor Day)
30 Catalpa Ave., Mill Valley - Contact: Victoria Vogel & Holly
Seerly: 415-383-6048
============================
Contra Costa - 6/4/2003, Wed. 7-9 pm
Walnut Creek Adult Topical Meeting: Strategies for Managing Impulsivity --
Kaiser Mental Health, Walnut Creek - Contact: Donna Love: 925-687-4324
============================
Santa Clara - 6/4/2003, Wed. Reg: 7pm, Meet 7:30pm
Organization! -- Susan Kloss, a professional organizer, will speak.
Friends Meeting House, Palo Alto - Contact: Silicon Valley Warmline:
650-949-5472
============================
Marin - 6/10/2003, Tues. 7-9pm
Paperwork Control: Mail and Paper Piles - SueZee Poinsett, coach,
organizer, 415-492-8822 and Lin Barcellos, coach, organizer,
650-323-2122. -- Learn ways to control in-flow of mail and reduce/
purge piles papers. Meet organizers who can help. Bring your tips to
share.
Town Center Corte Madera Community Room, Corte Madera - Contact:
Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
Santa Clara - 6/10/2003, Tues. 7pm - 9:30pm
San Jose ADD self-help group -- Share struggles and strategies with each other.
School of Choice, San Jose - Contact: Geoffrey Mangers: 408-978-3149
or geoffreymangers@...
============================
Alameda - 6/11/2003, Wed. 7 - 9 pm
Tri-Valley Parent Support Meeting --
Thomas J. Hart Middle School, Pleasanton - Contact: JoAnn Matone: 925-484-2173
============================
San Francisco - 6/16/2003, Mon. 7:00 - 9pm
Adult Success Group (CONFIRM this date before going. It may change.)
-- Share skills and strategies for success at home, in the workplace,
in relationships, etc.
CPMC Pacific Campus, San Francisco - Contact: Rachel Rosenfeld: 415-362-7227
============================
Marin - 6/17/2003, Tues. 7-9pm
Got Clutter? A drop-in peer-support group for organizing. -- SueZee
Poinsett; Professional coach and organizer, Member of Na. Assoc.
Professional Organizers. 415-492-8822.
Marin Community Mental Health, Greenbrae - Contact: Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
Contra Costa - 6/18/2003, Wed. 7-9 pm
Walnut Creek Adult General Support Meeting -- Ongoing, confidential
support groups for Adults with ADHD
Kaiser Mental Health, Walnut Creek - Contact: Donna Love: 925-687-4324
============================
Santa Clara - 6/18/2003, Wed. Reg: 7pm, Meet 7:30pm
Silicon Valley 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: Silicon Valley Warmline:
650-949-5472
============================
Online - 6/19/2003, Thu. 6-8:00 PM PST
AD/HD and Organization: A Collision Course? -- Guest Expert: Judith Kolberg
CHADD Online Chat, Internet - Contact: Message Line: 510-291-2950
============================
Yolo - 6/19/2003, Thu. 7:15 pm to 8:30 pm
County Meeting -- CHADD welcomes all with interest or concerns
regarding attention deficit disorder. An extensive library of books,
articles, tapes and videos will be available at 7:15PM.
Davis Branch, Yolo County Library, Davis - Contact: Yolo County
CHADD: 530-750-3929 or online at
www.chaddonline.org/chapters/chadd295.html
============================
Santa Clara - 6/24/2003, Tues. 7pm - 9:30pm
San Jose ADD self-help group -- Share struggles and strategies with each other.
School of Choice, San Jose - Contact: Geoffrey Mangers: 408-978-3149
or geoffreymangers@...
============================

======== Announcements ==========

The CHADD Latino conference is now set. Put it on your calendar! Our
first conference that is entirely in Spanish is set for Saturday,
September 6, 2003, to be held at Christ the King Catholic Church in
San Jose. The hour is still tentative, but it will probably run from
8 to 2 pm.

See this week's article for more background on why it is important
for the Latino community, and particularly primarily Spanish speaking
families, to have access to a culturally competent CHADD.

If you would like to be involved in the planning, please let us know.

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

ADHD Across Cultures

June's Attention!® Magazine (a benefit of CHADD membership) has
several articles on ADHD across cultures. Contrary to a popular
misconception, ADHD is not just an American, white, middle-class,
suburban phenomenon. It crosses all lines. That can be particularly
baffling as we try to support each other in different cultures.

The misconceptions that people have generally about ADHD are often
repeated about different sub-groups as well. Is ADHD over-diagnosed
in some groups? (Probably not, even though diagnosis may be affected
by bias in the rating scales.) Are children from some of these groups
over-prescribed medications? (No, in fact they may have less access
to effective treatments.) Haven't these questions already been
adequately researched? (No!)

As a first step, CHADD of Northern California is now embarking in
outreach to Latino families and adults with ADHD. The Latino
community will often have further complications in treating ADHD, and
CHADD hopes to begin to address those. Ultimately we want to create a
new branch of CHADD: CHADD Latino!

There are two general categories of barriers in getting the best care
for ADHD among Latinos: access to care and cultural barriers. In
terms of accessing care, some of the barriers are financial. Of
course these barriers can affect any ethnic group, and they may get
worse as government programs become more under-funded.

A more important access issue for many immigrant groups, including
first generation Latinos, may be language barriers. Even Latinos that
would consider themselves fully fluent in English will report that
they do not feel like they have understood their doctor on important
health issues. In the worst-case scenarios a child may have to
translate the doctor's conversation for other family members or there
may be no interpretation at all.

For those of you who have English as your first language, you know
how hard it is to understand the complex information that you receive
about ADHD from your doctor. Now imagine that you have to digest that
information in whichever second language you studied in high school.
Are you baffled? The amount of material available now in Spanish,
though based on good science, is still less accessible than English
information was a decade ago. (There is no book in Spanish like
Driven to Distraction.)

With poor access to care and information, there is little
counterforce to cultural attitudes that may impede access to care.
The biggest of these might be the associated stigma of a mental
health condition. This is not an unreasonable wariness for families
that may have first hand experience of discrimination. The idea of
attaching a label by which your child may be further discriminated
against is a daunting prospect. If combined with misinformation or
lack of information, it is much less likely that a Latino family
would seek out a diagnosis of ADHD.

We all know that the consequences of untreated ADHD can be quite
dramatic: school failure, driving accidents, unwanted pregnancies,
juvenile justice incarceration and so on. In families with first
generation immigrants and fewer resources the stakes may be
overwhelming. If it is important to support families grappling with
ADHD generally, doesn't it follow that we should be bringing this to
families that face barriers to access even more so?

This is just a start. We certainly know that there are lots of other
groups and individuals that need our extra attention. We hope that
CHADD can expand its reach to help everyone.

===== 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 and CHADD of Northern
California 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 Lew@.... Simply
replying to this e-mail will also send your message to the right
place.


--

Lew Mills, PhD, MFT
Editor, "Center of Attention"
CHADD of Northern California, Chapter # 504
mailto:Lew@...
http://www.chaddnorcal.org/newsletter
Fax or Voice Message: 510-291-2950
Toll Free 888-759-9758