Center of Attention
Newsletter of CHADD of Northern California
APRIL 29, 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
Please Tell Us
Feature Article
Calender 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 new step toward bringing the members closer together.

In this edition of Center of Attention newsletter we have included a
summary of our feature article by Mario Lamorte. He is a licensed
Marriage Family Therapist with a private practice in Marin County.
You can read the article in its entirety on our webpage:
http://www.chaddnorcal.org/newsletter

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

We thank members for their responses to the Newsletter. In order to
give you the best newsletter, we need your feedback. Any comments,
suggestions, or criticisms will be greatly appreciated. Please tell
us what more would you like to see in the newsletter and how we can
improve it.

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

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

Here is a summary of our feature article:


CONSEQUENCES THAT TEACH
Learning Appropriate Behavior Through Proper Practice

By Mario Lamorte, LMFT

Summary

In case after case, I have seen that consequences are most effective
when they are constructed to support individual change from a
behavior that is not serving one's best interest to one that does.
The key to getting started with helping the child is motivation. It
is very helpful to address any feelings of hopelessness, and make
sure that the individual sees the change as in his best interest.
After all, change requires commitment and effort. Few are motivated
to make the effort to change unless they believe that the outcome
will be beneficial.
Once there is agreement to pursue the change, it is possible to
create consequences that help the child to gain self-mastery, e.g.
Think before acting, manage the impulse to speak out of turn, listen
to and remember useful information.
In sum, the four key characteristics of effective consequences that teach are:
- The consequence helps the child to gain mastery as opposed to being punitive.
- The consequences allow for change to occur in incremental steps.
- The consequence provides the child with the opportunity to practice
and rehearse the new behavior in a calm, non-threatening setting.
- The consequence includes a strategy for measuring progress.
When these four principles of consequences that teach are properly
utilized, both child and adult are in a position to share in the
satisfaction that accompanies improved behavior.
This does not mean there is never a situation that warrants a
consequence that involves punishment, i.e. loss of privileges or
objects, doing a distasteful task, etc. But pay close attention to
the outcome. If you are not careful, you may only add more stress and
tension for the child, and perpetuate the unwanted behavior.
Non-punitive consequences that teach are almost always more effective
in supporting the desired change in behavior and strengthening the
relationship between adult and child.
----------------------------
MARIO LAMORTE, M.S. is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist with a
private practice in Marin County. He has been both a teacher and
principal. He compliments his private practice with consulting in
private and public schools. If you would like more information about
Consequences That Teach or would like to discuss with Mr. Lamorte a
workshop presentation to teachers or parents, you can call (415)
457-8547, or e-mail to mlamorte@...

===== Calendar for the next 4 Weeks =====

5/2/2001, Reg: 7pm, Meet 7:30pm - Rafael Pelayo, MD - Stanford
Clinic, "Sleep Disorders and ADD"
Friends Meeting House, Palo Alto - Contact: Mid Peninsula Warmline:
650-949-5472
============================
5/3/2001, through 5/6/01 - ADDA 2001 National Conference on Attention
Deficit Disorders
- "Getting on the Right Track: Life with ADD", Keynote
Presentations: Edward Hallowell, M.D., Peter Jensen, M.D.
Presentations and workshops by: John Ratey, M.D. ,Thomas Brown,
Ph.D. ,Sari Solden, M.S. , Nancy Ratey, Ed.M. , Linda Anderson, M.A,
Arthur Robin, Ph.D. , Wilma Fellman, M.Ed. , Thom Hartmann, Michele
Novotni, Ph.D. , Paul Elliott, M.D. , Chris Dendy, M.S. And many
others!
West Coast Grand Hotel, Seattle, WA - Contact: See Website:
www.add.org/conference.htm
============================
5/8/2001, 7-9pm - Organizing: Getting Started - Sue Zee Poinsett,
Professional Organizer, Coach, MA Educ., MA Counseling, Learn skills
for how to get started at organizing your spaces/systems. Consider
ways to get help in maintaining. Come share what works for you.
SueZee understands AD/HD. Sue Zee Poinsett can be contacted at
415-492-8822.
Town Center Corte Madera Community Room, Corte Madera - Contact:
Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
5/9/2001, 7-9 pm - Santa Cruz Bi-Monthly Meeting,
Aptos Fire Station, Aptos - Contact: Deedie Calmes: 831-479-4051
============================
5/9/2001, 7 - 9 pm - Sonoma Support Group Meeting: Dr. Chapman Lucas,
Dr. Lucas does ADHD assessment, and runs a special school for ADHD
youth. He will share ideas about how to teach and organize young
people and how to teach them to organize themselves.
Kaiser Hospital Building, Santa Rosa - Contact: Thora Lares: 707-765-4863
============================
5/9/2001, 7 - 9 pm - Tri-Valley Parent Support Meeting,
Thomas J. Hart Middle School, Pleasanton - Contact: JoAnn Matone: 925-484-2173
============================
5/15/2001, 7-9pm - Drop in Support Group, for Adults and Teens with
ADHD and Significant Others
Marin Community Mental Health, Greenbrae - Contact: Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
5/16/2001, Reg: 7pm, Meet 7:30pm - 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: Mid Peninsula Warmline:
650-949-5472
============================
5/21/2001, 7:30 - 9pm - San Francisco Adult Drop-In Support Group, If
you have questions about AD/HD, then this is where you should to
start.
CPMC California Campus, San Francisco - Contact: San Francisco
Warmline: 415-442-1944
============================
5/23/2001, 7-9pm - ADD and Your Medication - Dr. Richard Goldwasser,
CPMC Pacific Campus, San Francisco - Contact: San Francisco
Warmline: 415-442-1944
============================
5/23/2001, 9-10:30am - 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
============================
5/23/2001, 7:15 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. - Kitty Petty Institute Meeting -
"Ways You Can Enhance Your Socialization And Work-Place
Relationships,", Laura Hastings, MFT, has a private practice in Los
Altos where she conducts workshops for adults and small group
sessions for pre-teens, assisting them in ways to enjoy more
acceptable social interaction skills and behavior with renewed
confidence.
Friends Meeting House, Palo Alto - Contact: Kitty Petty Institute:
650-329-9443
============================
5/24/2001, 6-8:00 PM PST - Online - Barbara Ingersoll - ADHD and
Co-Morbid Disorders,
CHADD Online Chat, Internet - Contact: Message Line: 510-291-2950
============================