More Great Articles

Tips for Disorganized Teens - Click Here

Know Your Child's Strengths - Click Here

Countdown to Back to School

Here is a great resource from The Understood Team - Back-to-School Countdown: A 4-Week Plan to Get Ready - Click Link

Encouraging Creativity

There has been a lot of buzz lately, on the news and online about the health benefits of being creative; from relaxation, to increased focus and attention.

Being an artist myself, my girls have grown up in a very hands-on arts and crafts household and love having that downtime outlet of self expression.

Here is an article that speaks about the benefits of encouraging creativity in ADHD kids.

The Upside of Downtime: Encouraging Creativity in ADHD Kids - Click Link

Taking the Lead at the IEP or 504 Plan

As the start of the new school year fast approaches, thoughts of your child(ren)'s IEP for the year may be in the forefront of your mind.

Attending and helping to guide an effective IEP can feel stressful and at times daunting.  Trust me I know, I attend these meetings multiple times a year and although I am far from an expert on the matter, I do know how to prepare for these meetings and how to take the lead during these meetings so that the best interests of my learning child are addressed.

Here are some helpful tips on preparing for your IEP meeting and easing your child(ren) into the coming school year -

10 Steps to Take BEFORE School Starts - Click Link

Myths and Misinformation about ADHD

I believe one of the most frustrating things about parenting a child with DCD/ADHD is coming up against the general ignorance that people have about these conditions.

I understand though, if you don't live with someone, work with someone, who has DCD or ADHD or have either yourself, your not going to make it a reading or research priority.

What I have found through personal experience as a parent with a child who has DCD/ADHD is there is a big difference between general ignorance and selective ignorance, especial among friends and extended family.  But that's a story for another day.

There are many myths about ADHD, for example ADHD "is merely an excuse for errant behavior." Or, that a child who has ADHD is the result of poor parenting.  Trust me, I've heard a lot comments like these.  I came across a couple of articles that bust the myths and misinformation about ADHD that I believe you too will find valuable.

ADHD Myths: Don't Believe Everything You Read - Click Link

What NOT to Say to the Parent of an ADHD Child - Click Link


 

8 Key Executive Functions

What is Executive Functioning?  According to Wikipedia, this is the technical explanation -

"Executive functions (also known as cognitive control and supervisory attentional system) is an umbrella term for the management (regulation, control) of cognitive processes, including working memory, reasoning, task flexibility, and problem solving as well as planning and execution."

If your child has executive functioning issues and challenges, the following article may be helpful to you:

8 Key Executive Functions - click here

Breaking Stigma

In the last decade or so, we have seen a number of celebrities come forward and speak about the special challenges, conditions, disabilities and  personal transformations that they live with.

I remember when our daughter was diagnosed with DCD (a.k.a. dyspraxia) in grade 1; it was not until grade 4 that she really became self-aware and self-conscience of what living with DCD meant for the long term and this really upset her.  However, when we explained that her dad also had DCD, and much like Howie Mandel's story to follow, grew up in a time where DCD was not formally diagnosed or even had a name, her dad was just called "slow", "clumsy", "awkward", etc.,  We went on to explain that one of her favorite movie stars at the time (girls are fickle when it comes to who their favorites are), Daniel Radcliffe a.k.a. Harry Potter, also has and lives with DCD.

By grade 5 our daughter was coming into a greater understanding of her condition and herself and even did a oral presentation in front of her entire class, with the Vice Principal in attendance, on what DCD is and what it is like to live with it.  Her acceptance of herself became challenged again in grade 6 when further formal assessments showed that she also had ADHD-inattentive type.  Even though she still struggles with the conditions, she is becoming more knowledgeable and more self-confident with the help of a fantastic school-based team, her doctors and her family.

Breaking the stigma of any disability is paramount.  Here are a couple of very interesting articles to read and share with your child.  I think it is important for them to know that even their favorite movie star can accomplish great things and reach their dreams despite having a learning disability.  The first article link is Howie Mandel's story.  The second link is about additional success stories of celebrities with learning disabilities.

I would like to hear from you personally about the challenges you face in helping your child(ren) break the stigma of DCD, ADHD and other conditions.

Howie Mandel's Story - Click Link 

Success Stories: Celebrities With Dyslexia, ADHD and Dyscalculia - Click Link

Preparing for Back to School

For most, back to school is only 6 weeks away!

Preparing ourselves and our kids for going back to school can be both an exciting and stressful time.

Hopefully the following information and resources will help make your back to school journey a smooth one.  Just click on the links.

• Confidence Builders

• Routines that Work

• Best Sports for ADHD Children

• Anatomy of an IEP - Individual Education Plan

• Take the Lead at the IEP Meeting 

• A Letter Introducing Your Child to the Teacher 

 
 

A Great Book for Kids with ADHD

I picked up this book, Journal of an ADHD Kid for my daughter.  It's a first hand account written by Tobias Strumpf a boy diagnosed with ADHD.

It's very well written and being from a kid's perspective about their own condition, it is helpful, insightful and encouraging.

I very much recommend both parents and kids give this book a read.  You can buy it at Indigo.ca - Journal of an ADHD Kid, or order it through your local bookstore, or borrow it from your local library.

Book Recommendation

I would like to highly recommend the book, Scattered Minds : A New Look at the Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder written by Dr. Gabor Maté, MD.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Maté and hosting him as a guest speaker for a Parent Advisory Counsel event.  Many parents of children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD have found Dr. Maté's book helpful in many ways, including yours truly.

For a closer look at Dr. Maté's book and read some of its content, follow link here - http://drgabormate.com/book/scattered-minds/

More on Writing and Typing - kids with ADHD/DCD

Further to my earlier post, here is another great informative resource for parents, teachers and caregivers with kids who have ADHD and DCD -

More on Writing and Typing - Kids with ADHD/DCD

Why kids with Dysgraphia, DCD, and ADHD should learn dictation skills

Our daughter has struggled with written output since preschool.  By grade 4 she was equipped with laptop at school to allow her the ability to do her written work.  The results were amazing.  We began to see a side of our daughter that was hidden for so long.

Children with ADHD and DCD, like our daughter, can be adversely affected by their ever growing self awareness regarding their challenges with their respective conditions.  Gross motor and fine motor skills are two skills that everyone notices right away and what was so frustrating for our daughter was, in her own words, feeling like she could not keep up in class, that her peers would comment, often unkindly, and that she began to feel "stupid" and less than, children in her peer group.

Once equipped with the laptop, we discovered that she can actually type faster than write and get her thoughts, ideas and perspectives out in a way she couldn't previously.  We began to see immediate improvement in her self-esteem, self-confidence, and her willingness to put more into her school work.

Our daughter has just finished her last year of elementary school and will be starting high school this September.  She still has her laptop, but has discovered that she actually enjoys writing by hand more now than before.  Her teachers at the end of this school year praised her determination and persistence in improving her own written output.  So, she now feels comfortable interchanging between writing and typing and as parents we feel very proud.

Here is a very interesting article from the Learning Works for Kids site written October 2014 by Dr. Randy Kulman, on why kids with Dysgraphia (written output challenges), DCD and ADHD should learn dictation skills - Learning Works for Kids - article

Influence of Methylphenidate (a.k.a. Concerta and Ritalin) on motor performance...

The link to an article published in RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES · APRIL 2013 discusses recent research findings on the influence of Methylphenidate (a.k.a. Concerta and Ritalin) on motor performance and attention in children who have DCD and ADHD.

Influence of methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin) on motor performance and attention in children with developmental coordination disorder and attention deficit hyperactive disorder

I would like elaborate on why the focus of this site is primarily, but not exclusively, focused on children with DCD (developmental coordination disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).  DCD and ADHD are very often overlapping conditions.  According to an article published April 2007 in the JRSM (Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine) a 40% overlap of ADHD and DCD was described.  For your reference, you can find this JRSM article here - Children with developmental coordination disorders.

Teacher to parents...

I came across the following article today from the Washington Post.  It was originally published on November 14, 2014.  It is quite powerful and I wanted to share it here with you - Link:

Teacher to parents: About THAT kid (the one who hits, disrupts and influences YOUR kid)

Parents Supporting Parents

Parents Supporting Parents

Finding the right support and understanding when you are a parent of a child or children with various special needs is an arduous task at best.

Even close family and friends as well intentioned as they may be, can sometimes add to the existing feeling of isolation and frustration.

This is another reason why I created this site, so that through this site parents can find support and understanding and strategize together on methods and approaches that have worked and have failed.

If you or someone you know would benefit from an ongoing support group, one that can meet face-to-face in casual setting once a month, and live in the Metro Vancouver Area, please let me know by emailing me through this site at Email:

Social and Emotional Challenges in Adolescence

  ADHD and Teens:  Social and Emotional Challenges in Adolescence - Article Link

Social and Emotional Challenges in Adolescence

Social Challenges of Children With ADHD

"Children with ADHD often have more social and emotional problems than other children. This is true for all subtypes of ADHD and for both boys and girls. Children with ADHD often have trouble making and keeping friends, for a variety of reasons."  Learn more -

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/growing-friendships/201503/social-challenges-children-adhd

Free Online Workshops For Parents

A fantastic resource for parents is the CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research out of McMaster University.

CanChild offers free, online workshops for parents and families with children diagnosed with DCD (developmenal coordination disorder).

Please take the time to check these workshops out.  It took them 7 years of developing this – working with parents – to figure out what content parents felt they needed when they first noticed that their child had significant coordination difficulties.

http://dcd.canchild.ca/en/dcdresources/workshops.asp 

 For information on ASD (autism spectrum disorder) -

http://canchild.ca/en/Autism.asp 

Other Childhood Disabilities & Diagnoses -

http://www.canchild.ca/en/childrenfamilies/other.asp

Family Fun in Vancouver and Lower Mainland

Looking for fun things to do and places to go as a family?

Here is a site we always check out when we're looking for something fun and different to do!

Check it our for yourselves!

http://findfamilyfun.com/