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Greetings!
Welcome to the Summer 2006 issue of the Hallowell Connections Newsletter.
We hope you have a relaxing summer; we'll be here to respond to any
comments or questions that you'd like us to address in future issues.
As always, feel free to forward our newsletters to others who might
be interested in learning more about Hallowell Connections. - Melissa
Orlov, Newsletter Editor
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FAQs |
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Question: What is the difference between Asperger's Disorder
(AS) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)?
Children and adults with Asperger's Disorder (AD) are often misdiagnosed
with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and vice versa. Both diagnoses
share some similarities, and it is possible for a person to have
both diagnoses, but there are distinct differences between the
two conditions.
ADD is primarily characterized by restlessness, impulsivity
and distractibility. It is marked by hyperactivity and/or
inattentiveness. Socially, ADDers typically talk too much and
interrupt others, but are usually very engaging and interactive.
The major distinction between AS and ADD is that in AS there
is a marked impairment to initiate and sustain connection with
others. People with AS do not demonstrate or read nonverbal
behaviors such as eye contact, facial expression, vocal inflection
and gestures that help regulate social interaction. Vocabularies
may be extraordinarily rich and some AS children sound like "little
professors". However, persons with AS can be extremely literal
and have difficulty using language in a social context. AS
persons have difficulty with transitions or changes and prefer
sameness. There is also a tendency to demonstrate an obsession
with repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities.
Many persons with AS exhibit exceptional skill or talent in
a specific area. It's important to remember that the person
with AS perceives the world very differently. These persons
may be perceived by others as being aloof, "in their own
little world" and oblivious to the feelings of others.
Many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are due to those neurological
differences (believed to be a right hemisphere dysfunction)
and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behavior.
Because of their eccentricities, ASers easily become victims
of teasing and bullying.
The confusion between ADD and AS results from some overlapping
features. Both disorders are characterized by reduced performance
on tasks of executive function and information processing.
Both ADDers and ASers may have difficulty making and keeping
friends, but for different reasons. Intelligence scores are
often in the superior to exceptionally high ranges. Because
both groups have unique difficulties ADDers and ASers may be
seen as anxious. And, like ADD, AS is most certainly not the
result of "improper parenting".
A complete neuropsychological evaluation is recommended as a
way of determining a differential diagnosis. Treatment may involve
medication, but the most successful treatment approach is with
social skills groups. ASers need to learn how to demonstrate
and read subtle non-verbal messages, friendship skills, anti-bully
tactics, and stress reduction. A coach or therapist who specializes
in executive function can be a helpful addition to the treatment
team.
By Rebecca Shafir, Hallowell Center, Sudbury, MA
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The
Summer Vacation: Smart Strategies for Students with AD/HD |
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School is over. Your children do not have homework until September!
Hopefully they had a good year and can enjoy a well-deserved
vacation.
Or maybe they didn't have such a wonderful year. The expected
B for your son in History turned into a C- after finals. Or the
A your daughter thought she would receive in Math became a B
because half her homework assignments were late.
What can your child accomplish in the coming summer months to
start the 2006-2007 academic year in good shape?
- Your child or adolescent should review the year with
you, his/her counselor, or coach at the Hallowell Center. The
last thing children want to do is dwell on their challenges,
but they don't want to forget the specifics or have to dig
up papers and marks in the Fall to see what went well and what
didn't.
- See if your child can isolate WHY certain subjects and
activities were successful so the pattern can be continued
in the coming year.
- If some subjects, activities, or settings presented challenges,
make a list of these and brainstorm ideas of what will
help to prevent the same occurrences in the coming academic
year.
- Think about technology. No more excuses about losing
assignments, forgetting deadlines or losing slips of paper!
You can buy or learn to use a personal digital assistance (PDA)
and try it out over the summer so you will be all ready for
the fall. Will a PDA or other organizer work well for your
adolescent? See if he or she can learn to use it and give it
a try.
- Does your child use digitally recorded books? Children
with a learning disability may be eligible to obtain books
from Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic (www.rfbd.org).
Teachers can assist with signing up if necessary. Students
can save a lot of time and also understand the material better
if they hear it as well as read it.
- Kurzweil (www.kurzweiledu.com), Dragon Dictate (www.dragontalk.com),
and Inspiration (www.inspiration.com) are three of many available
programs that can also assist with reading, writing and
organizing papers.
- If your adolescent is a rising senior, use the summer to start
the college personal statement. If your adolescent does
not know the colleges where he or she will submit applications,
it may seem a little too early to do this. BUT, an increasing
number of colleges use the Common Application (www.commonap.org),
so printing out a copy of the Common Application and working
on it as well as one or two of the essay questions over the
summer puts your student way ahead. That way the family eliminates
some of the stress of the Fall when your son or daughter
will be a senior and VERY busy finalizing the college list,
visiting schools, having interviews, and STILL trying to
have a good semester academically.
When your student and you have done everything listed above,
then you can relax. Just stay focused!
By Renee LeWinter Goldberg and Marvin Goldberg, Hallowell
Center Educational Planners
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In
the News - Adult ADD |
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The Boston Globe recently ran a good article about adult ADHD
that includes scientific information as well as the criteria
doctors use to diagnose ADHD. You may be interested in it for
your own use or to send to someone else whom you feel could learn
a bit more about ADHD. The link to the online version of the
article is below.
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New
Course - ADHD for Parents and Educators |
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Drs. Hallowell and Ratey will be teaching a 7-week teleconference
on ADHD specifically for parents and educators. Sessions are:
- What is ADD, Really?
- Getting a Complete, and Accurate, Diagnosis
- The Biology of ADHD for Non-Scientists
- An Overview of Effective Treatment - There's More to It Than
You Think
- School Success with ADHD
- Everything You Need to Know About Medication
- Alternative and Complementary Treatments
The course runs once a week, starting October 18th at 8:00 EST
and lasts 75 minutes per session. There will be readings and
recordings of the sessions included in the tuition of $55 per
session (total tuition is $385)
Please visit our educational website for more information, and
pass information about this course along to anyone else whom
you think might have interest in it. The link is below.
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Clinician & Program
Spotlight: Olga Soler and the Dore Program |
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Olga
Soler, Program Specialist with the Dore Program at the Hallowell
Center, acquired the experience she needed to become a Dore
Program Specialist from a varied background. She was in the
professional theater where she received movement training at
the Herbert Burkoff Studio, the Martha Graham Dance Studio
and the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in New York. She received
a BS in Education with a psychology minor at Southwestern University
in Texas and a BA in Communications at Atlantic Union College
in MA. She taught Kindergarten to middle school for several
years and also worked extensively with the early childhood
population in many creative venues. The fusion of psychology,
movement and education enabled her to put together two programs
of her own, "Dance Alive" and "Trauma Drama" which
have been featured at many wellness conferences across the
country and in the UK. Dore Centers were a natural progression
from that since Dore uses exercise to stimulate the cerebellum
with remarkable results for those with ADD and ADHD difficulties.
Below Olga answers questions people most often ask about the
Dore Program:
- How
does the Dore Program work? It is a scientifically
well-established fact that exercise affects the brain in
many positive ways. We at Dore have put together a research-based
program of exercise that stimulates the Cerebellum. We
use balance equipment and ocular motor testing equipment
to monitor the progress of our clients and prescribe exercises
at progressively advanced levels that actually cause this
vital part of the brain to grow and perform more efficiently.
This has marked positive affects on people with dyslexia,
ADD and ADHD difficulties.
- Why the Cerebellum? Research
shows that the cerebellum is responsible for much more than
we had thought formerly. It is prominently involved in regulating
the fine motor functions, balance and coordination, short-term
memory, and the functioning of executive skills like motivation
and organization. It has much to do with concentration and
verbal fluency as well as the ability to put thought to paper.
It has been shown with SPECT and PET scan imaging that the
cerebellum is underdeveloped in people with dyslexia, ADD
and ADHD as well as other disorders like dyspraxia, dysgraphia
and aspergers.
- How do these exercises help the cerebellum? These
exercises help the cerebellum in much the same way that other
exercises do, by creating neuropathways in the brain to the
functions we want to see go into automaticity. The brain
has been seen to have neuroplasticity well into a person's
later years. That means that the brain can learn and retrain
and remodel itself virtually all our lives. When we repeat
a certain action enough times, it creates a path in our brain
that can be accessed quickly when we need the information.
This is known as automaticity. The cerebellum is responsible
for the automaticity of the brain. When it is working well,
it puts what we learn into automatic memory for easy access.
Much like a librarian puts books on the shelves in the right
sections of the library so we can find them when we need
them. When it is not working well, we see many of the symptoms
of ADD and ADHD and more.
- Can the program be done when someone is on medication? The
program can be done with or without medication but many clients
find that because of the program they eventually can be released
by their physician from the need for stimulant meds related
to ADD and ADHD. We always recommend consulting the physician
before removing meds at any time during or after the program.
- How many exercises do you have and how long do they take? We
have more than 300 exercises but no one is required to do all
of them. We only prescribe the ones that are right for the
patient at the stage of development he or she is at. You are
required to do the exercises ten minutes twice a day with 4
hours between the two sessions. If you do them in the morning
it sort of calibrates you for the day so morning is good for
many people. Doing them just before homework or heavy reading
or writing is also good. You will have to do the program for
at least 18 months to two years in order to get the maximum
benefit. It isn't a quick fix but we have not seen any regression
in people who do the program according to our criteria. We
have seen many people experience remarkable improvements in
reading, writing, math, concentration, coordination and sports
ability. Best of all as far as we can see the results are permanent.
- Are the exercises difficult to do? You will need to
have enough mobility to be able to bend and stretch, but most
ordinary adults and children can do them without too much trouble.
- Is anyone suitable for the program? There are certain
conditions that make people =91not suitable' such as current
vertigo or epilepsy, but when they do the free initial screening
we can determine their suitability.
- How do we start and where do we go from there? You
start with a free initial screening. If you are suitable, we
set up a first appointment that usually last 3 hours. At this
time we will test your balance on our posturography equipment
(the kids call it the space machine because the prototype was
designed by NASA) and your ocular motor functions. We will
also do a dyslexic screening and you will also be examined
by a doctor. After this you will receive your exercise prescription
for the first 6 weeks. You will do these at home with supervision
or with special accommodations for people who do not have a
helper. At that time you will come in again and get reevaluated
(one hour appointment) for another prescription of exercises
and so on every 6 weeks till you are done.
For
more information and/or to make an appointment please call
the Hallowell Center in Sudbury at (978) 287-0810.
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