Building an Awareness and Growing an Understanding of ADHD

General Resources for Parents Teachers and Client

It will be important for your client and their caregivers to get a better understanding of ADHD. Your client, their parents, and their teachers may want to access further ideas for classroom strategies and support.

The following links include relevant information for parents, teachers, and your client:

• ADHD – advocacy/guidelines/resources for teachers, parents and children/youth – Canada: http://caddra.ca/  
• ADHD – advocacy U.S : http://www.chadd.org 
• Medical & Disability Information for Class – Teachers : http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/inmdict/html/ 
• ADHD Families – various resources : http://adhdfamilies.ca/
• Focusing on Success: Teaching Students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Alberta Education, 2006) https://education.alberta.ca/media/385137/focus-on-success-teaching-students-with-adhd-2006.pdf
• ADHD Explained: A 28 Minute Primer (Understood.org): https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/adhd-explained-a-28-minute-primer
• At a Glance: ADHD and the Brain: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/at-a-glance-adhd-and-the-brain
• ADDitude: https://www.additudemag.com/
•  Focusing on Success: Teaching Students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Alberta Education, 2006): https://education.alberta.ca/media/385137/focus-on-success-teaching-students-with-adhd-2006.pdf
•  ADHD and Girls: What you Need to Know (Understood.org): https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/adhd-in-girls

ADHD General Tips & Information

According to guidelines from the Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA) evidence-based practice indicates that a multi-modal approach is most effective for ADHD intervention including a focus on social, emotional, behavioural and academic issues. Medications are an important aspect of treatment and assist the facilitation of changes in these areas.

While your client’s current environment is flexible enough to support their challenges, your client needs to learn how to manage their symptoms. It will be important to provide a balance of accommodations/support and skill building.

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle
  • Ensuring healthy sleep, and eating will be important for Client. Being overtired, or hungry depletes attentional resources.
  • Regular aerobic exercise can help with focusing attention (SPARK – Dr. John Ratey)

• ADHD coaching can assist students with setting and reaching goals, time management, prioritizing, motivation, structure, strategy development, and more.

•  Encourage your client to use a day planner or management software in order to help her keep track of various assignments, tasks, and her busy schedule.

Parental Resources

It may prove beneficial for your client’s parents to read the book Executive Function 101, a free e-book that explains what executive functions are and how they impact students with learning and attention issues. 

The link for the e-book can be found here: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/executive-functioning-issues/ebook-executive-function-101 

Your client and her family are highly encouraged to continue to learn about ADHD in women and girls. The following resources are recommended:

• 100 Questions & Answers About Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Women and Girls (by Patricia Quinn)
• https://soundcloud.com/adhd-families/adhd-and-girls (a podcast with an overview of research on gender differences in ADHD)
• https://www.adhdfamilies.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/secret_life_of_girls_with_adhd.pdf (a PDF copy of key excerpts focusing on ADHD in girls from Attention magazine; a magazine put out by CHADD)
• https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-in-girls-women/ (a piece on ADHD in females from ADDitude)

Additional Resources

• Misunderstood Minds  (www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/index.html)
• Understood for Learning & Attention Issues (www.understood.org/en)
• Superparenting for ADD: An Innovative Approach to Raising your Distracted Child (2010) by Edward Hallowell & Peter Jensen
• Parent Toolkit by Mel Levine (http://www.allkindsofminds.org/parent-toolkit)
• ADHD Families (http://adhdfamilies.ca/)
• Alberta Education’s Focusing on Success: Teaching Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (2006)
• Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete Authoritative Guide for Parents by Dr. Russell A. Barkley (2013)
• Cory Stories: A Kid’s Book about Living with ADHD by J. R. Krau