Happy Thanksgiving: A postive spin on ADD | ADHD Information

Hey Art,

A thousand thanks for your post.  We need some positive energy around here!!

Hi, for those of you that are feeling low about ADHD in your lives, here are some great weblinks that should make you think twice about how we view our lives and tp help understand our future lives.

A.F.

The Gift of ADD website by Thom Hartmann

http://www.thomhartmann.com/articles.shtml

Hartmann takes a positive approach to ADD and the true nature of this dormant set of behaviors that once provided for the survival of humankind and is responsible for civilization as we know. Innovation,

The Hunter in a Farmer's World

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/1580/hunters.html

"Not too long ago, the typical traits of a person with ADHD were actually advantageous. People relied often on specific skills needed to bring home meat for the nourishment of the family. These skills are still valued today in hunter gatherer societies around the world. Fleetness of foot, although strong on sprinting and short on marathon running, ability to change course instantly, ability to make snap decisions, creativity in plotting the path of capture, ingenuity in devising traps, the ability to monitor the whole situation with global thinking skills, all contribute to a successful hunt. Successful hunters also have an extraordinary ability to hyper focus on the task at hand if it is extremely important or interesting. This is often a surprising fact for people who do not understand the full range of ADHD-like behaviors."

The Myth of ADD Webiste

"Over the past ten years, attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has emerged from the relative obscurity of cognitive psychologists’ research laboratories to become the "disease du jour" of America’s schoolchildren. Accompanying this popularity has been a virtually complete acceptance of the validity of this "disorder" by scientists, physicians, psychologists, educators, parents, and others. Upon closer critical scrutiny, however, there is much to be troubled about concerning ADD/ADHD as a real medical diagnosis. There is no definitive objective set of criteria to determine who has ADD/ADHD and who does not. Rather, instead, there are a loose set of behaviors (hyperactivity, distractibility, and impulsivity) that combine in different ways to give rise to the "disorder." These behaviors are highly context-dependent. A child may be hyperactive while seated at a desk doing a boring worksheet, but not necessarily while singing in a school musical. These behaviors are also very general in nature and give no clue as to their real origins. A child can be hyperactive because he’s bored, depressed, anxious, allergic to milk, creative, a hands-on learner, has a difficult temperament, is stressed out, is driven by a media-mad culture, or any number of other possible causes."

http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/myth_add_adhd.htm

ADDttituide Magazine

"ADDitude Magazine and its website are designed to serve as comprehensive resources for information on AD/HD. Our advisory board is comprised of leading researchers, educators and clinicians from a variety of AD/HD-related disciplines. Please use our search feature to locate topics of interest. ADDitude is mainstream in its editorial approach to AD/HD and its treatment. We are leery of claims for treatments and interventions that have not been tested in controlled, clinical trials. We know of no "miracle" cures, but endeavor to stay fully apprised of all important research and developments in the field. Some of us who work at ADDitude are parents of AD/HD children or have the disorder ourselves."

http://www.additudemag.com

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) is a national non-profit organization founded in 1987 in response to the frustration and sense of isolation experienced by parents and their children with AD/HD.Many individuals and families dealing with AD/HD turn to CHADD, the national organization representing individuals with AD/HD, for education, advocacy and support. The organization is composed of dedicated volunteers from around the country who play an integral part in the association's success by providing resources and encouragement to parents, educators and professionals on a grassroots level through CHADD chapters.CHADD is a dynamic organization that can make a difference in your life, whether you are seeking help for yourself, a child, other family members or a friend.
http://www.chadd.org

Attention Deficit Disorder Association

"The world's largest and most comprehensive adult AD/HD website in the world.Thank you for your patience while we are building a site that will meet the needs of our membership and will reflect ADDA's important role as the world's leading adult AD/HD organization. ADDA provides information, resources and networking opportunities to help adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) lead better lives. We provide hope, empowerment and connections worldwide by bringing together science and the human experience for both adults with AD/HD and professionals who serve them." http://www.add.org/

"The Hunter School is a private day and boarding school for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and/or related conditions. We view children with ADHD as possessing a powerful talent to learn and succeed. Children with ADD think faster and can perceive a wider range of stimuli than other children. They are, in fact, able to simultaneously perceive many things" http://www.hunterschool.org

http://www.uniquelygifted.org/

"This site is named after the book Uniquely Gifted: Identifying and Meeting the Needs of the Twice-Exceptional Student, edited by Kiesa Kay. Twice-exceptional children (that is, intellectually gifted children with special needs such as AD/HD, learning disabilities, Asperger Syndrome, etc.) have a hard time of it in our education system - because their giftedness can mask their special needs and their special needs hide their giftedness, they are often labeled as "lazy", "unmotivated", "not trying". Many people don't even realize that a child can be both gifted and learning disabled; however, Linda Silverman, Ph.D., the director of the Gifted Development Center has found that fully 1/6 of the gifted children tested at the GDC have a learning difference of some type."