A diagnosis of ADHD is not scary. With the proper support, strategies, treatment, and, most importantly, love, your child can succeed in anything they attempt. Most adults who were diagnosed later in life say, "ADHD isn't the problem; not knowing was the problem." Learning your child has ADHD is a positive, helpful step.

If you think people are born charming, you’re mistaken — you can learn likability like any other skill.

According to a Harvard study, to be more likable isn’t to be polite, helpful, or have a good sense of humor. It’s asking more questions.

Isn’t it our fault that people find it hard to believe we have ADHD? Most people won't get it. They say, "I do those things, too. It's not a big deal." Their forgetful moments and their occasional feelings of overwhelm are part of life. It's not a problem for them, so why is it a problem for you?

Believe that ADHD is a difference in learning style that doesn’t match the current educational system.

Remember and connect with your confidence that your child has the ability to overcome challenges.

Approach the conversation with your child by believing that both you and your child will feel relief with this new way of understanding their learning experience.

Although I am 79-years-old, you can’t read my epitaph until 2033, as, according to actuarial tables, I have 11 more years to live. I am glad to learn this as there is much I want to accomplish before leaving planet earth.

In 2012 I retired as the Executive Director of ADD Resources, a non-profit organization which I founded in 1997. In retirement I was doing this and that. During the COVID shutdown, I wrote a memoir/self-help book about my life with inattentive ADHD.

Are you always trying to figure out if you can fit one more activity into your day, week, or month? Packing your calendar so tightly that when the first activity doesn't start on time or takes longer than expected, your entire day, week, or month falls apart?

In the graphic novel Dark Night: A True Batman Story by Paul Dini, he encourages us “to be the hero of our own stories.” Saying that is fine and dandy, but how do we do it? Well, I have a few suggestions.

Parenting is challenging for most people, but for someone who is neurodivergent, the challenges are much more complex. Not only do you have to attend to your child's well-being, but you have to also attend to your needs; in some cases, both overlap.

Educating teachers on how to help students with ADHD with ideas that help all students. https://www.additude mag.com/20-adhd-accommodations-that-work    

A college student, Ace, worked part-time in the office of ADD Resources, a non-profit organization I founded and ran for several years . The office phone with two rings. With one ring, it was a phone call and I should pick up. With the other ring, it was a fax and I should ignore the call. However, my brain never remembered. Whenever phone rang, I answered.

 There is a new non-profit in town, The Men’s ADHD Support Group, with a goal to inspire, educate, and empower men, virtually and in-person, and help men with neurodivergence live their best lives. 

A study of 5–10-year-old children showed a significant correlation between symptoms of ADHD and greater risk-taking and reduced sensitivity to punishment…

Children with undiagnosed ADHD usually have no idea how to handle life's challenges; they only know they aren't as skilled and capable as their peers without understanding why. But the parents recognize a problem and are reach out for answers. They know something is the matter.

We Celebrate Our 2nd Anniversary and Two Years of Achievement

by Cynthia Hammer, MSW, Executive Director, Inattentive ADHD Coalition

Over the past two years, I became synonymous with the Inattentive ADHD Coalition (IAC), but that won't always be.

In 6 months, I will turn 80, and this organization needs to continue. It has important work to do.

Please donate today to celebrate what we have achieved and support what we still need to accomplish.

Parents of children with ADHD often blame themselves for their child's behavior, especially when the symptoms are problematic at home but not at school.

It is common for kids with ADHD to experience/express more emotional dysregulation and impulsive behaviors at home. This is where they feel more comfortable and often need a release after a long exhausting day at school.

A big part of neuropsychological evaluation involves diagnostic considerations. I want to give my perspective on diagnosis because it can be scary or off-putting sometimes.

Think of diagnosis as a trail marker. It designates the path one is traveling rather than a label of the person walking the path.

I like to do my own fix-it chores around the house, but I often wonder if I come out ahead.

I make so many blunders along the way to a finished job that I should have hired a professional. But when I get enthused about another job around the house, I forget my earlier missteps and mistakes and am optimistic that This Time Will Be Different.

John and Julie Gottman, renowned marriage researchers, have written a new book about how to achieve a better marriage. But, one piece of their advice, called “turning toward,” is appropriate for all relationships. People with ADHD will benefit from this advice since it is simple to understand and implement and provides a tremendous return in fostering improved relationships.

Bothered by mistakes you’ve made on your business accounts and missing deadlines at work, you turn to the internet to learn whether you have ADHD. You’re deluged by ads for online surveys, neuropsychological testing, genetic assays, EEGs and PET scans. They all tell you that they can help diagnose your condition. You wonder if you need all of this and how much it will cost.

Getting Things Done

Remember that something done is better than nothing done. If you only get 25% of a task done, then it’s further along than if you never started. It’s better to do a little bit of task rather than procrastinating. Often, when you start, you will be surprised how much you accomplish.