Want to know more?

Join Dr Susan Young and Fintan O’Regan on Tuesday 17th April, 12pm, Unity Place, to hear how they are Building Better Futures for Children with ADHD.

Please click here to see the flyer.

He is raising money for The Studio, a Centre in Capel, West Sussex, who help families with children with ADHD.

Please support Lee by donating HERE to help this fantastic charity.

• Make sure the bedroom is conducive to sleep – quiet, dark, and a comfortable temperature. Check to see that the bed itself and pillows are comfortable, as well. Consider using a fan or white noise machine to aid in sleep.

•  In the mornings the environment in the bedroom is just as important to aid in waking up. Open the curtains in the room to let in natural light or turn on a soft light. Make sure the temperature in the room is conducive to waking up – if it is too warm it may be harder to awaken and if it is too cold no one wants to get out from under the covers!

•  Maintain a consistent bed time each night and consistent wake up time each morning.

•  Establish a consistent bedtime routine that is relaxing and helps the person to wind down from the day’s activities. Chose to listen to soft music or read a book to help wind down. Just be sure the story isn’t too stimulating and engaging or else the person may have trouble putting the book down! Sometimes a magazine is a better choice as it tends to be a little easier to find a good stopping point.

•  Monitor eating times: Eating large portion close to bedtime can inhibit a good night’s sleep.  However a small snack can be useful especially if there is some appetite suppression due to medication.

•  Make sure there are no electronic devices in the bedroom that may interfere with sleep – a computer, video games, television, blackberry phone, etc

•  For many people it helps to use the bed only for sleep.  In other words, no television in bed, no handheld computer devices in bed, no reading in bed – if these activities help you to wind down engage in them before getting into your bed. That way when you get onto the bed and crawl under the covers you are cueing your body that it is sleep time.
•  Regular exercise during the day is often helpful in promoting sleep, as is relaxation training before bedtime.

•  Avoid alcohol and nicotine and limit caffeine later in the day, as these substances can interfere with sleep quality.

•  For the person who finds that he or she is in bed wide awake and unable to get to sleep for a long period of time, it is often helpful to get up from bed for a short period of time rather than lying there thinking about how sleep is not coming. Walk downstairs, drink a glass of warm milk or chamomile tea or read a book for about 20 minutes and then return to bed for sleep.

•  Setting two alarms clocks to go off – one 20 minutes before needing to get out of bed and one at “get up” time – is often helpful for those who have trouble awakening in the morning. If you are the adult in charge of getting yourself up, set the second alarm clock across the room so you must get out of bed in order to turn it off.

•  Stimulant medications used to treat ADHD can affect individuals in differing ways at night time. For some, the stimulants may interfere with sleep onset when they are taken too close to bedtime. For others, a small dose of stimulant medicine given later in the day can help in not only reducing ADHD symptoms, but also aiding in sleep.

•  In addition, for those who have chronic problems in awakening in the morning some have found that waking up approximately 30-45 minutes before normal wake up time in order to take a dose of stimulant medicine, then going back to sleep, makes it easier to get up and out of bed at regular wake up time when the stimulant has had time to take effect. For adults who have to self-administer, it is helpful to get into the routine of setting out the medicine and a glass of water on the bedside table the night before so both are easily accessible in the morning.

•  White noise – any gentle, steady, monotonous, peaceful sound like a fan humming or background sounds can help calm you

•  Melatonin – is a naturally occurring hormone that is produced by part of your brain.  Melatonin helps us regulate our sleep patterns.  When it is dark melatonin production is increased and when it is light the production is decreased.  Melatonin supplements can help induce sleep.

•  Keep a sleep diary and review objectively what did help you sleep

Comments from the organisers have since been received stating “We are really grateful that you gave your presentation ‘ADHD – What’s it all about?’ at our breakfast tutorial yesterday.   We know that your presentation was of great interest to those present at the meeting.”

Please find the powerpoint presentation here: ADHD-What do we know

Because children with ADHD tend very much to think in the ‘here and now’ and not plan ahead, one of the key roles of the coach is to structure, think ahead, organise and foreshadow forthcoming events, and to help think the child’s way through them – to remember PE kit and directions for football games etc. The coach can also be very helpful in reminding, encouraging and helping the child stay focused and on task.

During ‘down’ periods, encouragement can be very useful and help can be given in avoiding procrastination, providing help with organisation and trying to minimise negative, destructive thinking.  All this helps encourage the child’s self-esteem and promotes social skills.

We would suggest a regular, at least weekly, meeting at a regular time slot, for between 15-30 minutes.  There needs to be an agenda and this is often best done with the use of a notebook where items discussed are noted, and these can then be reviewed at the forthcoming meeting.  The previous week needs to be looked at and analysed as to where problems occurred, what might have been done to help, and generally encouragement given.  The next week is then planned ahead, potential pitfalls identified, and as much praise and support and planning done as possible.

The LANC works with many ADHD coaches throughout the country and finds them an extremely valuable resource.

Useful Resources:

• ADD-vance
• The ADHD Studio
• Christine Jarvis at ADHD Solutions
• Sally Valentine
• Linda Fox

2.  Time management and organisation.  Find strategies to help you be organised.  Put your clocks forward by 10 minutes to ensure you are early and not late.  Use reminders on a phone or calendar for any appointments.  Write a list of what you need each day and check this before leaving the house.  Make this the year that you are the first to the office rather than the last.

3.   Employment.  Some adults with ADHD go from one job to another within a quick succession.  Try to find a career that is of interest to you and motivates you.  This way you are more likely to stick at it and be successful.

4.   Driving.  Young adults with ADHD have been shown to be more likely to have an accident when driving than an individual without ADHD.  If you take any medication to assist your ADHD symptoms, ensure that this is always taken if you intend to drive that day.  This will help you to be safer and less impulsive, and consequently be a safer driver, less likely to speed and less likely to be involved in an accident.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria states that for a diagnosis of ADHD, an individual needs to exhibit symptoms for at least six months to the point that symptoms are disruptive and are inappropriate to typical and developmental level and academic functioning.  Furthermore, symptoms must also be present before the age of seven and symptoms must be present in at least two settings.

However, there are several disadvantages with the current DSM criteria.  One disadvantage includes unreliable recall of age of onset which is particularly difficult to account for in adults.  The current criteria is primarily constructed for a child population and does not reflect the growing understanding and acceptance of adult ADHD (Bresnahan & Barry, 2002).  Age of onset, before the age of seven, is not justifiable and not based on any empirical evidence and the duration of only six months of experiencing difficulties is too short, and does not reflect that ADHD is a developmental disability rather than a difficulty based solely on the context (Barkley, 2003).  Again, this criteria is more difficult for adults to fulfil as may find it difficult to recall their experiences before the age of seven.

As with ADHD in children, ADHD in adults often coexists with other neurodevelopmental difficulties but also other wider complications.  These can include money difficulties, gambling or addiction problems, difficulty maintaining relationships, trouble with the law in addition to employment complications.  It is essential that a correct diagnosis and management is put in place to improve the individuals quality of life.  If you have any concerns about any of these difficulties, please contact your specialist/consultant or we would be happy to advise you further.