Show #106- Dr. Russell Barkley :Understanding ADHD

This show features the second half of my conversation with Dr. Russell Barkley. We talk about many critical things parents and educators need to know about ADHD, but the most critical is this:

Kids with ADHD tend to be 30-40% delayed in developing executive functions, and if we can adjust our expectations of our children, setting expectations based not on their age but their developmental stage. By adjusting our expectations to what the child can actually do takes lots of stress, pain and unhappiness out of the often tense situation caused by ADHD and its performance problems.

Dr. Barkley is one of the most respected, internationally recognized experts in ADHD and is well known as the primary investigator in on of the longest continuous studies about ADHD known as the Milwaukee Study, following kids from childhood through age 28 (and the study continues to follow this cohort today.) Dr. Barkley's full credentials can be found on his informative website -you can find it at www.russellbarkley.org.

I've excerpted part of his credentials here for you:

After serving in the United States Air Force Dr. Barkley obtained his Bachelor's Degree with Honors in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1973. He then attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio where he received his Masters Degree in 1975 and his Ph.D. in 1977 in Clinical Psychology, receiving the Distinguished Dissertation Award for his research on the effects of medication on children with ADHD. He then attended the Oregon Health Sciences University for internship training in developmental, learning, and behavioral disorders of children. Thereafter, in 1977, he joined the Department of Neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCOW) and Milwaukee Children's Hospital where he worked in the Child Neurology Division and eventually founded the Neuropsychology Service at MCOW. He served as its Chief and as Associate Professor of Neurology until 1985. Dr. Barkley then relocated to the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he served as the Director of Psychology and as a Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology (1985-2002). While there, he established the research clinics for both child and adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders. In 2003, Dr. Barkley relocated to the Charleston, SC area where he became a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina. In 2005, he joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at the SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY.

Dr. Barkley has been awarded a Diplomate (board certification) in three specialties, these being Clinical Psychology (ABPP), Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, and Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN, ABPP). He is a clinical scientist, educator, and practitioner who has authored, co-authored, or co-edited 20 books and clinical manuals. He has published more than 200 scientific articles and book chapters related to the nature, assessment, and treatment of ADHD and related disorders (see Publications). In 1993, he founded a bimonthly newsletter for clinical professionals, The ADHD Report (Guilford Publications). He has created seven professional videotapes on ADHD and defiant children, three of which have won national awards, including the 1992 and 1994 Golden Apple Award for educational videos from the National Education Association. Dr. Barkley has served on the editorial boards of 11 scientific journals and as a reviewer for numerous others. He was the President of the Section of Clinical Child Psychology, Division 12, of the American Psychological Association (1988), and was President of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (1991).

Also in today's show:

Please check out the dysTalk website, a UK based website dealing with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Donna, a listener, particularly recommends the video on the Emotional Side of Dyslexia, and I have to agree that it's wonderful. Please send your recommendations, ideas and the like to us at LDpodcast@gmail.com and I'll feature them on the show!

Click here to listen to show #106- Dr. Russell Barkley, Part II

Show #41 Joan LaStrange - Moms Discussing Medication

A while ago, my friend Joan LaStrange and I sat down to talk about our boys, ADHD, and medication. This is a great conversation for any parent who is considering meds for their child- the ins and outs of the day to day, as experienced by two moms of kids with ADHD. We talk about our doctor's recommendation, whether to try drug holidays, and how meds are not a cure but a tool for treating ADHD.

Joan has been on the Board for our local CHADD chapter for the past three years, and is one of the moms I can always count on for great advice and a big shoulder when I am having crazy moments with my kids. This will be a little like listening to your friends chatting rather than expert advice, but it is the "consumer reports" or field guide to meds and kids with ADHD, from our experience.

The conversations with Joan will appear in three parts, to keep the show length at 30 - 40 minutes.

LD Online's Dale S. Brown

LD Online is one of the best reference sites for learning disabilities on the internet- and one that has been around the longest. Dale Brown is Senior Manager of LD Online, as well as an author of 5 books on learning disabilties and one of the initial organizers of the self-help movement for the disability community . She worked in public service for over 25 years, including positions at the US Department of Labor, where she helped ensure the Jobs Corps program was accessible to students with disabilities. She is the "go to" expert for information on employment and accomodations for people with learning disabilities.

In this 2 part conversation, Dale and I talk about what it was like for her growing up with Learning Disabilities, before the IDEA and laws that require schools to make accommodations for students with different educational needs. We talk about the importance of teaching children self-advocacy, positive reinforcement, and being realistic with them about their capabilities. In part II, we discuss Coaching, allowing kids to make mistakes and accept challenges, and identifying their strengths. We also discuss LD Online, the resources available, and what's coming in the near future. I know you'll get alot out of these conversations.

While Dale's learning disabilities include ADD, I've placed these interviews in our ADHD month series, to help parents realize how many successful people have learning disabilities, and what we can do to try to make sure our kids are part of this success story.

Listen for the announcement of the upcoming contest where we give away copies of Dr. Mel Levine's wonderful book, A Mind at a Time!

Please email us at ldpodcast@gmail.com; voicemail (206)666-2343

Click here to download a Conversation with Dale Brown, Part I

Conversation with Dr. Kathleen Nadeau

Show #37, ADHD Month Show #1: Conversation with Dr. Kathleen Nadeau

Dr. Kathleen Nadeau is one of my heroes. The opportunity to speak withe her for the LD Podcast was one of the highlights of 2006 for me. For those of you who are not familiar with Dr. Nadeau, she is a clinical psychologist in the Washington, D.C., area. She earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Florida, and has specialized in the issues of attention and learning disorders for more than 20 years. She currently serves as Director of the Chesapeake ADHD Center of Maryland in Silver Spring. She lectures and gives workshops both nationally and internationally on a variety of topics including: Giftedness and ADD (ADHD), Workplace Issues for Adults with ADD (ADHD), Women and Girls with ADD (ADHD), College Students with ADD (ADHD), and Life Management Issues for Individuals with ADD (ADHD).

Dr. Nadeau is the author of more than ten books on ADHD. Her best-selling children's book Learning to Slow Down and Pay Attention, is now in its third edition. Her two books for teens, School Strategies for ADD Teens and Help4ADD@HighSchool are both top-selling books for adolescents with ADD (ADHD). She is also the author of A College Survival Guide for Students with ADD or LD.

Dr. Nadeau turned her attention to adult ADD (ADHD) in the early 1990's and is the editor of the first book for professionals on adult ADD, A Comprehensive Guide to ADD in Adults: Research, Diagnosis and Treatment. She followed this book for professionals with several books directed at helping adults with ADD better manage their lives. These include the best-selling book ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life, Adventures in Fast Forward - Life, Love & Work for Adults with ADD, and ADD in the Workplace.

For the last decade, Dr. Nadeau has devoted her attention professionally to the issues confronting girls and women with ADD (ADHD). Her groundbreaking 1999 book, Understanding Girls with ADHD, co-authored with Drs. Quinn and Littman continues to be the only book that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of girls. She was co-editor of ADDvance: A Magazine for Women with ADD and is co-founder of the non-profit organization, The National Center for Gender Issues and AD/HD. In 2002, Dr. Nadeau co-edited with her partner, Dr. Quinn, two volumes on these important topics, Understanding Women with ADHD and the only text on ADHD in women for clinicians, Gender Issues and ADHD: Research, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

In our conversation, we discuss how ADHD tends to look different in girls than in boys; when you should treat ADHD; why many parents are reluctant to consider medication as part of an ADHD treatment plan; and how some basic organization and problem-solving strategies can make your home less stressful.

Click here to download Show # 37- Conversation with Dr. Kathleen Nadeau