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Click here! | | A Note From The Editor
Happy New Year, and welcome to the January 2008 issue of the ADDA E-news! As always, we are pleased to bring you more information about the Attention Deficit Disorder Association and the services it provides to members. This month, don't miss out on a great book review and an informational article about hyperfocus! Please be aware: the ADDA E-news will now transmit every two months instead of every month. Keep an eye out for it!
One of the major benefits of membership is full access to this e-newsletter. If you're receiving this e-mail, it means at some point you expressed an interest in learning more about ADDA. The full version of the ADDA E-news will be available to members only, so, in order to read the full stories linked below, you will be directed to the ADDA Web site and prompted to log in. Only ADDA members will have log in information. But don't worry--non-members can become members as easily as clicking here.
Thanks for reading!
Erik Caplan, ADDA E-news Editor
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| President's Message
Dear ADDA Community,
The upcoming publication of Dr. Barkley's latest book, AD/HD in Adults (Guilford Press, 2008), has triggered another impassioned debate via e-mail discussion groups and blogs. The debate doesn't focus on the merits of this book but rather the pros and cons of Dr. Barkley's hold-no-punches message (which has remained consistent over the intervening years)--there is nothing redeeming about having AD/HD.
This stirs up a great deal of feelings. On one side of the debate are those who believe, like Barkley, AD/HD is a disability causing significant impairment. On the other side are those who view AD/HD as a disability, but also believe people with AD/HD might have some gifts or unique abilities that come with the territory.
Read more here...
We need Dr. Barkley to stir things up and call attention to our challenges. I say we let Dr. Barkley be who he is. Fortunately there are organizations like ADDA and others who are there to champion the possibilities for success, offering hope, education and support. That is why it is so important to do what we do best--provide possibilities and the stories of leaders, mentors and just plain folks who have done more than survived--they have thrived with AD/HD.
Linda S. Anderson, MA, MCC
ADDA President | What to Do When Hyperfocus Works Against You
By Jennifer Koretsky
Adults with ADD are both blessed and cursed with the ability to hyperfocus.
Hyperfocus is a unique ability we have to focus so intensely that the rest of the world temporarily disappears. It's the opposite of boredom. Instead of having difficulty concentrating or getting started, the hyperfocused person has trouble shifting focus away from the interesting subject at hand.
Read more here...
| | Organizing with Mini Agendas
by Mary Jane Johnson
When making phone calls or planning a one-on-one meeting by phone or face-to-face, it is very helpful to use a mini agenda to organize your thoughts and the results of that call or meeting.
Read more here...
| Spinning Out Of Control:
AD/HD and the Criminal Justice System
By Patrick J Hurley and Robert Eme, PhD
Reviewed byJanet P. Kramer, MD, CCHP (Certified Correctional Health Professional) and ADDA Board Member
Spinning Out of Control, the first practical book on AD/HD in law enforcement and corrections, is a breakthrough book analogous to Edward Hallowell and John Ratey's book, Driven to Distraction. It is not only very readable but combines first-person experience with AD/HD and updated scientific data. Currently it is listed on the Border's Books Best Seller list.
Read more here...
Purchase this and other books--visit the ADDA book store by clicking here.
| Attention ADDA Members! Want to be featured in an upcoming issue of ADDA eNews? Share your favorite AD/HD story with other ADDA members! We are looking for stories on empowerment, coping with AD/HD, funny AD/HD moments or anything else you would like to share with the ADDA community. Contact ADDA's Staff Editor, Erik Caplan at ecaplan@ahint.com to share your story or for more details. | | | | |
