SolveYourProblem
eLearning Series:
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Causes,
Treatments,
Support
Groups
and
Resources
(
12
pages
:
a
short
guide
and
a
fast
read!
)
ADD
Educational / Career
Counseling & Coping Skills
Studies show that
therapy and / or counseling to help those afflicted with
ADD learn coping skills and adaptive behaviors enhances their
quality of life. Here are some main issues that often need
to be faced in the job/career and school arena for the person
with ADD, and how to handle them.
Distractions
– Distractions from both dealing with boredom
and over-stimulation can both be important challenging
issues in the workplace. Boredom can lead to distracted
thoughts and daydreaming – which leads to loss of time
and work production. And over-stimulation can lead to hyper-alert
mode, resulting in overactive imaginations and distracting
thoughts, resulting in lack of focus and attention to the
job.
Some boredom
busters include: break up tasks into smaller more
manageable chunks, take breaks and water-cooler trips,
and ask for more challenging work.
Some over-stimulation
busters include: forget “multi-tasking,” do one
thing at a time; when possible, use tools like email and
voicemail so that emails and calls do not interrupt your
routine, allowing you to focus more on tasks at hand. Then
only respond to them twice a shift. Jot down notes to help
sort out ideas that pop into your mind. See your manger,
teacher or advisor about handling chaotic noise, space
and other hectic work-related and school-related issues
– maybe offer to use earphones, move to a less crowded
area or transfer to a different class.
Impulsive
and hyperactive Behaviors – Dealing with impulsive
and hyperactive behaviors are managed better if the job
or lengthy class is not an inactive, sedentary position.
However, if the job is something like sitting at a computer
all day, or your weekend course lasts half a day, set your
watch timer and try to get up and about for at least 5-minutes
every hour. Stretch your legs, go get a drink, etc. And
enjoy active breaks and lunch periods. Pack your lunch
so that you can walk to a nearby park to eat instead of
standing in a lunch line somewhere. And run to the post
office, mailbox or student bookstore during a break.
To handle impulsive
behaviors, jot down notes in a daily planner or journal about
what happens, triggering the behaviors. Then when you are
calmer and things are less chaotic, take a look at your notes
and get with your ADD healthcare team (friends, support network,
doctor, etc.) to come up with alternative behavioral solutions
for facing the issue next time around. Make sure to touch
base and see if you are following your recommended ADD treatment
plan, too. Are you taking the recommended dosage of medication?
Are you getting enough rest? You need to take care of yourself,
don’t forget!
Time,
Memory and Organizational Management – No need
to go it alone! Get help with managing time, thoughts and
things. Carry around a small notebook with a calendar insert
and pencil, and USE them. Jot down to-do’s, log deadlines,
tests and meetings, jot down notes for tomorrow, etc. For
more help, try a planning system from the local office
supply store or check online for planning pages to download
and make your own planner system. Ask your local or school
librarian for help finding organization and planning books,
videos, cassettes and other resources. And there’s no need
to reinvent the wheel, either! Use what works for others.
Ask for recommendations from family, friends, teachers,
neighbors and co-workers. For better timing, set your watch
or timed email alert to notify you to upcoming changes
or scheduled events.
Managing
large and / or long-term projects – Get help!
Ask you manager or teacher to help you break down the project
into smaller steps of chunks. Maybe you work with a temporary
helper, too, or team up with a fellow classmate? And see
about finding better ways to handle the tasks- maybe use
subfolders to help organize materials more clearly, print
out hard copies of online documents for marking up purposes
and seek advice from more experienced workers or students,
for starters.
Problems
with Co-workers, Clients or Students – Have difficulties
dealing with tough clients? Dealing with tough co-workers
or immature students? Working with and being around people
day in and day out can be challenging in itself. Check
out books on how to handle difficult people and how to
handle workplace issues. Find and attend relationship-building
workshops. Try different settings. For example, maybe work
in a department with less contact would be better, maybe
even a home office setting. Check with supervisors and
your advisor to see what options are available. And check
with others in the industry, like through organizations
that your company or major is associated with, and see
what other workers do. Maybe you can job-share or present
your own alternative solution written out and well planned
in advance.
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