More GREAT ADHD Resources

One of our peer parents, Kelli LaFranca, emailed me about this FABULOUS resource for children and adults with ADHD. In her own words: "The magazine, ADDitude, tackled ADD and ADHD and has several articles that I found super helpful. It has after school organization plans and homework help advice. It covers ADD and ADHD from toddlers onto adults."

If you have anyone of your clients with ADHD (or just struggling to focus), I highly recommend you check it out. I spent some time on it this afternoon and was blown away at how helpful it is. The site is broken down into info for adults with ADHD and then parenting children with ADHD. The parenting sections has the following categories: Parenting Skills, Behavior and Discipline, Schedules and Organizing, Friends and Social Life, Healthy Minds and Bodies, Holidays and Travel, Sports and Hobbies, and Teens and Young Adults. There is also a whole giant section on school and learning disabilities. (Good stuff, isn't it?) Here is the main site link:

ADDitude Magazine Website

Here are some links to articles I found particularly great: (All of this will be available at the right side of the blog.)

Better Discipline for ADHD Kids

8 Steps to Better Behavior for ADHD Kids

Top 10 Routine Builders: Organization Help for ADHD Kids

Happier Mornings for ADHD Kids

17 Ways Parents Can Help ADHD Kids Make Friends

ADHD Homework Tips for Home and School

After School Organization Plan for ADHD Kids

Please share this resource with your families! Thanks again, Kelli!

More Resolutions: Budgeting!

Want to know my New Year's Resolution for my family? Budgeting!! This has always been a struggle for me, but I am really trying to make this work better for my family. So, obviously this has been on my mind a lot lately. A great site that I just found is http://www.mint.com/. This site offers easy access to your bank accounts, lets you see your spending in categories and make budgets. It can even send you emails or texts to let you know how you are doing with your budget. And, it's all free! If any of your clients have access to the Internet (at home or the library), this could be a great resource to share with them.

Here are a few other budgeting/ money management resources (these range from super simple to more thorough):

Basic Budgeting Worksheet

Basic Managing Debt Worksheet

Monthly Spending Worksheet

Family Budget Spreadsheet

Another great way to keep our budgets in check are to make frugal choices (that are also healthy!) in our groceries and meal planning! I am a huge follower of couponing/deal blogs and have noticed a significant savings. Here are some of those, as well as a link to frugal recipes:

Utah Deal Diva

Money Saving Mom

Pincing Your Pennies (also contains links to printable grocery lists with sales/coupons)

Frugal Recipes

These are great to check often and share the info with your clients!

**Do you have a great budgeting method or savings secret?? Please either leave a comment or email me so I can post your ideas as well!!**

National Flu Vaccination Week

The hype surrounding H1N1 has faded a bit, but it is still a threat. With the new year, it might be a good time to go over the idea of resolutions or goals. And, what better goal could we set than to take care of the health of our family? And, it's National Flu Vaccination Week!! (I bet you didn't know that!) :)

National Influenza Vaccination Week was established to highlight the importance of continuing flu vaccination, as well as fostering greater use of flu vaccine after the holiday season in January and beyond. In support of the national efforts, Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed a declaration making January 10 - 16, 2010, Influenza Vaccination Week in Utah, urging his fellow Utahns to observe this week by getting the seasonal and Pandemic H1N1 flu vaccines and to encourage friends, fellow employees and relatives to do the same.

Find a clinic near you:

http://www.immunize-utah.org/apps/flu/index.php

ADHD Resources

I know many of you have asked for additional information on Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. This is a condition that many of our children and adult clients struggle with. I have included links to three reputable websites (from National Institute of Mental Health, American Academy of Pediatrics and CHADD) that give more information on ADHD in kids and adults. These links can be found at the right hand side of the website under "Additional Resources." If any of you know of any resources for ADHD, please send me the info and I will post it. Here is a taste of what is in the websites:

What is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity).

What are the symptoms of ADHD in children?
Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are the key behaviors of ADHD. It is normal for all children to be inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive sometimes, but for children with ADHD, these behaviors are more severe and occur more often. To be diagnosed with the disorder, a child must have symptoms for 6 or more months and to a degree that is greater than other children of the same age.

Children who have symptoms of inattention may:
Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another
Have difficulty focusing on one thing
Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they are doing something enjoyable
Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities
Not seem to listen when spoken to
Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly
Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others
Struggle to follow instructions.Children who have symptoms of hyperactivity may:
Fidget and squirm in their seats
Talk nonstop
Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight
Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time
Be constantly in motion
Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.Children who have symptoms of impulsivity may:
Be very impatient
Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences
Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games
Often interrupt conversations or others' activities.

ADHD Can Be Mistaken for Other Problems

Parents and teachers can miss the fact that children with symptoms of inattention have the disorder because they are often quiet and less likely to act out. They may sit quietly, seeming to work, but they are often not paying attention to what they are doing. They may get along well with other children, compared with those with the other subtypes, who tend to have social problems. But children with the inattentive kind of ADHD are not the only ones whose disorders can be missed. For example, adults may think that children with the hyperactive and impulsive subtypes just have emotional or disciplinary problems