The United States needs to do a better job of identifying children with talent in math, according to a new study published in Notices of the American Mathematics Society.

The SAT and other standardized math tests do not measure the creativity, insight and reasoning skills needed to perform math at its highest levels, so many children who could excel in math are overlooked.

Professors Janet and Jonathan Mertz, Joseph Gallian and Titu Andreescu, authors of the study, wrote that the United States' culture does not value math talent, and many high school students stay away from high level math courses and competitions for fear of being "nerdy." This is true of all students, but is particularly relevant for girls. American girls who excel in math are almost always immigrants, or daughters of immigrants, from cultures where math is valued.

"We're living in a culture that is telling girls you can't do math - that's telling everybody that only Asians and nerds do math," said Dr. Janet Mertz. "Kids in high school, where social interactions are really important, think, 'If I'm not an Asian or a nerd, I'd better not be on the math team.' Kids are self-selecting. For social reasons, they're not even trying."

Labels: benefits, math, talents

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Cynthia Phillips doesn't have Attention Deficit Disorder, but her husband, Phil, does. In their book ADD: Welcome to Our World, the couple describes their life together and the time they've spent learning to understand and adjust to the manner in which ADD affects their lives.

"The Phillips' aim is to help the reader know if they or someone they love has ADD, what God thinks about it. How to survive and thrive... how to parent a child who is affected by ADD/ADHD... how to distinguish between true ADD and 'society-induced' ADD..."

Drawing from years of experience, the Phillipses say their goal is to re-educate people on the realities of ADD, and to paint a brighter picture about living with this condition. Source: The Daily Sentinel (TX)

Labels: adult_ADHD, support, benefits

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When he was a child, Michael Phelps spent a lot of time poolside, next to the lifeguard station - not because he was interested in swimming, but because he was so disruptive. An elementary school student told his mom that his Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder would prevent him from ever focusing on anything.

"His mom disagreed. She had seen him at swim meets. 'He might be rocking on the kickboard as he's waiting to swim,' she told the teacher, 'but he knows what he wants to do.'"

Phelps' ability to focus during competition seems contradictory for someone who took Ritalin as a child, but his passion to win gives him all the focus he needs. At the upcoming Olympics, Phelps will compete in eight events, and is aiming to beat Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals. Source: USA Today

Labels: focus, benefits, role_models

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A diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is often accompanied by the stigma that the ADHD child will struggle both academically and socially, and will be relegated to remedial classes in school. But Kathrin MacFarlane has proved that this ADHD stigma is not a foregone conclusion.

"Kathrin is a contradiction of sorts. She's been diagnosed with a learning disability that makes it harder for her to understand and express herself in writing. But she's also been labeled as academically gifted... ADHD typically means a lack of social skills... But Kathrin has been in numerous activities such as Girl Scouts, soccer, Beta Club, Bible Club and more."

Kathrin is planning to attend the University of Alabama in the fall. where she'll major in mechanical engineering. She plans to "go for at least my master's [degree]." Source: Gaston Gazette - Gastonia, North Carolina

Labels: social_skills, diagnosis, benefits

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Beginning Wednesday, April 16, registration will open for a free teleseminar called "Unwrapping the Gift of ADD." The 8-part seminar takes place via conference calls at the end of April, each lasting about one hour.

"In an effort to bring parents of kids & teens with ADD/ADHD, and adults with ADD/ADHD the best ways to unwrap the gift of ADD, we've pulled together 8 top ADD/ADHD experts to share with you the best strategies and tactics to do this..."

Traits of ADD/ADHD like impulsivity and inattentiveness have positive aspects that few parents or kids ever hear about. Drs. Edward Hallowell and Kenny Handelman have developed this seminar based on their report "Find the Genius in ADD" as part of their ongoing efforts to eliminate the stigma associated with ADD and ADHD. Source: PR Web

What will your ADD child be doing this summer? Talisman offers summer camps for children with ADHD other special needs.

Labels: support, benefits, positives

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Most parents of children with ADHD want desperately to find a silver lining in the cloud of misbehavior, trouble at school, and relational tension. Adults who had ADHD as children offer some of the best encouragement, especially those who have enjoyed unusual success.

"Ty Pennington [of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition] says the negative messages from school can be overwhelming for a child with ADHD... Ty says his life turned after he started medication in his teens and gained maturity and the freedom to develop his creativity. Now, as a TV host, he gets paid for the kind of behaviors that got him in trouble at school."

Kinko's founder Paul Orfalea also has ADHD and says the struggles he faced as a child helped him endure the criticisms he faced when he wanted to start his own business. What started in a modest storefront grew to 1,200 stores and was acquired in 2004 by FedEx. Source: American Psychological Association

Labels: benefits, positives, creativity

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Drs. Edward Hallowell and Kenny Handelman think that ADD/ADHD is often viewed too negatively. To try and combat some of the negativity, they've compiled a special report titled "Find the Genius in ADD."

"'After witnessing so many examples of people taking their 'disorder' and turning it into strengths and success, we decided to create this special report to point people in the right direction,' says Dr. Handelman. 'Although people may feel negative after being diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, there is reason for hope.'"

By pointing out the positives of how an ADHD mind works, Drs. Hallowell and Handelman hope people will begin to realize that traits of ADHD can be strengths if they're nurtured properly. Source: PR Web

Likened to the benefits of ADHD, child with high functioning Autism or Asperger's Syndrome are often dubbed "Little Professors". Learn about Asperger's at YourLittleProfessor.com.

Labels: benefits, positives, genius

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Beth Hering's son has ADHD. As a result, though he struggles to focus on some things, he's able to hyper-focus on others. The current object of his hyper-focus is Bigfoot.

"Sometimes the hyper-focusing will grate on my nerves. I am asked at least 10 times per week whether or not I think Bigfoot is real... But hyper-focusing also can have benefits. Need to write sentences using spelling words? Tell him to make them related to Bigfoot and you'll get paragraphs."

Hering believes it will come in handy in college, too, once he finds a subject that truly interests him. Who knows, he may determine to find a cure for cancer. Or he may actually find Bigfoot one day. Read more at ParentCenter.com.

Worried that your child's ADHD diagnosis will prevent them from attending college? Don't be! Cedars Academy offers a post-secondary curriculum that helps children with ADHD transition from high school to college. Learn more at http://www.cedarsacademy.com/cedars-plus.html.

Labels: focus, benefits, positives

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Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities is a non-profit organization that was started in 2000 to support and encourage children with learning disabilities or ADHD and their parents. Every year, they offer a Youth Achievement Award for which kids can be nominated.

"This $1,000 award recognizing the strengths and accomplishments of young people with learning disabilities and ADHD will be given to a student 19 or younger who has demonstrated initiative, talent, and determination resulting in a notable accomplishment in any field  including art, music, science, math, athletics or community service.

Young people who have received the award in the past have overcome problems caused by dyslexia, ADHD, emotional traumas and more.

Learn more about how you can help your child with learning disabilities at LearningDisabilitiesInfo.com.

Labels: accomplishments, learning_disabilites, benefits

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Ben Goldfard didn't know growing up that he had ADD. He knew that staying focused was a struggle and that his mind often jumped from one topic to another, but it wasn't until he was a husband and father that he was actually diagnosed. He offers his tongue-in-cheek opinion of the benefits of not using medication to "control" his ADD.

"With some mentoring, mind-mapping, and push-ups, I have turned my ADD into effective multi-tasking. I can't speak for everyone, because it would take too long, but for me, Ritalin would have been a chemical straight jacket. It would have closed the window of opportunity to attain above-average success..."

Though he's not suggesting that people with ADD throw away their medication, Goldfard is challenging people to view ADD and ADHD not as disabilities, but as blessings.

Labels: medications, adult_ADHD, benefits

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Blake Taylor, a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley, has just published a book about his experiences as someone with ADHD. His hope is that the book will encourage others, and help them view ADHD not as a curse, but as a gift.

"There are so many wonderful qualities that come along with ADHD: intelligence, high energy, the ability to accomplish a lot, creativity, passion for a cause, innovativeness, trustworthiness, etc. But the trick is: you have to learn how to live with it and harness it."

Blake offers many tips in his book, all based on his own life and learning to live with ADHD. He admits that living with ADHD isn't always easy, but he believes that the benefits outweigh the challenges.

Learn about teen drug use and how you can help your child at Adolescent-Substance-Abuse.com.

Labels: support, benefits, challenges

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The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recently published four studies that reviewed the long-term benefits of ADHD treatments. In the initial studies, children were given one of three treatments; medication, medication and behavioral therapy, or behavioral therapy only.

"Ratings from both family members and teachers favored the combination treatment, and careful medication management was more successful than medication provided through usual community care sources."

Another study showed that children differed in their response to ADHD medication, with some showing improvement even into the third year of follow-up and others showing little response to medication at all. Read more at HealthDay.com.

Labels: medications, treatment, benefits

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