Understanding AD/HD and the myths and misconceptions

Although this Blog is generally made up of ideas, resources and information on ways to work from home, I thought I’d share the reason why I choose to work from home in the first place.

Nearly a year ago, our daughter was diagnosed with both a Learning Disability (LD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). The process to deal with this news is different for everyone, but I found that after the initial shock, we grieved, and then we dealt. The end result is a happier little girl and happier parents. The journey to acceptance is not always an easy one. There are so many negative perceptions and stigmas attached to these disorders that would likely turn most parents to denial. After all, if you look under the definition of stigma in a dictionary you will find ‘a social disgrace’. People harbour many mistaken beliefs on this topic, which is what inspired me to write this and share the truth about AD/HD.

For myself, I needed to find out what we had in store and research this misunderstood condition. I like to pride myself in the fact that I can usually find the good in a bad situation, and this was going to be no different. The bounty of information available on the Internet enabled me to educate myself, which is essential in helping your child or your loved one through this difficult start. I say start, because once treated properly, things will balance out the way they should.

Some of the myths and misconceptions that I discovered and debunked are:

MYTH: AD/HD isn’t a real medical disorder.
TRUTH: AD/HD has been recognized as a legitimate diagnosis by major medical, psychological, and educational organizations, including the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Education. The American Psychiatric Society recognizes AD/HD as a medical disorder in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – the official mental health “bible” used by psychologists and psychiatrists.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (also known as attention deficit disorder) is biologically based. Research shows that it’s a result of an imbalance of chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, within the brain. Its primary symptoms are inattention, impulsiveness, and sometimes hyperactivity. People with AD/HD typically have a great deal of difficulty with aspects of daily life, including time management and organizational skills.

MYTH: AD/HD only affects boys.
TRUTH: Gender makes no difference in the symptoms caused by the disorder; girls are just as likely to have AD/HD as are boys. But because this myth persists, boys are more likely to be diagnosed than girls.

MYTH: People who have AD/HD are stupid or lazy-they never amount to anything.
TRUTH: People with AD/HD are of above-average intelligence, recent studies show. They certainly aren’t lazy. Their creativity and imagination are exceptional. In fact, many well-known, high-achieving individuals from the past are thought to have had AD/HD, including Mozart, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, George Bernard Shaw, and Salvador Dali.

MYTH: AD/HD is a result of bad parenting.
TRUTH: When a child with AD/HD blurts things out or gets out of his seat in class, it’s not because he hasn’t been taught that these behaviours are unacceptable. It’s because he can’t control his impulses. The problem is rooted to brain chemistry, not discipline. In fact, overly strict parenting – which may involve punishing a child for things he can’t control – can actually make AD/HD symptoms worse. Professional intervention, such as drug therapy, psychotherapy, and behaviour modification therapy are usually required.

MYTH: Children who are given special accommodations because of their AD/HD are getting an unfair advantage.
TRUTH: The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that public schools address the special needs of all children with disabilities, including children with AD/HD. Special accommodations, such as extra time on tests or scribing, simply level the playing field so that the kids with AD/HD can learn as successfully as their non AD/HD classmates.

MYTH: Children with AD/HD eventually outgrow their condition.
TRUTH: More than 70% of the individuals who have AD/HD in childhood continue to have it in adolescence. Up to 50% will continue to have it in adulthood.
Although it’s been estimated that 6% of the adult population has AD/HD, the majority of those adults remain undiagnosed, and only one in four of them seek treatment. Yet, without help, adults with AD/HD are highly vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. They often experience career difficulties, legal and financial problems, and troubled personal relationships.

MYTH: Children who take AD/HD medication are more likely to abuse drugs when they become teenagers.
TRUTH: Actually, it’s just the opposite. Having untreated AD/HD increases the risk that an individual will abuse drugs or alcohol. Appropriate treatment reduces the risk.
The medications used to treat AD/HD have been proven safe and effective for more than 50 years of use. These drugs don’t cure AD/HD, but they are highly effective at easing symptoms of the disorder. The drugs do not turn kids into addicts or “zombies”. If any such side effect should arise, your child is either on the wrong dosage or medication.

There are sometimes tough choices that have to be made when it comes to treatment. My recommendation is to find a doctor/paediatrician that you trust and are comfortable talking too. Utilize all the information available to you and educate yourself. One thing that the doctor said to our daughter that I will never forget, is that the treatment that she required was going to help her show the world just how smart she really was. She couldn’t have been more right!

For us, there has been a complete turn around. Our daughter has received her first ‘A’ on her recent report card, and I couldn’t be more proud of her. The meetings with teachers over her performance have now turned positive after years of struggling with negativity. She enjoys school, has a happier demeanour, and most importantly, her self-esteem and confidence have boosted tremendously. She is no longer hovering over her work, afraid and ashamed, but sitting tall and ready to learn and grow.

Like I mentioned earlier, there is no cure. Your child or loved one will likely always have symptoms, but with proper treatment, there is no reason why they can’t become happy, healthy, successful individuals.

Do I Need a Web Designer?

When business owners decide to take business online, the question always comes up, “Do I need a web designer or can I build my own website?”
Both options are very viable, but you need to decide what’s best for you and your business.
Here’s some things to consider:

If you hire a web designer, you don’t have to worry about learning how to build a website – which is a relief to many people. This means you can concentrate on the more important tasks of your business.

However, do realize that building a website is not as technical as it has been in the past. There are plenty of web-building options that are basic point-and-click technology. If you work with a designer, you will be subject to that designer’s schedule. Designers have other clients to manage and they need to prioritize any updates or changes you need to make to your website. This can be a drawback because the Internet is an amazing marketing medium where it’s easy to quick changes and test out new marketing ideas at minimal cost. When your business needs to wait for a designer to make changes, you may fall behind in your development.

Still, if you build your own website, there may be a time where you need to turn to a designer or a programmer if you need special features on your website. Of course, you can learn how to do all these things if you’re so inclined, but it can be a time-consuming and sometimes complicated task. This means if you need a message board, shopping cart or other special function, you may need to turn to a designer or a programmer for that task.

Overall, if you want to save money and have more control over your web presence, you will want to have a hand in your own web development. You might choose to use a site builder that offers many of the features you are looking for (ex. shopping cart, mailing lists, etc.) and uses the point-and-click technology mentioned earlier. That way, it’s easy for you to create an online presence without a huge learning curve and you still have time to focus on the more important aspects of business.

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How to Make Your Own Web Page

Whether it's for business or personal use, it seems like everyone has a web page these days. That may be because it's become so affordable and easy to put a web page together. Web page building is no longer for the "tech geeks". Once upon a time, you had to learn HTML (hyper-text markup language) to build a web page but today you have so many options to create your own website that don't require you to learn complicated coding. You can use a WYSIWG (What You See Is What You Get) editor like Microsoft's FrontPage. This software allows you to write your web page as you would any other document and you can drag and drop images easily. It takes a bit of practice to make things look the way you'd like, but you can also purchase templates to create a professional look and feel.

So, now we know that you don't have to be a technological genius to build a web page -- what else do you need to create your web presence?

Domain: This is the name of your website. You will need to purchase a name that will represent your company or personal web presence. For example: ebay.com is Ebay's domain name.

Web Host: You will also need to find a company that will store your various files on the Internet. This is called a web host. You usually pay them monthly for their service.

Your Next Steps to Building Your Web Page:

WYSIWG software can cost hundreds of dollars and allows you to build web pages that provide basic information to your visitors. If you are looking to have more interactivity and features to your web page like: message board, shopping cart (allows you to securely sell products on your site), mailing list, coupons and other options, you may want to look at a more comprehensive web building service, like the easy site builder at Internet Based Family. You can also purchase your domain there and they will host your pages on the Internet. There is a 10-day free trial to help you ensure it's the right web-building tool for you.

All in all, building a website isn't as complicated as you may have thought previously. All it takes is some point-and-click web building software, a domain name and a web host.