ADHD treatment for adults and children
Davis Attention Mastery Programme:
30 hours, in person or online via zoom
30 hours, in person or online via zoom
When addressing ADD and AD/HD issues we often begin by addressing literacy, as there can be an underlying issue with literacy. If there are no problems with literacy, then we generally complete all the literacy work within a day or so, and in that case the AD/HD can be dealt with in about 5 days. If there are issues with literacy, then it is likely to take 8 days to deal with both literacy and ADHD. If there are maths problems as well, then we might need to add a few days, possibly taking the whole programme to twelve days.
If you wish to explore the Davis solution to your (or your child's) ADD or AD/HD, then the first step would be a Davis Assessment.
See more from our Californian colleague Angela about ADHD here.
Medication
The Davis approach to ADHD is holistic and non-medical, and it is in fact not compatible with most types of AD/HD medication.
If your child is on medication for ADHD, then you would only consider a Davis Attention Mastery programme if you wish for your child to come off the medication. This would need to be done in collaboration with the prescribing medical professional, and the Davis self-management tools will be used instead of the medication.
The medication needs to be stopped at least a week before the programme, and the plan would be to stay off the medication permanently.
It can take a couple of months for the full benefits of the Davis programme to manifest in a permanent change of behaviour (less impulsive, less distracted, more organized), but we generally see some changes immediately within the programme.
The Problem with the Labelling
The labels ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity) describes the negative aspects of the condition - the distractability and how that impedes learning and success in life.
Another way to think of exactly the same set of symptoms, is to say that the person is interested in everything and anything they see, rather than the one thing you want them to be interested in at that time. If you look at it this way, you can see that the person’s high level of curiosity is the main quality - and this quality can be a great asset if managed appropriately.
By addressing the issue of focusing, you can greatly reduce the above problems for people of all ages. Early intervention allows you to just about prevent them altogether.
When we work with this kind of client, we first teach them to focus their attention in a very easy way, and then we start to improve their awareness of when they are focused and when not.
We also begin to show them the different outcome from engaging in a task focused or distracted.
But where we are pretty unique, is in addressing some of the underlying "life skills" issues that are needed for success.
Life Skills Concepts
We have found that certain concepts, which most of us take for granted can be unclear or missing from the mind of an ADD person. These concepts include consequence, time, sequence, and order/disorder.
Confusion in these concepts will show up in the behaviour of the ADD person; they may be constantly late due to confusion about time, or constantly in trouble despite putting in huge effort to the contrary, due to confusion about the concept of consequence and the concept of order/disorder.
They are likely to be just as puzzled as you are as to why constant reminders and experiences of unplanned and undesired outcomes are not sufficient to shift the behaviour.
They may resolve time and time again to change a piece of behaviour, only to find them having "messed up again".
Being someone who loves a person like that, we can generally not make sense of the sweet nature and good intentions of the ADD person, coupled with the often destructive behaviour.
The good news is that this can be systematically dealt with, step by step. The life skills concepts can be mastered through The Davis symbol mastery, resulting in the person starting to apply these principles in their lives, and being able to identify the behaviour which creates the desired outcome.
DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for ADHD
- Symptoms and/or behaviors that have persisted at least for 6 months in at leas 2 settings (e.g., school, home, church).
- Symptoms have negatively impacted academic, social, and/or occupational functioning.
- In patients younger than 17 years, at least 6 symptoms are necessary; in those aged 17 years or over, at least 5 symptoms are necessary.
Inattentive Type Diagnosis Criteria
Displays poor listening skills
Loses and/or misplaces items needed to complete activities or tasks
Sidetracked by external or unimportant stimuli
Forgets daily activities
Diminished attention span
Lacks ability to complete schoolwork and other assignments or to follow
instructionsAvoids or is disinclined to begin homework or activities requiring concentration
Fails to focus on details and/or makes thoughtless mistakes in schoolwork or
assignments
Hyperactive/ Impulsive Type Diagnosis Criteria
Hyperactive Symptoms:
Squirms when seated or fidgets with feet/hands
Marked restlessness that is difficult to control
Appears to be driven by “a motor” or is often “on the go”
Lacks ability to play and engage in leisure activities in a quiet manner
Incapable of staying seated in class
Overly talkative
Impulsive Symptoms:
Difficulty waiting turn
Interrupts or intrudes into conversations and activities of others
Impulsively blurts out answers before questions completed
Additional Requirements for Diagnosis
Symptoms present prior to age 12 years
Symptoms not better accounted for by a different psychiatric disorder (e.g., mood
disorder, anxiety disorder) and do not occur exclusively during a psychotic disorder
(e.g., schizophrenia)Symptoms not exclusively a manifestation of oppositional behavior
Classification
- Predominantly Inattentive Type:
Patient meets inattentive criterion, but not hyperactive/impulse criterion, for the past 6 months
- Predominantly Hyperactive/Impulsive Type:
Patient meets hyperactive/impulse criterion, but not inattentive criterion, for the past 6 months
Symptoms may be classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on symptom severity
- Combined Type:
Patient meets both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive criteria for the past 6 months
The Gift of ADHD
Is Dyslexia and ADHD an asset in sport?
Think of the person you would consider the greatest athlete of all time.
Chances are that this person is on the list below - and most likely dyslexic or ADHD. Two thirds of the athletes on the list have been diagnosed as dyslexic or with ADHD.
The remaining third (the ones who have a question mark next to their label) have all demonstrated some characteristics of ADHD, but not been officially diagnosed.
As an example Lance Armstrong's mother has said that he was a "poster-boy for ADHD" and it might not be far-fetched to expect Usain Bolt - "the fastest man on Earth" to be hyperactive😉
While he has never been formally diagnosed, Dave [former NFL quarterback Dave Krieg], one of the most prolific passers in NFL history, who played for the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears and the Tennessee Oilers, has been told by most of his associates that he must have ADHD.
He clearly exhibits all of the traits, but contrary to current medical opinion, never saw it as a disability. Rather, he feels that ADHD gave him the edge to succeed in a sport where success depends just as much on mental agility as it does on physical ability.
Michael Phelps with 23 Olympic gold medals
(photo: Sports Illustrated)
He’s not alone. Michael Phelps [the most decorated Olympian ever], Terry Bradshaw, Pete Rose, Bruce Jenner, Justin Gatlin, Michael Jordan, Andres Torres, Greg Louganis, Chris Kaman, Cammi Granato… the list goes on.
With so many medal-winning, record-breaking sprinters, swimmers, pro-ballers and Olympians diagnosed with the condition, there should be an ADHD Sports Hall of Fame.
From Forbes Magazine, May 2014
What do business mogul Sir Richard Branson, Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad, and JetBlue founder David Neeleman, have in common? Well, besides being monumentally successful, they all have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and, like other entrepreneurs and CEOs, some will even tell you that they are successful largely because of the “diagnosis”, not in spite of it.