I wanted to share with you an inspiring perspective I recently encountered in the pages of “Scattered Minds” by Dr. Gabor Maté. Dr. Maté paints a picture of ADHD as not just a disorder, but a different way of experiencing the world—one that is characterized by heightened creativity, intuition, and sensitivity to the environment, all traits of right-brain thinkers.
I’m excited to share something really cool that changed how I see ADHD and how our brains work, especially the creative side! Let’s chat about “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel van der Kolk. It’s not just a book about ADHD; it’s like a map guiding us through how our brains handle tough stuff and how this connects to ADHD and our right-brain way of thinking.
I’ve compiled a list of things that utilize our right brain skills. Try a few to give your right brain a workout.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for kids headed into the classroom. As parents, we want to feed our kids well, but we’re being flooded with a lot of mixed messages about what’s good.
Kids with an ADD diagnosis can benefit so much from the strategies we use with visual learners because most are visual, right brain thinkers struggling to focus their big picture thinking enough to get their work done at school. ADDitude magazine agrees with me and I got published in their spring edition!
As parents and grandparents, we want to provide our children the best start to their lives as possible. When your child is struggling at school, you want to find an answer to how to help them succeed. In my book, Being Visual, I talk about the importance of understanding each child’s learning style and how it affects the school experience.
I did it. I bought a weighted blanket. I liked it so much, I bought three weighted blankets. I had read about the benefits of weighted blankets for so long but never acted, so finally, I took the plunge.
Two weeks off school. Off schedules. Off homework. Off routines. Maybe even a few extra days off work for mom and dad. Sounds so good. Until reality sets in. 12 days of kids at home. No school. No schedules. No homework. No routines. YIKES!! If you or your child have ADD – double YIKES!!!
Holiday break can test the patience of any parent, especially if you live somewhere cold and get stuck inside. If you have a child with ADHD, the laid-back structure and inability to run off energy is a recipe for disaster. The key to your survival is have things to do at home with plans to get out of the house mixed in.
Every parent has experienced the frustration of trying to get their kid to listen and do what needs to be done. But when it’s a visual learner or kid with ADD, there are even more challenges. There’s a lot going on in their head, ALL the time.
