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If you are attending college, you probably don’t realize that just a few short years ago gambling was not part of everyday American life.  Today gambling is as common as alcohol in college life.  There are gambling opportunities everywhere:   Vegas vacations targeting the spring break crowd, state-run lottery tickets at every corner store, Native-run casinos just up the road, slot games can be joined from every computer, and dorm room card games are a Friday night ritual.

Gambling isn’t that big a deal, right?

Wrong!  Most people don’t think of gambling as being that much of a problem, so it gets little attention.  But did you know that nearly 10% of college students qualify as problem gamblers?  That’s a higher number than for adults!

Think you don’t know anyone with a gambling problem, think again.  Statistics show that at least 1 person sitting around the 10 person table at your seminar has a gambling problem or 30 people in that lecture hall are spending too much money on gaming.

ADHD and Gambling:  a bad combination

Students with ADHD are especially at risk for developing a gambling addiction. In fact ADHD students have an even higher rate of problem gambling than other college students – as many as 19% (nearly 1 in 5) college students with ADHD have a problem with gambling.

Researchers are still teasing out why this is the case.  But if you have lived with ADHD it’s pretty easy to make the connection between problem gambling and ADHD.  Impulse control is a hallmark of ADHD, and impulse control is a hallmark of addiction.  Gambling is also exciting and can feed the ADHD brain’s craving for stimulus and excitement.

Researchers have found that there are strong associations between ADHD and addictive behavior, including substance abuse, alcoholism, and nicotine dependence.

Do you have a gambling problem?

The National Council on Problem Gambling offers this checklist:

10  Questions About Gambling Behavior

1. You have often gambled longer than you had planned.
2. You have often gambled until your last dollar was gone.
3. Thoughts of gambling have caused you to lose sleep.
4. You have used your income or savings to gamble while letting bills go unpaid.
5. You have made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling.
6. You have broken the law or considered breaking the law to finance your gambling.
7. You have borrowed money to finance your gambling.
8. You have felt depressed or suicidal because of your gambling losses.
9. You have been remorseful after gambling.
10. You have gambled to get money to meet your financial obligations.

If you or someone you know answers “Yes” to any of these questions, consider seeking assistance from a professional regarding this gambling behavior by calling the National Problem Gambling HelpLine Network (800.522.4700) toll free and confidential throughout the U.S.

Facts sited in this post are primarily drawn from these two excellent research reports on ADHD and college gambling:

http://www.camh.net/egambling/issue2/clinic/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775442/

Last August, Edge interviewed Dr. Patricia Quinn regarding her work with girls and ADHD.  Dr. Quinn, an Edge Foundation board member, has published four books about the special ADHD challenges that women and girls face that are different men and boys.  Some of those challenges include:

• Under diagnosis due to symptoms that don’t echo the male standard for ADHD
• Hyperactivity presenting as talkativeness and emotional behavior instead of the classic “propelled by a motor.”
• Greater disorganization, depression and anxiety than boys.

This fall Dr. Quinn will publish a new book, 100 Questions and Answers about ADHD in Women and Girls.  We thought this would be a good time to ask her a few questions of our own.

Edge: Is there anything about the challenges ADHD girls and women face that has emerged for you since our last interview?

Dr. Quinn: I think we have seen more in the way of confirming the development of eating disorders in girls with ADHD.

Edge: What, if anything, is unique about diagnosing ADHD girls with eating disorders than is different from other girls?

Dr. Quinn: Well first, the symptom of impulsivity seems to be a significant factor in the development of eating disorders in girls with ADHD. Poor self-esteem may also play a role, but one does not see the impaired body image seen in girls with eating disorders in general.  Girls with ADHD may binge and develop bulimia, but not because of a desire for thinness, but rather because of mindless or impulsive eating. Women with ADHD often report that they eat to feel better or for stimulation.

Edge: What should parents do when they suspect their daughter with ADHD has an eating disorder?

Dr. Quinn: Parents of these girls should pursue a complete assessment with an eating disorder specialist trained to realize that ADHD may be part of the picture. Girls will need to be treated for their ADHD symptoms (inattention and impulsivity) in order to be able to follow a program to address their disordered eating. Stimulants not only treat the symptoms of ADHD, but, according to some experts, may actually decrease the urge to binge.

Edge: Is there anything else you want people to know about girls and ADHD?

Dr. Quinn: Girls tend to suffer silently for many years, and as a result develop poor self-esteem early on. In addition, many develop anxiety because of their untreated ADHD symptoms. Their symptoms seem to sneak up and ambush them and they worry that this will happen again. So, they get anxious or develop compensatory strategies. They may worry and begin checking to see if they have a test they have forgotten about, or a book they forgot to bring home from school.

They can even develop obsessive compulsive personality disorders where they try to control one aspect of their life to the exclusion of others.  I have seen girls with ADHD become perfectionists to compensate for their symptoms. They spend a great amount of time and energy trying to compensate until it all gets too much for them and they get depressed or just give up.  It is, therefore, important to treat ADHD in girls even if they seem to be doing well academically and holding it all together because they may be doing so at a great cost.

I also want to send the overall message that the disorder does not remit but continues to cause significant problems and functional impairments particularly in girls with the inattentive type ADD.

Edge: What would you say, then to parents who are hoping their daughter will just “outgrow it?”

Dr. Quinn: ADHD is a chronic, life-long disorder. Symptoms may be less impairing as we learn to live with them and develop strategies and a life style to better cope. However, girls who demonstrate the most success are those that have adopted a multi-pronged approach to treating the disorder including, medication, therapy and appropriate treatment goals early on. ADHD coaching, like the Edge Foundation offers, can be an important component in learning compensatory strategies and behaviors.  Girls who as adolescents continue to have significant functional impairments are those who are usually not taking medication even though they have briefly made use of other services in and outside of school. These, however, may not be enough.

Edge: What are some of the most common questions you are asked about women and girls who have ADHD?

DR. Quinn: I am constantly asked why girls and women aren’t diagnosed as early as boys. I think this is because girls are not identified by teachers or others. Often teachers are comparing girls’ behaviors to those of boys rather than the performance of other girls. Mothers may be more likely to compare their daughter’s behavior to that of other girls thus may be more reliable at referring their daughters for an evaluation.  Girls are less disruptive and don’t call attention to themselves, so they don’t get referred. In addition girls and women work hard to compensate for their symptoms and to not let others know the problems that they are having.

Edge: Do women’s hormones have any impact on how medication levels need to be prescribed over time? For instance, does going through puberty or menopause mean medication levels need to be adjusted during those periods?

Dr. Quinn: When hormone levels decrease in menopause many women report that their ADHD symptoms increase and that their medications don’t seem to be as effective as previously.  It is often necessary to increase the dose of medications at this time. In addition, I find that during puberty symptoms often worsen in girls with ADHD. A medication dose that worked previously may no longer be effective during this time.

Edge: You’ve been a long-standing champion for women and girls who have ADHD, do you see the rest of the medical profession catching up in awareness or is there still a lot of ground to cover until females with ADHD receive equal medical treatment?

Dr. Quinn: I think that overall the medical profession is doing a better job at recognizing and treating girls with ADHD.  The problem seems to be with educating teachers and school systems about the disorder in females.

Readers:  Do you have a question about ADHD in girls?  Let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.

Dear Coach:

I know that my son would really benefit from a coach. (He certainly doesn’t want to hear me carping at him anymore!) Yet when I bring up the subject, he completely shuts down. How can I get him to agree to working with a coach?

Sincerely,  Denise W.

Dear Denise,

As you are well aware, parenting teens and young adults is a tough balancing act between providing support and letting your child succeed (or fail) on their own. We strongly encourage the student to be involved with all conversations with our coaches from the beginning. The more you, as parent, speak with the coach without the student involved, the less your child will want to talk to the coach. That’s why most coaches require that parents and their kids meet together with the coach during the first conference call so the student doesn’t feel railroaded into the idea of coaching.

It’s also helpful for the student (and you) to understand what an ADHD coach does. Often students think an ADHD coach is just one more person that will nag them about school, their room, etc. This is far from the case. A coach address whatever the student (not you) thinks is important. This could mean making friends or getting on a sports team are priorities for your son, where your priority is getting his grade up. In this example, we’d be working on helping him with his priorities: friends and sports. And, of course, as a student builds trust with his coach, other life issues – like grades – will inevitably come up and be addressed.

And, of course, everything that a coach talks about with your child will be confidential. It can be hard to let go as a parent, but it can really help your son relax about getting coaching to know that he sets the agenda and sessions are private.

Of course, there are always kids that just don’t want any help. In those situations you will need to determine what influence you have over your child’s behavior. Are they still living at home? Are you paying for their education? If you believe coaching is the best course of action for your child, you can set a clear expectation that he needs to participate. AND outline clear consequences if he doesn’t. Dr. Phil may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but his article on Parenting with Purpose may give you a good starting place for thinking about setting expectations for your child.

You can always set up a no-obligation introductory conversation between Edge and your son. Just fill out the contact form using the link below and we’ll get right back to you. Good luck!

Yes! Send me more information about working with an Edge ADHD coach!

Do you have a question for the Edge coach? Leave it in the comments or send it in an email to info@edgefoundation.org.

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone. That means summer is here, right? For most students, summer means a welcome change of routine. Summer vacation. Summer job. Summer fun! If you’ve been working hard on putting good habits in place to help you cope with your ADHD, don’t let summer fun push those good habits to the wayside.

Get organized. Use your summer down time to your advantage. Down time can be a great time to get organized. Get rid of the clutter in your life. Go through your desk, closet or dresser drawers and give away or toss those things you no longer need or use.

Stick to your sleep schedule. It’s easy to get swept away on long summer’s nights and go to bed later and later. But people with ADHD need to protect their sleep habits more than others. Feel free to move your bedtime a bit later if you can sleep in later as well. But pick a bedtime and stick to it. Your body will be better off and you’ll be less stressed because of it. Plus, it won’t be so hard to get BACK into a routine once school restarts in the fall.

Do you use a journal to learn about yourself and your ADHD? Many coaches have their students use journals to help them keep on top of their lives. If that works for you, don’t stop journaling in the summer. Keeping your writing muscle strong will mean that you don’t have to retrain yourself in this hard-earned self-discipline in the fall.

Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. When going away on vacation it can be hard to keep up your exercise routine. Be sure to pack your gear even if you think you won’t use it. Be open to trying new things. Perhaps you can start riding longer bike rides or swim down at the pond. Summer can be a good time to experiment with new ways to work out. But the key here is to do something!

Do you know other ways to not let your good habits slip away over the summer? Tell us in the comments.

School’s almost out. Everyone has summer on their minds. But have you spent any time thinking ahead to next year’s classes? How about the year after that?

The end of the school year is a good time to look ahead and think about how you want your year ahead to go. Taking a little time now to plan ahead can lead to less stress, better grades and more success in school.

Pause for reflection. Many people with ADHD tend to spend more time looking ahead than reflecting on the past. But taking a minute to think about what worked well, and what didn’t go so well, can help you build on successes and avoid repeating past mistakes. Pretend its January 1st. What are your resolutions for things to do differently next year? What are things you want to build on? Write yourself a note and send it to yourself to arrive on September 1. (43things.com is a great tool for sending yourself reminders about future goals.)

It’s all about balance. Think about what classes you need to take to graduate? Which subjects do you love? Which ones do you struggle with? Think about the type of work required for each class and balance the type of classes out over the year. For example, don’t take more than two classes each term that requires heavy memorization.

Optimize productivity. When selecting classes, think about when you are most productive. When do you listen best? When are you able to knuckle down and study? Now plan your class work and study time to fall during these high productivity periods. For example, if you are a morning person, consider allowing a block of time between two morning classes to get a quick burst of studying in at the start of your day.  Thinking about and planning for a “productivity window” can help and ADHD student move from struggling to success.

Establish good habits now. Do you have a regular exercise routine? If you don’t, start one now. Research has shown that regular exercise helps reduce ADHD symptoms. If you integrate exercise into your daily routine now, it will be easier to keep going in the fall.

Start researching your future teachers now. Talk to your friends and find out about the teaching style of different teachers and professors. Which ones are rigid and which ones may be more accommodating of your style. Consider talking to teachers before you sign up for their classes about their expectations. Better to know in advance that 50% of your grade will be dependent on completing daily homework assignments, don’t you think?

Lighten the load. Consider taking classes over a five year period instead of trying to push through college in 4. Take one or two classes during the summers so you can focus on the tough classes with fewer distractions during the school year. If you are in high school, talk to your guidance counselor and see if a home school option for summer study is available to you, too.

Find an ADHD coach. A coach works with you over time to develop better planning and self-management skills; skills that will help you manage your time and your things so you’re on top of your work and the rest of your life and not overwhelmed or behind. You can begin working with a coach over the summer, so you have good organizational systems in place when fall rolls around.

So as this school year draws to an end, take time to reflect and plan ahead. Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, think School Year’s Resolutions!

What are your School Year Resolutions? We hope you’ll share them in the comments.

We also hope you find these related ADHD coaching articles useful:

Treating ADHD with exercise

Getting the most out of 504 & IEP meetings

ADHD coach vs. academic tutor

Plan ahead so you don’t crash and burn in the fall

Editor’s Note: As you most likely know, Edge Foundation coaches have all completed Edge’s rigorous training for coaches working with students and young adults with ADHD.  We are very proud that Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, adolescent coaching expert, has been instrumental in developing our coach training and mentoring program.  She’s publishing a new book in June, Empowering Youth with ADHD:  Your Guide to Coaching Adolescents and Young Adults for Coaches, Parents and Professionals, and we chatted with her a bit about what you can expect to find inside.

Edge:  You’ve been instrumental at Edge Foundation in designing our ADHD youth coaching training program.  How did training and mentoring the Edge coaches shape your point of view as an author?

Sleeper-Triplett:  My work with the Edge Foundation gave me a fresh perspective on my work and insight into the questions that coaches, clients and parents have about ADHD, the coaching process, and strategies for success.  Each time I was asked a question during my work with Edge, I took notes and used those queries to formulate the information shared in the book.

Edge:  High school and college is a time that most children draw away from their parents or even outright rebel.  How will parents benefit from reading this book?

Sleeper-Triplett:  Parents will learn how a coach can be a great partner for high school and college-aged children.  Coaching allows parents to step back from the day-to-day routine and nagging and allows the young person to be more independent.

Edge:  Over the years were there common questions you’ve fielded from parents about coaching?

Sleeper-Triplett:  Parents need a deeper understanding the coaching process.  They need better insight into what their role is in the coaching process.  They want to explore how boundaries are established within the coaching relationship.  And they want to understand what makes a coach qualified to work with young people with ADHD.

Edge: And how do you respond to parents who are skeptical that coaching won’t make a difference for their students?

Sleeper-Triplett: It’s important for parents to understand that coaching is different from other services, especially therapy.  Many parents have struggled with their ADHD adolescent over time management, organization, and self-advocacy and social skills.  These are all areas addressed in coaching in a non-judgmental manner, allowing young people to feel more confident and ready to stretch themselves to a new level of success.  Not everyone is cut out to benefit from coaching.  So the book also includes a information about how prescreening is used by coaches to ensure a person is ready for coaching before they sign up and invest in the process.

Edge: Writing a book is a huge undertaking of time and energy.  What inspired you?

Sleeper-Triplett:  My clients and coach trainees are my inspiration.  Watching the positive changes that coaching can have on young people and helping coaches to learn new skills is really motivating to me.  I have been encouraged and supported by coaches, therapists, educators and friends to put my work on the page.  Once I committed to doing it there was no turning back for me.

Note:  Empowering Youth with ADHD:  Your Guide to Coaching Adolescents and Young Adults for Coaches, Parents and Professionals will be available in September, however, preordering is now available at Amazon.com.

Click here for more books on ADHD.

The end of the school year is right around the corner. This is a time of year that many student’s IEP or 504 meetings are scheduled. Before you head into your meeting, take a few minutes to plan out your meeting time so you can use your time wisely.

Outcome: Be clear with yourself what you are hoping the meeting will accomplish. Understand your child’s needs and develop a plan to see that they are met. The clearer you can be with yourself, the more likely you are to be able to communicate your objectives effectively.

Participants: Ask who will be attending the meeting. You have the right to ask for your child’s special education, homeroom or other teacher who knows your child well to participate in the meeting. At many schools the principal also attends these meetings.

Assessments: Ask , in writing, to see your child’s recent assessments ahead of the meeting — especially if the meeting is the three-year service review. If you don’t understand what the scores mean, be sure to schedule time to discuss them with the school, or if you have had your own evaluation, discuss them with your evaluator.

Agenda: While the special educator is under pressure to get your signature at the end of the meeting, you don’t have to give into that pressure. If you need more time to discuss things, don’t let a 15 minute meeting cut off valuable discussion time. Be sure to request a long enough meeting time if you know you will have concerns coming into the meeting.

Support: You have the right to bring other people to a meeting with you such as an advocate, psychologist or evaluator. But be advised, bringing a lawyer to the meeting can set up a hostile dynamic and can be counterproductive to achieving a good outcome. That being said, you still may want to consider bringing (or consulting with in advance) any outside experts (such as psychologists, speech language/PT/OT therapists, etc) to support you and give you perspective, or have them available by phone if necessary.

Follow-up: Always follow up the meeting with a detailed letter summarizing what was said and by whom. Indicate what you agree with and what you disagree with and why. Be thorough and assertive, but also diplomatic. It is important to preserve your position by creating a paper trail. You may always request additional meetings at any point in the year. Some families find that quarterly meetings are a good way to stay on top of issues before time passes.

Virtual schools are on the rise. What was once seen as a second rate degree, a virtual diploma has become far more common place and acceptable a means of education. Virtual schools have even been lauded for lowing dropout rates among at-risk youth. In fact, a study by the US Department of Education even showed that on-line learning can be even more effective than classroom instruction for some groups of students.

Virtual School Advantages

If you have ADHD, an online school may be an option to consider.

• If you are a few credits short at graduation or you’ve been considering dropping out of high school, on-line education can be a way to get a fresh start, complete your high school credits and graduate.
• An on-line school is also a way to start college without leaving the support structure of home. Many times students take a year or so of community college before going away from home to a college or university. You may want to consider a virtual school in this situation if your local community college doesn’t offer the subjects you are interested.
• In all cases, be sure to check on the accreditation of the school you are considering. And, if you are thinking of transferring the credits you earned to another college in a year or so, be sure to check with that school to find out how many of the credits will transfer.

Virtual School Pitfalls

Virtual school sounds pretty great, huh? Set your own pace. Perhaps there’s even no set class time to show up for – so you are never late. No commute time. Study without ever having to get dressed. All these conveniences can also have a flip side – no accountability. YOU are responsible for showing up. YOU are responsible for keeping yourself on track. YOU are responsible for staying focused on your school work instead of surfing the web. It’s just as easy to fall behind in a virtual school as a traditional one if you don’t manage your time well.  So, just as many have found that working at home can require more self discipline than they expected, you want to think carefully if virtual class work is for you.

• Many students find that they have to go to the library to force themselves to focus on their studies. Where will you go when it’s time to sit down and learn?
• Do you have the ability to organize your time to get everything done you need to accomplish during the day? If you already have trouble getting yourself organized or being places on time, the less structured format of on-line education may not work for you.
• On-line schools may or may not be able to accommodate your 504 plan.

An ADHD Coach can help

• An ADHD coach can be a helpful partner for on-line learning. A coach can help you assess your strengths and work with them – instead of against them.
• You can work with your coach to figure out what type of learning environment is best for you. A coach can help you learn organizational skills that will keep you on track, plus have the added bonus of serving you well throughout your life.
• If an on-line school is right for you, a coach can help you stay accountable and moving ahead with your studies. (Side bonus, keeping Mom and Dad off of your back!)

Have you tried on-line learning? What have you discovered worked for you? Please let us know.
And while you are here, check out these related articles you might be helpful:
Live at home student responsibilities
Resiliency and ADHD success
ADHD College Survival Guide

Dear Coach:
My memory sucks! I’m only 21 and feel like an old person. If I need to go into a room for something, by the time I get to that room I have forgotten what it was I went in there for. I’m constantly repeating myself in conversations because I forget what I’ve already told people. Leaving notes for myself just doesn’t cut it. Is there anything that can help people like me?

Signed,  Forgetful

Dear Forgetful,
Memory problems and ADHD often go hand-in-hand. So please know you aren’t alone in your forgetfulness. There are, of course, lots of different things that you can do to cope with this type of challenge: writing notes on sticky pads or leaving yourself a message on your cell phone are two options. They key is to experiment with different reminder methods to figure out which works for you and why. For some people jotting down downs of notes solves the problem. But for people who are not visuallearners, that is learning primarily using their sense of sight, it doesn’t work so well. A person with an auditory learning style may need to hear the reminder (thus the phone message suggestion). And the string tied around your finger was a memory tool custom made for kinesthetic learners.

A skilled coach can help you learn about yourself, help you understand your strengths, and work with you to develop coping skills to compensate for your weaknesses. Edge coaches will not just recommend coping mechanisms but help you understand why some will work for you and why others may not. They will help you tap into your unique talents and help you to sharpen your edge.

ADHD and Learning Styles

For more information about how to use your learning style to your advantage when getting organized, check out:
http://www.edgefoundation.org/blog/2009/12/21/getting-organized-learning-what-works/

If you’d like to discover more about your learning style, you can take a quick assessment here:

http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

Another quick assesment can be found here: 

http://www.agelesslearner.com/assess/learningstyle.html

For an interesting list of learning tools targeted towards each learning style (warning, this could be a time waster; there’s so much to click on!):

http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/06/10/100-helpful-web-tools-for-every-kind-of-learner/

Do you have a question to ask our ADHD Coach? Please leave it in the comments.

If you or your child has ADHD and is starting to think about finding a college to attend, you’ve probably been Googling “ADHD friendly colleges” and “ADHD college programs” hoping to find the perfect program for your needs. You already know a host of factors such as cost, size and location are important ways that all potential applicants judge a school. This post outlines five of factors you can use to help you evaluate if your potential schools will be a good fit for ADHD.

1. Research the disability program at the school thoroughly

It is important to know what percentage of students with disabilities attend the school and how active and approachable the disability office is.

a. Ask about counseling, mentoring and advocacy programs.
b. Find out what services the office provides in general before seeking your own specific accommodations. For example, many colleges have programs where note takers or written outlines are available through the disability office.

2. What types of counseling and support groups are available on campus?

This might be important to supplement the care providers that you are currently dealing with at home. In many cases, on campus counseling can act as a liaison between your mental health care provider and the disability office or administration.

3. Research curriculum flexibility

Many schools offer students a choice of papers versus exams or some type of hybrid. This is important if you have a specific strength or weakness in one form of evaluation or another. Additionally, you should research the flexibility of spreading course requirements over longer periods of time to reduce stress and maximize your grade point average.

4. Research the importance of your ADHD documentation

Find out how the school will acknowledge and rely upon your previous Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan in understanding your special needs.

a. Have a working knowledge of your diagnosis and your particular needs and have a game plan going in.

b. Make sure you continue to have access to your academic and disciplinary records. (see What you need to know about ADHD and your legal rights when you turn 18 for a detailed discussion of how your rights change once you become 18).

5/5/10 Update: As pointed out in the comments, documentation at the college level often means a psychoeducational evaluation or information from a physician detailing the specific academic impact of the ADHD.  Be sure to  research the documentation requirements of the colleges you are considering.  Your high school can be a resource to help you obtain an updated psychoeducational evaluation.

5. Don’t make the transition alone

Find a coach that is specially trained to understand the specific manifestations of your ADHD and help you learn to advocate for yourself and to maximize your strengths and navigate around your weaknesses.  Edge Foundation specializes in matching high school and college students with specially trained coaches who provide support, structure and accountability to bridge the difficult transition to college that is particularly difficult for those with ADHD.

Other ADHD & College Resources:

Visit http://www.edgefoundation.org/schools/adhd-friendly-colleges/ for a free College Survival White Paper.
Plan now so you don’t crash and burn in the fall