ADHD Inattentive

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An Alternative to Stress Balls for ADHD

Here’s another alternative to using stress balls for ADHD, sent in by a mom who subscribes to our newsletter. “My daughter is in high school and was having trouble sitting and concentrating for the whole hour of class. She was either pulling pages out of her book just so she could get up and walk to the bin to throw it out or would ask to go to the bathroom just so she could go for a walk.
A stress ball is not really appropriate for her to use as other students would grab it and throw it around and the teachers would not be impressed. I have tried the velcro. First I put it inside her pencil case but this didnt really work. I then just gave her a bit she could just hold as it was easier (under the desk didnt work as she is always moving room and they do not have assigned seating). She became reluctant to use this in class as well as the other students kept asking her what she was doing with it.

What I have found is pens and pencils with wobbly bits attached to the top have helped. She has several pens with fluffy hearts or stars, cute animals or figures on top that are on a spring. She can fiddle with these and she says it helps her concentrate. She now no longer has to keep going to the bathroom and we are saving heaps of paper!”

This is a great idea – and it would make a great stocking stuffer! Here’s an example I found of some cool Fidget Pencil Toppers.

pencil topper fidgets


Paying Attention is a Balancing Act

balancing cushion for adhdIn their quest to pay attention, ADHD kids are often fidgety. They have all those annoying habits, like tapping their pencil, chewing on their pigtails, shaking their leg, picking at scabs, or doodling. One of our boys’ teachers combatted his fidgets by simply letting him stand up. Other teachers have found the benefit of letting kids sit on a cushion, or even on one of those ball chairs.

I read an article this morning in the Star Tribune about a middle school classroom that is completely outfitted with these bouncy chairs. I know that they are useful for schools (and offices), but have any of you ever tried them in the home setting?balance ball chair for adhd

Books for Adults with ADHD

books about adhdHere are some great books for Adults with ADHD. Ask for them on your Christmas list!

ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life – A good response to the needs of adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It deals directly and exclusively with the greatest challenge that adults with ADHD face: the problem of disorganization.

Moms with ADD: A Self-Help Manual – Chapters on juggling, dealing with school, work, and holidays. Some really good ideas are presented, but even with all the strategies included, I found this book hard to read. It seems to try a bit to hard.

Out of the Fog: Treatment Options and Coping Strategies for Adult Attention Deficit Disorders – This is an informative first read for adults who have – or suspect they have – ADHD.

Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD: Beyond Piles, Palms, & Post-its – Just the title of this book is an enticement to read. The author touts her book by saying, “Many AD/HD adults have lived for years in shame, depressed that they can’t do what for others seem to be such simple things. This book fills the void by offering concrete solutions to daily problems, submitted by AD/HD women for AD/HD women.” Amen. A wonderful book with hundreds of ways to help. Like, leave the door open to your microwave when you’re not using it so you’ll remember to take what is in it out. (Who’s been there?!) I also love all the Beatles references in the book…

Chapter samples:
Strawberry Fields: Meals and Entertaining
We Can Work it Out: Relationships and Social Skills
Come Together: Parenting and Family
Taxman: Managing Finances
I’ve Just Seen a Face (But I Can’t for the Life of Me Remember the Name): Memory Tips
Revolution: Technology

ADHD Books Make Great Christmas Gifts

Don’t look now, but Christmas is just around the corner! With that in mind, here are the top ten ADHD books, all perfectly sized to go into that Christmas stocking!

A Mind at a Time – Dr. Mel Levine describes how each child learns differently by defining eight mind systems. He then gives solutions for when things go awry. The book has a lot more information on inattention than most books about ADD/ADHD.

Driven To Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood. Written by two doctors with ADHD, this book is primarily about adult ADHD. Still, it provides good insight into the disorder, as well as ways for parents to help their child. And, by the same authors…

Delivered from Distraction – Maximize possibilities. Play on strengths. Surround yourself with those who will support you and recognize your unique gifts. This book is full of advise that will help you as you help your child to get “the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder”

How To Reach And Teach Children with ADD/ADHD – This book advertises that it will give practical techniques, strategies, and interventions. And it delivers. I have referred to this book many, many times in dealing with my boys, and in working with children with – or without – attention problems. This is a must for every ADHD bookshelf.

Keeping a Head in School: A Student’s Book About Learning Abilities and Learning Disorders – Written for students, this easy to read book helps kids understand how to handle their learning differences. Students will come refer to this manual again and again as they get older.

Learning Outside The Lines: Two Ivy League Students With Learning Disabilities And ADHD Give You The Tools For Academic Success and Educational Revolution – I love this book. Full of great stories, great study strategy, and great wisdom. Go to Amazon and read the excerpts they give. (And then you can buy it used for about $4!)

Learning To Slow Down & Pay Attention: A Book for Kids About Adhd – Teaches kids ways to relax, remember things, focus, finish homework and a lot more. A very straightforward and encouraging approach to teaching kids about their ADHD.

Problem Solver Guide for Students with ADHD: Ready-to-Use Interventions for Elementary and Secondary Students – This is one of the few books with a section devoted to ADHD Inattentive. It has a lot of great information, but is a little text-booky in the delivery.

The Myth of Laziness talks about children who “somehow, somewhere lose momentum; in the pursuit of accomplishment they fail to produce; they stall out. And often they face accusations of laziness…They are not lazy; they have output failure.” The book introduces seven children as Dr. Levine helps them to understand and cope with their learning differences. One of the chapters takes an in-depth look into dysgraphia. This was the first of Mel Levine’s books that I read. Excellent reading.

The Survival Guide for Kids With ADD or ADHD – My favorite quote from this book is, “It’s like I have ten TV channels in my head and I don’t know which one to watch.” Written in a style appealing to elementary kids, this is a great book. It talks about problems at home, at school, with friends, and with emotions. Activities help a child track progress.

Staying on Task


Staying on task is HARD. Trying to write this, I keep getting distracted, and I don’t have ADHD. To help bring attention back to the task at hand, our family LOVES this little gadget, a 3-in-1 Timer. It flashes, buzzes and/or beeps at regular intervals to simply remind you – or your kids – of what you are supposed to be doing. You program it with the frequency you need, and it does the rest. Our guys used to fight over this thing. Of course, there are many variations on the theme. There are lots of cool gadgets – medication reminders, watches, alarms, you name it! Check out our new page on reminder clocks here.

Reminder Watches

adhd watches

“Pay attention.”     “Go to the bathroom.”
“Get a drink of water.”     “Eat.”
“Take your meds.”    “Pay attention.”     “Move to the next problem.”

Hearing the nagging voice of a teacher or a parent all day long is enough to drive anyone to distraction. Thankfully, there are products on the market that can alarm, buzz, vibrate, and/or blink, reminding our child to do what he or she is supposed to do. Our boys fought over our timer. And boy did it help them stay on task, especially when they were cleaning their room! Timers for ADHD are invaluable. But what about when your kid is on the move?

There are all sorts of reminder devices, and you may want to try – and use – a couple of different kinds. We really like watches that are designed for ADHD kids, like the WobL one pictured above.

ADHD/ADD Watches

When choosing an ADHD watch, keep in mind the following questions:

    • Will this embarrass my child? Does it have a silent vibrator? Is it ugly, or obviously a ‘medical’ device?
    • Is the alarm noticeable enough? Is it loud or bright? Does it last long enough?
    • Can the alarm sounds be varied?
    • How easily can the device be programmed?
    • Can you set the alarm to sound a different intervals?
    • How portable is the device?
    • Does it have a countdown or stopwatch feature?
    • Can you record a voice on it?