Check out this video from ABC news about how schools from 18 states are beginning to use stand up desks. While they comment on the benefit to children in general for managing weight they also notice how it also helps restless children. Most important is to see how the the moving foot rests are being used by almost every child. This is a great example of how “Fidget to Focus is coming to the classroom!Stand up desks in school!
The same information was published on 2/25/09 in the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/us/25desks.html?emc=eta1
Let us know your thoughts!
“Doctor Radio” is a talk show on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 114 www.Sirius.com/doctorradio
The program is live, runs for 1/2 hour and discusses many aspects of Adults with ADHD and Fidget to Focus in particular. It runs from 9:30 am to 10:00 am EST tomorrow, Wednesday morning Oct. 1. Listen in if you get a chance.
http://www.med.nyu.edu/psych/assets/adhdscreen18.pdf
This is a letter we received from email:
Hello Dr. Rotz,
My 5-year-old son was diagnosed with AD/HD earlier this year. He started Kindergarten this fall and immediately began to have his usual problem of concentrating for any “normal” length of time. When he cannot focus, he tends to distract the other children and misbehave. At home, he has to have something in his hands (usually a small toy of some sort) to focus on a task. His teacher thought that maybe if she had something in class he could hold onto or do, he would concentrate better there. While doing research to find something suitable and less distracting to him and the other children (he tends to start playing with small toys after a while), I came across the book you co-authored with Ms. Wright. Unless I overlooked it on your site, I didn’t see if the strategies in your book included children. I would like to buy the book but I need to know if the information is only tailored toward adults. Also, if adults are the target audience, could the techniques possibly be modified to work with children?
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Mother
This was our response:
The book really does address the complexity of ADHD from child to adult. Many of the strategies are directed toward children, while the overriding theme focuses on all ages. I recently presented on Fidget to Focus in the Classroom. The powerpoint from that presentation is available here: fidget-to-focus-in-the-classroom1
My hope is that these strategies help you and many others who are struggling to find effective tools for assisting their children in the classroom.
We’re excited! The Fall 2008 issue of ADDitude features an article we wrote called “Focus Factors: A little Fidgeting May Help ADHD Adults and Children Stay on Task”. My copy arrived in the mail today. The article starts on page 44. They included some good illustrative photos and I think it looks great. We also have a beautiful ad on page 74. Let us know what you think!
If you are not an ADDitude magazine subscriber, you can read the article online.
If you want to subscribe to ADDitude and read the Fall 2008 issue of ADDitude in full, SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Another diversion that can either get you going again, or suck you in for hours. It is amazing how hard it is to get faster at this, and the research is fascinating:
http://health.ivillage.com/multimedia/0,,90r57fvc,00.html
From the website:
Psychological research has shown that daily stress and feelings of insecurity are in large part due to the anxiety of wanting to be liked, accepted and respected by one’s peers and significant others.
Fear of rejection can make us overlook positive signals from others and only see signs of disapproval. This inclination, or MindHabit, to zero in on the negative, heightens our feelings of insecurity and anxiety – making daily interactions increasingly and more frequently stressful. MindHabits Booster teaches individuals to ignore hostile information by finding the friendly face in a crowd of frowning people. The game allows players to practice downplaying rejection in and non-threatening environment. This software demonstrates the game, for entertainment and educational purposes.
Although the research conducted on this topic thus far is promising, we can make absolutely no claims about the effectiveness of these games for helping any particular individual deal with any particular issue or problem. For treatment of psychological problems, please consult a qualified mental health professional.
This book taught me that fidgeting is a good thing and procrastinating is the norm!
– Dina Zalisky (from Amazon.com review)
I not only learned new techniques for managing and coping with ADD but I learned much more about the condition itself. All the information was clearly and easily presented. Although I was reading this for a family member diagnosed with ADD, I found many of the ideas helpful to me as well. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.
– Paige Parker (from Amazon.com review)
I read this book very quickly, because the book is short but engaging and make an awful lot of sense if you have ADHD and you have hyperactivity.
Basically, this book gives you examples of how to capitalize on how an ADHD brain works rather than focusing on correcting what doesn’t work. It’s perfect for creative people such as musicians, painters, etc, but it can work for anybody being hyperactive.
At the end of the book, there is a list of resources and websites, and also an appendix that help you find out which strategies have worked best for you in the past and pair them to the tasks you still can’t follow through on.
I’ve implemented many of these strategies and I can honestly say that this book is changing my life.
– Rosanna Tarsiero (from Amazon.com review)
Woman’s World magazine wrote about a Fidget to Focus devotee in their March 3, 2008 issue:
Ever have trouble concentrating? Susan Blake did too–all the time. And when she was finally diagnosed with ADD, medication didn’t work magic. But something else did…
The article goes on to talk about her struggles and how Fidget to Focus showed her the way to an answer. The article concludes:
“I always thought something was wrong with me,” Susan says today. “But all that fidgeting wasn’t a problem–it was the solution!”
It’s a great article and I wish we could direct you to a copy of it online. But Women’s World magazine doesn’t go there. Thanks, Susan, for being such a great advocate for what works!
An article we wrote called The Up Side of Wiggling was featured in the September 2007 issue of the New Jersey Family Magazine. It was just published online. You can read it here.
