For Young Writers

1. ​You just bought a video game that lets you create characters that will become real people. Describe the person that you will create.
2. You just bought a self-driving car. Where is the first place you will go?
3. What would it be like to have 10 brothers and sisters?
4. Write down 3 things that really bother you.
5. Write a story pretending you are invisible.

For Mature Writers

1. ​"Mindset is what separates the best from the rest." Thoughts?
2. What did I learn today?
3. I am proud of myself professionally because...
4. What's one of your personality traits that you're grateful for?
5. How are you able to help others?

I often get questions about adult ADHD. These questions come from two directions. Parents who are concerned about the futures of their children who are exhibiting signs of ADHD and adults who come to me and say,” Mrs. Robinson…I think I may have that ADHD thing”.

In either circumstance, as I mentioned last week, remember that not all individuals with difficulty paying attention, organizing or hyperactivity actually have ADHD. ADHD is a medically diagnosed disorder. However, if you are seeing certain symptoms, there is nothing wrong with looking at ways to make improvements!

ADHD is not something that can be cured. It can however be successfully managed. As we learned last week, there are a number of ways that we can help our children if they are diagnosed with ADHD or show signs and symptoms.
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So, we discussed what ADHD looks like in children. Does it look the same in adults? Although you may see some similar behaviors, there are a few other things to consider.

Over the years, we have touched on attention and focus difficulties on a Child’s Life. More specifically, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, known as ADHD.

It isn’t uncommon for us to have parents or teachers come to the center for support to help a child with ADHD. Before we get into the meat of what ADHD is, it’s important to note that not all children with attention difficulties have ADHD. ADHD is diagnosed by a medical doctor and there are a number of consistent markers that need to be present.
When looking at a child’s ability to attend and focus, it is also important to look at their age. How much should your child be able to focus? How long should your child be able to sit still? Although every child is different, today we are going to look at ADHD in children. We are going to explore the signs and symptoms and essentials for success. In Next week’s episode we are going to look at Adult ADHD. Yes, you heard me, Adult ADHD. This is important, because not only may some of you out there as listeners have some of the symptoms and could benefit from strategies, but our children with ADHD grow up to be adults with ADHD and we want to ensure that we are equipping them with the skills they need in order to be successful.

Today, I'm going to start off by telling you two stories. One about Robert and one about Melissa. If either student sounds familiar to you, you are going to want to listen in/read more!
I’m going to start off by telling you a story about Robert. When Robert was younger he almost always bounced out of bed as soon as the sun rose. But by the time he turned 8 or 9 years old, you needed a crane to lift him out of bed. Now, in his first year of high school, he sits zombie-like in class and tries hard to keep his eyes open. If he had the option to take a nap in class…he would! Around 4pm, just before training begins, he feels a surge of energy that lasts until 7. The energy often spikes back around 10 pm. His parents give him repeated reminders to go to bed, and they are ignored. The nightly bedtime battle is lost because he is wide awake on social media with his friends until midnight. He doesn’t remember how flat out exhausted he was earlier in the day. When the weekend comes, he takes the opportunity to sleep until noon to catch up for sleep lost during the week. Does this sound familiar at all?
                Perhaps Melissa may sound more familiar. Melissa constantly insists that she is not tired when her bedtime comes. She rather fight sleep than go to sleep. As a result she is often overactive, irritable and argumentative. Her behavior transfers into the classroom. She is constantly fidgeting in class, and is easily distracted. It has even caused one of her teachers to suggest that she may have ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
                If Robert or Melissa sounds like a child you know, you are not alone. Children, like adults, often vary in the amount of sleep they need, how quickly they fall asleep, and how long it takes for them to fall asleep if they are awakened in the night time.

I am excited about this week's family play! It's time to go on a scavenger hunt with your kids. You are going to look for shapes in natural objects. On a piece of paper make a list of shapes that they may be able to find in nature. You can even make this list together. Once you set out on your hunt, have them check off the shapes once they find them. For added fun, make it a photo scavenger hunt and have them take pictures of their items using a camera, phone or tablet. Some shape ideas include: circle, cone, corkscrew, crescent, horseshoe, jagged edge, oval, rectangle, sharp point, sphere, spiral, straight line, teardrop, triangle, V, wavy line, X, and zigzag.

Have fun!

For those of you that follow our blog or receive our weekly emails, you know that we have been posting weekly writing prompts for young and mature writers. For today’s episode of A Child’s life we are going to explore the benefits of journaling for both young and mature writers.
Let’s start with the young ones, your children. Firstly, journaling practices the obvious…a child’s writing skills. We have many different types of journals and different types of journals can have different intentions.  Strong written communication, despite the era of text speak and emojis, is an important skill and the child that journals will be strengthening their written communication skills.
Journals provide an outline for children to recount their daily activities, thoughts and feelings. Journaling can be an outlet for some children in which they explore their emotions, especially the tough ones such as anger, fear and pain. You can also teach your child how to use their journals to make decisions. Pros and cons lists can give your child the tool of weighing the information in a situation in order to make the decision that is the best for them.