Last weekend the leading organization that supports children and adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), known as CHADD, held their 24th annual international conference in San Francisco. The conference – for parents, adults, educators, physicians, psychologists and others – was inspirational and interesting, and it focused on useful information and practical strategies.

Although AD/HD and LD are not the same thing, both can affect learning and behavior. There’s also a significant co-occurrence between the two disorders – about one-third of people with LD have AD/HD. Many of the challenges faced by parents of children with AD/HD are similar to those faced by parents of children with LD. Check out these conference themes and I’m sure you’ll agree:

• The ongoing challenge of overcoming the stigma of a diagnosis or "label"
• The importance of optimizing an individual's strengths as a way to work around areas of weakness
  • I loved the message of Dr. Mark Katz's keynote speech: "There's never anything so wrong with us that what's right with us can't fix."
• Understanding the role of executive function in learning and behavior in children and adults
• The impact of AD/HD and LD on the social and emotional skills and well-being of the individual with the disorder and the family members
• How chronic stress impacts the brain functioning, behavior, social skills, and academic learning of children with AD/HD and LD
  • Check out Dr. Jerome Schultz's book, Nowhere to Hide: Why KIds with AD/HD and LD Hate School and What We Can Do About It
• The importance of transition planning and why it should begin as soon as possible
  • Preparing teens for life after high school -- including post-secondary education and a career
  • Why parents and teens may want to explore a "gap" year between high school and college
• How parents can create a path towards independence for their child to support their future success as an adult

 

In the coming months, I and the rest of the NCLD Team will be working to develop new informational resources – articles, videos, podcasts, LD Talks, and more – on these topics. These are areas you’ve told us you want more information on and we’re working to do just that! We invite you to continue to share your ideas and “wish lists” with us. We love hearing from you!