One of the best ways for a person with ADHD to stay focused and be productive is to carefully choose the environment in which they operate. What do you need to succeed in each setting for each situation? You might need one thing while working and another while reading a book. Here are some things to think about when deciding on your ideal environments.

Last month, I attended the 2018 International Conference on ADHD, and one of our keynote speakers presented some startling statistics. Doctor Russell Barkley, the leading researcher on ADHD, and his colleagues recently conducted a study that showed that ADHD reduces one’s life expectancy by 13 years, and if the DBH Taq1 gene or the DAT1 gene is present, it is a 20-year drop in life expectancy. These numbers should startle you. This is a greater reduction in life expectancy than there is for smoking, excessive alcohol use, obesity, and coronary heart disease.

Part IV covers “The Learning Zone.” All those who are excellent performers in their field have spent and consistently spend plenty of time in the learning zone. Those with a fixed mindset are always in the performance zone. They do not take time to learn and to grow. We need to spend time in both zones. Sadly, many of us neglect the learning zone.

November 25, 2018 marks 12 years since my friend Ian died. Ian and I sat next to each other in band class 7th and the first part of 8th grade. Ian played the trombone, and I pretended to play the trombone. Ian loved music and was probably too talented to play in the junior high band. I hated band and did not want to be there. Because Ian did not need to try very hard and I did not want to try, we often goofed around. Our favorite way to amuse ourselves was to quote Monty Python, and yes, we used British accents while doing so

Welp, I hate to break it to you, but it is that time of year again. It is time to start preparing to go back to school. Some schools are even in session already. This can be a difficult time when you have ADHD. Over the summer, you probably established some routines that you did not have during the previous school year, and breaking those habits and developing new ones for the upcoming school year will not be easy or fun. However, I have compiled a few tips for making the transition back to school less difficult.

The time has come. Your break from students is over. Soon, you will be staring at half-asleep students, most of whom do not want to be there. Some of these students will have ADHD. From what I hear from teachers I know, teacher training provides little (if any) information about ADHD. You might find it a daunting challenge to manage these students and help them learn. Well, fret not! I have compiled some tips to help you teach your students with ADHD and help both you and your students start the school year on a positive note.

Once again, we stare ahead and see a new school year looming before us. Is your child with ADHD ready? Are you worried that they might not be? It is entirely possible that they are not. If you would like to know what you can do to help your child start the new school year on a positive note, read on! I have compiled some tips you can utilize to help both you and your child have a successful start to the school year.

"Sometimes, I just go off to Planet Alex."

The family table roared with laughter when they heard the proclamation I made above. The word "roared" is not an exaggeration. It was a crowded table. When my mom's family gathered for holiday celebrations, my grandmother insisted we all sit around the same table. I am not sure how all nine of Grandma Marge's children, all of their spouses, all 17 of her grandchildren (a number which grew by two following her death), and her sister managed to squeeze around a single table, but somehow she managed to have all of her family around a common table on every Christmas and Easter. This was the massive crowd to whom I announced that I go to "Planet Alex."