What’s interesting is that the ADHD teens who were administered this self-control test also showed difficulties with controlling impulses, but their patterns of brain activation were quite distinct. The teens with ADHD exhibited differences in the bilateral frontal lobe and the basal ganglia, both of which are known to play a significant role in ADHD symptomology. So the same end behavior, impulsivity, appears to be linked to different parts of the brain.

The reason this study is important is that ADHD people have a significantly increased risk for substance abuse. The data from this research effort strongly suggest that atypical functioning of certain cerebral networks, those involved in impulse control, underlies addiction.  But impulsivity in addiction, as opposed to ADHD, appears to be a different animal. The study did not examine ADHD people who also were substance abusers. What will be interesting to see is if ADHD people with substance issues look more cerebrally similar to the ADHD group or to the substance abuse group.

Overall, this study shows us that the brain is an incredibly complex organ that we are just beginning to understand. Also, we see that impulse control does not always indicate the presence of ADHD. While it is easy to judge others who show what appears to be a lack of “willpower,” this study points to the underlying biology that is involved, and thus invites us to consider addiction as a bona fide disease.

With ADHD and addiction, many people who are not afflicted presume that a lack of willpower is to blame. “I know when to stop,” they will righteously declare. “They just need to learn their limits.” This scientific information gives us reason to pause and reflect, and perhaps reevaluate how we view both ADHD and addiction, and to consider having more compassion for people who deal with these challenging conditions. So many people presume expertise when dealing with mental health conditions. If you really want to understand mental health, go to school on the brain. I recommend the following books to help you in that endeavor:
1.  Howard, P. (2007). The Owner’s Manual for the Brain. Austin, TX: Bard Press.
2.  Nigg, J. (2006). What Causes ADHD?: Understanding What Goes Wrong and Why. New York: Guilford Press.
3.  Stoehr, James D. 2006. The Neurobiology of Addiction. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Chelsea House.

How can we help ADD-ers become engaged with non-screen activities?
That is a long answer, and much of it ties in to the list of common-sense treatments for ADD that the experts have drawn up for us. We need to take care of our whole selves, we always hear. Screen time takes care of well, our need for retreat, and helps eye-hand coordination. Research shows little more than that for the positives. As ADD-ers we know we need train our brain to crave down time, to insert physical activity into our day, to take medication, supplements, or both. The “pull” of TV, movies, video games, online activities, and cell phones is especially strong for ADD-ers, because it is the novelty and newness factor is ever-present. You can switch channels in TV, fast forward in movies, switch levels in video games, and switch entire websites on the internet. Oh yes, and text several people at a time on phones. So for those of us who dread tedium or slower pacing, screens are very enticing.

What is a screen addiction?

A screen addiction is characterized by insatiability and also an inability to gauge your time spent online, or in front of a particular game or program. Screen addiction means that use of the screens are mood-altering and the addict is dependent on it—that they have an anxiety or identity crisis (no matter how small)when they try to stop using screens for a day or two.

How does screen addiction impact learning?
We take in a lot every moment through the eyes, more than more than a few decades ago, which is only part of how we learn. Kids in school in their average day take in a lot visually and auditorally but to really learn something we need more. Screens cannot take us there. Also, the rate in which kids in school process what is coming in needs to vary in pacing or rate.  Varied rates of processing are necessary because we are all individuals. Some kids need fast/slow/average pace, and some need all of that, with repeated exposure, depending on their own brain make-up, or the subject being learned.

Neurologically, how are we wired to learn?
The three ways we learn are:
Visual: through the eyes
Auditory: via the ears
Kinesthetic: through the skin, this includes touch, internal sensations, and hands-on experience.
As a culture we are not encouraging kinesthetic learning as much as we could be. A child who is watching the world of today sees people interacting with screens and concludes that is how to communicate, learn and to entertain oneself.

How do screens hijack the learning process?
Often screens with video games, TV shows, or movies, and many educational websites or software, have very fast moving images. The speed of the images does not mirror the pace that our human brains are wired to move or process. In the same way that pornography doesn’t mirror the natural pace of a relationship, video games do not mirror the natural pace of engaging with the world or learning something deeply. So then the child or adult addicted to screens grows to expect that pace to be how off screen life responds to them.

Children and teenagers can become frustrated with the steps and time required to develop mastery. They will ask “can’t I just go to another game?” when playing an educational game that requires mastering a subset of skills before moving on. In a video game you can always start over and often you are able to go to a level you are comfortable. There are even “cheat codes” that can be used to “fake” mastery.

Can you talk about frustration tolerance and screen addiction?
For adults, frustration tolerance is required for creating a personal change. For children, it’s required when learning a new social or academic skill. Frustration tolerance is a willingness to have small, micro failures or frustrations while keeping an end goal in mind. Kids and adults without long term gratification skills (AKA Frustration Tolerance) expect things to be instantaneous. They also lack “gray area” thinking and will assign rigid categories to themselves and others such as smart/dumb and then not want to keep going with effort once they have put themselves in these boxes.  I’ve noticed that my clients who have screen addictions don’t take real interpersonal risks.  Right, because in real life there is no “reset” button.

So what do you suggest?
We are in a world of screens so we don’t want to pretend they don’t exist. I suggest that parents have a good mix: provide an equivalent amount of face to face time that matches the screen time your children have. A four hour play date equals four hours of screen time, on the weekend. And I always suggest no video games during the school week. That honors the fact that school and homework are the child’s “job” and the weekend is their time off, so to speak. Also it is harder to get addicted when you have five days without it.

Research shows that kids learn best when screen exposure is short. An enormous part of learning, in both reading and in doing, from sports to medical school, involves making pictures in your head. Apraxia, an uncommon learning disability, and related disorders of language comprehension, is becoming more common because the part of the brain that creates images is “getting less exercise” in screen culture.

Visual processing (seeing and making sense of images) is different than generating (creating one’s own image based on imagination) processing. We know this from brain imaging research. So with screen over-use, that part of the brain is not going to the gym.

If we want to become an expert in anything or to feel we have a special skill, then we need to give our attention and a slower pace to that learning process. Screens are a tool in being a learner. They cannot substitute for mentors, concentrated time, or kinesthetic learning.

Kendra Wagner is a learning specialist in private practice in North Seattle, who primarily teaches children reading, writing, and thinking skills. She also consults in schools and advocates for children. Her specialty in ADD and Dyslexia grew out of her work in schools as a reading specialist and consultant, when she saw so many students being mislabeled, mistreated, and mis-instructed. She has a particular interest in how the brain develops, learns, and adapts to family and school environments.

The goals for the school-age child, let’s say 6-10 years of age, are to reinforce the development of real-world skills and a sense of competence or mastery. They also need to become adept at establishing and maintaining relationships with peers, along with playing in ways that foster the ability to resolve conflict and to strategize. They must acquire in these early years the ability to control themselves, or self-regulate, and parents need to help them begin to learn responsibility by doing homework, chores around the house, and getting themselves ready for school and other duties. One of the great risks during this stage is that video games, and games on the smart phone, will become a primary source of entertainment, and a substitute for adventure. When this happens, we often see stagnation in social skills, and even avoidance of interaction with adults. In addition, children who get heavily engaged in these activities neglect homework and household chores.

This is becoming increasingly common! A tendency toward excessive, or even addictive, indulgence in cyber-based amusements also seems to be rooted in these early years. Therefore, it become crucial for parents to take steps to foster a family dynamic that sets limits and expectations for technology, as well to encourage discussion around this topic, especially with regards to Internet safety. In my book, Cyber Junkie: Escape the Gaming and Internet Trap, I recommend that families make technology a frequent topic of discussion. Consider, as part of such discussions, talking about and putting in place the following recommendations that are designed to help you raise balanced and competent children, as well as to maximize family time.

Kevin’s Top Five Technology Tips

1. Have at least some tech-free time as a family. Don’t allow smart phones at the dinner table, for example.
2. In addition to tech-free time, have tech-free zones. Many families I work with choose to use the family room for this purpose. Cell phones, video game consoles, laptops, iPads, and computers are not allowed in there.
3. Set a maximum time allowed on video games and the computer. I recommend no more than two hours a day.
4. For each minute spent on the computer or video game, require a corresponding minute of exercise. This will allow you to combat the tendency for technology to create sedentary and obese children.
5. No TV’s, computers, or video game consoles in the bedroom.

Incidentally, parents must follow these rules too! If you allow your children to police you as well, it will empower them, and serve to create a more harmonious and balanced family. With these steps, parents can communicate the all-important principle that Internet access is not a right but rather a privilege. Meeting target behaviors and certain expectations are required in order to receive and maintain that privilege.

These early school years are also a good time to start teaching about Internet safety. They need to be made aware of several important factors:

1. Passwords are not to be shared.
2. Screen names should not convey identifying information.
3. Never give out your address, age, or phone number online.
4. Report any bullying activities to a parent.
5. If someone you do not know is trying to converse with you online, do not respond and tell a parent.

As your child gets close to the teen years, this discussion should include mention of sending out inappropriate material via text, social networking, and email, and discuss legal ramifications of such activities. In addition, of course, you should make your teen aware that anything he or she posts online could become part of an enduring record that might come back to haunt him or her. In next week’s post, I will go into the implications of technology for teens in greater depth. No matter what the age group, however, the overriding principles are the same: safety, balance, and awareness.

I was recently featured on several news stations regarding the violent language children are exposed to in online gaming.  It is a short piece. Click here to watch.

Autism has a lot to teach the world, but most of us don’t have any idea about the nature of the condition, outside of sound bites we hear on the news. The autism spectrum describes a wide array of symptoms. Some individuals “on the spectrum” are quite high functioning, while others have significant cognitive challenges. The main signs and symptoms of autism involve problems in the following areas :

• Communication – both verbal (spoken) and non-verbal (unspoken, such as pointing, eye contact, and smiling).
• Social – such as sharing emotions, understanding how others think and feel, and holding a conversation.
• Routines or repetitive behaviors (also called stereotyped behaviors) – such as repeating words or actions, obsessively following routines or schedules, and playing in repetitive ways.

A recent study, announced a few days ago, featured data about the screen preferences of children with autism spectrum disorders (ADSs). Given the above symptoms, it should come as no surprise that, when given the chance for screen time, children with ASDs choose television and video games over social and interactive media, such as e-mail, online chatting, and Facebook. This preference for socially-isolating screen time could interfere with children’s socialization and learning, researchers warned. The study appears online in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

While socialization represents a key area of concern for parents of children with an ASD, today’s tendency toward cyber-mediated isolation should leave all parents worried. Autism is, as Dr. Asperger asserted, a predisposition to turn or stay away from the world. While I agree with him that this tendency does bring some great gifts, it also imparts significant liabilities. We have a population of young people that increasingly “relates” to others through cyber media, and we do not yet know the long-term consequences of this trend.

I continue to be concerned that our young people, not just those with ASDs, are undergoing a neuronal pruning. Like a gardener who fertilizes and stakes certain plants, while weeding out others, the brain is constantly building networks of synapses, while pruning out redundant or unneeded ones. I suspect this process is at work in our collective cerebral garden; the neural networks involved in social interaction are suffering. I worry that significant swaths of society are growing up without the tools they need to successfully navigate the complexities of human relationships. While folks with ASDs have a neurological challenge that makes social interaction difficult, many “neurotypical” people CHOOSE to isolate.

My fears for the future are rooted in a growing body of scientific research. A study done in the United Kingdom, for example, found that young males who spent several hours playing online, role-playing video games exhibited the same personality traits as people with Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. The more time people spent playing these games, the researchers found, the more likely they were to show three specific traits usually associated with Asperger’s syndrome: neuroticism and a lack of extraversion and agreeableness. People with high levels of neuroticism have a propensity toward persistent negative states, such as anger, anxiety, and frustration. Low levels of extraversion and agreeableness correspond to a mindset that is unsuited to positive and mutually-beneficial interactions with others. The fact that excessive video games can produce these tendencies shows that they impact the brain, at least temporarily. What is unknown is whether or not this impact can become permanent over time.

Texting is another cyber medium that presents a potent challenge to young people. Research shows that conversation involves more than just words: 7 percent is the actual content of your message, 38 percent the tone of your voice, and 55 percent body language. Overly reliant on texting, today’s teens miss a good deal of conversational clues. Effective communication requires all three components; a text message automatically eliminates two of them. The result is miscommunication and a total breakdown of conversation, which will impact adult relationships, especially professional and romantic ones. The University of Calgary recently reported that texting also has a negative impact on people’s linguistic ability to interpret and accept words. While texting does involve lots of new abbreviations, it is a communication medium characterized by “rigid linguistic constraints.” Participants in the study who reported higher levels of texting had an associated lack of openness to new words, suggesting that the medium does not lend itself to expanding one’s vocabulary. It disturbs me to think that texting may well be limiting our competence with language and interpersonal communication.

Some would say that digital technologies have transformed our lives, while others would view them as agents of destruction. I see both the positive and negatives, but urge our society to take a more honest and circumspect look at the dark side. I began this discussion with autism because I see a parallel between the social challenges faced by people with ASDs and the self-imposed social isolation that is often the result of cyber media. I wish to underscore that ASDs are conditions rooted in neurobiology, and that video games, cell phones, and the Internet can isolate us so much that some of the same social challenges characteristic in ASDs are appearing with greater frequency in the general population. What worries me most is that we are changing the wiring of our brains, favoring neuronal networks that involve socially-isolating behaviors over those required for face-to-face interaction. Incidentally, I do actually agree with Dr. Asperger. I have known some incredible people with ASDs, one of whom is the architect of this website!

To start with, yes, the family does exert a significant impact on how we develop. Family reactions to an ADHD child are known to play a significant role in the child’s development of self- esteem, as well as having a role in the development of certain secondary diagnoses, like Oppositional Defiant Disorder.  Multiple studies confirm this.  I refer inquisitive readers to Joel Nigg’s book What Causes ADHD? [1] and Barkley’s Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment [2]. These books are good amalgamations of the body of scientific research on ADHD.  When you look deeper, and aspire to find the facts, you will see that any familial role, outside of genetic inheritance, is secondary to the development of ADHD.  Research continues to point to differences in the brain as the precursors of ADHD symptoms, not problem parents.

For example, the ability to delay an impulse, or wait, is impaired in ADHD, and is, in fact, a diagnostic criterion.  Struggling with waiting, or impulsivity, is, in part, linked to a brain region called the caudate. We know this because when victims of trauma suffer damage to the caudate, impulsivity often appears in people with no prior history of this trait.  Research has also shown that many ADHD boys have irregularities in that part of the brain.  The caudate does not change shape because of the actions of one’s parents. There are gene variants strongly associated with caudate difference in ADHD boys as well.  This is just one of numerous examples that make a compelling case for differences in the structure, size, shape, and functioning of the brain as strongly underlying ADHD.

Further, it is well documented that ADHD involves the frontal dopamine circuits of the brain.  Numerous brain imaging scans have demonstrated this, and the most common medications for ADHD, the stimulants, are known to improve the way the brain metabolizes dopamine.  In addition, several variants of dopamine-involved genes are strongly associated with ADHD.  ADHD is a neurobiological condition.  As with any disorder, the way that parents deal with it does impact the way the child grows and develops.  If the parent of a child with diabetes becomes an overprotective hypochondriac, that child might have some secondary “symptoms” that were precipitated by his or her parents’ behavior.  That fact does not change the truth of the physical condition with which the child must cope.  Blaming parents is counterproductive.  What is needed is more awareness and education about ADHD.

One of the treatments for ADHD is medication and the above-mentioned Op-Ed piece asserts that children are being overmedicated.  There is no research to support that.  I can say, anecdotally, that I encounter more parents who fear medication and resist putting their children on it than I do parents who wholeheartedly embrace the practice.  I suspect that there are some children who take ADHD meds who should not be taking them.  This is part of a broader trend.  Many parents are guilty, for example, of insisting their children be put on antibiotics, even when there is no clear-cut symptomology that warrants it, a fact which is contributing to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.  We still don’t have enough data to make an informed opinion about ADHD over-medication.  Obviously, these are powerful drugs, and parents should go into such a decision with great deliberation and awareness of potential side effects.  I am no great proponent of medication, but I have seen ADHD meds transform lives. 

I agree with Dr. Sroufe that medication is proving not to be a good long-term strategy for a significant segment of ADHD people.  Trying to find common ground, I believe that parent training, like that offered by groups like CHADD, is highly beneficial.  Few of us have the natural inclinations to effectively handle the atypical behavioral profile of an ADHD child.  Positive and productive responses can be taught, but those responses, as well-intentioned and executed as they may be, cannot reverse the symptoms of ADHD.  They can help to create a more well-adjusted child, and perhaps minimize some of the troubling secondary conditions that arise with the disorder.  Parents are not to blame.  They deserve compassion and understanding.  Most parents of ADHD children who I deal with have spent incredible energies trying to help their children succeed.  Dr. Sroufe’s article does not help them.  It only pushes them further into shame and inadequacy, emotional states that will certainly not help them or their children.

1. Nigg, J. (2006). What Causes ADHD?: Understanding What Goes Wrong and Why,

New York : Guilford Press.

2.  Barkley, R. (2006). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for

Diagnosis and Treatment. New York : Guilford Press.

The following studies further back up the scientific claims I make in this posting.

Bidwell, L., Willcutt, E., McQueen, M., DeFries, J., Olson, R., Smith, S., Pennington, B. (2011). A family-based association study of DRD4, DAT1, and 5HTT and continuous traits of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Behavior Genetics, 41(1): 165-174.

Depue, B., Burgess, G., Willcutt, E., Bidwell, L., Ruzic, L., Banich, M. (2010).  Symptom-correlated brain regions in young adults with combined-type ADHD: Their organization, variability, and relation to behavioral performance. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging Section, vol. 182 Issue 2, 96-97.

Durston, S., Hulshoff, P., Schnack, H.,  Buitelaar, J., Steenhuis, M., Minderaa, R. et al., (2004).  Magnetic resonance imaging of boys with attention deficit disorder and their unaffected siblings.  Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  43(3): 332-340.

Swanson, J., Floodman, P., Kennedy, J., Spence, M., Moyzis, R., Schuck, S. (2000). Dopamine genes and ADHD.  Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 24.

Tripp, G., Wickens, J. (2010). Neurobiology of ADHD. Neuropharmacology, v. 57 issue 7/8, p. 579-589.

Volkow, N., Wang, G., Fowler, J., Logan, J., Franceschi, D., & Maynard, L. (2002).Relationship between blockade of dopamine transporters by oral methylphenidate and the increases in extracellular dopamine:  Therapeutic implications.  Synapse, 43: 181-187.

Williams, N., Zaharieva, I., Martin, A., Langley, K., Mantripragada, K., Fossdal, R.,Stefansson, H., Stefansson, K., Magnusson, P.,  Gudmundsson, O., Gustafsson, O., Holmans, P., Owen, M., O’Donovan, M., Thapar, A. (2010). Rare chromosomal deletions and duplications in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a genome-wide analysis. Lancet, 2010; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61109-9.

Yang, M., Ishii, J., McCracken, J., McGough, J., Loo, S., Nelson, S., Smalley, S.(2005). Temperament and character profiles and the dopamine D4 receptor gene in ADHD. American Journal of Psychiatry, v. 162, issue 5, 2005, 906-914.

Suicidal Ideation and Focalin

A few cases of suicidal ideation among teens taking the ADHD stimulant medication, Focalin, have prompted some experts to advocate putting a warning label on the drug. Before you throw your medication in the trash, there are a few things you need to know. During a 6-year period, there were 8 reports of suicidal ideation among children or adolescents who took the drug. Four of these appeared to be linked to use of the drug, since symptoms resolved once the medicine was stopped. The 4 patients were all boys and between the ages of 8 and 11. Approximately 1.8 million children had this medication prescribed over a 6-year period. So, while suicidal ideation is an incredibly serious issue, in this context it is also an incredibly rare one. No cases of actual suicide have been reported. What this situation does reinforce, however, is that many ADHD medications are incredibly powerful. Parents need to research side effects and watch out for them. Medicating your child should not be taken lightly.

Self-Control, Drug Addiction, and ADHD

A study in Science finds that cocaine addicts have abnormalities in areas of the brain involved in self-control. And these abnormalities appear to predate any drug abuse. Researchers discovered abnormalities in fronto-striatal brain systems implicated in self-control in both cocaine-dependent individuals and their biological siblings who have no history of chronic drug abuse; these findings support the idea of an underlying neurobiological component for stimulant drug addiction. This particular brain circuit seems to be involved in a lot of common disorders, such as ADHD, in which individuals struggle to control their response to stimuli that distract them . With this new evidence, the link between untreated ADHD and substance abuse becomes even clearer. Once again, research continues to mount that difficulties in ADHD derive from differences in the brain!

ADHD and Childhood Exposure to Anesthesia

Two recently-reported studies appear to show a link between the administration of anesthesia to children and an increased risk for developing ADHD. The data for these studies came from the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Researchers analyzed school records of children who were born between 1976 and 1982 in Minnesota. Out of the 341 cases reviewed in the studies, children with no anesthesia exposure or just a single exposure to anesthesia had ADHD at a rate of about 7.3 percent. Children who had two or more exposures had ADHD at a rate of 17.9 percent. Researchers also tried to adjust for other risk factors, such as gestational age, sex, birth weight, and comorbid health conditions. To put this information in context, ADHD risk appears to increase with numerous other experiential risk factors, including: fetal alcohol exposure, low birth weight, cerebral palsy, as well as early exposure to lead and other toxicants. Since ADHD is a neurobiological condition, it should come as no surprise that substances that impact the neurobiological environment carry the potential to play a role in the development of ADHD. However, these experiential factors are all rather uncommon. The greatest “risk factor” for developing ADHD is having a parent or sibling with the disorder.

The truth is that the traits of ADHD are, by and large, extreme forms of behaviors that almost all of us exhibit from time to time. Spontaneity is called “impulsivity” when it prevents us from getting along with others, or gets us into trouble. Imagination is called “short attention span” or “distractibility” when we spend so much time in our own world that we do not fulfill what is expected of us as students or workers in the here and now. Energetic people are called “hyperactive” when their behaviors become extreme enough to make others around them uncomfortable, and thus cause disruptions. So, ADHD behaviors are extreme forms of traits that have great utility. However, the parts of the brain responsible for channeling and harnessing the strengths of ADHD people do not function optimally. So while the average person might struggle to remember appointments or the location of personal items, these are daily and constant struggles for a person with ADHD. Genetic and cerebral differences underlie this reality.

Evidence continues to mount that ADHD can be correlated with genetic variants. Yes, variations in DNA seem to underlie the symptoms of ADHD. Many of the gene variants, or polymorphisms, associated with the disorder relate to the operation of norepinephrine and dopamine, two neurotransmitters involved in learning, attention, and memory, among many other important functions. A recent study found that children with ADHD have nearly 50 percent less of a protein that is important for attention and memory. Another study from last month found specific genes that are related to important aspects of the brain’s signaling pathways, in which the above-mentioned neurotransmitters are involved. The science continues to support one very important supposition: ADHD behaviors are associated with distinct and meaningful differences in the brain.

I could list hundreds of studies, but my purpose is simply to get you to consider the neurobiological and genetic underpinnings of ADHD. It is not a choice. It is not an outgrowth of laziness. It is simply the product of changes in the brain. The good news is that this “different” brain often has unique strengths and aptitudes that, with proper mentoring and guidance, can be used to great effect. We need to first offer ADHD people compassion, and from that place, we have a good shot at helping them. I urge you to approach ADHD first and foremost from a place of understanding.

He once joked that he was not a pirate, but simply provided shipping services for those engaged in piracy. I like to think that I have some insight into this man’s psyche because in my work I regularly encounter self-centered, neurotic, and antisocial computer and video game addicts.  They are mostly young men who dream of being able to while away their days plugged in to their video game interface and not have to worry about making a living, or developing the social skills that would allow them to have successful personal and professional lives.  Several young men who attend my cyber addiction groups sympathize with “Dotcom” and think he is being mistreated by the U.S. Government.  He has a $35 million dollar mansion with dozens of video game consoles and tricked-out easy chairs all through it.  He lives in a video game paradise, complete with hot women, decadent food, and frequent parties.  Of course young men without jobs, or underemployed,  who live in their parents’ basement idolize this overweight, self-indulgent, socially abrasive video gamer.  While his enormous wealth and his championing of so-called “Internet freedom” seem worthy of respect, a deeper look at his life will hopefully disabuse his admirers of their misplaced veneration.

As a teenager, Dotcom earned a reputation in his native Germany for cracking corporate PBX systems in the United States, and tried to parlay it into a career in data security. That effort led to his arrest on charges of using and selling stolen calling card numbers.  In 1998, Dotcom was sentenced to a probationary sentence of two years for computer fraud and handling stolen goods. According to a report by News Record, he had traded stolen calling card numbers he bought from hackers in the United States.  In January 2002, Dotcom was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, deported to Germany, and sentenced to a probationary sentence of one year and eight months, and a €100,000 fine, the largest insider-trading case in Germany at the time. Dotcom also pleaded guilty to embezzlement in November 2003 and received a two-year probation sentence. There are numerous other examples of his early transgressions, but clearly these instances paint a picture of a man who does not like to do honest work for a living, and who spent countless hours playing video games—he was a top rated in the world for Call of Duty.  Rather, he likes to scam.

He certainly trumpets “Internet Freedom” but only because he has found a way to easily use the Internet to facilitate crime, for which he had heretofore engaged in with impunity.  This man is a serial criminal who shows no signs of letting up.  What is the alternative to arresting him?  Letting him continue to defraud more artists and creators?

Kim Schmitz and his cadre of fellow hackers are highly intelligent people.  I only wish that more of them could use their talents to really help humanity.  We need cyber geniuses to solve many of today’s problems.  Cyber adepts have recently been doing this with a “game” called FoldIt which allows players to help scientists help find cures for diseases, like HIV.  The world is moving inexorably in the direction of people like Kim Schmitz.  We have to watch out for this type of genius who is often misunderstood, even maligned, in school.  We must nurture this vast powerhouse of potential by making sure that these folks do not get swallowed up by the cyber world.  We must encourage empathy, connection, and compassion.  I have a lot of ideas about how to do that, but I would like you to share some ideas of your own.  Please join the discussion by posting a comment.

I have been meeting with the family once a week and I really feel like a diplomat from the U.S. State Department. Snarky comments, instantaneous dismissals, and hurtful sarcasm have made progress difficult. With help from a very cooperative assistant principal, however, we have begun to put into place a plan that already seems to be paying dividends.

First of all, Zach’s schedule has been changed so that his last class of the day is Learning Strategies. If he works productively in that class, he is rewarded at home. He has to pack his backpack with appropriate materials, do some homework during class, and get the teacher to sign his planner, verifying that he has met the targets of productivity and preparedness. If he shows this to his mother in the car, she says nothing about school, and he receives 60 minutes of video game time. If on that day Zach brings notes from other teachers regarding his productivity in their classes, he gets an extra 10 minutes for each note.

So far, relationships have been improving between Zach and his parents, as well as with teachers. He is using Learning Strategies quite effectively, a fact that has lessened the amount of work Zach must complete at home. This strategy is creative and involves coordination between family and school. The teachers regularly talk to Zach about video gaming time. Instead of scolding his behavior, they empathize with his wasting an opportunity to play his favorite game. Yelling at home has gone down 90%, according to Zach’s parents. I have great hope for Zach and his family and will keep you apprised of their progress.

Be willing to try new and creative approaches with your ADHD loved one. And by the way, healthy lifestyle choices do help ADHD kids succeed. Stay aware of current research and be willing to try new things. My next book, released this June, will offer 200 pages of creative solutions! It is called: Movers, Dreamers and Risk Takers: Unlocking the Power of ADHD.

Study Groups have provided me with the most amazing laboratory for experimentation. The wide variety of ADHD types I regularly encounter necessitates ongoing development of strategies. I still regularly run across new students who stump me, a situation which sends me back to the drawing board to develop fresh tactics. Innovation is a necessity in my work.

My strong suit is creativity, but I also have a secret weapon: I am not a family member. As parents and loved ones contemplate new methods and strategies, it is important to keep in mind that the ADHDer in your life may not take your suggestions. In fact, the strategies I recommend had often been suggested by parents or loved ones; the ADHD folks were just not willing to try them until they started working with me.

I have come to believe that if I let ADHD folks be themselves, fun and excitement will surely follow. I like to say that Study Groups create an ADHD-affirmative environment. Not only do we have serious fun, but we take fun seriously. I have a comedy notebook in the main study room and whenever someone comes up with a good joke, sight gag, or impersonation, we write in the notebook. Humor is treated as a precious asset. It is honored and appreciated. Learn to do this with the ADHDer in your life, and your relationship with him or her will likely improve.

You will find no better tool to interact with an ADHDer than having fun. The interaction will energize and build rapport in a way that you never imagined. Self-help guru,Wayne Dyer, said that “every problem has a spiritual solution.” With an ADHDer, almost every problem can be solved with fun. If you keep that in mind, you may revolutionize the relationship with the ADHDer in your life, and you may help him or her succeed in ways that were previously unimaginable. As you seek to come up with new strategies to help the ADHDer in your life succeed, remember that fun, humor, and excitement are catalysts that will make the process much more effective.

Check out this story about me and my ADHD STUDY GROUPS on Channel 4, NBC, news:
Educator Says Fun is the Key.