Closing the Gap Between Expectations and Abilities in Teens with ADHD

Closing the Gap Between Expectations and Abilities in Teens with ADHD Teens with ADHD are just as different from one another as teens without ADHD. Some are outgoing and some are more shy and introverted, some are perfectionistic while others are happy to rush through their work to get it done, some are creative and some are athletic, some are leaders and some are followers. However, there is one thing that all teens with ADHD have in common they all struggle more than their classmates at school and in their social life. Some teens with ADHD may hide the struggle well, and compensate for their difficulties by working twice as hard as their friends or by being the funniest, most entertaining student in the room. But even those who succeed at covering-up their challenges on the surface continue to struggle behind the scenes. Teens with ADHD often feel like they are different from their friends but dont know why. They have a tendency to make impulsive decisions that lead to bad outcomes, or talk too much and tend to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and they almost always have difficulty navigating the high school social scene both in-person and online. In addition to dealing with ADHD, they are also coping with the typical challenges of adolescence developing their identity, struggling for independence, dating, riding emotional rollercoasters, handling increased academic pressure, facing tough choices about alcohol and drugs, and feeling the pressure to prepare for life after high school. When you think about it this way, it seems like a lot to manage, right? Adolescence is one of the most challenging times in our lives. During childhood, the structure and support provided by parents and teachers, coupled with relatively low social and academic demands, help make ADHD manageable. Once a child becomes a teen, the social and academic demands increase dramatically, and the high level of support and structure present during elementary school falls away. Teenagers who are cognitively and emotionally equipped to handle these changes ultimately develop healthy coping skills and strategies that allow them to become more independent over time. Unfortunately, most, if not all, teens with ADHD do not have the cognitive or emotional resources to manage increased demands and expectations without additional support. The difference between the cognitive and emotional abilities of a teen with ADHD and the expectations placed by parents and teachers at this age creates a virtual gap. On a day-to-day basis, this gap shows up in arguments between teens and parents about lack of motivation and effort, poor social choices, and failure to keep track of important items. Left to their own devices, teens with ADHD use ineffective coping strategies in an attempt to fill the gap between their abilities and the expectations they face. Not surprisingly, these ineffective strategies do nothing to build independence and only serve to widen the gap over time. Fortunately, with the help and support from therapists, teachers, and parents, as well as ongoing treatment of underlying ADHD symptoms, teens with ADHD can develop the skills and coping strategies that they need to succeed. As a parent, how to you start helping your teen close the gap between their current abilities and real-world expectations? Take a few minutes to reflect on the number of times you find yourself thinking or saying, My teen should be doing ___ by now, but instead he or she still need help with this. Make a list of these things that you think he or she should be doing. Chances are they are going to be things like getting homework done each day, getting out of bed or out of the house each morning, staying organized, keeping track of his or her phone or other belongings, planning ahead for projects or events, helping out around the house, joining activities at school, or making new friends. Think about your expectations for each of the items on your list. Are the expectations what you would reasonably expect for an average teenager? If youre not sure, then ask for input from a counselor or teacher at your teens school, or someone who has experience working with a wide range of teenagers. For each item on your list, the space between the realistic expectation and your teens current behavior represent the gaps that your teen needs help closing. Helping your teen close these gaps doesnt mean continuing to do things for him or her, and it also doesnt mean lowering the bar. What is does mean is making sure that your teen: Understands why he or she is struggling Receives treatment for his or her ADHD symptoms and learns the necessary skills and healthy coping strategies for building up areas of weakness Receives academic assistance that will help him or her learn the material that he or she has struggled to grasp and develop the academic skills needed for success. Adolescence is a challenging time for all teens with ADHD, and none of them should have to cope with the challenges alone. As a parent, you can help by identifying the gap areas where your teen needs help the most, and providing the support and resources that will help close the gaps and succeed over time. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Computer Science Glossary

Computer Science Glossary Computer Science means the study of the principles and use of computers. To learn more about computer science, a good place to start is Wikipedia. For other field-related glossaries, look at the vocabulary section oft his blog. To make your own field-related glossary, click here. Activities Listen and matchMatch audio definitionsMatch terms definitionsComputer Science vocabulary card game Listening resources Careers: The Real World of Computer Programming Reading resources A Day in the Life of a Computer Operator/Programmer Role Plays Computer Science role plays for learning coding concepts Grammar resources Online ESL grammar checker Computer Science Glossary appletA small utility or other simple program, often written in Java language and attached to HTML documents. applicationAn end-user program designed to perform a specific function. arrayData saved in a sequential form on a computer system. backupThe procedure for making extra copies of data in case the original is lost or damaged. bitA binary digit, either a 0 or a 1, used to represent computerized data. blogA regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style. browserA program that can display HTML files, used to navigate the World Wide Web. bufferA RAM storage location for temporary data to speed up an operation such as disk access or printing. byteEight bits. classAn extensible program-code-template for creating objects. clientA program or computer that asks for information from other programs or computers. cloud computingThe practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer. compressionThe re-encoding of data into a form that uses fewer bits of information than the original data. Computer ScienceAn academic field that studies the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. cursorA movable pointer on a computer screen identifying the position that will be affected by clicking a mouse button or where typed text will be inserted. daemonA computer program that starts when a system boots that runs in the background, rather than under the direct control of a user. dataDistinct pieces of formatted information. databaseA collection of information that is organized so that it can easily be accessed, managed, and updated. defragmentationThe process of consolidating fragmented data on a hard disk to make it work more efficiently. domain nameA name consisting of an alphabetical or alphanumeric sequence followed by a suffix and used as an Internet address to identify the location of one or more web pages. downloadThe transmission of requested data from another computer over a network. encryptionThe transformation of electronic information into an unreadable state by using algorithms or ciphers. fileA resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and remains available for other programs to use after the program that created it has finished using it. file extensionA group of letters occurring after a period in a file name, indicating the format of the file. folderA virtual location where files can be kept. hardwareA set of physical objects such as a tower, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and so on. iconA small picture representing an application which can be activated by clicking on it. InternetA large computer network that facilitates the exchange and transfer of data between computers. Internet service providerA company that provides individuals and other companies access to the Internet. kernelA program responsible for managing requests from software and translating them into data processing instructions for the central processing unit and other electronic components of a computer. memoryThe internal data storage on a computer. motherboardA printed circuit board containing the principal components of a computer or other device, with connectors into which other circuit boards can be slotted. networkA group of computers connected to each other in order to send and receive data. Open SourceThe production and development of software by a public development community that is freely available to anyone who would like to use it or modify it for their own purposes. operating systemThe software platform required to run various applications and responsible for managing memory storage and data security. packetA portion of a message or data that is transferred over a network. peripheral deviceAny auxiliary device such as a computer mouse or keyboard that connects to and works with the computer. pixelOne point within an image. portA mainly hardware component that enables two computers to connect and share data. protocolA set of rules followed by two devices while interacting with each other. queryA request made by a computer to a database. renderThe process of using a computer program to generate an image from the information contained in a file. routerA device that forwards data packets along networks and located where two or more networks connect. scriptA list of commands that can be executed without user interaction. serverA computer or computer program that manages access to a centralized resource or service in a network. social mediaOnline tools that allow people to create, share or exchange information, ideas, pictures and videos in virtual online communities. softwareA program containing computer code that directs hardware to carry out a range of functions. software bugAn error or flaw in a computer program or system that causes it to behave in unintended ways. speech recognitionThe ability of a computer to identify and respond to the sounds in human speech. speech synthesisThe artificial production of human speech. support ticketA computer software package that manages and maintains lists of issues, as needed by an organization. touchscreenA display device that allows a user to interact with a computer by touching areas on the screen. upgradeA new version of a product designed to replace an older version of the same product. uploadThe transfer of data from one computer to a remote computer functioning as a server. URLThe unique resource locator address for a file that is accessible on the Internet. virtual memoryUnused memory on the hard disk employed by certain applications that need more RAM than is available. virusA program that can copy itself and corrupt the computer system or destroy data. web hostingA service that allows individuals and organizations to make their website accessible via the World Wide Web. wikiA website that allows anyone, using a web browser, to edit, delete or modify content on the site, including the work of other authors. word processorSoftware used to create, edit, format and print documents. Please follow and like us: