Mindfulness Practices for ADD/ADHD

(Guest Post by Child's Mind author Dr. Christopher Willard)

One of the more common questions I’m asked by parents and teachers is whether meditation and mindfulness can help kids with ADD/ADHD. The answer, according to scientific research and according to parents, teachers, and kids is a resounding yes!

So what exactly is ADD? It is an inability to continually maintain and direct mental focus. Often people describe ADD/ADHD as an inability to focus, but it can be more helpful to think of it as a brain type that focuses on too much- rather than just paying attention to the teacher, an ADD child focuses on the teacher, on the kid next to him, on the window outside, and in his or her itchy leg and reacting to all of these, seemingly all at once. This is not actually such a bad thing in certain circumstances, but it’s a not always the easiest brain type to have for our education system.

One place it get hard for kids with ADD/ADHD is settling down to start their schoolwork or homework. Starting up, switching tasks and getting into gear is often more difficult for kids with ADD and other “executive functioning” issues than other kids. This is a time where some mindful grounding exercises can really help. They works as mental grease that makes getting into gear and changing gears a lot smoother than without. I recommend these for transition times, (recess to classroom, dinnertime to study time, outdoor time to indoor time), as well as a bridge to starting up with homework or chores. I call this practice “Counting to Your Senses” and it is inspired by Jon Kabat-Zinn and other teachers. This is a simple mindfulness practice that you can adapt to what you and your kids enjoy most. It also is not just for kids- I have a lot of friends who do these exercises before they start writing, or when they walk into an unfamiliar or anxious situation.

Counting to Your Senses:

This is a much more interesting version of counting to five or ten to calm and settle down. The idea is to become more aware of our surroundings and our bodies, calm our busy and scattered minds and settle into the task or setting. Kids can do this on their own, but its a lot more fun to do together as a family, classroom or group.

Sitting comfortably but upright in the workspace, whether its at the kitchen table or classroom desk, take just a moment to bring your attention to your breath, bringing it down to your toes and feeling it in your belly. Now take a moment to bring your attention to your ears, and just start counting whatever sounds start to enter your awareness through your hearing. Try either five or ten depending on how much practice you have... airplanes overhead, cars outside, breathing next to you, birds chirping, water rushing through a pipe, footsteps or voices outside... it is amazing how many things are there when we start to pay attention. But the hard part is not getting caught up in the story of whats happening with the sound- noticing the airplane, but staying out of it, being aware of the footsteps, but not wondering who they belong to or where they are going, just bringing our minds back to the next sound. With practice, start listening to the sounds and the spaces between the sounds- is there ever really any quiet? You can do this practice for seconds, minutes or hours, and it will help you settle and focus, but even just five or ten sounds can make a big difference.

A second part you can add on or do instead is focusing in your body and what sensations you feel, again counting to five or ten. Noticing the sensation of your socks on your feet, an itch on your arm, the air on your face, and deeper down the pulse of your heart, the vibrations of your stomach. Without getting carried away by the stories that tempt you, just counting to five or ten sensations, or practicing for a minute or two.

Notice your level of focus now, and start in on your work. If you feel distracted or frustrated, pull your mind back to the sounds or sensations, and from there back into your work.

Dr. Christopher Willard, Psy. D
Dr. Willard is a licensed psychologist and educational consultant. He is most recently the author of "Child's Mind," a book about teaching meditation to children and teens. He lives and works in Cambridge, MA.

Mindfulness Practices for ADD/ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

My oldest son suffers from ADHD.  It took me 5 years to accept the diagnosis and treat my son because I didn't believe it truly existed.  I would suffer for hours in the bathroom crying while my son tore the house upside down destructing everything in its path, treated his brothers cruelly and became more defiant to my husband and myself. 

The thing was, I didn't believe in this diagnosis.  I believed that all children had different outlets and levels of energy.  I believed that it was a stage and the tempers, tantrums and trashing would eventually stop.  I made excuses, "he's a free spirit", "a new soul", "he is just a boy", whatever would work at that moment.  It wasn't until I was called into a routine IEP meeting at the end of his kindergarten year that I woke up and realized that there was more to this behavior.  When the teachers and staff sat across from me and explained that they thought it was in my son's best interest to stay in kindergarten another year.  That's when I learned that the behaviors were being acted upon at school as well.  That's when I learned that my son and the principal were very close.  That's also when I learned that changing diets and exploring other options was not enough for my son.  I turned to medication.

It was the hardest thing I have ever done.  I did not want my child to rely on medication but I didn't want him  to stay back because of behavior and not grades.  I took him to his pediatrician who referred us to a neurologist, went through a lot of tests and his diagnosis was made.  I know many who would debate my decision to put my son on medication, that is not what this blog is about.  This is my starting point to help my son overcome or at least stand up to a lifetime disease.

Why did I wait so long to treat this disease?  Would I have waited if it was diabetes?  What caused me to think that this was any different and why did I allow his behaviors for those years to help mold who he is today?  Two years later, he is doing great in school.  He is still struggling in certain subjects but he also has a few other disabilities that stand in his way.  The thing is, that now he is maturing, he is focusing on what is important and although he still has his tantrums they are far and few in between.  He is finding his true personality, and is starting to find interests, something he struggled with beforehand.  The new problem...he thinks his medication makes him good.  When he goes a day or two without it, he reverts right back to the old and blames the fact that he didn't take his medication.  My new struggle is dependency.

I have been trying different methods with him lately to help with his focus, keep him more mindful.  I hope that as he matures the medication can be dropped and he can find other outlets to control himself.  So far we have tried, yoga, meditation, breathe control and focusing on colors.  Sometimes, something random helps that I would have never thought of trying, others I have found through the internet, books and other resources.  No matter what, we will work through this together with an open mind.

Dr. Christopher Willard, Psy. D., and author of the new book, Child's Mind: Mindfulness Practices to Help Our Children Be More Focused, Calm, and Relaxed, has graciously offered to guest blog next weekend,  here at Mindful Moments about the topic of ADHD and Mindfulness Practices for children.  A psychotherapist at Tufts University, he has a doctorate in clinical psychology and his research focuses on the psychological applications of meditation and mindfulness practice.  I am very thankful that he found my little corner of the internet and has offered his expertise in this topic to my readers and myself.



__________________

**update 10/20/10**


Here is the link to Christopher Willard's guest post on ADD/ADHD.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Cleansing

Since becoming a mother, the luxury of bathing comes few and far between.  Showering is a rushed experience done simply out of necessity.  While in the shower, my thoughts circle the many things I have to accomplish, the kids homework assignments, meal ideas, etc. and my anxiety grows. 

However, last night when I stepped into the shower, I cleared my mind of the worries and woes and I actually felt the water wash over me.  I enjoyed massaging my scalp while lathering shampoo through my hair, taking in the smell of my soap against my body and the heat of the steam rising around me and the goosebumps that raised from the contrast of the cold room to hot shower.  When my mind tried to wander off, I brought my attention back to the water. 

With my focus only on the shower and my thoughts only on cleansing myself, it made the experience serene.  Instead of jumping out like I normally do and haphazardly wiping myself dry and throwing my pajamas on, I stepped out slowly.  I let the cold air hit me and patted myself dry slowly, making sure to dry every inch of my body.  While brushing my hair I felt the teeth touch every part of my scalp.  I lathered my body in lotion and dressed slowly.  I exited the bathroom with a sense of peace and shared the experience with my husband.  

It just takes a mindful moment -- small pauses throughout the day to transform everyday moments into something meaningful.  There are no ordinary moments in life; every moment is sacred and deeply spiritual if we are open to changing how we relate to them.  

Cleansing

The Right Focus

While grocery shopping, I take my time and keep mindful.  I do not like to rush the experience rather I take the experience slowly and enjoy the moment. I enjoy the open layout of my neighborhood store and the way the bright lights reflect off the fresh foods they offer. I enjoy searching for the perfect fruits and vegetables and feeling their textures in my hand. When I pass the bakery, the aroma is so sweet it is intoxicating. I smile at the little child begging his/her mother for a sugary treat then raise my eyes to the mother's flustered face with compassion.  The weight of my cart as it fills reminds me of how I am providing nourishment for my family which brings me a feeling of satisfaction.

In Ellen Tadd's new book, The Wisdom of the Chakra's she uses The Grocery Store experience as an example.  An example of when a person usually leads away from The Third Eye Focus, or as she calls it "The Kingpin" and moves their focus to the Solar Plexus which is an emotional focus. 

"When perceiving from the solar plexus, most people experience fear or anxiety of some sort, whether it is about time, decision making, or people."

Today, while grocery shopping with my boys (which is normally something I do alone) I enjoyed watching my little ones in the car attachment beeping at the other patrons and my oldest proudly holding my list getting ready to cross off the next thing that I was going to place in the cart.  While waiting at the deli for them to call my number, I reflected on what Tadd said in her book.  I was curious what would happen if I changed my focus to my solar plexus.  

I started absorbing the mood of the gentleman behind me, shifting his wait from one foot to the other in frustration.  I noticed the sound of an unhappy toddler a few aisles down and sensed the aggravation of the mother.  The chatter of one patron beside me insulting someone or something to the person she was having a cell phone conversation with while ignoring the lady behind the counter who was asking her if she needed anything else.  The anxiety that I felt in those brief few moments swept over me completely.  I lost focus on being mindful and was overwhelmed with negative thoughts and emotions.  I could feel the frustration building more and more.  

"With your eyes closed, you would have to depend on feeling to find your way.....If you opened your eyes and walked down the same street, you could still use your hands to feel, but the addition of sight would increase your selectivity and discernment."

I took a deep breath and slowly brought my energy back to the Third Eye Focus.  I let go of the emotional tension around me, concentrated on my breath and once again found my positive energy.  I enjoyed the rest of my shopping experience with my boys.  Later, in the afternoon I reflected on other times that I too had those types of fears and anxieties while food shopping.  When did I start becoming mindful of the experience?  What triggered it to become a positive experience rather than a negative one?  The answer was right there before me, Practice.  

Mindfulness is a practice.  It is not something that can be achieved over night nor is it something that most can experience every moment of the day.  However if we take a moment during each activity to pay attention to the present (the task at hand); whether in our actions, our thoughts or our daily conversations we can learn to become more aware of the moment and not let it slip away. 

*Quotes are excerpts from  The Wisdom of the Chakras: tools for navigating the complexity of life by Ellen Tadd.

The Right Focus