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Counselling clients with ADHD. Mary Lynn Trotter MSW RSW. Clinical social worker EAP provider Parent of young child with ADHD. What is ADHD?. Attention Deficit (Hyperactive) Disorder Mental health disorder Learning disability. Who has it?. Children Teens Adults. How do they know?.
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Mary Lynn Trotter MSW RSW • Clinical social worker • EAP provider • Parent of young child with ADHD
What is ADHD? • Attention Deficit (Hyperactive) Disorder • Mental health disorder • Learning disability
Who has it? • Children • Teens • Adults
How do they know? • Red flags at school • Performance issues at work • Relationship issues everywhere
How is it diagnosed? • Physician/specialist such as a pediatrician, psychiatrist • Psychologist – school board, private, university
Treatment options • First-line: medication • Exercize – cardio • Counselling/coaching
Traits • Inattentive • Distractible • Impulsive • Forgetful
More traits • Disorganized • Hyperactive • Emotionally over-reactive • Poor motivation
Impact on work • Poor time management • Doesn’t finish things • Gets bored easily
More challenges at work • Quits/gets fired • Underemployed • Can’t follow instructions
Strengths at work • Often right-brained/creative • Good at sales, crises, high energy, novelty • Suited to self employment
Interpersonal issues • Too talkative, scattered • Resistant to authority • Can have oppositional traits
Counselling ADHD’ers • Short, regular meetings • “Chunk” information into pieces • Reminders of appointment times • Help with accountability
Key issues to address • Motivation • Focus more on strengths, less on areas of challenge • Commitment/perserverence
Supports that work • Hire an ADHD coach • Identify workplace accommodations • Recommend assistive devices