Dr. Forgan’s advice on ADD/ ADHD

ADHD Testing West Palm Beach

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ADHD testing in West Palm Beach with Jim Forgan, Ph.D. and associates for children, teens, and college age students. Testing is available for boys and girls and includes more than just the behavioral rating scales you would receive if you visit your pediatrician for ADHD testing in West Palm Beach and surrounding areas.  Our ADHD testing includes the behavioral rating forms and two hours of working with your child and doing neuropsychological tests of attention and cognitive processing.  This provides testing scores and performance about your child’s attention and processing.

We believe the behavior rating scales are effective tools to use but they are subjective and one person’s opinion.  There is typically a clear test profile of scores of a person with ADHD.  Our testing is specifically assessing these areas to see if you child’s scores fit the profile.  Along with the rating scales, this provides a comprehensive approach for ADHD testing in west palm beach.

If your child is diagnosed with ADHD, an additional service we offer is completing our Dynamic Action Plan.  This takes an hour and provides a written plan to help guide you and your child’s next years.  We’ll help give you a focus so you can take steps to help your child.  We refer to the plan as dynamic because it can be adjusted as your child grows.  Often parents get a diagnosis and then are on their own.  My staff and I want to support you and your family because raising a child with ADD/ADHD can be challenging.

Call us or use the contact form today if you need testing or support for your child, teen, or young adult with ADHD.

ADD & ADHD Girls Help

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ADHD Girls

If your daughter has ADHD or your suspect she might have ADHD/ ADD, I hope you’ve found my book, Raising Girls with ADHD: Secrets for Parenting Healthy, Happy Daughters published by Prufrock Press.  In the book my coauthor and I outline why ADHD is different in girls as compared to boys.  We stress a proactive approach for helping ADHD girls because girls are at a much higher risk for emotional problems than boys so early detection and support is important.

One key feature in the Raising Girls with ADHD book is the dynamic action plan.  We created this and have used it with clients to help guide a girl’s future.  Have you ever felt like you’ve been trying so many different things to help but none have made a meaningful difference?  If yes, you are not alone.  This is a frequent feeling that many parents have when they come work with me and my team.  I have a parent specialist who will sit with you, listen to your concerns, and then help guide you using the Dynamic Action Plan.  Wouldn’t it feel good to have direction and confirmation?

This process is billed at an hourly rate and typically takes about two hours, costing under 300.  In addition to the initial planning, we can come along side you and your family and provide ongoing guidance from once or twice a week or customize a plan to help your and your daughter.  One thing we’ve learned over the years of doing this is that the time and money you invest in this proactive way helps prevent potentially serious future emotional problems.  We discuss this in the Raising Girls with ADHD book because it’s well documented in research that girls with ADHD Combined Type have a much higher likelihood of having co-occurring issues ranging from self-esteem to self-harm.

If you have a girl with ADHD/ ADD, reach out to my office.  We have staff ready to help you today. (561) 625 4125

Successful Teachers of Students with ADHD Do This

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Teachers of students with ADHD can be a positive influence on these wandering boys and girls. All students with ADHD have limitless potential but often need a teacher or adult to recognize the potential and nurture it. If you are a teacher, you could be the one to see the diamond in the rough within your students with ADHD. As a former grade school teacher myself, we have a tremendous influence on our students. At times we don’t realize the full impact of our actions, words, and attitudes but each day our students are being shaped by our influence. In some ways, our students are a product of our teaching. As a current professor and teacher educator at FAU, I want to ensure these future teachers have my stamp of approval. I approach their teaching as if each one were going to teach my own child and ask myself, “Is this person competent enough to teach my child?” My students leave knowing how to teach children with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning issues.

Successful teachers of students with ADHD embody these principles:

  1. Successful teachers of students with ADHD take time to get to know their student’s interests.
  2. Successful teachers of students with ADHD recognize their unique differences.
  3. Successful teachers of students with ADHD don’t expect the student to be perfect.
  4. Successful teachers of students with ADHD believe in their student.
  5. Successful teachers of students with ADHD value the student’s contributions.
  6. Successful teachers of students with ADHD don’t embarrass the student in front of his or her peers.
  7. Successful teachers of students with ADHD hold the student to high, but attainable, expectations.
  8. Successful teachers of students with ADHD use appropriate humor.
  9. Successful teachers of students with ADHD smile and laugh.
  10. Successful teachers of students with ADHD give a second chance.
  11. Successful teachers of students with ADHD understand and make accommodations.
  12. Successful teachers of students with ADHD provide study guides and review them for accuracy before a big test.
  13. Successful teachers of students with ADHD tie learning into the student’s interests.
  14. Successful teachers of students with ADHD communicate with parents.
  15. Successful teachers of students with ADHD may become discouraged but don’t give up on the student.
  16. Successful teachers of students with ADHD are just like you!

Are you helping your students with ADHD?  Like my “Raising Boys with ADHD” Facebook page or email me your ideas for helping your students with ADHD. Together we can make a difference.

My book Raising Girls with ADHD is published by Prufrock Press and now available in all bookstores.

Mr. Funny Guy –A Poem About ADHD

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An ADHD Poem.

Oh Mr. Funny Guy how you love to joke,

Make a silly face or give a little poke.

Try to make us laugh, distract us from our work,

We find you funny with that twisted smirk.

Call out, stand up, squirm around,

The teacher doesn’t like it when you fall on the ground.

Make a body noise or lean back in your chair,

You tell that girl she has ugly looking hair.

Your name goes on the board or she moves your seat,

So many classroom rules for you to try and meet.

Try try try but you’re in trouble does she say,

It looks like another no recess day.

Hold it all in and pretend that you don’t care,

But deep down it starts to hurts in there.

Oh Mr. Funny Guy when will you ever learn,

School is not made for boys that need to squirm.

Sit still. Don’t talk. Read your assigned book,

Stop it. Give him back that pencil that you took.

On Mr. Funny Guy you find school so lame,

Your body’s here but your mind is on that video game.

Concentrate. Focus. Not another D.

Turn yourself around. It’s a choice you see.

We know you can do it and that you’re smart,

Come on boy and start to do your part!

IEP or 504,

The things we give you to make school less a chore.

The time is now and we’ve got your back,

We will do what it takes to try keep you on track.

Tutor. Counselor. The doctor too,

Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with you.

Oh Mr. Funny Guy you are so fun,

Just learn to manage it and you’ll be the successful one.

© 2013 by Jim Forgan

Permission granted to reprint with the citation “By Dr. Jim Forgan,  www.jimforgan.com.”

Does Your Son have ADHD or is it Boy Behavior?

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I’m often asked, “How do you determine if this is normal boy behavior or behavior that may be Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?” You can probably arrive at an answer on your own, but I recommend you consider these three questions to know if your son’s behavior is unusual:

  • How frequently does the disruptive behavior occur?
  • How long do your son’s disruptive behaviors last?
  • How intense is your son’s behavior during this time?

Think about how frequently your son’s disruptive behaviors occur. Once an hour? Once a day? Once per week? It is unusual for a child to get into trouble on a daily basis. The second question was, “How long do your son’s disruptive behaviors last?” Are the behaviors brief or long and drawn-out? Think about a boy who is upset because he wants to play video games but has to do his homework. Depending on their age, most boys become upset and huff around, and yet recover within an age-appropriate amount of time. Time tends to heal things with most boys. But take the same situation for the boy with ADHD. You give him a 5-minute warning to prepare him for the change. Then you give a 2-minute warning that video game time is almost finished. Still, he just can’t seem to stop playing or being upset that game time is over. It takes the boy with ADHD much longer to redirect his focus from one fixation toward something else, particularly something he perceives as unpleasant (like homework). At home and school, boys with ADHD are constantly required to shift their thoughts. Boys who have difficulty with cognitive flexibility often dislike unexpected changes in routine.

The third question was, “How intense is your son’s behavior during this time?”  Boys with ADHD usually display intense and quick to change emotions since a characteristic of ADHD is difficulty self-regulating emotions.

The most thorough way to diagnose ADD/ADHD is by having an evaluation that rules out learning or processing problems as the cause for your son’s difficulty.  After completing the evaluation process, you will know if there is a diagnosis and the steps to take to help your son. While some people only have behavioral rating forms filled out to diagnose ADHD, these forms can be subjective.  I believe your son should also complete some tests of attention because it actually lets you know more about what’s going on inside your boy.

Dr. Forgan specializes in school neuopsychology with an emphasis on ADHD/ ADD, dyslexia, stealth dyslexia, learning issues, information processing problems, and gifted testing.   Call Dr. Forgan at 625-4125