Inviting Calm Within: ADD, Neurology, and Mindfulness

Abstract

The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) describesADD as behaviorally observed impairments in attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Officially knownas AD/HD, we use ADD here because we are dealing primarily with attention, organizational, andimpulsivity issues. A more sophisticated model of the disorder is being developed as research inneurology, psychotherapy, cognitive psychology, and education as unified into a comprehensive view,offering more promising treatments than in the past.In this robust model, ADD is viewed as a neurological condition where individuals struggle withregulating executive functions of the brain, as a result of impaired operation of the prefrontal cortex. Incontrast to the DSM IV viewpoint, these impairments may or may not result in behavioral deficits,depending on the success the individual has in accommodating the symptoms. Acknowledging that thesedeficits create substantial challenges to the individual, this newer model acknowledges personal resilienceand the self-creation of compensating factors that mitigate the difficulties that are required in the DSM IVdiagnosis. Thus, an ADHD individual may be quite successful, but that success comes at a high price,from either continued struggles hidden carefully from others to control functions others take for granted,or enduring great underachievement when the intellectual ability of the individual is considered.Although ADD is a substantial lifelong disorder, its effect can be mitigated by a number of factors. Whilemedication is the front-line treatment, success typically involves a combination of strategies, includingaltering the immediate environment, education about the condition, and psychological therapy. Thisarticle describes additional approaches creating an inviting perspective to problematic organizational andconcentration issues. This approach includes the traditional approaches, but reaches out to moreexperiences known to aid in the development of mindfulness and attention, in ways that can benefit theADD individual. The purpose of the paper is:• To counter negative stereotypes of ADD ;• To provide an accurate basic explanation of the neurological and genetic basis of ADD;• To describe the compatibility of Invitational Theory (IT) in creating classroomenvironments that foster ameliorative settings, situations, and activities for students withneurological differences; and• To describe strategies for calming the mind, specifically adapted for ADD that consumeminimal time, can be integrated into daily classroom functioning, and are appropriate forindividual as well as classroom use.