Designing A Calm ADD-ADHD Home Atmosphere

Attention Deficit Disorder is a mild brain disorder thatnis passed down from parent to child.nnIf one parent has Adult ADHD, then their child has a 50%nchance of inheriting it. If both parents have it, a childnis almost 90% likely to have attention deficit disorder.nThis means there may be more than one ADHD child in anfamily.nnWhat this means is that attention deficit disordernhyperactive children who have trouble concentrating andnsitting still are born to hyperactive ADHD adults who haventrouble organizing their day and staying focused on tasks.nnThis is a real problem, because the ADHD child does bestnin a very structured environment. They function best whennthere is a definite routine followed hour by hour...day bynday.nnYet they are born to parents who are unorganized andnunstructured - this is where the family problems start.nThat is why most ADD ADHD specialists recommend that thenfamily go into counseling as a group, or that the parentsnget trained in how to handle children who tend to bendifficult.nnIf you cannot afford a therapist trained in attentionndeficit disorder or if your insurance does not cover thisnservice, you may want to join a support group throughnCHADD.nnHere are some things ADD ADHD coaches and counselorsntypically recommend. This kind of advice is the hardestnfor someone with attention deficit disorder to follow,nbecause they prefer to "live on the edge" and find well-norganized houses "boring" and "uptight."nn1. Set up a soothing, calm physical environment. Keepnthe house neat. Paint rooms in soothing colors like lightnblue and beige. Don't put up a lot of posters and artwork,nclocks, and other decorations. If you DO put up artwork,nbuy soothing pictures of nature and landscapes, not violentnpictures with bright colors.nn2. Buy simple furniture and aim for an unclutterednlook. Don't put up a lot of knickknacks or use busynpatterns for draperies and rugs. Think simple, minimal andn"less is more."nn3. Organize supplies in an orderly way. Thenmentality is "Everything in its place and a place forneverything." Store things like forks and spoons, pencilsnand stationery, and all other household supplies in annorderly way. Put things away after you use them. Clutternis very distracting to the ADD ADHD mind.nn4. Keep televisions, computers and other "screens"ncovered or enclosed in cabinets. Otherwise they will "call"nto you to use them. The ADHD child and adult ADHD havenproblems controlling the impulse to turn these machines onnwhen they pass them. Keep televisions, radios, CD playersnand everything else that makes noise turned off and shutnaway, unless you are going to sit down and use them for atnleast a half-hour.