VOLUME 6, NO. 4                                                                          APRIL 26, 2001

NJ ADD/ADHD ADULT NEWSLETTER

ADD ADULT SELF HELP SUPPORT GROUP

FOR ADD/ADHD ADULTS

AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS

MEETING: THE NEXT MEETING OF THE ADD ADULT SELF HELP SUPPORT GROUP WILL BE ON APRIL 26, 2001 AT 7:30 PM AT MONMOUTH MEDICAL CENTER, ROOM 114 STEINAM HOUSEMAN, LONG BRANCH, NJ.  GO TO THE RECEPTION DESK IN THE MAIN LOBBY AND GET DIRECTIONS.  THE TOPIC WILL BE:  ADD PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

RESEARCH:  IN AN ARTICLE BY REIFF, H. et al., THE RELATION OF LEARNING DISABILITY AND GENDER WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. J. LEARNING DISABILITIES, 2001,34(1): 66-78, IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE OVERALL EMOTIONAL IQ (FROM THE EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT INVENTORY TEST) OF SUCCESSFUL LEARNING DISABLED COLLEGE STUDENTS WAS EQUAVALENT TO THE EMOTIONAL IQ OF THE STUDENTS WITHOUT LEARNING DISABILITIES DESPITE DIFFERENCES ON COLLEGE CREDITS, HIGH SCHOOL GPA, SAT, OR COLLEGE GPA.  THERE WERE SOME SUBSCALE DIFFERENCES. 

COMMENT: A TENTATIVE CONCLUSION OF THIS STUDY WAS THAT SUCCESSFUL LD STUDENTS HAVE EMOTIONAL IQs SIMILAR TO THE SUCCESSFUL NON-LD STUDENT.  ANOTHER WAY OF THINKING ABOUT THIS IS THAT THOSE STUDENTS WHO HAVE LEARNED HOW TO IMPROVE THEIR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, HAVE MORE SUCCESS IN GETTING INTO COLLEGE AND BEING SUCCESSFUL THERE.  STRESS MANAGEMENT IS A MAJOR ISSUE FOR ALL LD STUDENTS (INCLUDING ADDers); THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE TRAITS SEEMS TO BE EMPHASIZED IN THIS STUDY.  SINCE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNLIKE ACADEMIC IQ, CAN BE IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY, PERHAPS WE OUGHT TO BE PUTTING MORE EFFORT INTO OUR EMOTIONAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT.

TIPS: IN AN ARTICLE BY ROBIN, A., GEE WHIZ, I MISSED IT AGAIN: IMPROVING TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS. ATTENTION , 2001,7(5):7-11, ROBIN LISTS THE TEN STEPS FOR LEARNING TO USE A DAY-TIMER SUCCESSFULLY.  THE STEPS ARE: 1) SELECT ONE THAT FITS YOUR NEEDS. 2) KEEP THE DAY-TIMER IN A PLACE WHERE YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND IT.  VISUALLY ACCESSIBLE LOCATIONS ARE BEST. 3) PUT BASIC AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN THE TIMER, e.g. PASSWORDS, EASILY FORGOTTEN NUMBERS SUCH AS PHONE NUMBERS etc. 4) ATTACH THE DEVICE TO YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES. 5) CHECK THE THING A MINIMUM OF THREE TIMES PER DAY. 6) PUT ALL APPOINTMENTS IN THE THING. 7) PUT YOUR DAILY TO DO LIST IN IT. 8) PRIORITIZE AND WORK ON THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES FIRST. 9) SET ASIDE A SET TIME EACH DAY TO CONSTRUCT, PRIORITIZE, AND PLAN OUT THE DETAILS LISTED IN THE THING. 10) EVENTUALLY YOU WILL HAVE BOTH A LONG AND SHORT GOAL LIST THAT CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO SMALL CHUNKS AND ORGANIZED IN THE THING.

COMMENT: THESE STEPS ARE VALID IN MY EXPERIENCE.  THE DAY-TIMER (DAY-PLANNER) IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ADD TIME.  NEARLY ALL THE SUCCESSFUL ADDers THAT I KNOW USE SOME FORM OF THE THING.  MOST OF THE CURRENTLY UNSUCCESSFUL ADDers THAT I KNOW DO NOT USE THE THING.  USE THE THING!!!

SORRY I'M LATE THIS MONTH WITH THE NEWSLETTER.

                                                PEACE!!!

                                                                Bob