CATCH’s April 16th Lunch and Learn featured Dr. Natalia Kaczmarek and Laura Tatgenhorst of Cutting Edge Counseling who spoke on the many facets of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Webinar featuring Dr. Natalia Kaczmarek, Psy D. and Founder, Indigo Therapy Group and Laura Tatgenhorst, MSW, LSW and member of Indigo Therapy Group
CATCH’s April 16th Lunch and Learn featured Dr. Natalia Kaczmarek and Laura Tatgenhorst, who spoke on the many facets of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Natalia is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of Indigo Therapy Group, a private practice located in Northbrook, Illinois. Laura is a licensed social worker and a member of the Indigo team. Both speakers are neurodivergent (Natalia has ADHD and Laura has ADHD and Autism), which allows them to closely identify with their clients.
Awareness and Acceptance are Critical
Building awareness and understanding of mental health and neurodivergences, such as ADHD, is critical, but acceptance is also extremely important. There are many successful, creative, and innovative adults who have ADHD and have learned how to live with it. Children’s development is “on their side” — with the proper intervention, children and parents can better understand their diagnosis, how it presents itself, and how they can work to manage it.
Common Myths & Difficulties
“They’re not being parented right” or “They’re not trying hard enough” are some of the myths that surround children with ADHD. But, in fact, for younger children who have less self-regulation, their ADHD is not necessarily in their control or an active choice that they are making. With information, resources, and practice ADHD is treatable and workable.
3 types of ADHD (Note: Not everyone with ADHD is hyperactive).
• Inattentive: More internal or “in their own head” – child may have trouble focusing, makes careless mistakes, has difficulty finishing tasks. Can be harder to diagnose because it is often misunderstood as “zoned out”.
• Hyperactive: More externally visible and express themselves in ways that seem disruptive – child shows behaviors such as fidgeting, talkative, impulsive, impatient, interruptive. May have trouble regulating their emotions.
• Combined: Child shows elements of both inattentive and hyperactive behaviors.
Some children display inconsistency between contexts, which can make a diagnosis difficult (i.e., kids may respond well to school but unravel at home).
Other common difficulties include:
• Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria – When a child feels that they are in a consistent negative feedback loop because of their behavior, they become sensitive to rejection and begin to anticipate it. They have an idea that others are critical of them or rejecting them which makes them feel ashamed.
• Time Blindness: Children who lose track of time or are unable to manage their time; sometimes there is a hyper-focus on something they are doing, other times it may be avoidance.
• Sensation/Thrill Seeking: Children who are neurodivergent tend to have heightened sensitivities. When this heightened sensitivity is paired with impulsivity and a “good feeling” boost when they do something new or exciting, they are more prone to engaging in dangerous or high-risk behaviors.
• Trouble with Interoception: Interoception is an awareness of your own body (e.g., sensation of hunger, needing to go to the bathroom). Those with ADHD may ignore these things when hyper-focused on something else and as a result, may forget to eat, or have a toileting accident.
• Pathological Demand Avoidance – When a child avoids doing something specifically because they were asked to do it. This often goes hand-in-hand with Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria; the child may avoid the activity because they are afraid that the outcome will result in rejection or punishment.
Diagnosis in Boys vs. Girls
Boys tend to present with ADHD faster because the behaviors are more obvious, such as impulsiveness. Girls, often considered to be more well behaved and organized, are often misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed. When they do show signs of ADHD, girls often present with inattentive features. Many girls with depression or eating disorders, once treated, are often diagnosed with ADHD.
Co-morbidity
Those diagnosed with ADHD often have multiple disorders and these can evolve throughout their lifetime – for example, distractibility in childhood can lead to distracted driving, and cause car accidents. Or, impulsivity can lead to greater mental health issues, greater risk-taking or thrill-seeking behaviors in adulthood (e.g., substance use).
Because ADHD kids learn by doing, they often learn through natural consequences, but parents should note that this may not be “forever” behavior. In fact, learning emotional intelligence early on can make children with ADHD even more successful adults than neurotypical adults.
ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder
ADHD and Autism share a lot of similarities in that they’re both disorders that involve sensation seeking and hypersensitivity. Those with autism may be very sensitive to things and try to avoid overstimulation, whereas those with ADHD may have a higher tolerance for environmental factors. Having both disorders can be very complicated because sometimes situations are triggers and sometimes they are not. Over time, those with both ADHD and Autism can learn their strengths and limitations and learn which environments suit them best.
What Can You Do?
• Find the right therapist for your child’s needs – behavioral therapy, play therapy, etc.
• Consult with the prescribing physician to find out if there are medications that may be helpful.
• Find supplemental support such as, Occupational Therapy to organize sensory systems, Speech Therapy for social skills, Feeding Therapy, Pelvic Therapy to manage bedwetting, etc.
• Get a neuro/psychological evaluation to better understand your child’s diagnosis; can help to develop school accommodations and prevent having to act in a crisis.
• Seek out school accommodations.
• Incorporate structure and sensory routine at home – find the routines that work for your child, recognizing that it is a trial-and-error process.
• Get informed.
