Category: School & Learning

CHADD ADHD Newsstand: Help Your Child Better Cope with Social Anxiety

“Social anxiety is a fear that people will scrutinize you in familiar or unfamiliar social situations and that this negative judgment will have harmful effects on you,” says Sharon Saline, PsyD, author of What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew: Working Together to Empower Kids for Success in School and Life. Children and teens with social anxiety disorder tend to focus on what they believe other people are thinking about them, something that is outside of reality, says Dr. Saline. A child may be afraid of being judged if they speak out in class, and the fear may be so overwhelming that they say nothing. This can loop to feeling even more anxiety because they worry about also being judged for not saying anything.”

Read the full article featuring Dr. Saline on CHADD.org: “Help Your Child Better Cope with Social Anxiety“

 

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Read Dr. Saline’s blog posts:

YourTango: 8 Simple Ways To Make Your College Kid’s Transition Home Easier — On Everyone

“As another school year is winding down, many of us have welcomed our sons and daughters home from college. Whether your college kid’s home for just the summer or they are moving back in after graduating, everyone in the household will need to make adjustments. Previously established family routines may require some tweaks or even a full overhaul. Your teen may be living under your roof again, but you need to treat them like the young adult they are, not the child they were. The line between where parental authority ends and your teen’s autonomy begins has shifted, creating tension as your household is figuring out how to live together once again. So how should you reengage with your teen with a healthy dose of parental authority while still respecting their developing independence? You can release some of this tension by applying a number of tried-and-true approaches.”

Read the article featured on YourTango!

“8 Simple Ways To Make Your College Kid’s Transition Home Easier — On Everyone”

Read Dr. Saline’s blog posts:

Intrepid Ed News – Raising Successful Teens

“When my daughter was in ninth grade, she had very little interest in engaging with me. Sure, she was happy to start a conversation about getting her nose pierced but if I wanted to check in about anything related to school or the tennis team, forget it. She wanted to determine what the parameters were for her life: how to manage social issues, keep up with academics, and what extracurricular activities she did or didn’t do. Frankly, it was hard for me to let things go because raising teens today is challenging. With 24/7 access to screens, peers, and entertainment, it’s tough to know if they are making responsible choices, engaging wisely in activities, and staying on top of homework. For me, being responsive instead of being reactive was, and still can be, my greatest challenge. But I have to realize where my guidance ends and where her decisions about her life begin. This is the complicated dance of raising teens. You are responsible for their health, safety, and welfare and they often want more autonomy than they are actually ready for.”

Read the full article!

“Raising Successful Teens”

Intrepid ED News Article by Dr. Sharon Saline

Read related blog posts by Dr. Saline:

ADDitude Mag – Your Regret Won’t Change the Past. These Tips May Save Your Future.

“Regret is tough to pinpoint. It may feel like sadness, remorse, or disappointment. It may emerge following a missed professional opportunity, oversharing at a cocktail party or yelling at our child for spilling their orange juice. All humans feel regret, but people with ADHD may feel regret more often and more strongly due to struggles with impulse control, emotional regulation, and other executive functioning skills. We regret both the things we did — and the ones wish we had done. “For example, I regret how dysregulated I was going through menopause. There were times when I absolutely did not handle myself well. Once, I lost my temper because my daughter wasn’t wearing a warm enough coat before going to First Night festivities on a frigid New Year’s Eve. Another time, I stormed off when my son asked me for help studying for a history test and then repeatedly criticized the questions I asked him. Honestly, it’s hard to remember these moments and practice self-compassion and forgiveness. I just want to shake my younger self and shriek “What were you thinking?” I dearly wish I’d made other choices.”

Read the full article!

“Your Regret Won’t Change the Past. These Tips May Save Your Future.”

Article by Dr. Sharon Saline on ADDitude.com

Read more blog posts:

Watch on Dr. Saline’s YouTube Channel:

https://youtu.be/AZGrbNjUGlo

 

ADDitude Mag – Flow State vs. Hyperfocus: On Channeling Your Unsteady ADHD Attention

What is considered flow state vs. hyperfocus for people with ADHD? “Are there any differences between being hyperfocused and being in a flow state? Yes! A hyperfocused ADHD brain is completely absorbed in its task — to the point of seemingly ignoring or tuning out everything else. Some people describe hyperfocus as a dream-like state wherein the outside world ceases to exist. A child in hyperfocus [vs. a flow state] may become too engrossed in a video game to hear his parents call his name. An adult in hyperfocus may be reading a book so intently that they lose track of time and miss an appointment. Some neurotypical people may occasionally experience a hyperfocus-like state. However, it occurs more often in people with conditions that reflect attention issues, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD).”

Read the full article!

“Flow State vs. Hyperfocus: On Channeling Your Unsteady ADHD Attention”

Article by Dr. Sharon Saline on ADDitude.com

Read more blog posts:

Watch on Dr. Saline’s YouTube Channel:

https://youtu.be/3I4Kj49Qsgw

YourTango: How To Talk To Kids About School Shootings & Process The Grief We’re All Experiencing

“Ten days after the racially-motivated shooting in Buffalo, New York at a grocery store and ten years after the unspeakable tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, Americans are once again dealing with a horrific mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. This small community west of San Antonio will be forever marked by this unspeakable event: parents, siblings, friends, extended family members, coworkers, and neighbors whose lives will never be the same. My thoughts, my heart, and my grief are with the people of Uvalde. This tragedy has also undoubtedly reminded thousands of people who lost loved ones to similar atrocities: Parkland High School, Sandy Hook, Columbine High School, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Charleston, the list goes on and on. It’s nearly impossible not to be affected by this devastating school shooting news. In fact, it may be related to a biological response based on vicarious trauma.”

Read the article featured on YourTango!

“How To Talk To Kids About School Shootings & Process The Grief We’re All Experiencing”

ADHD Online: Understanding Hyperfocus and How to Make It Work For You

“Usually, hyperfocus happens when you’re doing an activity that you find fun or interesting, explains Sharon Saline, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist, author and speaker. But it can also happen when you’re trying to meet a deadline or work through a task you find boring, according to Susan Ciardiello, Ph.D., LCSW, an ADHD coach and psychotherapist. This is what Saline calls “productive hyperfocus,” and it’s the opposite of scrolling for hours. “In a way, hyperfocus is like sustained attention on steroids,” she says.”

Read the full article on ADHD Online!

“Understanding Hyperfocus and How to Make It Work For You” by Sarah Ludwig Rausch, featuring Dr. Sharon Saline

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Intrepid Ed News – Dealing with ‘Back To School’ Anxiety: 5 Tips To Assist Your Child or Teen Make A Smooth Transition

5 Tips to Assist Your Child/Teen With ADHD Make A Smooth Transition: Kids have an incredible radar. They easily pick up when their parents are stressed or anxious, and it increases their own distress, conscious or unconscious. The first step in decreasing the anxiety your child or teen is feeling is to lower your own.

Take a few minutes and discuss your concerns with your partner, a friend, an extended family member, or counselor. Write these down and then strategize responses or to-do action items to each one by creating an “Anxiety Decelerator Plan.” This ADP will help you feel like you have some control.

Read the full article!

“Dealing with ‘Back to School” Anxiety: 5 Tips To Assist Your Child or Teen With ADHD Make A Smooth Transition” by Dr. Sharon Saline

Dr. Sharon Saline

Additude Webinar Replay – Start with ‘Hello’: How to Reduce Social Anxiety and Foster Connections

ADDitude Webinar with Dr. Sharon Saline "Start with Hello: How to Reduce Social Anxiety and Foster Connections."

Start with ‘Hello’: How to Reduce Social Anxiety and Foster Connections

An ADDitude Webinar by Dr. Sharon Saline

Watch the webinar here!

Webinar description:

“Do you hesitate to reach out to old friends — uncertain whether they’re eager to hear from you? Do you seldom make new friends — apprehensive about risking rejection or just too exhausted to invest time and energy in social endeavors? Is speaking in public so uncomfortable that you avoid ordering take-out at your favorite cafe? Are you looking for support to reduce social anxiety? Many adults with ADHD struggle with fears of embarrassment, rejection, or criticism and hold back from participating in the relationships they truly desire. Still others are worried about missing conversational cues, and then being mocked or excluded. During these past two years of pandemic isolation and restrictions, social anxiety and rejection sensitivity have increased across the board. In other words, you may feel alone, but many others are sharing this experience. In this webinar, Dr. Sharon Saline — award-winning author, international speaker, and consultant — will help you to reduce social anxiety and learn to participate in social situations with more confidence and less self-criticism. She will explain how social anxiety works and offer tools for reducing your discomfort while improving your communication skills. You will learn how to initiate and maintain friendships, manage rejection sensitivity dysphoria, and improve your ability to connect with partners, peers, children, and even love interests. By developing resilience and shifting your mindset, you’ll be prepared to head out into the world with courage, authenticity, and concrete techniques.”

In this free, hour-long webinar you will do the following:

    1. Understand how social anxiety and rejection sensitivity dysphoria impact adults and older teens with ADHD
    2. Learn to overcome limiting beliefs and behaviors with practical tools based on cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness
    3. Develop effective strategies for managing social situations and personal relationships with ease and confidence
    4. Improve communication skills to engage in clear, appropriate, and meaningful conversations
    5. Explore tools for improving resilience and maintaining a growth mindset.

Watch the webinar here!

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