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How Mind Maps help with ADHD / ADD

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Mind Mapping is a valuable technique for dealing with ADHD / ADD

This lens shows how Mind Mapping can be immensely beneficial for people suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD).

Attempting to teach students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD) problems - to give it the full medical name - is something that many teachers have encountered in their classrooms. However not only children are diagnosed with this disorder. Some studies suggest that from 4% to 6% of the US population has ADHD (see http://www.add.org/articles/factsheet.html).

Although ADHD is categorized as a disorder and medical professionals will often prescribe stimulant drugs such as Ritalin to control the symptoms, there are other approaches and therapies that can also help people, such as cognitive therapy and counseling.

In fact a review of 174 ADHD treatment studies by scientists at the University of Buffalo suggests that behavioral treatments probably work as well as drugs. The review, by Dr. Gregory Fabiano and Professor William Pelham Jnr. was published in the March 2009 issue of the Clinical Psychology Review. (See http://www.buffalo.edu/news/fast-execute.cgi/article-page.html?article=100350009)

It's also important to understand that the symptoms and severity of ADHD vary from person to person. In fact many (possibly up to one third) do not show hyperactive symptoms at all. The mainstream media also tends to exaggerate ADHD scare stories such as too much refined sugar or food additives - when it probably applies to less than 5% of children with ADHD, according to scientists at the US National Institute of Health.

A creativity tool that may help some people with ADHD to better cope with their symptoms is mind mapping. Unlike linear note taking or traditional 'chalk-and-talk' instructing styles, mind maps are a highly individual way of managing and processing information.

Here's where Mind Mapping comes in...

The above Mind Map is available on NovaMind Connect at http://www.novamind.com/connect/nm_documents/458

Here are 4 ways in which mind maps can help people diagnosed with an attention deficit disorder.

1- Expressing Creativity:
Mind maps can be used as a creative tool for not just studying but for getting organized in almost any area of life. The layout, choice of colors, use of imagery and keyword relationships can be explored in many different ways.

2- Manage Overwhelm:
The ability to summarize and simplify the amount of information displayed at any one time is a natural benefit of software mind maps. With just a mouse click or two, unwanted or confusing information can be hidden from view. (And displayed again just as quickly.)

3- Controlled Multitasking:
Some AD/HD counselors suggest reframing an inability to concentrate as an ability to multitask. Mind mapping is an ideal way to develop this way of looking at task activities. You can work on multiple maps and multiple branches simultaneously. And you can also go the other way and focus in great detail on a branch or sub branch.

4- Develop Visual Learning Skills:
Often times a person with ADHD responds well to imagery and pictures when engaged in a learning activity. And mind maps provide a very visual method of organizing and displaying information in a way that makes sense for the learner. In addition, most mind mapping tools allow you to associate textual information with each keyword.

The great thing about mind mapping is that it encourages people to simplify and make more sense of their world - be that an academic topic or a life skill, such as time management. And for some people with AD/HD that makes it an ideal tool in learning to better manage their behavior and get more from daily life.

Useful links

Here are some links to some resources that you will find useful for finding out more about Mind Mapping and how it can help with ADHD and being more organized in general.
How to Mind Map
Mind Maps are diagrams that work the way you think. They make it easy to understand, remember, and communicate complex information.You can use Mind Mapping to organize your thoughts, solve problems, brainstorm new ideas, and give compelling presentations. They are used as an aid in study, organizati
How Mind Mapping Software Can Help Improve Your Study Skills
This hub explains how to use Mind Mapping for study.
Mind Mapping Software
Mind Mapping is a powerful but simple way of using diagrams to show information in the same way you think. Mind Mapping makes it easy to understand, remember, and communicate complex information.

Sometimes our brains feel as if they are scrambled because of information overload, overwhelm, or ineffective use of your brain.

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Gideon_King

Gideon King is an internationally recognised expert in Mind Mapping, having founded NMS Global, producer of NovaMind, the leading Mind Mapping program... more »

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