Interacting with Others: Tips for Adults with AD/HD (WWK 15 short version)
WWK refers to the What We Know series of information sheets on AD/HD. See the complete list.
People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) often have social problems. They may have problems with relationships and may be rejected by other people. The problems often come from their symptoms, which include inattention (not being able to pay attention); impulsivity (doing and saying things before they think); and hyperactivity (being overly active).
These social problems can be painful to people with AD/HD. They also may contribute to other psychiatric disorders such as depression or anxiety.
This What We Know sheet will help adults with AD/HD by:
describing how symptoms of AD/HD can result in social and relationship issues
suggesting ways to find out whether an adult with AD/HD interacts well with others
suggesting ways to help adults with AD/HD get along well with other people
AD/HD and Interacting with Others
It is not hard to understand why people with AD/HD often have a hard time interacting with other people. Fifty percent to 60 percent of children with AD/HD have difficulty getting along with other children. Adults with AD/HD very often are lonely and isolated because they haven't learned the social skills others expect them to have, such as listening, polite behavior and following through on responsibilities.
To get along well with others, people must be able to pay attention, to be responsible, and to control their impulses. Adults with AD/HD are often inattentive and forgetful, and they generally do not have good control over their impulses.
AD/HD is not a disability that others can see, so people who don't know what it is may think that the behavior of someone with AD/HD is simply rudeness or laziness or just being self-centered or irresponsible. These and other negative labels can lead to rejection of the person with AD/HD.
Rejection by others such as coworkers, family members and friends causes emotional pain, which can lead to low self-esteem and many other problems throughout life. Inappropriate behaviors may anger a friend or spouse and the friend or spouse may eventually "burn out" and give up on the friendship or marriage.
Teaching people with AD/HD, their loved ones and their friends about AD/HD and how it affects social skills and behavior can help lessen the blame, conflicts and rejection. People with AD/HD can learn to interact well with others and to improve their social lives.
Learning the Skills to Get Along with Other People
Social skills are generally learned by watching people, copying the behaviors of others, practicing and getting feedback. This normally begins in childhood and improves as one gets older.
People with good social skills are accepted by others. People with AD/HD or who don't have such skills are often rejected -- and rejection and isolation gives them even fewer chances to learn how to behave with family and others. This cycle leads to even more rejection, and so on. People begin to avoid the person or use other ways to show disapproval. Because it's considered rude to point out social errors, people with AD/HD are left on their own to improve something they may not even understand.
The Impact AD/HD Symptoms have on Interacting with Others
There are three major symptoms of AD/HD that can affect the way individuals get along with other people:
Inattention -- an individual has difficulty with paying attention, organization and following through on tasks
Impulsivity -- an individual has difficulty with talking or acting before thinking, or with self-control
Hyperactivity -- an individual is unusually active or restless
Inattention
An adult with AD/HD may miss important information in a conversation or in a social setting if they have difficulty paying attention, and others may get frustrated or annoyed if they believe the adult with AD/HD wasn't listening on purpose.
Here are some tips for adults with AD/HD to understand others and gain social skills:
Pay close attention to what others do and say. Know that sometimes people don't say what they really mean. Look for clues to understand what is really meant. Try to "read between the lines."
Be aware of body language, tone of voice, behavior, or the look in someone's eyes to better understand what they are saying and meaning.
Notice a person's choice of words to better understand real meaning. "I'd love to go" probably means "Yes." "If you want to" probably means "No, but I'll do it."
Actions speak louder than words. If someone's words say one thing but their actions say another, suspect that their actions might be telling you their real feelings.
Find someone to help you with this hidden language. Compare your understanding with their understanding. If you don't agree, try the other person's interpretation and see what happensespecially if you usually get it wrong.
Learn to see beyond polite behavior. Polite behavior sometimes disguises actual feelings.
Be alert to what others are doing. Look around for clues about proper behavior, dress, seating and talking.
Impulsivity
Impulsivity -- speaking or acting without thinking first -- can damage relationships. Not stopping to think first often causes unwanted situations for others.
Speaking without thinking first often results in opinions and thoughts being expressed in their raw form, without the thoughtful "being nice" that is socially appropriate. Interrupting others is common with impulsive people and not appreciated.
Rapid speech and talking too much can also be a sign of impulsivity. The rapid-fire speech of someone with AD/HD leaves little room for others who might want to speak too. This behavior can lead to losing friends and missing needed information.
Acting without thinking first can also cause problems. Doing something instantly and without thought often means poor decision-making. Impulsive actions include taking reckless chances, not studying or preparing for school or work, having affairs, quitting jobs, deciding to relocate, overspending and even aggressive actions such as hitting others or throwing things.
Hyperactivity
Physical hyperactivity can make it hard to take part in leisure activities. Being unable to sit still and concentrate for concerts, sports events, religious ceremonies, educational events, or even on vacations may be seen by others as not caring or not being concerned.
Evaluating Your Ability to Get Along with Others
During an evaluation for AD/HD, a health professional will do a complete evaluation to see how the adult interacts with others. Interviews and questionnaires are usually used to determine what social skills and problems an adult with AD/HD has. The questionnaire may include items like those listed here:
Not paying attention when spoken to; missing pieces of information
Seeming to ignore others
Not taking turns in conversation (interrupting frequently)
Not following through on tasks and/or responsibilities
Not using proper manners
Missing social cues
Having a disorganized lifestyle
Sharing information that is inappropriate to share
Being distracted by sounds or noises
Becoming flooded or overwhelmed, "shutting down"
Having disorganized or scattered thoughts
Rambling or straying off topic during conversations
Ending conversations abruptly
Ways to Treat AD/HD
Medications are often helpful for managing AD/HD symptoms. In many cases, medication will give an adult with AD/HD the boost in self-control and concentration he or she needs to use newly learned social skills at the appropriate time. However, medications alone usually are not enough to gain the necessary skills. Once an adult knows what social skills to work on, working with a therapist or coach who understands how AD/HD affects social skills should be considered. (A doctor or other professional may be able to recommend someone. For additional information on coaching, see What We Know #18, Coaching for Adults with AD/HD.")
Adults with AD/HD should think about the following when seeking help with social skills:
Knowledge. To learn better social skills, an adult with AD/HD needs to understand them and know which skills he or she needs to improve. Books that can help include What Does Everybody Know That I Don't (Michele Novotni), ADD and Romance (Jonathan Scott Halverstadt) and You, Your Relationship, & Your ADD (Michael T. Bell).
Attitude. Adults with AD/HD should have a positive attitude and be open to improving their social skills. It is also important to be open to -- and to appreciate -- feedback from others.
Goals. Adults with AD/HD may want to work on one goal at a time. Others close to the adult can help evaluate skills and problems. Tackling skills one at a time will help an individual master each skill before moving on to the next one.
The echo. Those who struggle with missing pieces of information because of problems paying attention in conversations may want to learn to check what they heard with others by saying and asking things like "I heard you say that...Did I get it right?" "Is there more?" or by asking others to check after giving important information. They could help by saying, "Please tell me what you heard me say." This is a good way to avoid social errors because of inattention.
Watching others. Adults with AD/HD can learn a great deal by watching others -- both at work and in their personal life -- do what they need to learn to do. Television may also provide role models.
Role playing. Practicing new skills with others is a good way to get feedback about what was learned.
Rehearsing. Individuals can rehearse by imagining themselves in a situation to practice skills by picturing the place and the people who will be there. This practice should be repeated as many times as possible to "overlearn" the skill and increase chances for success.
Using prompts. Using prompts to focus on particular goals helps, too. The prompts can be an index card with notes, a vibrating watch set every four minutes to remind a person to be quiet, or a gesture someone makes (such as rubbing his or her head) to remind the individual with AD/HD to work on a particular skill.
Increasing "likeability." Researchers have found that people who are likeable have certain characteristics. They are sincere, honest, understanding, loyal, truthful, trustworthy, intelligent, dependable, thoughtful, considerate, reliable, warm, kind, friendly, happy, unselfish, humorous, responsible, cheerful and trustful. Developing or improving any of these "likeability" characteristics should help improve the overall social life of an adult with AD/HD.
Summary
Although AD/HD certainly brings unique challenges to social relationships, information and resources are available to help adults with AD/HD improve their social skills. Most of this information is based upon sound clinical practice and research on social skills and AD/HD in children and teens; there is a great need for more research on social skills and AD/HD in adults. Adults with AD/HD are encouraged to seek help through reading, counseling or coaching and, above all, to build and maintain connections with other people.
The information provided in this information and resource sheet was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number R04/CCR321831-01 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. It was adapted from What We Know #15, "Social Skills in Adults with AD/HD," developed by the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, and approved by CHADD's Professional Advisory Board in 2003.
© 2003 Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).
For further information about AD/HD or CHADD, please contact:
National Resource Center on AD/HD
Children and Adults with
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
8181 Professional Place, Suite 150
Landover, MD 20785
800-233-4050
www.help4adhd.org
Please also visit the CHADD Web site at
www.chadd.org.
`
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
soc mob
Elizabeth F. Churchill
Palo Alto Research CenterChristine A. Halverson
IBM
Social Networks
and Social Networking
14 SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2005 Published by the IEEE Computer Society 1089-7801/05/$20.00 © 2005 IEEE IEEE INTERNET COMPUTING Guest Editors’ Introduction
Social networking is built on the idea
that there is a determinable structure
to how people know each other,
whether directly or indirectly. Notions such
as “six degrees of separation” — that
everyone on Earth is separated from everyone
else by no more than six intermediate
personal relationships — have popularized
the idea that people can be (however
unknowingly) connected through common
associates.
This issue’s theme includes three articles
on research activities that have
drawn on ideas from social networking to
drive innovative designs. The focus stays
close to our own intellectual home — the
design, development, and study of social
technologies at the level of individuals,
groups, and organizations — although we
refer to the broader issue of business,
community, and societal impact in this
short introduction.
Origins
Most contemporary lay discussion of
social networking seems to center on
online interactions via the Internet and
focus on “hooking up” with others to get
a job, get a date, or share stories with
people who have, say, the same breed of
dog. Yet, for decades researchers in the
behavioral sciences have been systematically
studying social networks of all
kinds — “offline” interactions (face to
face, letters, telephone, and so on) as well
as online to determine how social networks
are developed and maintained and
how social-network connections affect
our lives.
John Scott’s introduction suggests that
contemporary social network analysis
(SNA)1 draws on three lines of inquiry:
• Sociometric analysts in the US during
the 1930s, whose work had roots in
Gestalt psychology, aimed to investigate
how feelings of well-being are
related to the structure of people’s
social lives. This movement is most
closely associated with Jacob Moreno,
who devised the sociogram, a visual
diagram of people’s relationship networks
in which individuals are represented
as points and their connections
to others as lines. Other major players
in this research movement were Kurt
Lewin, whose greatest legacy was his promotion
of mathematical models of group relations,
and Fritz Heider, who focused on
people’s perceptions about their relationships
with others.
• Also in the 1930s, Harvard University researchers
began focusing on cliques in social groups to
identify cohesive subgroups (such as work,
church, family, associations, and clubs) within
social systems. This group was influenced
by anthropologist Alfred Radcliffe-Brown,
whose work focused on factory and community
life in the US.
• A group of anthropologists in Manchester, England,
also drew on the work of Radcliffe-Brown
in the 1950s. John Barnes, a member of this
group, is attributed with having coined the specific
term “social networks” in 1954. His work
with Elizabeth Bott drew on the sociometric
approach, but focused on people’s informal
social relationships rather than those associated
with institutions and associations. In addition,
their work focused on conflict and change
in these networks. Clyde Mitchell extended the
traditional sociometric approach with insights
from the mathematics of graph theory to better
deal with observations that were gathered.
Influenced by these investigations, Harvard
researchers led by Harrison White further
explored the mathematical basis of social structure
in the 1960s and ’70s. They drew together
algebraic models of groups using set theory and
multidimensional scaling to establish concepts
such as the strength and distance of connections.
The general approach gained legitimacy and
popularity with the publications of Mark Granovetter’s
analyses of how information from
informal social contacts was used in job seeking
in a US community.2,3 These works laid the foundation
for the methods of study and analysis
used in SNA today.
Definitions
SNA data is essentially relational rather than
attribute-based (that is, concerned with relationships
between things versus the attributes of
individual entities). Thus, the unit of analysis
isn’t the individual, but structures (networks) that
consist of at least two social entities (usually
more) and the links among them. Examples of
the data gathered include kinship relations (for
example, brother of ), social roles (boss of, friend
of, and so on), actions (such as has dinner with,
dance with, or fights with), affective (loves,
hates, and so on), material exchanges (such as
business transactions) and common behaviors
(for example, wears the same jeans or goes to the
same tattoo parlor).
Figure 1 is a sociogram depicting the structure
of relations between entities A through G, the
“nodes” in a simple network. In the figure, the circles
are nodes and the lines between them are links
(also called arcs, edges, or ties). Entity A is connected
to two subgroups and one singleton, G. One
subgroup is made up of entities B, C, and D, and
the other comprises entities E and F. The arrows
depict whether the flows are uni- or bidirectional:
• A is connected to — say, sends email to — B, C,
E, F, and G.
• A receives email from B, C, F, and G.
• E and F send email to each other.
• B,C, and D all send and receive email from each
other.
• A doesn’t receive email from E.
We could characterize A as spanning the boundary
between the two subgroups, thus serving as a
potential connection source between individuals
in each. Figure 2 (next page) shows the connectivity
matrix visualized in Figure 1.
Information passes between nodes as flows — the
movement of diseases among cattle populations,
connections between musicians based on musical
IEEE INTERNET COMPUTING www.computer.org/internet/ SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2005 15
Social Networking
Figure 1. Elements of a social network, illustrated
in a simple sociogram. The nodes in this network
are represented as circles, and the links or
connections between them are the arrowed lines.
Between the nodes are one unidirectional and
eight bidirectional links. A is at the centre of two
subgroups of linked nodes consisting of B, C, and
D, and E and F, respectively. A also has a
connection to G. A connects to E, but E doesn’t
connect to A.
E
C
A G
F
B D
styles, letters, money, emails, blog entries, gossip,
love, or virtually anything else.
In analyzing the flows between nodes along
links, we can characterize nodes as powerless,
active, stationary, transient, or permanent. Links
can be strong or weak, private or public, singular
or multiple, unique or redundant, and parallel or
intersecting. Flows between nodes can be copious
or sparse, constant or intermittent, one-way or
bidirectional, and meaningful or meaningless.
Using the simple concepts of nodes, ties, and
flows, analysts can derive relational matrices and
sociograms for anything in which connections
exist. Network analysis also reveals substructures
within networks — for example, cliques within a
larger group. Some common network characterizations
are as follows:
• centralized, decentralized (that is, multicentered),
or distributed (centerless);
• hierarchical or horizontal;
• bounded or boundless;
• finite (with fixed limits on the number of nodes
and ties);
• accessible or inaccessible;
• inclusive or exclusive;
• intensive (that is, few nodes linked by a multiplicity
of dense, strong ties) or expansive
(many nodes enabling reciprocal, multidirectional
flows); or
• noninteractive (enabling only unidirectional
flows).
Changing patterns in networks over time show
how networks form, grow, and wane. By understanding
such patterns in different network types,
we can also derive the potential causes and consequences
of change, and predict network evolution
given different interventions.
Why Do Networked
Computers Matter?
The advent of Internet communications has greatly
increased SNA’s popularity in recent years.
Broadly speaking, the Internet has sparked curiosity
(why and how are people connecting with others?),
opportunity (we can track communication
flows efficiently via computer logs), and commerce
(what services will be compelling enough for people
to pay for them?).
For researchers interested in the dynamics of
human communication, it’s fascinating that people
are increasingly available for online communication,
often with others they would never have
encountered prior to the Internet’s emergence.
Connections are no longer as bound by propinquity;
rather, people can seek out or “bump into”
others from all over the globe. Further, the potential
for network density increases with social software
that emphasizes group communications
(Tribe.net, for example, explicitly focuses on
groups and communities as well as person-toperson
contacts). In this regard, the drive for
human-to-human communication has become
more evident — at least initiating, if not maintaining
it, as evidence shows that many “connections”
through online sites are ephemeral.
Along with this surge in sociability among
friends and strangers, computer-based networks
have let researchers instrument and measure what
communications are taking place in evolving, stable,
and fluctuating social networks. As people
increasingly interact online, analysts are interested
in observing and characterizing when, where,
and how connections are made, how long they are
maintained and in what ways, and what function
these connections serve. At the level of interpersonal
communication and communities of interest
and affiliation, researchers have examined
social information flows for strong and weak ties
in Internet communications4 and online spaces,5–7
how online socializing impacts people’s psychological
health,8 and how online socializing affects
face-to-face interactions in communities.9 Considerable
research is also exploring impression
management — that is, how people represent
themselves through constructed online identities.10
At the societal level, Manuel Castells places computer-
based communications at the center of
16 SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2005 www.computer.org/internet/ IEEE INTERNET COMPUTING
Guest Editors’ Introduction
Figure 2. Connectivity matrix for entities A through
G in Figure 1. In the matrix, a 1 indicates a
connection, and a 0 shows no connection. The
absence of a connection between A and D is shown
by the 0 in both cells. A is also connected to E via a
unidirectional connection: E does not connect to A.
G 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
F 1 0 0 0 1 1 0
E 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
D 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
C 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
B 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
A 1 1 1 0 1 1 1
G F E D C B A
changes in global socioeconomics.11,12 He isn’t
alone in expressing concerns about rising
inequities between those with access to technical
— and therefore social — networks, and those with
such access.
Social-network concepts have become
increasingly interesting to companies such as
Ryze, LinkedIn, MySpace, Tribe, Orkut, and
Friendster, which have launched networking sites
in the past few years, although no particularly
lucrative business model has emerged. At the
inter- and intraorganizational levels, analysts
have used SNA to map the ways in which people
communicate and cooperate — that is, to identify
knowledge flows: Who do people seek information
and knowledge from? Who do they share
their information and knowledge with? As
applied to business, SNA is often about revealing
the informal communication networks that exist
within organizations — how information actually
flows around and between the formal procedures
and relationships mapped to organizational
hierarchy charts. Several consultancy firms are
offering services based on SNA, promising optimization
of information flow as a way to improve
efficiency, reduce costs, and improve productivity.
Within the research context, understanding
how these informal networks flow within and
among organizations has even given rise to a
separate area of study, called organizational network
analysis (ONA).13,14
Articles in this Issue
All three theme articles take up social networks
and social networking in terms of relationships
among individuals (rather than at the organizational,
community, or societal level). In addition,
all share our own penchant for sociotechnical
design intervention — that is, all are concerned
with using SNA to drive innovations that help
people use communication technologies to
understand and manage their social networks
more effectively.
Danyel Fisher’s “Using Egocentric Networks to
IEEE INTERNET COMPUTING www.computer.org/internet/ SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2005 17
Social Networking
Resources on Social Networks, Social Networking, and Social-Network Analysis
Simply typing “social network” into a
search engine will yield thousands of
hits pointing to papers, books, journals, and
bibliographies, as well as tools for analyzing
and visualizing social networks. Here, we
offer a more focused list of relevant readings
and tools.
Readings and Resources
Wikipedia offers a good basic introduction
to social networks and social-network
analysis (SNA), with links to numerous
resources (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Social_networks).
Several academic bibliographies dedicated
to social networks and SNA are available
online. (See www.socialnetworks.org,
for a good example.)
NetLab (www.chass.utoronto.ca/~well
man/netlab/) provides up-to-date information
on social networks in the broadest
sense, including pointers to many activities
and resources that intersect with SNA. This
is an excellent, scholarly resource.
Robert Hanneman from the University
of California and Mark Riddle from the
University of Colorado maintain a particularly
good bibliography of SNA resources
at http://faculty.ucr.edu/~han
neman/nettext/Bibliography.html.
Bruce Hopper and Patti Anklam also
maintain a fairly good, annotated SNA bibliography
at http://connectedness.blog
spot.com/2005/05/annotated-biblio
graphy-of-social.html.
Specifically business-related resources
are often listed under the banner of organizational
network analysis (ONA), which
has been dubbed an x-ray into the inner
workings of an organization.Rob Cross and
colleagues have focused on ONA in their
work (www.robcross.org/sna.htm).
Network-analysis modeling techniques
can be quite complicated as researchers
use considerable mathematical rigor and
sophisticated statistical techniques to
uncover patterns of nodes, links, and flows.
We recommend beginning with John
Scott’s Social Network Analysis:A Handbook
(Sage Publications, 1991). Scott offers an
excellent introduction to the area.
A good follow-up is Stanley Wasserman
and Joseph Galaskiewizc’s Advances in Social
Network Analysis (Sage publications, 1994),
as well as Wasserman and Katherine Faust’s
Social Network Analysis (Cambridge Univ.
Press, 1994).
Darin Barney’s The Network Society
(Polity Press, 2004) offers an interesting
introduction to the broader area of the
Networked Society, inviting readers to
consider the larger scale (global, for
example) ramifications of sociotechnical
networks.
Elsevier publishes an excellent journal
called Social Networks (www.elsevier.com/
wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/505
596/description). See also the online Journal
of Social Structure (www.cmu.edu/joss/).
Tools
Social networking is an increasingly hot topic
in software design. Sites and services are
built around common interests, geographical
proximity,professional communities and
practices, and so on. Social networking sites
such as Ryze, LinkedIn, Friendster, Orkut,
MySpace, and Tribe are growing in popularity,
although effective revenue generation
remains elusive.
continued on p. 18
18 SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2005 www.computer.org/internet/ IEEE INTERNET COMPUTING
Guest Editors’ Introduction
Understand Communication” stays closest to the
current characterizations of social networking
through online communication. Focusing on the
networked “ego” of the sophisticated email user,
he presents two systems: Soylent looks at interaction
patterns in email, and Roles applies SNA to
messages and replies within Usenet. Both projects
examine connections that are explicit and volitional
— connections are based on conscious decisions
to communicate, as opposed to, say, bumping
into someone serendipitously in a hallway — with
no assumption that links are bidirectional. Soylent
presents sociograms as end-user visualizations of
connections between individuals who’ve been
coaddressed on email messages. Fisher describes
core patterns that emerge from such connections.
The Roles project applies SNA to public Usenet
group communications to identify individuals’
roles as well as point toward interaction patterns
between individuals.
In “Social Networks as Health Feedback Displays,”
Margaret Morris also focuses on individuals,
concentrating on self-perception and mental
well-being. Her work at Intel takes a proactive
approach to health by using social-networking
and pervasive computing technologies to help
reduce feelings of social isolation and depression
in elderly individuals. Building on cognitive
behavioral ideas and notions of mindfulness,
Morris and colleagues use network displays to
provide a form of social biofeedback. They use
sensor data (measuring phone calls and visits) to
derive public displays of social interactions with
relations and friends, which they introduced into
select elders’ homes. This approach shows the
persuasive power of mobilizing concepts such as
social networks: as people see their social interactions
illustrated in these feedback displays,
their feelings of social isolation are subtly and
gently refuted.
Finally, Quentin Jones and Sukeshini A.
Grandhi’s “P3 Systems: Putting the Place Back
into Social Networks” takes us furthest from current
discussions of social networking. Although
very much part of early SNA work, geographical
space, location, and architectural space are often
forgotten in discussions of abstract “connections”
via communication technologies. This article
brings together physical place, mobile
technologies, and social networks in what the
authors call the P3 framework, which is intended
to help designers consider what geographic
context cues are appropriate for specific social
interactions. In their framework, Jones and
Grandhi distinguish between people- and placecentered
techniques for communication or location-
aware community systems. As we see an
increase in cellular technologies that promise
perpetual availability, it seems there will also be
an increase in tools and applications for social
Resources on Social Networks, Social Networking, and Social-Network Analysis cont.
Mobile social software (MoSoSo) services
and applications are increasingly popular.
Similarly, building and maintaining social
networks by sharing digital media is becoming
more common, both online (Flickr’s
photo-sharing site, for example;www.flickr.
com) and offline (Fuji Xerox’s interactive
bulletin boards, the CollaboPosters; see
www.designingassociates.com/displays).Undoubtedly,
the future will bring new visions
for such sites and services.
Various tools have also emerged for
visualizing explicit and tacit social networks
and carrying out SNA. We can apply such
tools and metrics at the level of individuals,
organizations, and industries to analyze
computer networks (to optimize topologies,
and so on) and information systems
(to offer representations of link structures,
for example). These tools reveal densely or
sparsely connected clusters, which can be
mapped to “affiliative groups” or communities
of practice to reveal people who are
connectors and boundary spanners
between groups.
Tools are designed for different areas
and levels of investigation – for example,
some are better suited for social-science
research and others for business analysis.
They also differ in the level of mathematical
understanding they assume, and in
their ability to deal with large data sets.
As with all forms of data analysis, selecting
the “right” tool depends on the questions
posed, desired output, specifics of
the data sets to be analyzed, and the analysts’
interest in manipulating the underlying
parameters.
Orgnet.com’s InFlow 3.0 is frequently
used in business contexts. The site also
includes a good range of articles on SNA as
well as product information on InFLow,
which the company describes as “a social
network mapping and measurement tool.”
Other examples of SNA software
include NetMiner (www.netminer.com/
NetMiner/home_01.jsp), SociometryPro
(www.sociometry.ru/eng/index.php), Pajek
(see http://vlado.fmf.uni-lj.si/pub/neworks/
pajek/), and UCINET (see www.analytic
tech.com/ucinet_5_description.htm).
We also recommend checking the
International Network for Social Network
Analysis (www.insna.org/INSNA/soft_inf.
html) for more pointers to SNA tools and
techniques.
continued from p. 17
networking via these devices. Examples of such
mobile social software (MoSoSo) services include
Dodgeball (www.dodgeball.com), which connects
people to their friends on the basis of physical
proximity, and Morca (www.common.net), which
helps people discover common interests from
each other’s profiles, indexed by their email
addresses. Jones and Grandhi’s framework begins
to address the complexities inherent in making
judgments about our availability by bringing
into focus the fact that desire for contact is moderated
by who is contacting us and where we are
at the time.
Central to SNA is the interplay between the
activities of nodes and the dynamics of the
networks they’re part of. The Internet has made
us aware of people’s desires and abilities to network
socially beyond the confines of geographical
proximity.
The articles in this special issue attempt to
honor the actions of the nodes (the individuals)
while keeping in mind the bigger picture of collective
behavioral patterns. Although the tools
described here are all intended for individuals,
each article highlights how new technologies and
technical competencies will further push our
understanding of human social-networking drives
and desires. Specifically, socially adaptive
location-aware technologies, large-screen displays,
and visualization methods for quickly representing
group dynamics and socio- (rather than
bio-) feedback will surely highlight even more
about how people establish, manage, and maintain
their social networks in mediated and faceto-
face communication situations — and, for that
matter, manage their identities and relationships
as there are more and more ways to connect and
“be connected to.”
Although we can’t do full justice to the theme
topic in terms of sociological analysis, communication-
tool development, personal experience, or
business analysis and applications, we hope this
special issue proves provocative.
References
1. J. Scott, Social Network Analysis: A Handbook, 2nd ed.,
Sage Publications, 1991.
2. M. Granovetter, “The Strength of Weak Ties,” Am. J. Sociology,
vol. 78, no. 6, May 1973, pp. 1360–1380.
3. M. Granovetter, Getting a Job. A Study of Contacts and
Careers, Harvard Univ. Press, 1974.
4. B. Wellman and M. Gulia, “Virtual Communities as Communities:
Net Surfers Don’t Ride Alone,” Networks in the
Global Village: Life in Contemporary Communities, B. Wellman,
ed., Westview, 1999, pp. 331–366.
5. H. Rheingold, The Virtual Community: Homesteading on
the Electronic Frontier, Addison-Wesley, 1993.
6. L. Cherny, Conversation and Community: Discourse in a
Virtual World, CSLI Publications, 1999.
7. E.F. Churchill and S. Bly, “Virtual Environments at Work:
Ongoing Use of MUDs in the Workplace,” Proc. Int’l Joint
Conf. Work Activities Coordination and Collaboration, ACM
Press, 1999, pp. 99–108.
8. R.E. Kraut, B. Butler, and J. Cummings, “The Quality of
Social Ties Online,” Comm. ACM, vol. 45, no. 7, 2002, pp.
103–108.
9. K. Hampton and B. Wellman, “Neighboring in Netville:
How the Internet Supports Community and Social Capital
in a Wired Suburb,” City and Community, vol. 2, no. 4,
2003, pp. 277–311.
10. J. Sunden, Material Virtualities: Approaching Online Textual
Embodiment, Peter Lang Publishing, 2003.
11. M. Castells, The Rise of the Network Society — The Information
Age: Economy, Society and Culture, vol. 1, Blackwell,
1996.
12. M. Castells, The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet,
Business, and Society, Oxford Univ. Press, 2001.
13. R. Cross, N. Nohria, and A. Parker, “Six Myths about Informal
Networks and How To Overcome Them,” Sloan Management
Rev., vol. 43, no. 3, 2002, pp. 67–75.
14. R. Cross, A. Parker, and S. Borgatti, “Making Invisible Work
Visible: Using Social Network Analysis To Support Strategic
Collaboration,” Calif. Management Rev., vol. 44, no. 2,
2002, pp. 25–46.
Elizabeth F. Churchill is a research scientist at Palo Alto
Research Center (PARC). Originally a psychologist by training,
her research interests center on designing and evaluating
technologies, tools, and smart environments to
facilitate content sharing and communication. Churchill
has a PhD in cognitive science from the University of Cambridge.
She has authored numerous publications and
coedited several books concerned with people’s interactions
in physical and digital spaces. Contact her at churchill@
acm.org.
Christine A. Halverson is a research staff member at IBM. Her
interests include aspects of social interaction, whether in
complex work places, online communities, or daily life.
Halverson has a PhD in cognitive science from the University
of California, San Diego. She is coeditor of
Resources, Co-Evolution, and Artifacts: Theory in CSCW
(to be published by Springer in 2006). Contact her at
krys@acm.org.
IEEE INTERNET COMPUTING www.computer.org/internet/ SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2005 19
Social Networking
wasted lives
Wasted Lives Page 1
Wasted lives – missed opportunities
Background to the project
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly genetically predetermined disorder that
affects sufferers in many ways throughout their lives. The core symptoms of impulsivity,
inattention and hyperactivity give rise to a plethora of difficulties that affect behaviour, emotions
and the ability to learn social skills. Undiagnosed and untreated ADHD leaves young people
vulnerable, marginalized and at a great risk of not achieving their birthright potential.
Mary grew up in care, rejected at birth by the parents she doesn’t know. Being
‘different’ at school she soon found that she had few if any close friends. Always on the
go, never resting, never stopping to seemingly draw breath, Mary out paced her peers
and led a solitary young life. At times outspoken in the foster home, Mary was often
punished for being wilful and for expressing herself with ‘tantrums’ and anger. Carers
couldn’t cope with Mary and by the age of five she had been looked after by four
different families as well as having spells in council run care homes. As Mary grew
older other children shunned her, her self-esteem got lower as teachers called her
stupid and punished her with endless detentions and withdrawn privileges. At the age
of eleven, having being totally humiliated by her teachers for her poor academic
performance Mary set fire to her school. It was raised to the ground. The police
caught Mary; she had remained in the school grounds, fascinated by the fire. She was
referred to a psychiatrist and over the next five years diagnosed with three different,
and conflicting mental health disorders. For one period of six months she was forcibly
kept in secure accommodation, as she was deemed too ill to be allowed into society.
Mary was receiving no education worth noting, the inputs she did get were inadequate.
She didn’t concentrate, she didn’t care and she didn’t actively participate. She became
more and more defiant and was rejected by all those around her. At nineteen, uneducated,
Mary was a reject from society, a criminal, a habitual drug taker and an
alcoholic. On many occasions she had attempted to take her own life, she felt it wasn’t
worth living. Thankfully, and unusually, Mary was then recognised by a specially
trained social worker as possibly having ADHD. After many struggles the social
worker had Mary seen by a specialist psychiatrist who confirmed her ADHD and
prescribed medication for her. Mary became motivated to do better, went back to
college and in a single year sat three ‘A’ levels, all of which she passed with flying
colours. She is now under the regular care of a leading psychiatrist and she is a
student at Cambridge. Mary, in reality, was lucky, not many young people with ADHD
have such a happy ending.
A ground breaking project being orchestrated by officers in the Lancashire Constabulary is
addressing the needs of the many Mary’s in the County with a commitment to altering the trajectory
from genetic disorder to a chaotic lifestyle and giving the ADHD sufferers of Lancashire a greater
chance to achieve their birthright potential.
It is vital that we understand the biological, psychological and educational issues within ADHD and
the inherent need for collaborative inter-agency approaches to achieve success. Within the
Lancashire project, managers and key workers from a wide range of agencies are presenting an
alternative future to young people.
This paper outlines why Lancashire Constabulary’s DDAP (Development Disorders – Achieving
Potential) project is gaining national and international recognition.
Wasted Lives Page 2
The DDAP project
Lancashire Constabulary’s solution is based on three separate foundations:
· Previous academic research on ADHD and it’s affects on people’s lives
· The existing knowledge and experience of experts from around the world, and
· The fertile ground that is allowing for a step change in public services with the advent of a
changing political agenda for preventative services.
The project has developed a multi-agency framework for service provision that has a focus on the
performance criteria of the individual agency, rather than expecting participants to alter their
organisational focus to one of crime reduction. Should the agencies involved in DDAP assist the
relevant young people to achieve their potential, an anticipated outcome, it is an expectation that
entry into crime or recidivism will naturally reduce as a direct consequence.
DDAP has deliberately not restricted the activities of the project to a single age group, within the
alliance framework participating agencies concentrate on the catchment age profile of their existing
client group, e.g. for Connexions this would be up to age 19 years whilst for the police involvement
this would stretch beyond this boundary.
23% of crime is committed by people with undiagnosed or inadequately treated mental illnesses
such as ADHD1. 5% of the general population are believed to suffer from ADHD yet in 2001 her
Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons reported that up to 50% of the prison population had some form of
mental illness. Reducing the disproportionate nature of this population / prison balance is a driving
force behind DDAP.
The project is located in the boroughs of Burnley and Pendle, both of which are in East Lancashire,
an area of higher than average deprivation. The decision to locate the project in East Lancashire
was made due to the high levels of commitment and support within the East Lancashire Child and
Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) team and the governing Primary Care trust (PCT).
DDAP is managed through a project board. Each participating agency has a place on the board, but
where agencies are clustered around a delivery theme, e.g. schools and education psychologists, one
person represents the ‘theme’ at the monthly meetings. Thus the board is tight, focused and able to
make decisions expediently and effectively.
DDAP has representation and participation from the majority of agencies that could be involved
with mental health sufferers in the wider context. At the younger age bracket are health visitors and
Sure Start staff whilst in the more senior category Social Services, the police and the voluntary
sector are active contributors.
Additional vulnerabilities and co-current issues frequently manifest within ADHD sufferers. DDAP
is engaged with a wide-range of partners to tackle headlining issues such as: -
· Teenage pregnancies, addition risk of unwanted pregnancy is 41:1
· Community drugs teams acknowledging that ADHD and associated co morbidities provide
higher risk of a fast track into substance misuse
· Domestic violence groups working with offenders and victims acknowledging that ADHD
leaves a person nine times more likely to be involved in domestic violence
· Youth offending teams tackling the increased risk of re-offending from 1.7% within the
‘normal’ population to 31% within the ADHD population
1 British Medical Journal. Article 3197, 23 May 1998.
Wasted Lives Page 3
Fig 1.
Wheel and spoke
Parenting groups had previously struggled to get support and help when parents themselves
recognised their child was getting difficult to control. The newly formed parent support group, built
into the management of the project, offers support and a signpost into the participating agencies.
Partner agencies have each produced an individual, mental health specific action plan as part of the
DDAP process. Uniquely these plans include three elements, i) what the agency recognises as
service improvements, ii) what the agency recognises it needs to higher standard from partners and
iii) what the agency can deliver, with the project in mind, to higher standard to partners. As a suite
of DDAP development plans these are quality assured by ADDISS, a process that places the
voluntary sector at the forefront of the project. The model, referred to as the ‘handshake model’ is
instrumental to the development of true allied services across the participating agencies.
Fig 2.
Allied services handshake model
Feedback from parents, carers and sufferers of ADHD indicate that having to access services
individually is itself a barrier to progress, let alone the additional obstacle that ADHD in the family
can bring about. A key aim of DDAP is to provide care pathways for parents, carers and sufferers
to reduce the maze of services into a more organised and identifiable allied service. The provision
Voluntary sector quality assurance - ADDISS
Young people achieving their potential
Education
YOT
Lancaster
Farms
Communication and liaison is a vital component of
DDAP. The board have developed a ‘wheel and
spoke’ philosophy, whereby agencies work in alliance
to identify mutually beneficial service improvements
and to assist the ‘greater good’ of the project. Cofunded
posts, support across agencies for the common
goal, such as parenting training, are exemplars of true
multi agency activity that has occurred within DDAP.
The combination of the statutory agencies plus the
voluntary sector brings an unparalleled strength into
DDAP. The voluntary sector offers a level of expertise
and practical assistance that reaches far beyond the
existing levels of competence found amongst core
service providers. Agencies such as ADDISS, the
national ADHD support group, are therefore a
principal component of DDAP.
Wasted Lives Page 4
of a Multi Agency Care Pathway (MACPATH) and the associated wrap around services will remain
the centre of attention whilst DDAP matures.
Activity focus
Untreated or undiagnosed ADHD leaves young sufferers vulnerable to failing to achieve their
potential, a trajectory that leads directly to wasted lives. DDAP is designed to alter the course of
that trajectory and to help sufferers and their carers to break the cycle.
Educational achievement, or lack of, social marginalisation, depression, absenteeism from the home
and school, residing in care, entering the criminal justice system, depression, drug abuse and being
extraordinarily accident prone are some of the more common associations with untreated or poorly
treated conditions such as ADHD.
Sufferers frequently have behavioural difficulties that co-exist with the core issue. ADHD sufferers
often cannot effectively ‘read other peoples faces’, a core component of any meaningful
interpersonal activity, they often show a lack of restraint, especially when under stress and,
worryingly for parents, young people with ADHD are often gullible and easily led by others.
Emotional development within the ADHD person is often slower than the ‘norm’ and scientists
have recently claimed that the emotional ‘fallback’ is up to one third. Imagine an eighteen year old
with an undiagnosed emotional ability of that more akin to a twelve year old.
Not all young people with ADHD go wrong, however, most are at a heightened risk of educational
underachievement. With the existence of additional risk factors such as hostile parenting, the
probability of reduced opportunities is inflated considerably.
This project reduces the vulnerability of ADHD sufferers by providing a two storey service. On the
ground floor, services such as SureStart, schools and Connexions aim to identify and assist in the
early diagnosis of ADHD. Thus, through DDAP, they place individual sufferers and their families
into a co-ordinated multi agency pathway of care. Should this initial level of service fail to prevent
young people having reduced risk, thereby entering into the justice system, the participating
agencies such as the Youth Offending Team, special education needs and the police offer another
opportunity for the individuals negative trajectory to be re-aligned.
Under the leadership of Lancashire Constabulary, DDAP has three main focal goals
all of which are seen as consequences of more young people achieving their potential
1. reducing crime and substance misuse
2. reducing anti social behaviour (ASB)
3. reducing road traffic casualties
1. reducing crime and substance misuse
Returning to the crime based agenda, the failings of the neuro-pathways within the ADHD
brain are cited as the causes of the behavioural traits mentioned above. Treatment with
prescribed medication, such as methylphenidate, for instance Ritalin, increases the
effectiveness of those pathways and so reduces the negative behavioural manifestations
that give rise to so much concern. Recent research has identified that sufferers can ‘selfWasted
Lives Page 5
medicate’ through the use of illegal drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, both of which have
a similar effect on the brain to methylphenidate.
Therefore, within the rationale for DDAP, the reduction of substance misuse, through
diagnosis and appropriate medication is a goal that could directly lead to greater
achievement and less crime.
2. reducing anti social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour is a frequent matter for discussion within observers of ADHD and
its associated co-morbidities. Typical responses to young people who cause civil
disruption is through anti-social behaviour contract (ABCs), interventions such as positive
activities, anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) and where already within the YOT
clientele, reparation orders and detention training orders (DTOs). DDAP aims to ensure
that such contracts and legal undertakings are made ADHD tolerant, thus increasing the
probability of successful completion.
3. reducing road casualties
When the behavioural characteristics of ADHD are discussed in detail, i.e. inattentiveness,
an inability to concentrate for long periods and a prevalence to act on impulse, the links to
road casualties become clearer. Published research outlines how young men with
untreated ADHD are four times more likely to have a road collision2, and youngsters with
ADHD in Germany were found to be 9 times more likely to suffer an accident on the
roads as a pedestrian3. DDAP is embarking on education programmes for the ADHD road
user and is seeking a greater level of awareness amongst parents, carers and professionals
within the field of driving.
ADHD and courts youth offending teams and prisons
Studies claim that a minimum of 5% of the population have ADHD yet the Institute of Psychiatry
indicate that 25% of a sample group of ADHD sufferers had been to prison4. Her Majesty’s
Inspectors of Prisons stated in 1997 that 50% of young people on remand in the UK suffer a mental
health disorder and 30% of those sentenced also have a mental health disorder5.
A focal area of the project is an improvement in the services provided to offenders, pre-offenders
(through the local YISP) and for those incarcerated at Lancaster Farms (YOI). Where appropriate,
training will be given to CPS and the court services regarding mental health and ADHD to ensure
that interventions and sentencing decisions are made in a manner that supports the offender’s
mental health and gives every chance of effective rehabilitation.
Within the YOI the level of psychiatric service is regarded by the prison service to be inadequate.
DDAP will draw on contacts and the emerging influence to ensure that a more effective provision is
an outcome of this project.
Overall
Nothing matters more to families that the health, welfare and future success of their children. Our
future depends on the fulfilment of dreams, hopes and potential of our children being realised.
2 Barkley RA. et al. Paediatrics 1993; 92: 212–218
3 Federal Agency for Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine, Germany. (2001)
4 Dr Susan Young, Speech to British Psychiatry Society, Annual Conference, March 2001
5 Young Prisoners ISBN 1-85893-998-4
Wasted Lives Page 6
DDAP members have a system that is reasonable and likely to work, because it is a model based
upon good practices and solid foundations, such as robust academic research, considerable
knowledge amongst participating agencies and the emerging, and changing, political agenda.
Further requirements of DDAP exist, when provided these will ensure that the project maintains
effective and complete solutions. Those requirements are: -
· The provision of a jointly funded ‘conductor’ to orchestrate activity to maximise effect across
participating agencies, such a professional would be an educationalist or specialist nurse
· Re-alignment of corporate decision making, especially co-coordinated long term funding, to
ensure the efficacy matters of dealing with ‘special measures’ are understood and moved away
from the current ‘too much – too late’ scenario
· Higher levels of investment in recruitment and training of professionals such as teachers, health
workers, police officers, and youth workers to overcome the skills deficits that this work has
highlighted and addressed within its locality
In conclusion, agencies and their staff need to work in close alliance to orchestrate the most
effective solutions, in particular, as seen in DDAP, professionals and carers should be in a position
to answer three fundamental questions: -
What does ADHD look like?
What do I need to do?
Who else do I need to assist me?
DDAP is establishing itself as a tested model to achieve the framework goals. As a pilot project
DDAP needs to prove the value of the systems and processes within its framework. In doing so this
project will present prima facie evidence that justifies re-alignment of budgets and services within
existing provisions of social, and welfare care.
Wasted Lives Page 7
Wasted lives – missed opportunities
Background to the project
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly genetically predetermined disorder that
affects sufferers in many ways throughout their lives. The core symptoms of impulsivity,
inattention and hyperactivity give rise to a plethora of difficulties that affect behaviour, emotions
and the ability to learn social skills. Undiagnosed and untreated ADHD leaves young people
vulnerable, marginalized and at a great risk of not achieving their birthright potential.
Mary grew up in care, rejected at birth by the parents she doesn’t know. Being
‘different’ at school she soon found that she had few if any close friends. Always on the
go, never resting, never stopping to seemingly draw breath, Mary out paced her peers
and led a solitary young life. At times outspoken in the foster home, Mary was often
punished for being wilful and for expressing herself with ‘tantrums’ and anger. Carers
couldn’t cope with Mary and by the age of five she had been looked after by four
different families as well as having spells in council run care homes. As Mary grew
older other children shunned her, her self-esteem got lower as teachers called her
stupid and punished her with endless detentions and withdrawn privileges. At the age
of eleven, having being totally humiliated by her teachers for her poor academic
performance Mary set fire to her school. It was raised to the ground. The police
caught Mary; she had remained in the school grounds, fascinated by the fire. She was
referred to a psychiatrist and over the next five years diagnosed with three different,
and conflicting mental health disorders. For one period of six months she was forcibly
kept in secure accommodation, as she was deemed too ill to be allowed into society.
Mary was receiving no education worth noting, the inputs she did get were inadequate.
She didn’t concentrate, she didn’t care and she didn’t actively participate. She became
more and more defiant and was rejected by all those around her. At nineteen, uneducated,
Mary was a reject from society, a criminal, a habitual drug taker and an
alcoholic. On many occasions she had attempted to take her own life, she felt it wasn’t
worth living. Thankfully, and unusually, Mary was then recognised by a specially
trained social worker as possibly having ADHD. After many struggles the social
worker had Mary seen by a specialist psychiatrist who confirmed her ADHD and
prescribed medication for her. Mary became motivated to do better, went back to
college and in a single year sat three ‘A’ levels, all of which she passed with flying
colours. She is now under the regular care of a leading psychiatrist and she is a
student at Cambridge. Mary, in reality, was lucky, not many young people with ADHD
have such a happy ending.
A ground breaking project being orchestrated by officers in the Lancashire Constabulary is
addressing the needs of the many Mary’s in the County with a commitment to altering the trajectory
from genetic disorder to a chaotic lifestyle and giving the ADHD sufferers of Lancashire a greater
chance to achieve their birthright potential.
It is vital that we understand the biological, psychological and educational issues within ADHD and
the inherent need for collaborative inter-agency approaches to achieve success. Within the
Lancashire project, managers and key workers from a wide range of agencies are presenting an
alternative future to young people.
This paper outlines why Lancashire Constabulary’s DDAP (Development Disorders – Achieving
Potential) project is gaining national and international recognition.
Wasted Lives Page 2
The DDAP project
Lancashire Constabulary’s solution is based on three separate foundations:
· Previous academic research on ADHD and it’s affects on people’s lives
· The existing knowledge and experience of experts from around the world, and
· The fertile ground that is allowing for a step change in public services with the advent of a
changing political agenda for preventative services.
The project has developed a multi-agency framework for service provision that has a focus on the
performance criteria of the individual agency, rather than expecting participants to alter their
organisational focus to one of crime reduction. Should the agencies involved in DDAP assist the
relevant young people to achieve their potential, an anticipated outcome, it is an expectation that
entry into crime or recidivism will naturally reduce as a direct consequence.
DDAP has deliberately not restricted the activities of the project to a single age group, within the
alliance framework participating agencies concentrate on the catchment age profile of their existing
client group, e.g. for Connexions this would be up to age 19 years whilst for the police involvement
this would stretch beyond this boundary.
23% of crime is committed by people with undiagnosed or inadequately treated mental illnesses
such as ADHD1. 5% of the general population are believed to suffer from ADHD yet in 2001 her
Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons reported that up to 50% of the prison population had some form of
mental illness. Reducing the disproportionate nature of this population / prison balance is a driving
force behind DDAP.
The project is located in the boroughs of Burnley and Pendle, both of which are in East Lancashire,
an area of higher than average deprivation. The decision to locate the project in East Lancashire
was made due to the high levels of commitment and support within the East Lancashire Child and
Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) team and the governing Primary Care trust (PCT).
DDAP is managed through a project board. Each participating agency has a place on the board, but
where agencies are clustered around a delivery theme, e.g. schools and education psychologists, one
person represents the ‘theme’ at the monthly meetings. Thus the board is tight, focused and able to
make decisions expediently and effectively.
DDAP has representation and participation from the majority of agencies that could be involved
with mental health sufferers in the wider context. At the younger age bracket are health visitors and
Sure Start staff whilst in the more senior category Social Services, the police and the voluntary
sector are active contributors.
Additional vulnerabilities and co-current issues frequently manifest within ADHD sufferers. DDAP
is engaged with a wide-range of partners to tackle headlining issues such as: -
· Teenage pregnancies, addition risk of unwanted pregnancy is 41:1
· Community drugs teams acknowledging that ADHD and associated co morbidities provide
higher risk of a fast track into substance misuse
· Domestic violence groups working with offenders and victims acknowledging that ADHD
leaves a person nine times more likely to be involved in domestic violence
· Youth offending teams tackling the increased risk of re-offending from 1.7% within the
‘normal’ population to 31% within the ADHD population
1 British Medical Journal. Article 3197, 23 May 1998.
Wasted Lives Page 3
Fig 1.
Wheel and spoke
Parenting groups had previously struggled to get support and help when parents themselves
recognised their child was getting difficult to control. The newly formed parent support group, built
into the management of the project, offers support and a signpost into the participating agencies.
Partner agencies have each produced an individual, mental health specific action plan as part of the
DDAP process. Uniquely these plans include three elements, i) what the agency recognises as
service improvements, ii) what the agency recognises it needs to higher standard from partners and
iii) what the agency can deliver, with the project in mind, to higher standard to partners. As a suite
of DDAP development plans these are quality assured by ADDISS, a process that places the
voluntary sector at the forefront of the project. The model, referred to as the ‘handshake model’ is
instrumental to the development of true allied services across the participating agencies.
Fig 2.
Allied services handshake model
Feedback from parents, carers and sufferers of ADHD indicate that having to access services
individually is itself a barrier to progress, let alone the additional obstacle that ADHD in the family
can bring about. A key aim of DDAP is to provide care pathways for parents, carers and sufferers
to reduce the maze of services into a more organised and identifiable allied service. The provision
Voluntary sector quality assurance - ADDISS
Young people achieving their potential
Education
YOT
Lancaster
Farms
Communication and liaison is a vital component of
DDAP. The board have developed a ‘wheel and
spoke’ philosophy, whereby agencies work in alliance
to identify mutually beneficial service improvements
and to assist the ‘greater good’ of the project. Cofunded
posts, support across agencies for the common
goal, such as parenting training, are exemplars of true
multi agency activity that has occurred within DDAP.
The combination of the statutory agencies plus the
voluntary sector brings an unparalleled strength into
DDAP. The voluntary sector offers a level of expertise
and practical assistance that reaches far beyond the
existing levels of competence found amongst core
service providers. Agencies such as ADDISS, the
national ADHD support group, are therefore a
principal component of DDAP.
Wasted Lives Page 4
of a Multi Agency Care Pathway (MACPATH) and the associated wrap around services will remain
the centre of attention whilst DDAP matures.
Activity focus
Untreated or undiagnosed ADHD leaves young sufferers vulnerable to failing to achieve their
potential, a trajectory that leads directly to wasted lives. DDAP is designed to alter the course of
that trajectory and to help sufferers and their carers to break the cycle.
Educational achievement, or lack of, social marginalisation, depression, absenteeism from the home
and school, residing in care, entering the criminal justice system, depression, drug abuse and being
extraordinarily accident prone are some of the more common associations with untreated or poorly
treated conditions such as ADHD.
Sufferers frequently have behavioural difficulties that co-exist with the core issue. ADHD sufferers
often cannot effectively ‘read other peoples faces’, a core component of any meaningful
interpersonal activity, they often show a lack of restraint, especially when under stress and,
worryingly for parents, young people with ADHD are often gullible and easily led by others.
Emotional development within the ADHD person is often slower than the ‘norm’ and scientists
have recently claimed that the emotional ‘fallback’ is up to one third. Imagine an eighteen year old
with an undiagnosed emotional ability of that more akin to a twelve year old.
Not all young people with ADHD go wrong, however, most are at a heightened risk of educational
underachievement. With the existence of additional risk factors such as hostile parenting, the
probability of reduced opportunities is inflated considerably.
This project reduces the vulnerability of ADHD sufferers by providing a two storey service. On the
ground floor, services such as SureStart, schools and Connexions aim to identify and assist in the
early diagnosis of ADHD. Thus, through DDAP, they place individual sufferers and their families
into a co-ordinated multi agency pathway of care. Should this initial level of service fail to prevent
young people having reduced risk, thereby entering into the justice system, the participating
agencies such as the Youth Offending Team, special education needs and the police offer another
opportunity for the individuals negative trajectory to be re-aligned.
Under the leadership of Lancashire Constabulary, DDAP has three main focal goals
all of which are seen as consequences of more young people achieving their potential
1. reducing crime and substance misuse
2. reducing anti social behaviour (ASB)
3. reducing road traffic casualties
1. reducing crime and substance misuse
Returning to the crime based agenda, the failings of the neuro-pathways within the ADHD
brain are cited as the causes of the behavioural traits mentioned above. Treatment with
prescribed medication, such as methylphenidate, for instance Ritalin, increases the
effectiveness of those pathways and so reduces the negative behavioural manifestations
that give rise to so much concern. Recent research has identified that sufferers can ‘selfWasted
Lives Page 5
medicate’ through the use of illegal drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, both of which have
a similar effect on the brain to methylphenidate.
Therefore, within the rationale for DDAP, the reduction of substance misuse, through
diagnosis and appropriate medication is a goal that could directly lead to greater
achievement and less crime.
2. reducing anti social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour is a frequent matter for discussion within observers of ADHD and
its associated co-morbidities. Typical responses to young people who cause civil
disruption is through anti-social behaviour contract (ABCs), interventions such as positive
activities, anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) and where already within the YOT
clientele, reparation orders and detention training orders (DTOs). DDAP aims to ensure
that such contracts and legal undertakings are made ADHD tolerant, thus increasing the
probability of successful completion.
3. reducing road casualties
When the behavioural characteristics of ADHD are discussed in detail, i.e. inattentiveness,
an inability to concentrate for long periods and a prevalence to act on impulse, the links to
road casualties become clearer. Published research outlines how young men with
untreated ADHD are four times more likely to have a road collision2, and youngsters with
ADHD in Germany were found to be 9 times more likely to suffer an accident on the
roads as a pedestrian3. DDAP is embarking on education programmes for the ADHD road
user and is seeking a greater level of awareness amongst parents, carers and professionals
within the field of driving.
ADHD and courts youth offending teams and prisons
Studies claim that a minimum of 5% of the population have ADHD yet the Institute of Psychiatry
indicate that 25% of a sample group of ADHD sufferers had been to prison4. Her Majesty’s
Inspectors of Prisons stated in 1997 that 50% of young people on remand in the UK suffer a mental
health disorder and 30% of those sentenced also have a mental health disorder5.
A focal area of the project is an improvement in the services provided to offenders, pre-offenders
(through the local YISP) and for those incarcerated at Lancaster Farms (YOI). Where appropriate,
training will be given to CPS and the court services regarding mental health and ADHD to ensure
that interventions and sentencing decisions are made in a manner that supports the offender’s
mental health and gives every chance of effective rehabilitation.
Within the YOI the level of psychiatric service is regarded by the prison service to be inadequate.
DDAP will draw on contacts and the emerging influence to ensure that a more effective provision is
an outcome of this project.
Overall
Nothing matters more to families that the health, welfare and future success of their children. Our
future depends on the fulfilment of dreams, hopes and potential of our children being realised.
2 Barkley RA. et al. Paediatrics 1993; 92: 212–218
3 Federal Agency for Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine, Germany. (2001)
4 Dr Susan Young, Speech to British Psychiatry Society, Annual Conference, March 2001
5 Young Prisoners ISBN 1-85893-998-4
Wasted Lives Page 6
DDAP members have a system that is reasonable and likely to work, because it is a model based
upon good practices and solid foundations, such as robust academic research, considerable
knowledge amongst participating agencies and the emerging, and changing, political agenda.
Further requirements of DDAP exist, when provided these will ensure that the project maintains
effective and complete solutions. Those requirements are: -
· The provision of a jointly funded ‘conductor’ to orchestrate activity to maximise effect across
participating agencies, such a professional would be an educationalist or specialist nurse
· Re-alignment of corporate decision making, especially co-coordinated long term funding, to
ensure the efficacy matters of dealing with ‘special measures’ are understood and moved away
from the current ‘too much – too late’ scenario
· Higher levels of investment in recruitment and training of professionals such as teachers, health
workers, police officers, and youth workers to overcome the skills deficits that this work has
highlighted and addressed within its locality
In conclusion, agencies and their staff need to work in close alliance to orchestrate the most
effective solutions, in particular, as seen in DDAP, professionals and carers should be in a position
to answer three fundamental questions: -
What does ADHD look like?
What do I need to do?
Who else do I need to assist me?
DDAP is establishing itself as a tested model to achieve the framework goals. As a pilot project
DDAP needs to prove the value of the systems and processes within its framework. In doing so this
project will present prima facie evidence that justifies re-alignment of budgets and services within
existing provisions of social, and welfare care.
Wasted Lives Page 7
Friday, November 24, 2006
List of social networking websites
Name Description/Focus User count Registration
43 Things Tagging 627,000 Open
ActiveRain Real estate professionals 5,374 Open
Adoos Latin America and Spain classifieds, personals 1,000,000 Open
AIM Pages AOL Instant Messenger Unknown Open
aSmallWorld European jet set and social elite 75,000 Invite-only
BlackPlanet.com African-Americans 18,000,000 Open
Babbello Australian teenagers 30,000 Open
Bebo Schools and colleges 22,000,000 Open
Blogger Blogging Unknown Open
Blurty Blogs, based on LiveJournal 947,169 Open
Bolt General (music and video) 4,000,000 Open
CarDomain Car enthusiasts 1,600,000 Open
Care2 Activists 6,000,000 Open
Classmates.com School, college, work and the military 40,000,000 Open
Connect.ee Estonia 39,000 Invite-only
Consumating "Consumeetings" 21,000 Open
Cyworld South Korea 15,000,000 Open
Dandelife Collective narratives or "shared biographies" unknown Open
DeadJournal "Dark" blogs, based on LiveJournal 490,310 By invite or payment
Dodgeball.com Mobile location-based service unknown Open
Doostang Online career community 53,000 Invite-only
DowneLink LGBT Unknown Open
Draugiem.lv Latvia 731,652 Invite-only
Ecademy Business 100,000 Open
Eons People over 50 Unknown Open to people over 50
Facebook General 7,700,000 Open
Faceparty British teens and 20-somethings 5,900,000 Open
FaceRen Mainly Chinese-literate university students unknown Open
Flickr Photo sharing 2,500,000 Open
Friendster General 29,100,000 Open
Frühstückstreff General 10,100 Open
Gaia Online General 4,548,824 Open
Gazzag General Unknown Open
GhettoSoul Writing, Poetry, and Music unknown Open
Goldmic Hip-Hop 58,000 Open
GoPets Virtual pets 400,000 Open
GreatestJournal Uses LiveJournal code 1,514,865 Open
Grono.net Poland 830,000 Invite-only
Hi5 Worldwide. 50,000,000 Open
Hyves Dutch people, but translations available (UK, GE, FR, SP) - many students 2,311,790 Open
imeem media-centric social network with instant messaging functionality Unknown Open
Inked Nation Body modification aficionados Unknown Open
IMVU 3D chat software 1,000,000 Open
IRC-Galleria Finland 350,000 Open
iWiW Hungary 1,000,000 Invite only
Janglo Jerusalem & Tel Aviv (Taanglo) English speakers 14,300 Open
Joga Bonito Football (soccer) Unknown Open
Last.fm Music Unknown Open
LibraryThing Books 82,374 Open
LinkedIn Business 7,500,000 Open
Listography Social List Making Unknown Open
LiveJournal Blogging 10,921,263 Open
LunarStorm Sweden 1,200,000 Open
Match.com Dating 12,000,000 Open
Med Network Healthcare Professionals and Students Unknown Open
MiGente.com Latinos 3,600,000 Open
Mixi Japan 5,000,000 Invite-only
MOBANGO Cell phones 1,000,000 Open
MOG Music Unknown Open
Multiply "Real world" networking with definable relationships 3,000,000 Open
Music Forte Music 37,000 Open
myGamma Cell phones 900,000 Open
MySpace General 125,632,282 Open
myYearbook General 950,000 Open
Neurona Spanish businesses and Italy 690,000 Open
Nexopia Canada 866,000 Open
Newscloud News and Media Not reported Open
OkCupid Dating 500,000 Open
openBC Business 1,000,000 Open
orkut Owned by Google 31,343,397 Invite-only
Passado General (business) 4,700,000 Open
Piczo Teenagers, Canadians, photo sharing 10,000,000 Open
Playahead Swedish teenagers 2,000,000 Open
ProfileHeaven British teens 100,000 Open
Rediff Connexions India 1,400,000 Open
Reunion.com Locating friends and family 25,000,000 Open
Ryze Business 250,000 Open
Sconex American high schools 500,000 Open
Studybreakers High school students 34,000 Open
Stumbleupon Websurfing 1,200,000 Open
Sulekha Desis 1,000,000 Open
TagWorld General (tagging) 1,850,692 Open
TakingITGlobal Social action 116,000 Open
The Sports Area Sports fans/athletes 2,000 Open to everyone 13 and older
The Student Center Teens and colleges 800,000 Open
Threadless General 364,474 Open
Tribe General 554,993 Open
Vampire Freaks Gothic industrial culture 650,000 Open
VietSpace A social network of Vietnamese 20,000 Open
Vox Blogging Unknown Invite-only
WAYN Travel & Lifestyle 7,000,000 Open to people 18 and older
WebBiographies Genealogy 3,500 Open
Windows Live Spaces Blogging (formerly MSN Spaces) 30,000,000 Open
Xanga Blogs and "metro" areas 40,000,000 Open
Xuqa Colleges 1,000,000 Open
Yahoo! 360° Linked to Yahoo! IDs 4,700,000 Open to people 18 and older
Yuku part of ezboard Unknown Open
Zaadz Social consciousness 17,627 Open
43 Things Tagging 627,000 Open
ActiveRain Real estate professionals 5,374 Open
Adoos Latin America and Spain classifieds, personals 1,000,000 Open
AIM Pages AOL Instant Messenger Unknown Open
aSmallWorld European jet set and social elite 75,000 Invite-only
BlackPlanet.com African-Americans 18,000,000 Open
Babbello Australian teenagers 30,000 Open
Bebo Schools and colleges 22,000,000 Open
Blogger Blogging Unknown Open
Blurty Blogs, based on LiveJournal 947,169 Open
Bolt General (music and video) 4,000,000 Open
CarDomain Car enthusiasts 1,600,000 Open
Care2 Activists 6,000,000 Open
Classmates.com School, college, work and the military 40,000,000 Open
Connect.ee Estonia 39,000 Invite-only
Consumating "Consumeetings" 21,000 Open
Cyworld South Korea 15,000,000 Open
Dandelife Collective narratives or "shared biographies" unknown Open
DeadJournal "Dark" blogs, based on LiveJournal 490,310 By invite or payment
Dodgeball.com Mobile location-based service unknown Open
Doostang Online career community 53,000 Invite-only
DowneLink LGBT Unknown Open
Draugiem.lv Latvia 731,652 Invite-only
Ecademy Business 100,000 Open
Eons People over 50 Unknown Open to people over 50
Facebook General 7,700,000 Open
Faceparty British teens and 20-somethings 5,900,000 Open
FaceRen Mainly Chinese-literate university students unknown Open
Flickr Photo sharing 2,500,000 Open
Friendster General 29,100,000 Open
Frühstückstreff General 10,100 Open
Gaia Online General 4,548,824 Open
Gazzag General Unknown Open
GhettoSoul Writing, Poetry, and Music unknown Open
Goldmic Hip-Hop 58,000 Open
GoPets Virtual pets 400,000 Open
GreatestJournal Uses LiveJournal code 1,514,865 Open
Grono.net Poland 830,000 Invite-only
Hi5 Worldwide. 50,000,000 Open
Hyves Dutch people, but translations available (UK, GE, FR, SP) - many students 2,311,790 Open
imeem media-centric social network with instant messaging functionality Unknown Open
Inked Nation Body modification aficionados Unknown Open
IMVU 3D chat software 1,000,000 Open
IRC-Galleria Finland 350,000 Open
iWiW Hungary 1,000,000 Invite only
Janglo Jerusalem & Tel Aviv (Taanglo) English speakers 14,300 Open
Joga Bonito Football (soccer) Unknown Open
Last.fm Music Unknown Open
LibraryThing Books 82,374 Open
LinkedIn Business 7,500,000 Open
Listography Social List Making Unknown Open
LiveJournal Blogging 10,921,263 Open
LunarStorm Sweden 1,200,000 Open
Match.com Dating 12,000,000 Open
Med Network Healthcare Professionals and Students Unknown Open
MiGente.com Latinos 3,600,000 Open
Mixi Japan 5,000,000 Invite-only
MOBANGO Cell phones 1,000,000 Open
MOG Music Unknown Open
Multiply "Real world" networking with definable relationships 3,000,000 Open
Music Forte Music 37,000 Open
myGamma Cell phones 900,000 Open
MySpace General 125,632,282 Open
myYearbook General 950,000 Open
Neurona Spanish businesses and Italy 690,000 Open
Nexopia Canada 866,000 Open
Newscloud News and Media Not reported Open
OkCupid Dating 500,000 Open
openBC Business 1,000,000 Open
orkut Owned by Google 31,343,397 Invite-only
Passado General (business) 4,700,000 Open
Piczo Teenagers, Canadians, photo sharing 10,000,000 Open
Playahead Swedish teenagers 2,000,000 Open
ProfileHeaven British teens 100,000 Open
Rediff Connexions India 1,400,000 Open
Reunion.com Locating friends and family 25,000,000 Open
Ryze Business 250,000 Open
Sconex American high schools 500,000 Open
Studybreakers High school students 34,000 Open
Stumbleupon Websurfing 1,200,000 Open
Sulekha Desis 1,000,000 Open
TagWorld General (tagging) 1,850,692 Open
TakingITGlobal Social action 116,000 Open
The Sports Area Sports fans/athletes 2,000 Open to everyone 13 and older
The Student Center Teens and colleges 800,000 Open
Threadless General 364,474 Open
Tribe General 554,993 Open
Vampire Freaks Gothic industrial culture 650,000 Open
VietSpace A social network of Vietnamese 20,000 Open
Vox Blogging Unknown Invite-only
WAYN Travel & Lifestyle 7,000,000 Open to people 18 and older
WebBiographies Genealogy 3,500 Open
Windows Live Spaces Blogging (formerly MSN Spaces) 30,000,000 Open
Xanga Blogs and "metro" areas 40,000,000 Open
Xuqa Colleges 1,000,000 Open
Yahoo! 360° Linked to Yahoo! IDs 4,700,000 Open to people 18 and older
Yuku part of ezboard Unknown Open
Zaadz Social consciousness 17,627 Open
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
add & creativity
The correlation between Adhd and creativity has been argued for several years.
Being ADD you see things that others miss.
Traits commonly associated with ADD / ADHD that are also associated with highly creative people.
Inattention
Daydreaming
Sensation seeking
Inability to finish projects
Hyperactivity
Enthusiasm and Playfullness
Difficult Temperament
Deficient Social Skills
Academic underachievement
Hypersensitivity to stimulation
Mood Swings
(Crammond)1995
Attention Deficit Disorders and Gifted Students: What Do We Really Know?
Contributed by: Terry Matlen, ACSW (Posted on 2003-05-18)
http://www.addconsults.com/articles/full.php3?id=1344
GIFTED CHILDREN WITH AD/HD
Contributed by: Terry Matlen, ACSW (Posted on 2003-05-18)
http://www.addconsults.com/articles/full.php3?id=1346
ADHD and Children Who Are Gifted
Contributed by: Terry Matlen, ACSW (Posted on 2003-03-13)
http://www.addconsults.com/articles/full.php3?id=1323
Being ADD you see things that others miss.
Traits commonly associated with ADD / ADHD that are also associated with highly creative people.
Inattention
Daydreaming
Sensation seeking
Inability to finish projects
Hyperactivity
Enthusiasm and Playfullness
Difficult Temperament
Deficient Social Skills
Academic underachievement
Hypersensitivity to stimulation
Mood Swings
(Crammond)1995
Attention Deficit Disorders and Gifted Students: What Do We Really Know?
Contributed by: Terry Matlen, ACSW (Posted on 2003-05-18)
http://www.addconsults.com/articles/full.php3?id=1344
GIFTED CHILDREN WITH AD/HD
Contributed by: Terry Matlen, ACSW (Posted on 2003-05-18)
http://www.addconsults.com/articles/full.php3?id=1346
ADHD and Children Who Are Gifted
Contributed by: Terry Matlen, ACSW (Posted on 2003-03-13)
http://www.addconsults.com/articles/full.php3?id=1323
Monday, November 13, 2006
research proposal
BA/BSc (Hons) DESIGN for INTERACTIVE MEDIA (Top-up)
Module Number ADM306b
Year 2006-2007
Semester 1 & 2
Tutors WKB/DL/SN/SP/JPJ
Assignment Personal Project Pro Forma
Student name: Kirstie Willis
Student number: ST06003280
Email address: kustard99@hotmail.com
RESEARCH PAPER PRO FORMA
I. Your general field of enquiry
The general field of my enquiry will be of people who are sufferer from the condition Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D) and Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D). The problems they face in their day-to-day lives and ways in which new media technologies especially in the area of Locative media can be used to enhance the lives of A.D.H.D/ A.D.D sufferers and improve their social skills. I’m also interested in researching the current issue of whether there are links between A.D.H.D/ A.D.D and creativity that is currently being debated
I suffer from A.D.D. myself so this project has personal meaning to me and will be beneficial to myself and other sufferers.
II. Your chosen subject
My research project will focus on sufferers of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D) and Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D). I intend to look at the links that sufferers have with creativity. I also intend to research ways in which new media technologies especially in the area of Locative media can be used to enhance the lives of A.D.H.D/ A.D.D sufferers. Looking at what assistive technology is presently available for people with A.D.H.D/ A.D.D
III. Your objectives. What are you going to document/uncover/ explain/question?
To uncover what research has already been done with regards to the links A.D.H.D/ A.D.D has with creativity and conduct my own research in this area.
To document research into the severity of the problems associated with A.D.D/ A.D.H.D such as inattention, memory, completing tasks, money and time management and poor social skills of sufferers and to look at ways that new media technology can improve them.
I am interested in developing an interactive device to enhance the social skills and lives of sufferers. I would like to investigate how the device could be location aware. The device should allow the user to map points and add notes in their locality and post messages for others thus building a location aware social network. The device will also have a memory minder, which will enable the user to remember events meetings phone calls etc.
I am hoping that if teenagers and young adults use these devices and build a social network of creative like minded people it will stop them feeling misunderstood and isolated which often causes them to get into trouble.
IV. A description and assessment of research base. Primary sources. Secondary sources.
Myself in the form of questionnaires online surveys and interviews will carry out primary research with people who have been diagnosed with the condition. I also want to survey people studying or working in the creative arts who have not been diagnosed.
Articles of interest on coaching ADD
V. An indication of your preferred methodology and why it is appropriate. What academic approach will you choose that is best suited to the analysis, contextualisation and cultural critique of your subject?
I will do a literature review of current research into the coincidence of creativity and A.D.H.D/ A.D.D
VI. References to key thinkers/academics
Cramond B The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, University of Connecticut.
VII. Indicative bibliography
Secondary research papers I have uncovered that are of interest to me are
Cramond, B. (1995). The coincidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and creativity (RBDM 9508). Storrs, CT: The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, University of Connecticut.
Ackerman, C., "Identifying Gifted Adolescents using Personality Characteristics: Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities" June 1997, Roeper Review, Vol 19, No.4. (This paper has a nice chart comparing over excitabilities of gifted to average children).
Bachtold, L.M. (1982). Divergent thinking and temperamental traits. Psychological Reports, 51, 419-422.
Burcham, B., Carlson, L., & Milich, R. (1993). Promising school-based practices for students with attention deficit disorder. Exceptional Children, 60, 174-180.
Cramond, B. "The Association of ADHD and Creativity" 1995, The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. This entire paper is online!
Funk, J.B., Chessare, J.B., Weaver, M.T., & Exley, A.R. (1993). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, creativity, and the effects of methylphenidate. Pediatrics, 91, 816-819.
Gallagher, S.A. (1986). A comparison of the concept of overexcitabilites with measures of creativity and school achievement in sixth-grade students. Roeper Review, 8, 115-119.
Goertzel, V., Goertzel, M.G., & Goertzel, T. (1978). Three hundred eminent personalities: A psychosocial analysis of the famous. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Pickering, G. (1974). Creative malady. New York: Dell.
Piechowski, M.M., & Cunningham, K. (1985). Patterns of overexcitability in a group of artists. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 19, 153-174.
Reid, B., et al. "Square Pegs in Round Holes --These Kids Don't Fit: High Ability Students With Behavioral Problems." The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, Sept. 1995.
Restak, R. (1993). The creative brain. In J. Brockman (Ed.), Creativity (pp. 164-175). New York: Touchstone.
Richards, R.L., & Kinney, D.K. (1990). Mood Swings and creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 3, 202-217.
Shaw, G.A. (1992). Hyperactivity and creativity: The tacit dimension. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 30, 152-160.
West, T.G. (1991). In the mind's eye: Visual thinkers, gifted people with learning difficulties, computer images, and the ironies of creativity. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books.
VIII. Additional information that is relevant.
IX. Any questions you may have for staff.
Module Number ADM306b
Year 2006-2007
Semester 1 & 2
Tutors WKB/DL/SN/SP/JPJ
Assignment Personal Project Pro Forma
Student name: Kirstie Willis
Student number: ST06003280
Email address: kustard99@hotmail.com
RESEARCH PAPER PRO FORMA
I. Your general field of enquiry
The general field of my enquiry will be of people who are sufferer from the condition Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D) and Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D). The problems they face in their day-to-day lives and ways in which new media technologies especially in the area of Locative media can be used to enhance the lives of A.D.H.D/ A.D.D sufferers and improve their social skills. I’m also interested in researching the current issue of whether there are links between A.D.H.D/ A.D.D and creativity that is currently being debated
I suffer from A.D.D. myself so this project has personal meaning to me and will be beneficial to myself and other sufferers.
II. Your chosen subject
My research project will focus on sufferers of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D) and Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D). I intend to look at the links that sufferers have with creativity. I also intend to research ways in which new media technologies especially in the area of Locative media can be used to enhance the lives of A.D.H.D/ A.D.D sufferers. Looking at what assistive technology is presently available for people with A.D.H.D/ A.D.D
III. Your objectives. What are you going to document/uncover/ explain/question?
To uncover what research has already been done with regards to the links A.D.H.D/ A.D.D has with creativity and conduct my own research in this area.
To document research into the severity of the problems associated with A.D.D/ A.D.H.D such as inattention, memory, completing tasks, money and time management and poor social skills of sufferers and to look at ways that new media technology can improve them.
I am interested in developing an interactive device to enhance the social skills and lives of sufferers. I would like to investigate how the device could be location aware. The device should allow the user to map points and add notes in their locality and post messages for others thus building a location aware social network. The device will also have a memory minder, which will enable the user to remember events meetings phone calls etc.
I am hoping that if teenagers and young adults use these devices and build a social network of creative like minded people it will stop them feeling misunderstood and isolated which often causes them to get into trouble.
IV. A description and assessment of research base. Primary sources. Secondary sources.
Myself in the form of questionnaires online surveys and interviews will carry out primary research with people who have been diagnosed with the condition. I also want to survey people studying or working in the creative arts who have not been diagnosed.
Articles of interest on coaching ADD
V. An indication of your preferred methodology and why it is appropriate. What academic approach will you choose that is best suited to the analysis, contextualisation and cultural critique of your subject?
I will do a literature review of current research into the coincidence of creativity and A.D.H.D/ A.D.D
VI. References to key thinkers/academics
Cramond B The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, University of Connecticut.
VII. Indicative bibliography
Secondary research papers I have uncovered that are of interest to me are
Cramond, B. (1995). The coincidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and creativity (RBDM 9508). Storrs, CT: The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, University of Connecticut.
Ackerman, C., "Identifying Gifted Adolescents using Personality Characteristics: Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities" June 1997, Roeper Review, Vol 19, No.4. (This paper has a nice chart comparing over excitabilities of gifted to average children).
Bachtold, L.M. (1982). Divergent thinking and temperamental traits. Psychological Reports, 51, 419-422.
Burcham, B., Carlson, L., & Milich, R. (1993). Promising school-based practices for students with attention deficit disorder. Exceptional Children, 60, 174-180.
Cramond, B. "The Association of ADHD and Creativity" 1995, The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. This entire paper is online!
Funk, J.B., Chessare, J.B., Weaver, M.T., & Exley, A.R. (1993). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, creativity, and the effects of methylphenidate. Pediatrics, 91, 816-819.
Gallagher, S.A. (1986). A comparison of the concept of overexcitabilites with measures of creativity and school achievement in sixth-grade students. Roeper Review, 8, 115-119.
Goertzel, V., Goertzel, M.G., & Goertzel, T. (1978). Three hundred eminent personalities: A psychosocial analysis of the famous. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Pickering, G. (1974). Creative malady. New York: Dell.
Piechowski, M.M., & Cunningham, K. (1985). Patterns of overexcitability in a group of artists. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 19, 153-174.
Reid, B., et al. "Square Pegs in Round Holes --These Kids Don't Fit: High Ability Students With Behavioral Problems." The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, Sept. 1995.
Restak, R. (1993). The creative brain. In J. Brockman (Ed.), Creativity (pp. 164-175). New York: Touchstone.
Richards, R.L., & Kinney, D.K. (1990). Mood Swings and creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 3, 202-217.
Shaw, G.A. (1992). Hyperactivity and creativity: The tacit dimension. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 30, 152-160.
West, T.G. (1991). In the mind's eye: Visual thinkers, gifted people with learning difficulties, computer images, and the ironies of creativity. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books.
VIII. Additional information that is relevant.
IX. Any questions you may have for staff.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
rfid links
This link is for a site which has a huge list of RFID Resources
http://www.nearfield.org/2006/08/rfid-books-weblogs-and-resources
http://www.nearfield.org/2006/08/rfid-books-weblogs-and-resources
Monday, November 06, 2006
ideas
TO CONDUCT PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESEARCH OF SOCIAL GROUPS AND THE ON-LINE NETWORKING STRUCTURES THAT ALREADY EXIST eg blogs, my space and Yahoo Groups.
Applying these friend of a friend (FOAF) networks to location aware mobile technology will allow for the emergence of a sustainable economy of exchange based on trust. The idea being you will be able to meet likeminded people who share similar interests. It would enable people to assist each other in making music, art, graffiti etc. I also want to research the nightlife on offer in cardiff and set up a locative sticky note application that will inform residents and visitors of Cardiff of live gigs, clubnights and dj sesh's and also people would be able to leave sticky notes regarding the venue/ dj / atmosphere etc. I also want to have live feeds (audio / video/ pics) from the clubs so subscribers to the network would be able to check out venue before deciding whether going in. I'm also thinking about the possibility of rfid membership cards or even wearable components.
discounted entry with code received from phone.
Take photos on clubnights/ gigs etc and habd out business card size flyers with site details that telll you wherer you can download the photo that you'vr had taken and maybe host short research questionairres and / or encourage them to join up
Applying these friend of a friend (FOAF) networks to location aware mobile technology will allow for the emergence of a sustainable economy of exchange based on trust. The idea being you will be able to meet likeminded people who share similar interests. It would enable people to assist each other in making music, art, graffiti etc. I also want to research the nightlife on offer in cardiff and set up a locative sticky note application that will inform residents and visitors of Cardiff of live gigs, clubnights and dj sesh's and also people would be able to leave sticky notes regarding the venue/ dj / atmosphere etc. I also want to have live feeds (audio / video/ pics) from the clubs so subscribers to the network would be able to check out venue before deciding whether going in. I'm also thinking about the possibility of rfid membership cards or even wearable components.
discounted entry with code received from phone.
Take photos on clubnights/ gigs etc and habd out business card size flyers with site details that telll you wherer you can download the photo that you'vr had taken and maybe host short research questionairres and / or encourage them to join up
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
links
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/04/ncrim04.xml
Brain exercises 'improve' behaviour of criminals By Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/12/ndance12.xml
Dancing 'has calming effect on unruly youngsters'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/11/nfanu11.xmlFirst mind over matter, then matter over mind
Cognitive training in prison
http://www.cityneo.com/findfriend.htm
http://www.ydreams.com/ydreams_2005/index.php?version=1&lang=en
http://lbschallenge.com/eu/news.html
http://navteq.com/NewsUserServlet?action=NewsDetail&newsId=442
Thursday, October 26, 2006
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