Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Screen time and ADHD


One of the key recommendations we offer families around management of ADHD symptoms is 1) no screens in the bedroom and 2) negotiate a reasonable limit on screen time.

The content of screens is arousing and the blue light emitted from some tablets and smart phones delays sleep onset by interfering with melatonin production.

In a recent discussion of the link between ADHD and obesity (the risk is slightly higher for ADHD than non-ADHD samples), Dr. Russell Barkley described a "trait-by-environmental-resource intervention." Specifically, a trait disposition towards impulsive eating paired with easy availability of calories may result in this higher risk.

Think about it: if our great great grandparents wanted 300 calories, they had to plant and wait and water and weed and dig and peel and boil and mash.  Whew!  But you and I can pop into a 7-Eleven and easily snatch up 300 calories for less than a buck. To the extent that we find it difficult to resist that type of eating, you and I are at greater risk for obesity than our ancestors.

Likewise, there was little talk of video game addiction or Candy Crush obsessions in our great grandma's day. So maybe there's a "trait-by-resource" interaction between self-regulation and screens as well?

I would not want to trade places with our ancestors who lived in simpler (but more challenging) times.  But the myriad options available to you and I do present a time- and goal-management challenge, and a self-regulation challenge, that is quite different from the Good Ol' Days.

As to whether screens and video games "cause" ADHD, I remain agnostic. But what's clear is this:  to the extent that our clients are predisposed to impulsivity and poor self-regulation, they will be seduced by these dopamine tricksters.

Written by Dr. David D. Nowell, Ph.D. 
www.DrNowell.com

Friday, February 6, 2015

Happy National School Counseling Week!

This is National School Counselor Week. We consider it an honor and a privilege to work with our students and assist them with their various needs. We are pleased to share with you the following email that we received from Purdue University, sent to all School Counselors:

Happy National School Counseling Week!

So often the efforts of school counselors go unheralded. Each year you work tirelessly to ensure new students and families get started on the right foot and to help seniors successfully transition to the next stage in their lives. In between, you're the rock students depend on to help them reach new heights or overcome obstacles.

And though your work continues throughout the year, this is the week reserved to give you your much-deserved recognition. The many hats you wear. The long hours you work. The countless lives you touch. These are among the many reasons we express our appreciation.

You're important to your students, and you're important to us - we couldn't do our work if you weren't there to do yours first.

So, from the entire team at the Purdue Office of Admissions, we wish you an exceptional week!

Kind regards,
Pamela T. Horne
Dean of Admissions
Purdue University

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Course Selection


DIRECTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE COURSE REQUEST PROCESS - 
READ THESE DIRECTIONS THOROUGHLY

The course selection process is an individual matter of concern for you and your parents. Students must select a minimum of 32.5 credits. If you have questions after review of the Program of Studies, you should consult with your counselor. Current teacher recommendations are an integral part of the course selection process. However, the most important part of this process is YOU. Take scheduling next year's courses seriously. The schedule you devise will be your permanent schedule for next year and will be finalized before you leave school in June.

Summary of Online Course Recommendation Process:

1) Log into iStudent via the iPass portal on the Westford Academy webpage - top navigation bar - beginning Friday, February 13 at 2:00 p.m.

2) Review teacher recommendations and add electives.

3) Check approve at the bottom of the page.

4) Counselors review teacher and student recommendations and approve requests.

**If you add a recommendation for a course that your teacher does not recommend due to ineligibility, you must complete the override process by March 27, 2015 in order to enroll in that course.

http://wa.westfordk12.us/pages/westfordwa_progstudies/index