Honey is the Answer
April 24, 2009
Some sayings are familiar and end up being supported by research findings. “It’s easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar,” is one example.
It would be surprising if you didn’t agree with the old saying, yet very few of us practice its advice in our daily lives. Well, researchers have proven once again that positive feedback is in fact more powerful than negative criticism at “catching” behavior change in a positive direction.
In one study, researchers videoed people bowling and then showed them the playback while pointing out either the mistakes they made or the things they did correctly; people improved much more with the positive feedback than with the negative.
Other studies have shown that parents of tough kids improve their parenting when their children’s positive actions are pointed out, and that people can be trained to change actions and behaviors with nothing but positive feedback.
There is a growing movement of consultants using “Appreciative Inquiry” to help businesses and organizations solve long-standing problems and develop new strategies. Those of us who have practiced these approaches with organizations and with individuals are struggling for a descriptive label to identify positive approaches. “Appreciative Coaching” is a possibility as is “Positive Coaching.”
There is another group of us who wants to be sure that “Strength Based Coaching” is properly placed with the other positive approaches. Recognizing and building on strengths is a pivotal aspect of many approaches.
The bottom line is to be selective, choose to work with someone who appreciates your strengths and will reflect the most positive aspects of you living your life well. Be certain your coach gives at least 3 to 1 positive to negative feedback and holds a vision of a brighter future that builds on your strengths.
Is this a Pollyanna approach? No, it just focuses on where you want to head, not where you tripped.
For more information call Jay Livingston at 978-446-9600, email me at Jay@LivingstonServices.com or visit my website at www.LivingstonServices.com
New Diagnostic Testing for ADHD
April 22, 2009
How do you know if you really have ADHD? There is no blood test, no X-ray, no brain scan. Typically the standard of care for diagnosing ADHD is meeting with a professional to talk about your history and and fill out rating scales to quantify the severity of your symptoms. So the best we have to offer is a visit to your doctor. Understandably this often leaves parents and individuals wondering how accurate can such subjective measures be.
The truth is there is often significant risk of misdiagnosis when only subjective measures are used. The result - patients may be taking ADD medications they do not need or may be on the wrong medication. To date there have been few, if any, objective testing options. Neuropsychological testing has been somewhat helpful for diagnosis, but is time intensive and costly, with limited sensitivity.
New and exciting news in the ADHD field is there is now an FDA approved objective tool for adjunctive diagnosis, the Quotient. Developed by Biobehavioral Diagnostics, the Quotient tests ADHD symptoms - motion, attention, and impulsivity - with greater than 90% accuracy. The test can be done in an office setting in conjunction with the typical standard clinical evaluation with your doctor. We have been successfully using the Quotient in our practice for 4 months and find the objective information useful for both diagnosis and also for evaluating how clients are responding to their medications. We are able to test someone’s focus off medication, then give medication and retest within hours if the medication is helping.
The Quotient has been approved by the FDA as an adjunctive tool for diagnosing ADHD. For more information you can review the Quotient at www.biobdx.com
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