Why I wrote "Nowhere to Hide" for the ADHD community

Watch Video: Why I wrote "Nowhere to Hide" for the ADHD community by Jerome Schultz, PhD, ...
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Why I wrote "Nowhere to Hide" for the ADHD community

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I wrote the book Nowhere to Hide because of my concern about the central feature in what's going on in with a lot of kids with ADHD and learning disabilities. And that is a lot of kids across the country, in the world, don't understand what's wrong with them. Some people don't like it when I say what's wrong with them, but if you ask these kids what's getting in the way of learning, they'll say, there's something wrong with me. Often they'll say, I'm stupid, and that's the problem. I think there are lots of kids across this country who have no idea what the learning disability is. They can't describe it. they don't have an understanding of it themselves. Kids with ADHD say, well, I'm hyperactive. Or I'm hyper. But they don't understand the condition. And more importantly they don't understand how it gets in the way of their schoolwork. So they're caught. Over the years, I've realized that when kids have a better understanding of their own learning disability or their ADHD and how it gets in the way of their learning, they have a better sense of control of what goes on their lives every day at school. When kids are in control, they feel competent. When they feel competent, they feel confident. And when they feel confident, they have less stress. From my point of view, one of the biggest impediments in learning in kids today with learning disabilities or ADHD is not the presence of those conditions but it's their understanding or their lack of understanding about those conditions. So that kids operate every day under a serious level of stress which actually makes their brain functioning worse. And it makes the learning disability worse. It makes the ADHD worse. And it's a defeating cycle of failure and stress and frustration. And that's why I wrote the book, to explain how to break that cycle and give kids control over their own destinies.

Watch Video: Why I wrote "Nowhere to Hide" for the ADHD community by Jerome Schultz, PhD, ...

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Jerome Schultz, PhD

Clinical Neuropsychologist

Dr. Jerome (Jerry) Schultz is a former middle school special education teacher. He is currently in private practice as a clinical neuropsychologist and is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School in the Department of Psychiatry.  For over three decades, he has specialized in the neuropsychological assessment and treatment of children with learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other special needs. He was on the faculty of Lesley University in Cambridge MA for almost 30 years, and served there as the Founding Director of a diagnostic clinic called the Learning Lab. Before returning to private practice, Dr. Schultz served as the Co-Director of the Center for Child and Adolescent Development at the Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Teaching Hospital.

Dr. Schultz received both his undergraduate and Master’s degree from The Ohio State University and holds a Ph.D. from Boston College. He has completed postdoctoral fellowships in both clinical psychology and pediatric neuropsychology. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of a journal called Academic Psychiatry, and is on the Professional Advisory Boards of a website called Inside ADHD.com, and the Learning Disabilities Association of America.

In addition to his clinical and educational work, Dr. Schultz serves as an international consultant on issues related to the neuropsychology and appropriate education of children and young adults with ADHD & LD and other special needs. In his current role as neuropsychological consultant to several large school districts in the Boston area, he is on the ground, in schools and working with kids and their teachers several days each week.

Dr. Schultz created an award-winning video called “Einstein and Me” about living successfully with a learning disability, and has written extensively about children with learning, behavioral and emotional challenges. He has a special education and psychology blog on the Huffington Post. His book, called Nowhere to Hide: Why Kids with ADHD and LD Hate School and What We Can Do About It, (Jossey-Bass/Wiley) which examines the role of stress in learning, has received international acclaim.

 

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Transcription: 
I wrote the book Nowhere to Hide because of my concern about the central feature in what's going on in with a lot of kids with ADHD and learning disabilities. And that is a lot of kids across the country, in the world, don't understand what's wrong with them. Some people don't like it when I say what's wrong with them, but if you ask these kids what's getting in the way of learning, they'll say, there's something wrong with me. Often they'll say, I'm stupid, and that's the problem. I think there are lots of kids across this country who have no idea what the learning disability is. They can't describe it. they don't have an understanding of it themselves. Kids with ADHD say, well, I'm hyperactive. Or I'm hyper. But they don't understand the condition. And more importantly they don't understand how it gets in the way of their schoolwork. So they're caught. Over the years, I've realized that when kids have a better understanding of their own learning disability or their ADHD and how it gets in the way of their learning, they have a better sense of control of what goes on their lives every day at school. When kids are in control, they feel competent. When they feel competent, they feel confident. And when they feel confident, they have less stress. From my point of view, one of the biggest impediments in learning in kids today with learning disabilities or ADHD is not the presence of those conditions but it's their understanding or their lack of understanding about those conditions. So that kids operate every day under a serious level of stress which actually makes their brain functioning worse. And it makes the learning disability worse. It makes the ADHD worse. And it's a defeating cycle of failure and stress and frustration. And that's why I wrote the book, to explain how to break that cycle and give kids control over their own destinies.