“You’ve got a Ferrari brain and bicycle brakes,” is what acclaimed psychiatrist Dr. Ned Hallowell, MD says he tells children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). “You can’t stop your brain when you need to,” he quipped to laughter from parents and professionals gathered at a workshop hosted by The Family Center of the Northshore Education Consortium in Beverly.

The Family Center is offering a series of workshops about children with special needs to provide vital resources and information to families, as well as professional development opportunities for educators and other professionals. Dr. Hallowell’s presentation was part of that series. The next workshop on Asperger syndrome takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 3:30-5:30 p.m., at the Holten-Richmond School in Danvers.

Dr. Hallowell, a former professor at Harvard Medical School, wrote the award-winning book, “Driven to Distraction.” He is considered the pre-eminent authority on ADHD, which he prefers to call a trait, not a medical disorder. Not only does Hallowell himself have ADHD and its “cousin” dyslexia, but so do his three sons. And he has treated more people with these conditions over the last 30 years than anyone else, he said.

Despite the challenges of having a brain that is easily distracted, Dr. Hallowell has acquired impressive academic credentials and authored many books. Dr. Hallowell credits his first grade teacher, an elderly and nurturing woman named Mrs. Eldridge in Chatham, for saving his life and putting him on the right track. He used her example to emphasize the importance of teachers making personal connections with their students who think differently as a result of ADHD.

According to Dr. Hallowell, Mrs. Eldridge was a warm-hearted woman who put her arm around him and encouraged him when he had difficulty learning to read. As a result, he said, he didn’t give up on reading aloud, even though he struggled and felt embarrassed in front of the other children. Quite the contrary, Dr. Hallowell said, he looked forward to his reading lessons. Thanks to Mrs. Eldridge, Dr. Hallowell said, he developed his talent for words.

Yet, this is the opposite of what most children in his shoes experience, Dr. Hallowell said. He emphasized the vital importance of teachers making connections with children who struggle with ADHD, of encouraging the child and his or her parents along the educational path and providing differentiated education. Otherwise, children who constantly fail and are called lazy or dumb can become discouraged and depressed.

Feelings of worthlessness put these children at risk for self-medicating through substance abuse and other risky behaviors, according to Dr. Hallowell. The supportive arm of Hallowell’s teacher as she sat and read with him was a powerful connection that gave him the drive to unleash his inner talents, he explained.

Dr. Hallowell talked about how the medical model discourages children and parents by focusing on pathology and ignoring children’s interests and talents. “We need to embrace the strength-based model. I tell these children, ‘You’ve got a Ferrari brain and bicycle brakes. You can’t stop it when you need to.’” He talked about the miracle of amphetamine drugs that work within 20 minutes to help children focus and succeed academically.

“This is a condition that can go one way or another. That’s where teachers become so important,” Dr. Hallowell said. “These kids require a devoted, knowledgeable teacher and their lives can be changed. They can achieve magnificence, do something innovative and change the world.”

Asperger’s Syndrome Series

Through a new partnership with the Asperger’s Association of New England/North, the Northshore Education Consortium is initiating a new series of workshops on Asperger Syndrome. According to Marian Myers, director of The Family Center, the program is designed to bring state of the art training to North Shore parents and professionals on topics related to Asperger Syndrome. The Consortium is the first educational collaborative in the Commonwealth to provide Asperger Syndrome training and support to their local community.

Jean Stern, MS, will present the next workshop, Classroom Strategies for Teaching Students with Asperger Syndrome, on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 3:30-5:30 p.m., at the Holten Richmond Middle School in Danvers. Cost: $50 advance registration. Email Marian Myers.

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