Video Transcript: Other Areas to Consider

Welcome to Week 10 of this course.   Oh, we've covered so much territory.  We've thought, first of all about that framework, and then we have been diving deeply into things like autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, diving deeply into dementia.  And now we want to just do something a little bit different and hit several areas in one week.  Again, a reminder, that does not mean, especially with the things we're going to cover this week that you may need a personalized plan.  But we wanted to give you some information more to grow your understanding.  So here are some things that we think might just be helpful information for congregations.   We've heard a lot of feedback that these areas are helpful to consider.   

So here we go.   Other areas to consider: creating more understanding.  And this first week, we're going to talk about something called ADHD in our first portion.   So, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is something you may have heard of.   You may know somebody who has been diagnosed with that.   Again, if we look at this framework, now that we're getting sort of used to those things that our brain is responsible for, that piece called attention controls can be pink; it can be an area of challenge in someone.   But remember, where those pink areas are, we're confident that there are also areas of green and gifting.  So, as I highlight a pink, remember, that's always in that promise of Scripture that each one has those gifts to bring to the community.  So remember to understand, it's always in that context.  

But I would really love to give you a chance to think a little bit about the biology of ADHD, the things that we know now.  And so let me just put up some of these pictures and give a chance to think about this.   You know, your brain is made up of billions of neurons.  And the thing about neurons is they don't touch.   There's a space in the middle called the synapse.  And our brains rely on the work of chemicals called neurotransmitters to be able to fill in that gap to do a variety of things for us.  So, for example, we have a neurotransmitter for something called it's called serotonin.  It helps us keep our mood calm and, you know, we're feeling good about life; it keeps us keeps us free of anxiety.  

If that's not true for us on a particular day, we work on our serotonin, right?  We work on our mood.  Maybe we decide to go sit in the sunshine.  When you're here in Michigan, good luck on that one when it’s November and December.  Tough to find a patch of sunshine.  But some of you may live in a community where there is abundant sunshine.  It's really helpful for those who are looking for that serotonin.  Sometimes people take medication.  They take medication like maybe Prozac or Wellbutrin, to be able to have that serotonin do its work in more plentiful supply in that synapse.  

Well, you also have neurotransmitters that help work on this thing called paying attention, or executive functioning.  Dopamine is one of them as is norepinephrine.  And those particular neurotransmitters help us focus.  They help us know when to shift our focus to something else.  Those are our attention, neurotransmitters along with other jobs I'm sure that they're responsible for.  But here's the thing.  If they're not doing their job, some individuals may choose to take some medication for that.  They might take something called Ritalin, or a part of that family - Ritalin Long Acting, or Ritalin that's 12 hours called Concerta.  Might take something in the Adderall family, or Adderall XR, or Vyvanse.  That is also part of the Adderall family.  Or they might take something called Strattera.  The thing with these medications, however, is the only one that goes in your body and lasts for 24 hours is Strattera.  And Strattera only works if the neurotransmitter that's being impacted is norepinephrine.  If it's something else if it's Ritalin, Adderall, Vyvanse, those are important medications that help when the dopamine is in short supply.  But all of the others except for Strattera, they don't work for 24 hours.  You can't have them in your system for 24 hours.  Medication has a certain side effects.  

So you put that pill in your mouth at 7:00 a.m., nd it's one of the medications that lasts perhaps for 12 hours.  When does it run out?  7:00 p.m.  Right in the middle of your youth group, actually.  And here's the thing.  Any one of those medications, they might last for four hours, or six hours, or for whatever amount, and when it's out, it's out.  And so, you know, you can't just give that extra pill because there are side effects.  

People often don't sleep on medication, and often You can have an appetite suppressant, just not hungry, so you need that medication to wear out.  And you know what?  It does.  Right in the middle of your evening programs.  And you can almost feel the energy enter into the group; this surge of energy that's coming back at about 6:00 or 7:00 p.m., as those medications wear off that kids have taken during the day.  

Clearly, those kids who weren't hungry are now really hungry.  And so if you were serving a snack, I'll tell you what.  They are famished.  They haven't eaten all day, and they probably will wipe out your snack table.  The other thing that happens is, as the medication is coming out of your system, your brain needs to kick in and say, Oh, my goodness, I guess I better make a little more dopamine right now.  And while it's waiting to catch that signal, you are in incredibly short supply of that neurotransmitter that helps you focus.  

Those evening church groups, I think take such a hit because those meds are all wearing off.  Those kids are often coming down.  Now.  I'm not promoting or not promoting medication.  That's not my business.  I'm just saying that I know many children, teens, that are on medication, experience this, and experience this in the evening hours.  

Also, there are three types of ADHD, and I just want to point that out.  You can have the hyperactive type, or the impulsive type is actually the correct word for that.  So you have ADHD impulsive type.  Our psychologist refers to that as the ready, aim …  Ready-Fire-Aim approach to life, as opposed to the Ready-Aim-Fire.  So you just sort of do stuff, like words fly out of your mouth, and you might bat the person next to you, and it's like, oh man, I did it again.  And you don't realize it because it's just this impulsive act.  

The other type that you may have is the inattentive type.  And this… yeah, well, this is one where there's not maybe a lot of extra movement, but you might be talking about a passage in the Bible, and that person is nowhere near what you're talking about.  In fact, they might be thinking about the vacation they took last summer, or maybe the way your lips go together to form the letter M.  They are not thinking about the Bible passage that you are talking about.  So that again, is that in inattentive type.

And then, you can have a combined type of both impulsivity and inattention, and have both going on at the same time.  

So again, some take medication, some don't choose to do that.  But it certainly is a big deal, especially in evening programs in certain communities, as well as the fact that some individuals don't happen to take medication on the weekends.  And so they've experienced a very different week, and what happens there, and then they're here. They're here.  They're here for youth group, Sunday school, whatever.  

Also, this is not just for children.  Adults, also - you don't like get rid of ADHD, it just is part of your life.  But so many times adults have way more choices than children have.  So they could choose a career for whom that's working pretty well for them.  They can choose a career where they have more movement;  They can choose a career where that doesn't interfere with what they're doing.  But our settings where we often make people sit and listen and sort of do that for extended period of time can put real pressure on that attention system. 

I know that's true for adults, too, I've been sitting by a few adults that, if the sermon goes a little too long, they're on their phones playing Candy Crush, or whatever the flavor of the day is because they have to do something in order to stay engaged.  Or they're moving around, or they choose the job in the church where they're the ones counting all the people because they’ve got to get up partway through the service and do that job so that they can sit back down.  In any event, so there are all these different ramifications in this area of ADHD.  

But I do want to spend some time thinking about strategies especially since either number one, that may have happened that you have those meds that are wearing off and you have some children or youth in that setting, people on the weekend, or you have individuals that simply may have ADHD, haven't chosen medication, this is just part of their life.  This is how life rolls for them.  So what are some strategies we can use?  And I would say many of these are true for children as well as adults.  

But I think one of those things it's really helpful is to add structure.  For an adult, it might be that order of worship, so that they know how that's going to work out for them.  There's another part that we're going to talk about called Be understanding, and also give Choices.  So there's the ABCs of ADHD.  Add structure; Be understanding; and give Choices.  

So how do we add structure?  You know, actually, we can add structure to space if you think about it.  This chair right here is pretty unstructured.  We don't have many parts to that chair.  If you add arms, oh my goodness, now we've got these three boundaries around us.  And if you push it up against a table, now we've got the sort of comfortable box.  So sometimes adding structure can be helpful.  

Remember those great carpet squares I showed you the other day?  And I'll see if I can resurrect that.  Remember how I said these giant parking spots were helpful for boundaries, right?  I can see where I need to be on the floor.  But also these are great way just to structure a large gym or something of space like that.  And you just throw these down.  Now you now added structure to this large space.  So for that individual that hits the gymnasium of your church, and they just start running laps, once you throw these down, you say, Okay, everybody pick a parking spot, you've now added structure to space.  So think about that.  There are many ways to do that.

You can add structure to time.  We've talked about those time timers before, we talked about visual schedules before.  Again, those are ways to add structure to time, and that can be super helpful.  Remember, too, that, again, as you're employing some of these things, these can be used in adult settings as well.  The pastor who needed that time timer.  But also again, there's your order of worship;  it adds structure; I know how long I need to hang in there before we get to this thing called benediction, or closing prayer, depending on what wording you're using at this point.  

You could add structure to materials.  Remember, I showed you that highlighter tape, right?  It highlights that place in the Bible.  I read Ephesians 2:10 and now I've got it highlighted, so I know even if I've lost my place, even if I've been inattentive, I know when it's my turn, where verse 10 is in the Bible.  So that can be helpful.  

Outlining things can be helpful so that we give structure to things that are materials that we're reading or looking at.  That, too, remember I gave that suggestion about highlighting that person's robe to color.  Again, that's adding structure to a piece of paper.  So materials can benefit from structure.  Many other ideas.  In fact, think about some of those strategies we've talked about that can all filter into being supportive for individuals who may have ADHD.

I think that Be understanding is really an important part.  I suppose one of those things that I often like to highlight is this one.  Okay, honey, I've got a sticker chart for you now.  And I'm going to put it right here.  Like that's your favorite stickers.  Here we go.  There from that movie Frozen.  I know you love that one so much.  And you know what?  I'm going to give you a sticker on this chart every time you can make more insulin.  Ready, set go.  

Would we ever say that to a child who's a diabetic?  Seriously?  They can't will themselves to make more insulin to combat diabetes.  Right?  That's not what we can give stickers to this child for because it's ridiculous.  It's biological.  Guess what?  So is ADHD.  It's a neurological, biologically based issue.  And so here we are trying to get kids - Oh, you be a good girl, you sit there, you get, you know, you get a cookie.  And really, they will use up, because they want to please you, all their brake fluid, and it's gone.  And so maybe you can get that for ten or fifteen minutes but that doesn't mean that's going to last.  So be careful.  Be understanding.  I think this information is really helpful for leaders of evening groups, just leaders in general.  Be careful what you ask kids to do.  

But we also don't want to say, well do whatever you want to.  That's not appropriate.  It might be ADHD, but let's give some choices.  You know what?  I want you to be good at listening today.  Where would you like to sit?  That's an option we can build in.  And again, every time you provide choices, the options need to be okay with you.  So I'm comfortable with these three choices, pick one.  In fact, I give you one moving coupon that during the middle of this lesson, you may move from one chair to the other.  So whatever that might be, but give some choices.  

You could give choices with materials.  You know what?  Which set of materials do you want to use for this project?  Anyone is fine with me, but go for it.  You could give choices in a sanctuary with adults, right?  Add movement.  You could say, You know what?  You're welcome to stay seated during worship today, or during the message today.  You're also welcome to stand on the side, just really interested in engaging everybody in the topic for the day.  Choices: sit, stand, you know, those kinds of things; introducing movement.  Maybe even as the pastor, maybe the pastor learns one particular gesture that goes with the word, Lord.  And so every time people hear it, they're also invited to talk about that.  The Lord of their life.  You're putting movement within the message.  So whether that's a kid setting or an adult setting, that can be helpful.  

Here are a couple of resources.  Play through the Bible, Bake through the Bible.  And once again, we're back to this one - How can we get multiple senses involved?  Teach us to Pray is a wonderful resource for families at home, and also a multisensory opportunity for families to engage in devotions or time together that's put out through the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, and a great resource to look into.  

So as you think about that, how are we engaging multiple senses.  And because we covered this, again, many of the strategies that we talked about, for particular, with people with autism spectrum disorder, will be incredibly helpful in this area as well.  So as we allow movement, as we stock some equipment, as we put in those seats and cushions, we just are inviting people into that place of being able to move while also focusing and listen.

A couple of things I had looked for the other day and couldn't find, but you've seen the Fidget Pencils by now, and I know the Wiggle Cushions, but here is that Theraband, that’s featured down there, that we often wrap, or suggest people wrap around the bottom portion of a chair.  Of course, if the chair between those two front legs already has like a metal bar, it doesn't work.  But if this can be that metal bar, on the front legs, it allows people to hook their feet back behind that and just push against it.  Again, the kiddo who was using this the other day said, Whoa, I can take a walk without leaving my chair.  Absolutely.  So again, you get sort of this hard pressure against that area.  

These are really one of my favorite stools, they're called Hoki, Hoki stools, and H-O-K-K-I, I believe, or H-O-K-I; I’m not sure if it's two K's or one, but that again, has sort of this rounded bottom, so people are sitting on something that allows for movement, while they're, you know, doing something on the floor, at the table, or whatever it may be.  So just by stocking some of these things can be really helpful to aid in movement of some kind.  Again, these are more opportunities.  We have thera-putty, some things to hold.  I went through a huge variety of those.  Don't think, once again, you need to spend a lot of money on those hand tools.  Remember this one that was sewn by the fourth and fifth graders in that church; marble with a maze?  Washable; and again, there are these things setting all over.  

One of the things I love to do is go to conferences.  So many vendors have these little fidgets outs.  I always collect them, and grow my bucket when I get back to school.  But whatever that can take, whatever you have in place can be really, really helpful.  So again, as you look at those movement options, as you look at those opportunities, giving choices, I think that that's just critical.  Again, here are some of the unique things.  Many times in a children or youth setting, there is natural movement.  Many times in a children and youth setting, you have that opportunity for people to make some choices, to move around that sort of a thing.  

Adults in church have sometimes fewer choices.  And sometimes also some interesting stories can happen.  I'll never forget, again, that impulsive individual, an adult, just really had a difficult time navigating church because of that impulsivity.  And so, one of the things that happened is they would put out signup sheets, what do you want to be involved in this year, and without taking the time to preview this this man's life, he went and signed up for nearly every single committee, opportunity, serving thing, and showed up for none of them, because once he finally tried to figure this out, and then he was embarrassed, and it's like, oh, I let people down again.  So you have to, again, figure this can be for both children and adults.  

I had some individuals to who were getting in trouble as adults, because the kids around them or watching them play games on their phone during the service and it's like, why can't we play games because Mr. So-and-So's playing games.  And so, again, you've got this this difficult thing.

I will say, however, smart communities once again, recognizing that there was an issue, went ahead and said, Okay, well, what does this person do well at?  And found out that this person was really gifted at stirring up people, exciting them to do things.  The reason he signed up for so many things, he said he was excited about all of them.  So what they ended up doing was pairing this puzzle piece, which again, previewing attention, knowing how many things to say yes and no to was difficult.  But man, generating enthusiasm, being all in, being ability - ability to communicate with words was very strong.  So they paired him up with somebody who was, again, word-wise would never stand in front of a microphone, but very organized, very administrative, and so they paired these two people up in the community and together they made quite the team.  

Okay, here comes your text.  Guess what?  You're making an announcement tomorrow in church; are you ready for that?  They’d text back and forth thirty minutes before church.  Okay, remember, it's your announcement today.  I believe it's scheduled for 10:10. Check in with the pastor before you get to church or when you get to church.  

So again, this pairing, this pairing of gifts, and putting people together made for this really strong combo.  And so this gentleman was free to use his enthusiasm and his gifts for words, while using the gifts of this administrator, who loved to be involved in those things, but would never have been able to verbally communicate that into a microphone.  It was this wonderful blending of gifts.  

So remember, this is not just about children, it's not just about youth, but it also could be part of an adult's life.  And we need to watch into that and make sure that we've provided avenues for everyone to use his or her gifts.

I will tell one other story in relationship to ADHD.  And that involved a youth group member; again, finally had had it with church and said, Why do I have to do the same thing on the weekend that’s so hard for me to do during the week?  So it's already hard for me to manage school.  Why are you throwing me into that same environment?  

And this kiddo was strong enough that he could decide not to go to church and his parents didn't have all that much power anymore in this child's life, partly because of some other wiring and neurotransmitter issues, I would dare imagine.  But he ended up using that gift of technology, he loved technology, and paired him up, again, with an older individual from the church, and they really mounted an effort to grow the technology as part of the worship service, but also as part of the youth group meetings.  And so this individual was there but very much serving with a gift area and ignited a passion for church beyond what this youth group could do because he was invited in to use that gift.  Church became one of his favorite places because, again, he got to use his green stuff there.  

So let’s remember movement, Be understanding, all of those things are true.  But once again, comes back to we really need to get to know people, we need to get to know the gifts and the things that they're passionate about, be really exciting. 

So I hope this has been helpful.  Again, some strategies to use, ways to think about it.  Please do not ever, you know, use those sticker chart things.  Let's build that understanding.  Let's get people to understand best how they can come along and use the gifts and support the areas of challenge of persons with ADHD in a congregation.  

All right, we'll get ready to gather again around the topic of mobility differences and medical conditions.  So prepare for that as this week continues.