Empowerment Plus Inc - Self Managed Journey

	Attention
	Learning
	Personality
	Food Sensitivities
	Other Factors
	Conclusion

A recent retrospective study has indicated that 84% of my clients with concerns in the areas of attention feel better within one week of removing a particular food from their diet. For 13% of this group, the symptoms clear up completely. The problem is that you can't tell which group you are in until you try it out for yourself.

Welcome to Step One! The focus is: Attention

The purpose of Step One is to find out:

	if there is a concern in the area of attention
	how the attention challenges affect you and what to do about them

Quick Jump to FAQ
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Procedure - Quick View

Fill out the Screening Checklist for Attentional Concerns.
Decide if you have concerns in this area. If not, go to Step Two-Learning. If you think you have concerns continue with Step One.
Fill out the Levine Information Processing Questionnaire.
See Strategies for Improving Attention.
Do the Self-Evaluation.
Go to Step Two - Learning.

Procedure - Details

1. Fill out Screening Checklist for Attentional Concerns

a) To find out if you have attentional difficulties, download the Screening Checklist for Attentional Concerns and print it.

b) Make a list of interests and hobbies that give you pleasure and then make a list of activities (such as household chores) that you do not enjoy doing. Do not include academic studies or work-related activities. Write these on your Journey Circle in the Attention section

c) Fill out the Screening Checklist (SC/A) twice - once for how you are when interested in something and once for activities where you are not particularly interested. Have another person who knows you well fill the SC/A out too on a separate checklist. Use a checkmark when thinking about what you love and a circle when thinking about how you are when doing things you do not enjoy.

2. Decide if you have concerns in this area. If not, go to Step Two-Learning. If you think you have concerns continue with Step One.

a) Look at the Screening Checklist that describes your attentional symptoms when you are not particularly interested. Do you have 4 to 5 checkmarks in the Pretty Much or Very Much columns? Yes or No?

If NO, this means that you probably do not have concerns in this area. Proceed to Step Two - Learning.

If YES, this means that there are concerns in this area. What we do NOT yet know is the cause of your attentional symptoms.

3. Fill out the Levine Information Processing Questionnaire

a) Download: Levine Information Processing Questionnaire and print it.

b) Have yourself and your helper complete the questionnaire and then score it according to the instructions on the final page.

c) Put a star beside the 4-6 areas with the most checkmarks. This tells you how your mind is affected by your attentional concerns. Consider this part of your Owner's Manual - an awareness of how you work.

4. See Strategies for Improving Attention

a) Download the Strategies for Improving Attention.

b) Put a star beside the 4-6 areas identified in the Levine Information Processing Questionnaire. You can use these strategies now or refer to them later. I recommend getting through the five steps and then coming back to have a look at these areas after you have finished your Self-Managed Journey, if attention is still a concern.

c) When you are ready to try some of these strategies, pick one area that you'd like to work on, then select a strategy that appeals to you. Try it out for three weeks and see how it works.

5. Do the Self-Evaluation.

Our Goal was to see:

if there is a concern in the area of attention

how the attention challenges affect you and what to do about them

Did you have a concern in Attention? Yes or No?

If YES, did you find out how it affects you? Yes or No?

If YES, great. I suggest that you realize that this is how you are "wired".

If NO, go back and review the Levine Information Processing Questionnaire

If NO, then you went to Step Two - Learning.

Did you learn what to do about it? Yes or No?

If YES, great.

If NO, go back and review Strategies for Improving Attention in Step One - Attention. Work on one area at a time. Apply one strategy for several weeks and see how it works. If it works, wonderful, if not, try another strategy.

Remember that you are the expert on yourself! Do what makes sense to you.

5. Now it is time to proceed: Go to Step Two - Learning.

More questions? We're Here to Help

FAQ - Questions

Q1:	Why are we looking at Attention?
Q2:	What if my child or I already have been diagnosed with AD/HD?
Q3:	How do we avoid or get rid of side effects from medication for AD/HD?
Q4:	How can I find out if I have AD/HD?

FAQ - Answers

Q1: Why are we looking at Attention?

A: Many people are unaware that they have attention barriers that are preventing them from being the best they can be.

Q2: What if my child or I already have been diagnosed with AD/HD?

A: In my experience, it is easy to be misdiagnosed with AD/HD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). Therefore, even if you already have a diagnosis, I encourage you to go through the whole Self-Managed Journey. If you still have attentional symptoms at the end of the Self-Managed Journey, then it is likely that your diagnosis for AD/HD was correct. Wherever you are in the diagnostic process, you will learn more about yourself, find out strategies to help you address common challenges, and learn about medical and natural interventions.

Q3: How do we avoid or get rid of side effects from medication for AD/HD?

A: The Farrelly Protocol is a very prudent method with which to conduct a medication trial. In my experience, side effects with medication seem to be due most often to overmedication. I also see side-effects when the attentional symptoms are due to food sensitivities rather than real AD/HD. Once you have gone through all the steps in the Self-managed Journey, if you still have symptoms of AD/HD, I urge you to take a copy of the Farrelly Protocol to your family physician and discuss the option of trying it to see if it or an adaptation of it will reduce the side effects from the medication.

Q4: How can I find out if I have AD/HD?

A: REMINDER: There can be many causes of attentional symptoms. Some of these include: stress, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, thyroid, hypoglycemia, hearing, vision, allergies, abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, drug or alcohol) or a chaotic environment. I have named only a few possible reasons. It is beyond the scope of this self-assessment to be able to rule out all of these, or to make a diagnosis of AD/HD. After dealing with your attentional symptoms through the Self-Managed Journey it is advisable to seek additional help for any of these other concerns.