WatchMinder

Ask Dr. B!

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:06:00 -0700

A new weekly feature!

Many WatchMinder users email us with questions about ADHD, LD, Aspergers, and Autism Spectrum concerns. I am hopeful that this site becomes a an online space for individuals to share information, stories, tips, and support and, towards that end, I will be taking questions and answers on a weekly basis. Again, I am a child psychologist with over 35 years of experience and I look forward to sharing my experience with the WatchMinder community. Please use the form to the right to submit any questions that you might have. Each Tuesday, I will select a question and post my response here on this blog. I look forward to your questions, comments and feedback!

- Dr. Becker

Time Management Watch for ADHD

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:48:00 -0700

Additude magazine's "Ask The Organizer " feature was particularly on point this week. The question:

Q: "We have trouble getting my eight-year-old daughter to move fast enough to get to school on time or to make other appointments. Any suggestions?"

We get this question all the time... It seems that keeping track of time is always at the center of conflict between ADHD children and their parents. The organizer, Sandy Maynard , offers the following useful tips:

Let her pick out a fun watch. Encourage her to check it often by asking her what time it is. (Sandy, I think this is a particularly good idea!)

Place clocks in locations where she tends to lose track of time, such as the bathroom or opposite the breakfast table in the kitchen.

Announce how long you'll do an activity: "We'll play cards for 20 minutes." Then, call attention to how much time has passed and how much is left. "We've been playing for 15 minutes. That means we have five more minutes to play."

In the car, ask her how long she thinks it will take to get to your destination. Have her time the trip so that she can see how close she comes in estimating it.

Be sure you're leaving enough time—she may just need an extra 10 minutes to get ready.

Please email us your time management tips and secrets and we will share them with the WatchMinder community.

Aspergers and ADD and Sensory Integration user review

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:22:00 -0700

A proud parent wrote this week...

"I have used this watch in the past with my son who has Aspergers and ADD and Sensory Integration disorder. I have just purchased the watch for myself to help remind me to take my own medication.

I have a suggestion for improvement and a testimony to share. This device has proven to be a life changer for my family."

We are so happy that the WatchMinder has been a life changer for you and so many!

Please tell us your WatchMinder stories!

A great WatchMinder review

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:55:00 -0700

Received an excellent review of the WatchMinder3 from Betty at Peace Creek on the Prairie .

Watchminder 3 Review~Helping your child stay on track.

Do you have a child who struggles staying on task?

Do they get “lost”?

What about you?

Watchminder 3 ($69) may be a little gadget that will help. It is a watch that you are able to set to alert or remind you or your child to the tasks ahead of them or that they should be doing.

My son loves this watch, in fact, I struggle to get it off long enough to be able to charge it each week. Watchminder 3 will help keep your child or yourself on track. My son’s favorite reminder I have set are the couple of reminders I set for him to come tell me. I think that boost his confidence knowing that mom needs reminders too.

Pros:

Helps child stay on track
Child loves wearing it.
Interchangeable wristbands
Rechargeable

Cons:

Can not fully customize reminders…I would like to have it tell student to do math now, or language arts, wash dishes etc. Instead I have it say the preprogramed sayings..homework, chores etc. You are not able to add your own sayings.
The battery needs recharged every week or you lose all settings.
It does take some time to set up.
I would like to be able to program it from my computer.

My son does stay on task better. It is nice to not to have to constantly remind him of what he should be doing throughout the day.

If you need something that is portable and able to physically remind you of your next task, Watchminder 3 may well be able to help you out.

I received one Watchminder 3 free in return for my honest review. I will receive no further compensation.

WatchMinder feedback

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:48:00 -0700

Its always great to hear from our WatchMinder users... A parent from California emailed us today... "The watch is great!! My daughter is doing so much better. She is so
independent...This watch has made a difference in our household and I have told others."

Back to school Facebook raffle

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 22:28:00 -0700

WatchMinder Back to School Raffle! Please "like" our Facebook page and help us reach 100 fans! Once 100 people "like" WatchMinder, all fans will automatically be entered to win a free W atchMinder3! We hope your school year's off to a great start!

New AD/HD Online Support Community

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:41:00 -0700

A quick shout out to Ben's Friends Online Support Communities for creating a new community for those with and those supporting persons with AD/HD! Check out the community at:

http://www.lifewithadhd.org/

This will be a great place to share stories and lend support to others!

Back to school!

Rory — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:03:00 -0700

Its almost September, and that can only mean one thing…from kindergarten to college, students everywhere are headed back to school. The WatchMinder is a perfect “back to school” gift for the student in your life. We receive countless emails from parents, students, and teachers letting us know just how valuable the WatchMinder has been in and out of the classroom. Here are a few comments that were recently left for us:

"I received my WatchMinder and I absolutely love it. It's exactly the tool I have been looking for. I have set the watch to the random training mode to help keep me on task during the workday and have also set up reminders for when it's time to leave work, work on my studies, etc. Thus far I have been nothing but satisfied. Thank you so much for inventing this wonderful product." – Adult with AD/HD

"My son thinks that it has been very helpful. I also received a note from one of his teachers telling about the change that she has noticed in his behavior. She describes him as more mature." – Proud Parent

"The watch has helped my 13 year-old. The sense of control it gives him really helps his attitude and his organizational skills have improved greatly…" - Parent of AD/HD child

"It is wonderful to have a reminder to look up so that I can praise a specific child for being on task. With more children in the classroom, sometimes it is hard to have that constant feedback for a child that needs that reinforcement more regularly." – 3rd Grade Teacher

Please let us know how the WatchMinder has helped you or the student(s) in your life!

Here’s to a great new school year!

Welcome to my blog!

Rory — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:35:00 -0700

Hi...and welcome to my blog. I am Dr. Becker, a Child Psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with ADD, ADHD and other LD concerns. I invented the WatchMinder about 10 yeaers ago in order to help individuals manage these issues on their own in a discreet manner. I am very proud of our product - which has truly helped thousands of individuals.

In this blog, I want to create a forum for discussing tools to manage ADD, AD/HD and related concerns. In particular, I will introduce some ways in which the WatchMinder might be used as a part of a larger training and behavior modification program. I encourage feedback and input to let me and the rest of the online community know how you manage your ADD and how you have and will continue to use the WatchMinder.

Again, welcome!