When I first started using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to model the subjective experience of those with the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), I used the Logical Levels extensively. What I found were symptoms at all the Logical Levels instead of just at the Behavioral Level. So, when I work with somebody with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), I systematically work with them through all the Logical Levels. I have found that using EFT to do this greatly speeds up the process (EFT is covered later in this booklet).

 
Environment Level--The person with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) symptoms can do just fine in some environments and not in others. If they are by their self and without outside distractions, they can usually stay focused and accomplish tasks. Put them in a busy school, business, social or family setting, however, and they will start displaying many of the behavioral symptoms. In fact, in many instances, the environment is the triggering cue for the behavioral symptoms.

Many of the treatments or interventions that are attempted are at this level. Students are seated away from other students so they will not be distracted by other activities going on in the classroom. Sometimes students are sent to special rooms that are especially quiet and have less auditory or visual distractions. Sometimes when they are at home they will be isolated in their rooms and told to study there and not be allowed TV or radio. Many with the Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) symptoms will attempt to overly organize their environment in order to control the chaos they experience. Clearly, the attempt at all of these interventions is to control the environment in order to keep the Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Behavioral Symptoms from being triggered. This is a controlling strategy rather than a solution.

Having them do the EFT tapping on what they sense around them when the Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) symptoms kick in is one of the easiest interventions to do. Examples are: seeing or hearing a particular teacher, a brother or sister, a classroom, or being compelled to do a boring school lesson are just a few of the possibilities. So, ask the client the following question and listen and notice those responses that are emotion laden "When you start to experience the Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) symptom of ______, what or who do you see or hear around you?" Get them to elaborate, so you can read the emotional response. Then lead them through EFT tapping on the environmental triggers or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Symptoms.

Some of the more common remedies in the Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) literature, besides taking drugs, are behavior modification techniques (like having the student study differently or sit in a different place to diminish the distractions).

 
Capability Level--Most individuals with the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) feel as though their mind is out of control. Their internal experience is moving so fast and thoughts are appearing and disappearing and they feel unable to manage it. They cannot do the same things with their mind that other students seem to be able to do with ease.

Learning and other academic tasks are very difficult for them because they cannot control and/or focus their mind. Drugs such as Ritalin are supposed to give them control over their mind and allow them to focus but the results are mixed. And yet, in my experience, most individuals who have been diagnosed with the symptoms of ADD are genius or near genius. It is just that their mind does not fit within our educational and social systems.

It is at this level that I begin with a student with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)ADD Symptoms. After I teach them to control their mind, I teach them my academic learning strategies, and then about motivation and on through all the issues at each of the Logical Levels. After dealing with the issues at all the other Logical Levels all the symptoms and problems seem to disappear.

At the Capability Level, I have found two phenomena in students with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) that I work with. The first is the sense that their mind is out of control. What I found was that many had multiple images in their mind and they could not control them or focus on just one. Sometimes the images are flying around; sometimes they appear and then mysteriously disappear. I had a 12-year old boy one time tell me that he had 16 images at one time in the form of 4 rows of 4 monitors. Each monitor had a different subject on it. I have had others describe their subjective experience as giant light shows with images flying all over the place like shooting stars.

One of the ways I test for this is to give them a mental assignment which forces them to stabilize an image in their mind. Most of the time, I give them a word that they already know how to spell and have them spell it backwards or from right to left. If their mind is out of control, they will exclaim "I can't hold the picture, it keeps going away!" or "My mind won't let me do it, it takes it away!" I then lead them through EFT tapping on their feeling that their mind is out of control until they regain control.

Secondly, once they can control their mind, then usually I have to teach them HOW TO LEARN in the classroom. Our schools presuppose that children know how to learn in the classroom and do not accept the responsibility of teaching them effective learning strategies. Most teachers focus on giving them LEARNING ACTIVITIES (which are at the Behavior Logical Level) and leave it to chance that learning actually occurs (e.g., the learning activity of writing a spelling word down 10 times or doing countless "timed math fact sheets" or of preparing for an exam by reading study guides over and over).

This is a major void that occurs in our schools that creates much trauma in many students. This trauma occurs in "normal" underachieving students as well as those with "learning disabilities." Many if not all of those who have been diagnosed with ADD and in particular ADHD have been traumatized repeatedly in school. And much of this trauma comes from the fact that they cannot control their minds and therefore cannot effectively learn in the classroom. I tap on these traumas while I am assuring them that things will change since I am also going to teach them HOW TO LEARN and how to use their mind in school. These learning strategies are covered extensively in my book "Rediscover the Joy of Learning" and the parenting booklet "Learning Strategies for the Struggling Student." (to access the parenting booklets, go to the web site www.nlpok.com).

At this Logical Level of Beliefs/Values, I find that many students have either a void of positive and empowering beliefs and values regarding school and learning or they have already picked up "limiting" beliefs and values. For example, some ADD students who have the sense that their mind is out of control will adopt an unconscious belief "I can't control my mind!" or "My mind controls me!" or "My mind makes me do things and I get in trouble!" They will also have limiting beliefs about the value of school like "School sucks!" or "School is boring!" or "Why do I have to got to school—it doesn't help me!!!" They will also adopt beliefs about their capability like "I can't learn ____!" or "I can't do math!" In fact, they can have beliefs about any and all of the Logical Levels.

Eliciting these limiting beliefs and changing them to more empowering beliefs at all logical levels can and is a truly transforming experience for the students I work with. Coupling the learning of new and effective learning strategies with the elimination of limiting beliefs and the addition of empowering beliefs through the Logical Levels pretty well completes the transformation. (After this coverage of the Logical Levels, I will share with you a way to change limiting beliefs using EFT.)

 
Identity Level--Many students who have had ADD symptoms for a long time develop beliefs about their self which shows up in their self-image or self-esteem. They believe they are different or weird. Or, they will devalue their selves and think that they are worthless or that nobody likes them or accepts them. They also believe that they are totally discounted and not understood for who they REALLY are. Some rebel and fight back while others become apathetic and withdraw from society. Many turn to drugs or alcohol and/or become anti-social.

Many ADD and ADHD students have limiting beliefs at the identity level because so much of the feedback they get from parents, teachers and peers is about how different they are as a person. So, many times they will have "Identity Level" beliefs like "I am weird." or "I'm different than everybody else." or "I'm dumb." or "I'm learning disabled." or "I'm an ADDer." Changing these limiting beliefs to empowering beliefs sends reverberations through all the lower logical levels and has quite a positive impact on the student.

When I am working with a teenager who has been diagnosed with ADD, I look pretty hard for limiting beliefs at the highest Logical Level of Spiritual/Greater System. By the time they hit teenage years they have been traumatized by the system to such a degree that they can become anti-social in many ways. You will hear them say things like "Why did God do this to me, I didn't deserve this" or "Why don't the schools help me—nobody cares about me!" They feel so much like social outcasts that they sometimes turn to gangs or other like-minded groups (many of these groups turn out to be anti-social) so that they can feel like they have a group identity and a sense of belonging