I have worked with children with special needs of many different ages, primarily with children with ADHD and similar disorders. I have had students in my high school classroom with this disorder, and have designed accommodations and strategies to help them to use the gifts that come with the challenges of ADHD to become successful. I have also worked with younger children with ADHD to help them manage their hyperactivity, impulsiveness and other symptoms, and to build their confidence in their ability to succeed. In high school I was asked by my school counselor to lead a peer group called "The ADHD Focus Group," an ironically named group of underclassmen who were gifted but who were being held back by their ADHD-related challenges. I chaired meetings and led discussions about these issues, helped brainstorm new strategies for coping with distractions and impulsiveness, and spoke as the student representative on a panel presentation on ADHD. I have invented therapeutic toys and strategies to help children and adults with ADHD to cope with the attendant challenges.