AD/HD and PDAs verus Paper Planner
Posted September 14th, 2004 by Alan
in
Is there any research or other information which measures the effectiveness of PDA versus traditional paper planning systems for Adults with ADD?
At times I think I get more distracted with the technology and tweaking LB than just simply doing what has to be done. I also find that it's hard to get a view of the "big picture" strictly from my the little PDA screen.
Any comments or throughts or links to research?
Comments
RE: AD/HD and PDAs verus Paper Planner
Hi there,
I don't have any research that I can point you to, but in talking with some of the coaches at ADDA I got the sense that it really depended on the temperament and skill set of the person. That ADD is not one thing but a range of related things, one person might be better off with a paper system, and another person is better off with a PDA or laptop system.
I'm sure that Kris or Lisa might also be good resources for you in trying to find out where your particular strengths are and evaluating which tools would be most helpful. Life Balance or something else -- we are more interested ultimately in your success.
One thing to be aware of is that in the beginning when you are getting started with Life Balance, it does have a learning curve. So you do want to allow yourself some time, patience and experience to be sure that you get the most out of the trial period.
If you have specific questions about how to set something up, let us know. We are here to help too.
Best wishes,
--Catherine--*
Catherine E. White
President
www.llamagraphics.com
Creators of Life Balance software
for Palm OS, Macintosh and Windows.
RE: AD/HD and PDAs verus Paper Planner
Oh, and another thing to think about. Some PDAs have larger screens and you might find that a different choice of device would be more workable for you.
Something to consider.
--Catherine--*
Catherine E. White
President
www.llamagraphics.com
Creators of Life Balance software
for Palm OS, Macintosh and Windows.
RE: AD/HD and PDAs verus Paper Planner
>I don't have any research that I can point you to, but in
>talking with some of the coaches at ADDA I got the sense that
>it really depended on the temperament and skill set of the
>person. That ADD is not one thing but a range of related
>things, one person might be better off with a paper system,
>and another person is better off with a PDA or laptop system.
Hi, Alan and Catherine,
You've hit it exactly, Catherine--what works is really based on HOW you learn, and that can take time to figure out! I used a paper planner for years, and got teased about how it was never far from my side, etc. Now there's a cute little PDA doing the same duty, and the amazing bit for me, personally, was figuring out that I needed the COLOR screen, not the b & white.
The clients that I've worked with, with LB and their ADD, seem mostly to enjoy using the desktop version for modification, for tweaking outlines, etc, and the PDA version for making sure, when out and about, that they're being efficient, can quickly find whatever bit of information they need, and, as one client put it, "I don't need wheels under it, like I did my paper planner, which was stuffed so full it weighed 5 pounds".
Hope this helps! Alan, if you like, I have a short article on paper vs. PDA at http://www.addresources.org. Look for "My Day Planner Talks Back!"
RE: AD/HD and PDAs verus Paper Planner
Hi, Alan,
Up until 1996, when I bought my first Palm, I had been wedded for decades to the british Filofax paper system. It really got me through thick and thin, but was fairly bulky.
I really do miss my Filofax (I still have all the leather ring binders which I used), but as I'm trying to eliminate paper in my life(I'm a HUGE piler, the Tungsten I now have is great.
I also tweak LB, and spend lots of time doing it, and I believe it saves me