THERAPY FOR EVERYDAY LIFE

Struggles with memory, time management and attention treated by a local business

Imagine you are a student at your locker. You look at the time and realize you are late for class. When you get there, you have forgotten your assignment and book. For the next hour you try to focus, but your thoughts are racing and you are easily distracted. Before you know it, class is over and you have no idea what the assignment is. You’ve lost track of how many times this sort of thing has happened. It’s not that you don’t want to do your homework; you are unsure of how to even begin. Something just keeps you from focusing no matter how hard you try.

Imagine now that you are 45 and employed. No matter how hard you work, you just can’t stay on task. Forgetting important details and overscheduling has become a daily occurrence leaving you feeling overwhelmed. You try to do things the same way as your coworkers, yet nothing seems to work for you.

People see you as lazy, selfish, even stupid. You see yourself in worse terms. You aren’t making a conscious choice to forget. It’s not intentional, yet you keep forgetting things or losing focus. Your loved ones know you are bright, but your performance never matches your potential.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder, or AD/HD, can severely impact people for their entire lives. They struggle with chronic symptoms including time management, working memory, attention and impulsivity. Disorders with cognitive impairments like AD/HD, traumatic brain injury, post-concussive syndrome, stroke, and more, can be treated.

Progressive Therapy Associates does just that. Janet Grove and Jodi Hedstrom are certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologists and coowners of the business. They specialize in cognitive treatment that goes beyond medication to provide help with daily life skills that make adolescents and adults successful in the real world.

“Each person that comes through our door, we evaluate their areas of need, their impairments, strengths, weaknesses, and determine how we can best improve those skills,” Grove said.

Progressive Therapy Associates uses three watchwords – improve, empower and renew – to guide their treatment philosophy. Grove and Hedstrom work on skills that patients can incorporate into their daily lives to help them feel successful, for perhaps the first time in a long time.

Through hard work and time, the results are rewarding and often fuel patients to work even harder. One end goal is for the patient to be able to take the skills they have learned and apply them to new situations.

“Life doesn’t have to be a constant battle day in and day out. It can be better,” Hedstrom said.

Doctors often refer patients, but patients can call Progressive Therapy Associates directly for a free consultation.

Progressive Therapy Associates is located at 1150 Prairie Parkway, Suite 105, in West Fargo. They can be reached at 701-356-7766. For more information on AD/HD and the many other conditions they treat, visit their website at www.progressivetherapyassociates. com.

In this edition of Area Home, get to know a bit about Jordahl Custom Homes while touring one of their designs. This home, located in the Eagle Run neighborhood, showcases what a custom home builder can provide: the chance to personalize your home to fit your particular needs. Get ideas and get inspired!