Welcome to Ortando and Son where individuals with AD/HD/LD learn how to be from those who understand what it means to have like minds

Hello, my name is Rick Swope.   I experience AD/HD. I would like to personally thank you for visiting this site. My son and I decided that we would create this website and our company, Ortando & Son with a goal of self-actualizing. As a way of achieving this goal, Ortando’s Way offers assistance to others in their efforts to self-actualize. (See Abraham Maslow/Hierarchy of Needs)

A note for those who are interested in efficient use of their time: This site is a condensed version of information sufficiently voluminous to fill a book on Attention Deficit, Hyperactivity and Learning Disorders.
To help you find the information that is the most meaningful to you we have provided an introduction to the contents of each area of our website:

  

Home page: Introduction, AD/HD/LD descriptors, purpose of site, biographical information about the authors, and professional endorsements.



Genesis to mythology: Prose about how it feels to have AD/HD/LD, philosophical underpinnings, and rational exposition of AD/HD/LD oriented understanding.



Strategies: Ortando's Way described in metaphors related to emotions, brief discussion about medications, and ways of understanding for those who do not experience AD/HD/LD.



tools we have developed to help AD/HD/LD people improve their lives. We would also like to request your feedback as well as any useful links.

 

 

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                                        Ortando's Way and This Website
The purpose of this website is to help people understand and improve their personal experience associated with AD/HD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and Learning Disorder(s) (LD). This encompasses themselves and/or someone with whom they interact. The subjective experience of AD/HD can include one or more of the following: hyperactivity and/or inattention, forgetfulness, distractedness, disorganization, and/or impulsiveness. Some examples of Learning Disorders (LD) include: reading problems (commonly referred to as Dyslexia), mathematics problems (neurologically based difficulty with mathematics), and difficulty writing and spelling (neurologically based) as defined by the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Volume IV). This site is NOT INTENDED to diagnose attention and learning problems. However, if you experience any of the above conditions, consider seeking an AD/HD/LD evaluation by a licensed mental health professional.

Ortando's Way is a cognitive-behavioral based philosophy, which concomitantly includes principles, strategies, and tools designed specifically for AD/HD/LD management. It can help an individual with AD/HD/LD achieve their life goals successfully by training them to understand how their brain naturally works, minimizing their deficits, and discovering as well as maximizing their talents. Ortando’s Way utilizes CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), which regards thinking and belief as paramount in how an individual behaves and feels about the world. According to CBT, through changing one’s thoughts and beliefs, individuals can attain their reasonable and rational goals more effectively. (see Albert Ellis; Donald Meichenbaum; Milton H. Erickson)

 

Ortando’s Way is focused on the FEELINGS and EMOTIONS associated with having a brain wired in the AD/HD/LD way. We contend that this increases self understanding, helps achieve better employment, accelerate academic performance, encourages empathic acceptance by others, and promotes authentic self actualization.

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                                  A Bit About Richard and Nicholas
Allow me to tell you a bit about ourselves and our claim to know how to help others with AD/HD/LD. My history includes many years of interpersonal, academic and vocational struggles early in life prior to being diagnosed with AD/HD. I would say that only after I realized I was “different” in the ways I thought (tested and diagnosed), did I truly begin to understand how to be successful. Later on I discovered that I also had many biological relatives with AD/HD or Dyslexia and this helped my life experience make sense. (Parents often discover their learning or attention problems when a child or close relative is diagnosed.)
In 1981 I started my career in the mental health field, armed with a BS in Psychology. My first job was working in a group home for schizophrenic men. Afterward, I was a therapist for adolescents that had severe sexual abuse and trauma histories at the Oregon State Hospital for four years. I later completed my Masters in Special Education at the University of Oregon and became a rehabilitation specialist for individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illness. I started and was the executive director of a rehabilitation company that trained and employed individuals with disabilities in a rural county in Oregon.
Following that, I was a rehabilitation counselor for a different Oregon county agency for nine years. I have worked in partnership with the Oregon Rehabilitation Division for many years and have had the honor of receiving the Mental Health Award of Excellence in 1999 from the Oregon Mental Health Division. I also had the privilege of being a delegate for the American Counseling Association to Beijing, China and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This experience included being able to meet with colleagues from both countries to share philosophies and strategies including AD/HD/LD information. I completed my second Masters from Western Oregon University in Education and Counseling and am currently a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice.
I specialize in adults with learning and attention problems, and adults who have been abused as children. I am a Certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, a Nationally Certified Counselor, and have my “Nk.D.” (my proudest achievement- Nick’s Dad).




My son and partner, Nicholas Swope, obtained his BS in Economics from the University of Oregon in 2008. Over the past several years Nick has traveled abroad to China where he has served as a youth counselor, business intern, and “cultural adventurer.” Nick also happens to experience significant Dyslexia (reading disorder) and was identified from my observations in second grade. Nick has benefited much from special education training in the Oregon school system. For example, as a high school senior he achieved second place in a national academic scholarship competition for individuals with Dyslexia. Nick graduated high school with honors from the National Honor Society.
He also had great success while attending the University of Oregon thanks in part from utilizing the Disabilities Services Office, which provided excellent accommodations for his academic efforts. He and his wife plan to continue traveling abroad in the Peace Corp helping bring education, economic training, and youth development to their host community. Nick is the business end and web support for Ortando and Son. He also acts as a representative for his generation while advising me on Dyslexia and its emotional components. Nick also surfs.

Here is what other professionals are saying about Rick and Ortando’s Way:

 

“Rick Swope is the most skilled therapist that I know for evaluation and treatment of ADD, ADHD, and Learning Disabilities.  I highly recommend him."      
Ed Daly, MD, Psychiatrist

“It is my pleasure to recommend Rick Swope ...  I consider Rick to be one of our local experts on helping clients learn to live with and manage their symptoms related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and other Learning Disabilities.  He has developed tools to assist them in their organization and to aid in building skills to compensate for some of their challenges.  In my opinion, Mr. Swope is a great resource."    
Rebecca L. Ricoy, MD, Psychiatrist