Living with ADHD

One of the areas most fraught with difficulty for children with ADHD is school. Schools require children to sit still for extended periods of time, to be quite and to wait their turn. Unfortunately these are not strengths for children affected by ADHD and similar disorders and they are often perceived as disruptive and difficult due to their impulsive behaviour.  Some children do well at school when they have a teacher who understands the condition and is able to be sympathetic to the way the child is responding or reacting to a situation. When the teacher is educated about ADHD and has a desire to see the child thrive, then all is well. Unfortunately, many teachers with the best intentions, do not understand ADHD and the way these children respond. This leads to major difficulties for both the teacher and the child. Some schools have great policies relating to ADHD however many do not and the ignorance surrounding the disorder and negative media attention means that teachers

ADHD and PARENTS   Being the parent of a child diagnosed with ADHD is no easy task. By the time a child is diagnosed, most parents are aware that their child is different from other kids and that their child is often less mature, more impulsive, prone to accidents and risk taking and finding themselves in all sorts of difficult situations. On top of all this there are the well meaning friends and family who say things like "he's just being a boy" , "you just need to discipline him more", etc. These people are well meaning but if you have never lived with a child with ADHD then you will not know what it is really like. The constant action and the constant distractions and the tiring days mean that the parents are often worn out. To make it even worse, these kids are often delightful creatures when one on one with their grandparents and other carers who may not see how difficult and exhausting the child can actually be.  The reason is that these chil

Hi, I've created a blog about living with ADHD. So often we see ADHD as a negative diagnosis, but it doesn't have to be that way. People with ADHD, and there are many of them, have contributed in amazing ways to society. They can be wonderfully funny and incredibly creative. Of course, there can be some difficulties, and this blog will address them, but I want to do it from a perspective of positive interaction, seeing what is good and valuable, as well as the difficult things. There is always a solution, and each child or adult with ADHD can help us find those solutions from the wealth of positive characteristcs inherent with ADHD, if we will look for them. Stay tuned for more. Jill