Living with ADHD

I don't know about you, but I'm amazed at how often we think we know what is best for others without trying to understand their situation first. I know in the past, I probably made the same mistake. ADHD is a complex disorder, no two children are the same and it manifests in many different ways. Of course there are many things we can do to help our children, and some of them are up on this blog. But I've noticed recently, that some people seem to think they know best. My experience is that this is mostly in the area of medication. It seems that when a parent chooses to put their child on medication, that it unleashes the best and the worst in people. I'm always disappointed when I hear of, or read of, people who just assume that medication is somehow the cop out and the quick fix first response. This is simply not true. Again, from experience, parents of children diagnosed with ADHD and other related disorders are not looking for a quck fix to make life easy for them...

Well its been a little while since I posted anything here. The last few months have been very busy. One of the great things we have achieved with our ADHD Support Group over the last few months is getting our "Being Me" kids program for primary aged kids up and running. We have found this a really useful way to help kids living with ADHD to understand more about themselves and to be able to use the toolsfrom the program to help them make good choices, understand their emotions and devlop their creative side. Oneof the great things about the program is that the kids can feellike they belong. Recently, one of our children said that it was the first time they felt normal. Another mum told us that it was the only children's program her child had not been kicked out of. We value the children in our programs and the leaders are great people, all with a solid understanding of ADHD. It's been great to see the children grow and develop. We are now at a point where we are rev...

I've just read a very interesting article on the association of ADHD and trauma called Towards an understanding of the ADHD-Trauma connection. (Littman 2009). I became more interested in this connection through involvement in our ADHD support group and also working with families affected by domestic violence. It became clear to me that there were similarities and I began to think about some of our families in our support group where trauma was also  present and to ask myself "Is it ADHD, or is it trauma/domesticviolence related?" There are similarities between the behaviours of children with ADHD and trauma. According to Littman, in response to repeated trauma, the child's brain will try to protect itself, leading to hypervigilance. This hypervigilance can mimic hyperactivity and inattentiveness because the child becomes more focussed on distractions. Littman says that since both ADHD and trauma result in similar cognitive and behavioural manifestations, this can le...

We are coming to one of the most exciting times of year. The end of the school year is almost upon us and Christmas is only a few weeks away. This is a great time of year for celebration, for family traditions and for holidays. This is also a time where children living with ADHD can be free from the constraints of school and enjoy much more free time. It does mean that there is often less routine and this can make this time a year a little tricky. Some thoughts on having a great Christmas holiday season. Try to keep as much routine as possible. I know that it's often a time when as parents we want to relax and let routine slip, however this can be quite off putting for some children. Keeping betime and morning routines can help maintain a better equilibrium for all involved. Of course, feel free to relax the routine if possible. Plan your daily activities well. If your child is in Vacation Care, they will have great activities planned for your children. If your children are a...

One of the biggest complaints I hear from parents is that the teachers of their children with ADHD do not understand their child. This is probably true. Whilst teachers are taught about ADHD and associated disorders, it is usually from an education point of view and developing appropriate learning outcomes for these children. There is often little training or understanding of why the behaviours manifest the way they do or how to minimise these behaviours. This is unfortunate, as our teachers by and large are doing an amazing job and have to be mindful of the other children in the class as well. Children who also have Autism Spectrum Disorders can find school almost impossible. There simply is not enough support for all the children who need it. Having said that, I believe it's important to focus on what we do have and the things we can do to improve the situation faced by these children. I would personally love to see all teachers taught more about ADHD and how to help these child...

Over the last few blogs we've looked at everything from information on the internet to how to communicate with children, what it's like for other children and of course the difficult challenges around medication and school. Today's blog is just a quick one, but there is always conflicting views around ADHD and is it a "real" disorder. For those of us who have lived with ADHD we know it is a genuine disorder. Of course there are things like diet and  intolerances that can contribute or even look like ADHD; trauma and abuse and living with violence in the home can also cause behaviour that look like ADHD. These things should not be ignored, (and maintaining a healthy diet is really important) but ultimately ADHD is a neurological disorder with scientific evidence that no diet, however strict will "fix". For parents like me who get sick of hearing everyone else's well meaning but ill informed advice, you might find the following websites helpful. One ...

To medicate or not to medicate? This is one of the most asked about topics in my experience of helping parents who have children with ADHD. There is so much information out there about medications, there are different types of medication and there is still unfortunately a great deal of prejudice. Of course, medication is not the miracle answer to ADHD it is simply one of the tools in a vast toolbox of options that can be very helpful. When children with ADHD struggle to concentrate, when they are highly distractable, medication can be really helpful to help them concentrate. Remember that true ADHD is a neurological disorder. There are many things that can have similar symptoms to ADHD, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, living with domestic violence,  Sleep Apnoea and food intolerances. If symptons similar to  ADHD are present then it is really important to look at what is really going on. Is this really ADHD or are there other things going on? Are some of theses other ...