In the ongoing process of understanding ADHD and it’s effects on our children, I have encountered much opinion and fact. Discerning the two can be a real dilemma. Because there is so much conflicting information out there, it can be a challenge to decide what is legitimate. Factoring in personal experience with two ADHD boys, valid medical data, psychiatric and therapy consultations, assorted opinions of experts in the field, and personal experiences documented by parents of ADHD kids, I have compiled a list of some of the myths and parental guides I believe to be accurate.
FIVE ADHD MYTHS:
1. Poor Parenting Skills. ADHD is a neurological disorder and has nothing to do with a parent’s abilities. However, loving and solid parenting is crucial to a child’s security and a well established behavioral maintenance program.
2. Excessive Use of Television and Video Games. This is a symptom, not a cause. Legitimate studies have shown ADHD children crave the fast pace and action displayed on tv and in video games.
3. Medication is a cure for ADHD. Prescription meds are a tool for your child to help control symptoms and is in no way a cure; to date there is no cure for ADHD.
4. ADHD is a Diagnosis Frequently Given to “Difficult Children”.Although there are no medical tests available to diagnose this disorder, rigorous guidelines are followed to detect symptoms that point to a valid diagnosis.
5. All ADHD Kids are HyperActive. There is a wide spectrum of behaviors within the ADHD symptoms. Some children will display erratic and hyper behavior, while others will be preoccupied and inattentive.
FIVE ADHD PARENTAL GUIDES:
1. Schedules and Routines are Important. ADHD children thrive on stable daily habits. A daily agenda gives them a secure inner peace.
2. Discipline with Reasoning. Any child deserves to understand why they are being admonished and what they have done to provoke it. It is mandatory with an ADHD child to carefully explain “why”. Confusing thought process is a part of the disorder and the child needs an explanation and understanding for the reason behind the discipline.
3. Building Self Esteem. All children need high self esteem. It is especially important in the ADHD child. Because of the multitude of symptoms including learning disabilities, short attention span, and impulse disorder, they feel inferior in many ways other kids do not. It is a daily job to reinforce the child’s worth by making him aware of his outstanding traits and capabilities.
4. Consistancy. At first glance this would seem repetitive of fact number one, schedules and routines. Looking further into it, consistency applies to every aspect of a child’s life. Most importantly, his home and school life. All rules set in place should remain there and followed through explicitly. To reprimand an ADHD child one time for an infraction and ignore it the next time it occurs, sends confusing and negative signals to an already perplexed mind.
5. A Clear Understanding of What is Expected. Not only is it important for the child to know what our parenting behavior will entail in any given situation (this builds trust), it is mandatory that he is clear on the expectations placed on his behavior. If he is capable of making a B in English, washing the dinner dishes, and choosing his own school clothes for the next day, he should be expected to complete these tasks regularly.