How many of you out there have a child that has either ADD or ADHD? For those of you that do, you know how quickly Wonderland can be turned upside down, shaken, and then stirred. For the ones who don't; it can be hard for them to really understand what you and your child (children) go through on a daily basis. I know for me, it's not been easy at all.
Back in the day when I first started hearing about ADD/ADHD, I was in high school taking Early Childhood Education classes for college credits. I really just shrugged and had all these new age ideas that went against my Annie Sullivan approach to child learning. I wanted to seek out a career in teaching and be a cross between Annie Sullivan meets Avonlea's Anne Shirley. I figured that ADD/ADHD was just something parents labeled their child with if their kid happened to be overly hyper and full of endless energy. I had been around countless children. I was the oldest of three siblings, often took care of children in the church nursery, and had baby sat for virtually everyone. I had been exposed to good children, bad ones, ill tempered, pranksters, and ones that were so introverted they hid behind my legs most of the time. Nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING prepared me for my son Justin.
Justin wasn't my first child and there were almost ten years between him and Olivia. I thought surly at 30, I had this whole mother thing down pat. I knew what the difference was between just a random runny nose and a full blown cold. I knew what to look for when it came to ear infections and when it was time to make an appointment with the ENT doctor. I had learned the various ways of camouflaging vegetables for the pickiest of kids (namely mine) on the entire planet. I had all the stories down pat, finger songs, latest data in potty training, and manners. All the bumps in the road and discovery with the first child had paved the way for my second. That was the thought at least; the false sense of hope. When Justin was two, the meltdowns and torrential tantrums began. When he started school after two years of Special Needs preschool, Justin had issues sitting still, he had terrible sleeping problems which he still has, and the tantrums were bad. Finally towards the start of his second semester, I got out of denial and gave in enough to have him tested for Autism, ADD/ADHD, or some other behavioral learning disability. I didn't want to admit that ADHD/ADD was real. I didn't want to believe that I couldn't help my child overcome his problems. I had to accept that I was in denial and it was causing my son to suffer. We all were suffering.
When my son was placed in home bound in his 2nd grade year of school, he asked me once, "Why do I have ADHD?" My heart broke. I told him it wasn't a bad thing. It just meant that his brain just worked differently. I began researching everything I could about ADHD. Sadly our local library had few books for young readers about ADD/ADHD. One morning while my son was in tutoring, I wrote Me and My ADHD. It was published with three other stories designed to empower kids and build their confidence.
Give a gift from the heart by giving your little one a book that will empower them to overcome and believe in themselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment