I am a mom of four children, all with ADHD. My youngest who is now 25 years old, prompted me to realize the need for more education and advocacy on his part. It seemed no one understood this invisible medical diagnosis. When you have a child with combined ADHD, the behaviors become the this child who appears to want to disrupt. I can’t count the number of IEP meetings I attended on his behalf, always struggling to get those who were important to him in education to understand ADHD.
By the time he was in 6th grade, I pushed for out of district placement. He was accepted into a private school and even there struggled for a while. Eventually he graduated and went to college, supported by coaching throughout four years. Through maturity and success in a couple of jobs, he is now a private pilot, heading toward his passion of being a commercial pilot. Each child with ADHD is an individual. Remember the need for addressing areas of struggle but don’t forget those areas of strength!
Karen Lowry