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Talking to Your ADHD Child About ADHDTalking to Your ADHD Child About ADHDby Angie DixonWhen my son was first diagnosed with ADHD and started medication, I was so caught up in the ADHD diagnosis and the treatment that I forgot to talk to him about what was going on. I started giving him medicine, and my precious, 7-year-old ADHD son said, "Is something really bad wrong with me?" We sat down right there on the edge of the tub and had The Talk. The "You Have ADHD And Its An Illness and Not Something You Can Help" talk. Here are some things to focus on during the talk. 1. Do a Lot of Kids Have ADHD? On average, about 5% of kids, or 5 out of 100, have ADHD. That means, for instance, out of my sons fifth grade year at school, probably 5 kids have ADHD. Boys usually have ADHD more than girls--boys are two to three times more likely to have ADHD than girls, but doctors have no real idea why. 2. Did I Get ADHD From One of My Parents? Its possible. ADHD does tend to run in families, and if Mom or Dad has it, at least one kid is likely to have it. But the fact is, no one knows what causes ADHD and no one knows how to cure it. 3. Does ADHD Have Symptoms, Like a Cold? Yes. Symptoms of ADHD include having trouble paying attention, getting distracted easily, not being able to sit still, and doing things like interrupting people when theyre talking. ADHD kids lose things and forget things. 4. If I Have ADHD, What Will We Do About It? The first step is a visit to the doctor to find out if you really have ADHD and make sure nothing else is wrong. From there, well talk with the doctor about treatment plans and medication and therapy. These are some basic questions you can start with for "The Talk." Of course, youll need to adapt the questions and answers to your particular situation, but hopefully this will help you get started. |