Q: After various trips to neurologists, psychologists and our family doctor, we are finally starting to accept the discouraging reality that our son has an attention deficit disorder. This has been hard for us. We love our son dearly and we want what is best for him, but this is like he is starting out in life with two strikes against him. Can we do anything to help our son?
A: To properly help your son, you need to learn a little more about ADD.
Your son can have as many opportunities now as he did before he was diagnosed. The only real difference is that he might need a little more assistance than his classmates.
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Often, people assume that children with ADD cannot pay attention.
This might be true for some children with ADD, but it is also true for children who are highly anxious, those who are grieving the death or divorce of family members or those who are struggling with unresolved trauma.
The trademark for ADD is a struggle with what might be called neurological executive functions. Many children with ADD have problems setting priorities for themselves.
The bird playing on a power line outside the classroom window is more important to them than school work.
Without some kind of a priority system to guide them, children can often forget commitments they have made to other people.
They may not get their homework finished or they may distract their friends in the middle of ball games and birthday parties.
You can help your son by having a fairly rigid but simple structure for activities. Meal and bed times should be regular, as should study, play and TV times. Making sure the school he attends enrolls him in a program that helps him organize his assignments.
Post-secondary education institutes have programs to accommodate young people with ADD.
Your doctor will likely want to work with you and your son to find the appropriate medication to help him organize his thoughts.
With the right medical intervention and support from home and school, your son, can still make significant contributions to society.
