ADHD AWESOME

Children have been or are returning to school to some sort of 'new normality.' There have been a multitude of changes occur over the past eighteen months and, I'm sure, there will probably be more to come.

One change which I have been happy to see 'disappear' from many classrooms is the need to keep a 'tally' of the children who are doing what is expected of them and those which aren't.

The public shaming of the 'naughty side of the board' is something my son was subjected to when he was in primary school. He was undiagnosed but highly suspected of having ADHD. At that time we didn't realise he was also autistic. His behaviours, at home and with his family, were part of him and were our 'normal.'

I would pick him up from school and his peers would run towards me to tell me the number of times the teacher had written my son's name on the board. They would list each of his crimes; standing up, walking when he wasn't supposed to, looking out of the window etc.

I was horrified that this public display of shaming my son was acceptable. He was being vilified by an educated adult, beaten into submission until every last shred of his self-esteem and confidence was no longer visible.  

This was the straw that broke the camel's, proverbial, back. I moved him to a school that accepted him, quirks and all, and he flourished. He had a newly-qualified teacher who had been bought up with foster children who were Neurodiverse. She understood him and helped him grow and be accepted for who he was.

Thankfully, this was over ten years ago and understanding, education and inclusive practise has emerged from the shadows.  

So, as our young people start back to school I hope they are accepted, celebrated and honoured for the wonderful, diverse resilient individuals they were born to be.  

#adhdawareness #autismawareness #neurodiversity #acceptance#adhdawesome #adhdsheppey

Today, some parents told me, at the end of a coaching session, that I have helped them learn to ACCEPT the ADHD diagnosis and work WITH it to help their child rather than against it.

That wasn't a goal at the beginning of our time together but it's one I'll take for the win! Today, we worked on the amazing strengths of a young lad with ADHD. One of which is his incredible knowledge of dinosaurs! I incorporated his strength into our session, today, and he was attentive and interested for 40 minutes.

I love being able to change the narrative and instead of a pre-organised session on Mindfulness, I had prepared a dinosaur meditation, specifically for him. He listened intently and for five minutes was able to give me his full attention.

Mindfulness and Meditation have been proven to increase grey matter by up to 6% and they are an important addition to any ADHD toolbox. Just find a way that works for you - mix it up!

I remember asking my children, when picking them up from school, "How was your day?"  This was met with an eye roll and a sigh, 'Nothing!"  Then, I would begin a whole lecture on, 'how much they should have learnt,' 'who did they talk to?' 'what did they eat for lunch,' etc.

It took me a while to realise that if I wanted to get a different response I needed to ask in a different way.  

I think one of the best questions I asked was, 'What did you learn, today, that you could teach me?"  Even if I knew the topic or subject, I feigned ignorance (this wasn't difficult when it came to Algebra!). 

My little ones would leap, with fervour, into 'teacher mode'.  I would listen, intently, and watched as they came alive with excitement.  They were teaching Mum?!  (I learnt that this - ?! - is an Interrobang!)

After that, I made a concerted effort to ask a different way.  It encouraged conversation skills with their ability to explain, explore and examine their responses.  

The icing on the cake was when my son arrived home one day and said, 'Mum, tell me two good things that happened today!"  

"Well," I said.  Let's sit down and have a cuppa so I can tell you all about it...

Supporting your child at home can be a huge challenge, particularly if you are working from home as well as looking after other children. Today, I put Crisis Mountain to the test.

My son was doing some school work and couldn't answer some of the questions. (He was at the bottom of the mountain.)

I suggested he go online to his tutor, who was available in a chatroom, to discuss the problem. He didn't want to do any online chats - he was adamant.

He began to get fractious and I could feel myself losing patience. (We were both starting to climb the mountain.)

I took some deep breaths and explained that I was unable to answer the questions and that if he didn't want to speak to the tutor then he would have to send the work in unfinished or try to solve the problem. I suggested he took a time out and then I walked away.

Ten minutes later he went back to his work and managed to complete it all. He was proud that he had solved the problem on his own and said that if he didn't get the answers right he would get feedback from his tutor, but at least he had tried.

Climbing Crisis Mountain can be swift and explosive but, if you can intervene in a calm and measured way then the response you get from your child should be the same. If we start to climb the mountain with them, match their tone, pitch and frustration, then the only way down is on the other side - for everyone.

As a parent/carer managing our emotions is, quite possibly, the most important lesson to learn. It can be done and you will reap the benefits.