Helping a Child with AD/HD: You Are Your Child’s Best Advocate
Simple Behavioral Interventions
Children with AD/HD may need help in organizing.
Therefore:
- Schedule. Have the same routine every day. The schedule should include homework time and playtime (including outdoor recreation and indoor activities such as computer games). Have the schedule on the refrigerator or a bulletin board in the kitchen. If a schedule change must be made, make it as far in advance as possible.
- Organize everyday items. Have a place for everything and keep everything in its place. This includes clothing, backpacks and school supplies.
- Use homework and notebook organizers. Stress the importance of writing down assignments and bringing home needed books.
- Look for good behavior and praise it.
August 2004 — “People have a hard time understanding Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) since it is not a physical handicap,” says Susan, whose 14-year-old son has AD/HD. “If my child were in a wheelchair, I think people would be more accommodating. Because they can’t 'see' AD/HD, I make an extra effort to educate people.”
Her son had always been very active, but the emphasis on physical activity at his elementary school in the Bahamas provided him with a good balance between academics and recreation. When they moved to South Florida and her son entered the 4th grade, Susan started to receive notes about his behavior from his new teacher. “I know he was distracted sometimes in his other school, but it wasn’t an issue. Here he was expected to sit still for 2 to 3 hours at a time to prepare for the FCAT test, and he just couldn’t do it,” says Susan.
From Denial to Action
Even with 20 years of experience working with special needs students, Susan initially reacted with denial when her son was diagnosed with AD/HD by Arnold Feiner, PhD, psychologist on the staff at Memorial Regional Hospital, Memorial Hospital West and Memorial Hospital Pembroke. Dr. Feiner works with children and their parents and teachers to treat AD/HD, and while he does not prescribe medication, he is well-versed in the choices and makes recommendations to the pediatrician. “Some family members realized there was an issue before he was diagnosed, but they thought it was because we weren’t working hard enough or doing the right things as parents. We didn’t have a lot of people over to our house, and I spent a lot of time at the park with our son so he could work off some of his energy,” says Susan.
“The most important thing for me was to get a good support team,” Susan says. “Dr. Feiner is the clinical consultant for Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) and suggested that I go to a meeting. I’ve been a member and part of my chapter’s professional support network for 5 years.” In addition to a supportive husband and her religious faith, meeting with other parents of AD/HD children has made a significant difference for Susan. CHADD works to improve the lives of people affected by AD/HD through collaborative leadership, advocacy, research, education and support.
Advocacy in Action
“There were many difficult adjustments we had to make,” says Susan. “We had moved into a totally different environment, our second son was born shortly after that and our oldest son was diagnosed with AD/HD. We got as much information as we could; we joined CHADD, we read books, we went to a ‘boot camp’ to learn about special education legal issues, we worked with Dr. Feiner on the psychological aspects, we consulted with the pediatrician regarding medication, we learned about how the school system can and should help our son, and we got support from other parents.”
“You really need to get a full assessment and evaluation, as well as get medical, psychological and academic help,” Susan adds. “Remember that you are your child's best advocate, so learn as much as you can about AD/HD and how it affects your child at home, in school and in social situations. Finally, you need a lot of patience. And when you run out of patience, you just have to find more.”
South Broward/North Dade CHADD meets at 7:30pm the second Wednesday of each month at Memorial Hospital Pembroke, Room 366. For more information, please call (954) 704-1193.
If you think your child might have AD/HD, contact your physician. For referral to a physician, call the Memorial Physician Referral Service at (800) 944-DOCS.