This past weekend, I attended the ADDA-SR 30th Annual Conference- Succeed at Life with ADHD. I have always had a great interest in ADHD both as a parent of a child with ADHD and as a teacher. Throughout my teaching career, the majority of my students were diagnosed with a learning disability or other health impairment for ADHD.
The conference was incredible and I gained so much more information on ADHD and how to help students succeed. One of the sessions I attended was about the under-diagnosis of ADHD in girls. The session was presented by two women who have ADHD and their daughters who also have the diagnosis. They discussed how ADHD tends to look differently in girls than boys and is usually missed early in life. Girls who have the more commonly known symptoms such as hyperactivity and lack of focus leading to academic struggles are usually identified earlier. Girls who have more hidden symptoms or are able to compensate and get by, tend to get overlooked until later usually middle school or high school and some not until college or even after. In some cases, they are first diagnosed with anxiety or depression before ADHD. ADHD often coexists with other conditions so diagnosis can be tricky. Since early intervention is crucial, it is important that parents be informed. I always tell parents that they should trust their gut. Discussing concerns with your pediatrician and school staff would be a good start. The more information that a parent has, the better decisions they can make for their children.
There are many different ways to help children cope with ADHD and it is important for parents to choose what is best for their child. Personally, we have not had to go the medication route yet. We know what triggers our child (sugar, especially candy late in the day is a major trigger for our daughter) and have been able to implement strategies to help her succeed in school. Her school uses a daily agenda and LivingTree (online site) which is very helpful in keeping her organized. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have mornings when we are on the way to school and she has forgotten her homework/binder/project/etc. Sometimes we turn around and sometimes we’re running late so she has to deal with the consequences of forgetting.
Mark Kratz was the keynote speaker at the conference and was phenomenal. He talked about resiliency in children and adults with ADHD and also about perceptions. One perception he discussed was academic ability vs. intelligence, there are different ways to be smart, some of which can’t be measured by how well someone does in school. Many times, academic ability is the only thing being measured in school to determine success- good grades, passing test scores, promotion to the next grade. Students who struggle academically, may excel in other areas that are not measured in school, so they don’t believe they are smart. It is important that teachers and school administrators understand this as well. Teachers can be the greatest resource for struggling students, if they are able to adequately support all students in their class.
Recommended books:
Children Who Fail at School but Succeed in Life by Mark Katz
Teenagers with ADD, ADHD & Executive Function Deficits: A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Chris A. Zeigler Dendy