http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/u45/adhd.jpg
For many the words ADHD are enough to raise an eye brow. It is as if the mere having ADHD is a moral decicsion or somehow about will power. People have said things like," oh I don't believe in ADHD" or my personal favourite , " teachers just put kids on Ritalin to control them". as if teachers had some way of getting kids diagnosed and prescribing Ritalin.
I have found the opposite. I find teachers at our school very cautious in ascribing attention issues to ADHD and if I might say so, not really very well up to date with the why and whats of ADHD.
I have written about having ADHD in our family before. We are not a stranger to it. This week another son was diagnosed with attention issues and not reaching his potential. We knew this from the start.... and yet, when the diagnoses comes from another - a professional person, well there is a heaviness, a weightiness that comes with it.
And so I begin to read again about helping children to focus and pay attention. About food and sleep and studying well. About memory recall and boredom busters. With a sad heart I face up to the fact that ADHD has its limitations. Don't get me wrong, I love tmany, many things about the way the person with ADHD thinks and operates. The way they see the world is fresh and fun and often from acompletely different angle. it is the very real struggles that tthese children have that makes my sad - daunted.
And yet.... I know two things.
1. God has created these boys of ours with his love and care a
purpose. He has purposed their lives and thought about each one. They are fearfully and wonderfully made.
2. God is at work. He is at work in his world and in our lives to fashion us and form us into the likeness of his wondeful son, Jesus. God is at work in our boys and in us as we parent and guide and help them.
And so we press on the the goal. With the joys and struggles of parenting in general and parenting kids with special needs, we continue to pray and trust Jesus for wisdom and guidance and strength.
ADHD - link
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/5821.html
purpose. He has purposed their lives and thought about each one. They are fearfully and wonderfully made.
2. God is at work. He is at work in his world and in our lives to fashion us and form us into the likeness of his wondeful son, Jesus. God is at work in our boys and in us as we parent and guide and help them.
And so we press on the the goal. With the joys and struggles of parenting in general and parenting kids with special needs, we continue to pray and trust Jesus for wisdom and guidance and strength.
ADHD - link
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/5821.html
Dearest Caren
ReplyDeleteMy heart just went out to you as I read this - how hard it is to have your fears (and hopes?) confirmed? I totally concur with your comment, "not really very well up to date with the why and whats of ADHD". It is distressing in this day and age and you have much to counter. I can imagine that you have to go out as the brave mommy bear in the face of your Grade 1 context! Just last night my husband sat defeated, feeling he was breaking our son's spirit, yet feeling so overwhelmingly frustrated at how long the most simple of tasks takes to complete....I think this is a daily journey, which requires much wisdom and grace. X