ADD Student

Tuesday’s Ten Minute Tips are on hold temporarily due to audio difficulties.

You know, for as many years as I’ve been studying Attention Deficit Disorder (over 20), it seems that there are still new things to learn. I recently had one of those “aha” moments, and I thought I would pass it on to you.

One of the things that I’m always telling you is to educate yourself about ADD. If you are the person with ADD, it’s important to understand yourself better. And if you are the parent of an ADD child, it’s vital that you understand them – how they think and learn, and how they experience the world.

It never occurred to me until just recently that what I was saying wasn’t enough – that I had left out some very important people.

None of us live solitary lives. We have family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and other people in our little world. Many of the people in our lives may be touched or affected by our ADD. It happens because it’s a part of who we are, something that we can no more change than our fingerprints.

These people, most especially immediate family members, need to be included in the process of learning about Attention Deficit Disorder and how it affects us personally.

If you have a child with ADD who needs extra time or help with homework, it’s important that your other children really understand why. “Your brother has ADD” isn’t nearly enough of an explanation. Just as I tell you, as a parent, to really try to see how your child experiences the world, you need to convey that same message to your other children, your spouse, and anyone else closely involved in your child’s life.

If you’re an adult with ADD, then you are in an even better position to educate those around you as to how your brain works.

Remember as you (like me) continue to learn more about Attention Deficit Disorder and how it affects your life, to share that knowledge with those closest to you. The more we share and understand, the better off all of us will be.