Blog

Understanding ADHD

October 10, 2019

By Kasey Cain, Resident in Counseling 

As children grow and develop, their ability to pay attention and focus changes. When someone comes to me and says “My Kindergarten kiddo moves a lot,” my reply is, “Good. She should move a lot.” However, I do believe it is important to monitor behaviors. If the same child’s activity level impacts her learning, friendships, self-esteem, etc. it might be time to look closer.

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

ADHD can be challenging to identify and also challenging to understand. It is a real, biological condition caused by differences in brain wiring. For a child with ADHD it is key to remember that movement is often a must and while it seems he/she is not paying attention, in reality, the movement is most likely helping the child focus. There is a lot of information on ADHD to support educators and parents. My “go to” resource is www.understood.org.

Understood.org is a collaborative of 15 nonprofit organizations, each diverse in their specialties, but united by a common desire to help parents help children succeed. Their website is a treasure trove of information on ADHD (along with other learning challenges). You can find an ADHD Fact Sheet, an example of A Day In The Life of A Kid with ADHD, Symptoms at Different ages, and so much more. My personal favorite is the “Through Your Child’s Eye” under the Parent Toolkit tab. This feature allows you to experience firsthand how frustrating ADHD can be through use of simulations and videos. I encourage you to explore their resources.


Until next week, Be Wise!