Children diagnosed with ADHD face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. First, a diagnosis of ADHD evokes unflattering stigmas. Labels are obnoxious, but they are a regular part of life for a child with ADHD. Second, special accommodations in the classroom cause deep resentment among peers and the teachers responsible for implementing the accommodations. Most importantly, children diagnosed with ADHD rarely have an advocate looking out for their best interests.
ADHD advocacy is a budding trend in the mental health industry. For years, children struggled without the support of advocates as they tried to cope with classroom and social settings. ADHD clinicians began to heed the call for advocacy, but their role was limited to medical education for parents and educational staff. National ADHD advocacy organizations have been effective in lobbying politicians for ADHD laws, especially in the areas of education and the workplace. National organizations have a macro sphere of influence, not the micro attention to detail that is parental ADHD advocacy.
Parents are the only true advocates for children with ADHD. His sphere of influence ranges from medicines to ensuring educational equity. While researching ADHD is a positive first step in becoming an advocate, knowledge of the condition is not enough to make an impact in the life of a child with ADHD. Parents must be involved and committed to defending their child. Here are some important areas that demand ADHD advocacy from parents:
recognizing the signs
ADHD education begins with recognizing the complicated signs of the condition. By complicated, I mean that some ADHD symptoms mirror other disorders like anxiety and depression.
The best place to research ADHD symptoms is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). The manual provides a general list of 18 symptoms and the criteria needed to make a diagnosis of ADHD. Dr. Daniel Amen further breaks down the 18 symptoms by providing a detailed list of symptoms in checklist form.
Parental advocacy about ADHD is ineffective if parents don’t understand the basic symptoms of the condition.
ADHD clinical evaluation and testing
An ADHD diagnosis is a two-step process. Parents should make it a three-step process by sifting through a list of clinical candidates. I recommend choosing a doctor based on a referral from a family doctor or friends.
Parental ADHD advocacy involves creating a list of questions for each clinician candidate. Questions should include:
- How is a diagnosis made?
- Do you have references?
- What is your position on ADHD medications?
Parents are often involved in the second step of the diagnostic process, which involves the assistance of a loved one. Parents should also be involved in the first step of the process. The first step is a series of psychological tests that determine if a second consultation is warranted. Parental ADHD advocacy during this step involves observing how the doctor performs the tests. Additionally, parents should weed out any doctor who aggressively insists on ADHD medications during the first step.
ADHD medication
The purest form of ADHD advocacy for parents is to understand one fact: ADHD medications do not cure ADHD. Medications are prescribed to mitigate symptoms. They are not a panacea and there are other options that help children manage ADHD. The same concern for illicit drug use should apply to the prescription of a narcotic stimulant for an underdeveloped human being.
If parents decide that ADHD medication is the best course of action, they need to be vigilant when it comes to monitoring their child’s prescription. Side effects occur when a child takes the wrong dose at the wrong time of day. This often happens at school, so parents should clearly communicate their child’s ADHD medication regimen to the school nurse and administrators. They also need to make sure the medication doesn’t fall into the hands of other kids looking for a stimulant “high.”
Above all, parental advocacy for ADHD means promoting alternative treatments for symptoms. This may involve butting heads with the doctor. Head banging is a good thing when your child’s health is involved.
working out
The physical and mental benefits of a regular exercise routine far outweigh ADHD medication. Exercise is a long-term solution to rampant hyperactivity. ADHD medications are a quick fix that introduce powerful chemicals into a child’s system.
Parental ADHD advocacy for exercise is more about changing a child’s sedentary lifestyle. Parents should encourage their children to refrain from playing video games and computer games. Encouragement should start at a young age, when unhealthy habits are easier to change.
The ADHD establishment continually dispels the theory that too much television causes ADHD. Although television does not directly cause ADHD, lying down without significant periods of exercise exacerbates the symptoms of the condition. Parents are the first line of defense in preventing a sedentary lifestyle from becoming firmly entrenched in a child’s lifestyle.
Diet and Nutrition
Sugar was once considered a contributor to ADHD symptoms. Once again, the science of ADHD seems to dispel the attribution of sugar as a myth. However, a healthy diet based on nutritional components is, like exercise, an integral part of maintaining a healthy body and mind.
Parents may not have a stronger advocacy role for their children with ADHD than the decisions they make about child support. Fast food is out. Fruits, vegetables and fish rich in Omega fatty acids are in fashion.
competitive sports
Many parents operate under the false assumption that sports participation reduces impulsivity and hyperactivity. The energy released during a sports competition will calm a child with ADHD. The problem, however, is that distraction is a characteristic that ruins sports performance.
Enrolling a child with ADHD in sports leagues is an excellent strategy to sidestep mind-numbing games played in front of television and computer screens. True ADHD advocacy for parents means explaining in detail to the child’s coach what exactly constitutes the condition known as ADHD. Most coaches are willing to adapt their coaching style to promote the strengths of a child with ADHD.
Advocacy also means not pushing your child into a sport they don’t enjoy. Find the right sport and encourage your child to participate in it until she reaches a higher level of performance or loses interest altogether.
Education
A child’s ADHD diagnosis is often the result of school performance. The teacher and administrators notice the child’s distractibility and hyperactivity and bring the behavior to the parents’ attention. Parental ADHD advocacy for a child’s educational achievement is irrefutably mandatory.
Pay attention to how the school system makes changes to improve your child’s ability to learn. Knowing the ADHD laws is a start, but constant monitoring of your child’s performance and persistent insistence that the school adhere to ADHD laws strengthens a parent’s defense of ADHD. Part of Mark Norris’ job is to develop a strong partnership between parents and academic professionals. With the consent of the parents, he organizes school meetings and follows up with them, his child, and the academic team involved in the child’s success. An objective and detailed portrait of the child’s strengths and challenges is presented and, when necessary, accommodations are made in the classroom.
Parents can also provide a nurturing environment at home, where one-on-one tutoring complements the instruction provided at school. The final strategy in ADHD advocacy for parents is to instruct their child in a home school environment.
Political system
Political advocacy means getting involved with ADHD organizations that pressure legislators to write ADHD-friendly laws. At a minimum, involvement with ADHD organizations will allow you to stay abreast of changes in legal status that affect your child.
parent training
ADHD training is a growing industry. Most of the attention given to this alternative method of managing ADHD is how a coach benefits adults. Parent training is not about mentoring your child. It’s about taking courses and assimilating information from a certified ADHD coach.
Parent training puts you in the role of the student. Learn many strategies to build on your child’s strengths and mitigate the most burdensome symptoms of ADHD. Mark Norris is at the forefront of this invaluable movement. He has developed a comprehensive site dedicated to the topic and a detailed training program that he implements for adults.
It is estimated that four to six percent of the United States population has ADHD. Recent trends indicate that the percentages will increase considerably. Most of the increase is due to the increasing rate of diagnosis among children. As the rate continues to rise, parents need to be aware of the advocacy responsibilities they inherit as their child navigates the rough waters of ADHD.
Advocacy means participation. Participation doesn’t happen unless you have a deep commitment to your child’s progress with ADHD.