Children diagnosed with ADHD face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. First, an ADHD diagnosis evokes unflattering stigmas. Labels are disgusting, but they are a regular part of life for a child with ADHD. Second, special accommodations in the classroom cause deep resentment between 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 nascent trend in the mental health industry. For years, children struggled without the support of advocates as they tried to cope in classroom and social settings. ADHD clinicians began to heed the advocacy call, 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 need to get involved and commit to defending their child. Here are some important areas that call for parental ADHD advocacy:
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 such as 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 do not understand the basic symptoms of the condition.
ADHD Clinical Assessment and Testing
An ADHD diagnosis is a two-step process. Parents should make it a three-step process by carefully vetting 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 clinical candidate. Questions should include:
- How is a diagnosis made?
- Do you have references?
- What is your position on ADHD medication?
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. Parents’ ADHD defense during this step is to watch how the doctor performs the tests. Also, parents should weed out any doctor who aggressively insists on ADHD medication during the first step.
ADHD Medications
The purest form of parental ADHD advocacy is to understand one fact: ADHD medication does not cure ADHD. Medications are prescribed to alleviate the symptoms. They are not a panacea and there are other options that help children manage ADHD. The same concern for the use of illicit drugs should apply to the prescription of a stimulant narcotic for an underdeveloped human being.
If parents decide that ADHD medication is the best course of action, they should be vigilant when it comes to managing 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 get into the hands of other kids looking for a stimulant “high.”
Above all, parental advocacy for ADHD means promoting alternative treatments for symptoms. This can 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 medications. Exercise is a long-term solution to rampant hyperactivity. ADHD medications are a quick fix that introduce powerful chemicals into a child’s system.
The parent’s 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 an early age, when unhealthy habits are easier to change.
The ADHD establishment continually dispels the theory that too much television causes ADHD. While television viewing does not directly cause ADHD, lying flat 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, ADHD science seems to dispel the sugar myth attribution. 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 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 participation in sports 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 for avoiding the mind-numbing games played in front of television and computer screens. True ADHD advocacy by parents means explaining in detail to the child’s coach exactly what 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 the 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 call the parents’ attention to the behavior. Parental ADHD advocacy for a child’s educational achievement is irrefutably mandatory.
Pay attention to how the school system is making 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 parental advocacy for ADHD. Part of Mark Norris’s 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 son, 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, where necessary, accommodations are made in the classroom.
Parents can also provide a nurturing environment at home, where individualized tutoring complements instruction given at school. The last strategy in parental ADHD advocacy is to instruct your child in a home school environment.
Political system
Political advocacy means getting involved with ADHD organizations that lobby legislators to write ADHD-friendly laws. At the very least, participation in 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 all 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 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 subject 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 significantly. 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 troubled waters of ADHD.
Advocacy means participation. Involvement doesn’t happen unless you have a deep commitment to your child’s progress with ADHD.