ADHD - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

My son struggled in school. He was in the French immersion program, meaning his education was mostly French. Some children have difficulty learning a new language, especially if they are struggling with their mother tongue.

I would mention this to the teachers each year, but they kept telling me he would be ok. Finally, in Grade 5, he had a teacher who knew about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD or ADD), and she was pretty sure that he had this disorder. With a lot of persistence, they finally agreed to have him tested. He was borderline ADHD. He did not have the hyperactivity, which is referred to as ADD, and that is why it was probably not detected.

At that point, we had to figure out a way to work with him so that he could learn without being so frustrated. I remember bringing him into a room where I could close the door so that he could concentrate on his homework. We had a grandfather clock in that room, and I would have to stop the pendulum so he wouldn’t hear the ticking. I used to try to put myself in his shoes, and I remember having a similar problem. I probably also had a bit of ADD and just never knew that was what it was. At least when you know, then you can work around it.

What exactly does ADHD mean? ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is a medical condition. A person with ADHD has differences in brain development and brain activity that affect attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control. ADHD can affect a child at school, at home, and friendships.

Of course, the first course of action that the doctors and educators wanted to take was to put him on medication. This medication was called Ritalin, and it also came with many side effects. We first tried to have him work in a quieter area, but he couldn’t do that in a classroom of 30 students. I sometimes wonder if I should have just home-schooled him, but I didn’t have the education or knowledge to do so. We decided to try Ritalin during the day so that he could focus better at school. It did help, but he did not like the feeling he was getting from it. I kept him on it for about a month and decided to try a different approach.

I educated myself on vitamins and which ones could help with ADD. I found a small health food store with this mixture, and it took about a month, and I could see a difference. I think most people go with the medications because they are paid for by the government, and vitamins are not. I would have spent every penny we had if it would help him and he didn’t have side effects. It was worth every penny!

He continued on the vitamins, and I tried to educate him on ADHD. He also saw someone for his anger issues, and with time and age, he understood what he needed to do to deal with this disorder.

The lesson here is that we can only give our children the tools and teach them how to use them; the rest is up to them.