I bet he already feels different, but not in a good way. Point out the positives! Compassionate, creative, intense drive, problem solving, hyper focus, sense of humor, resiliency, intuition, thinking of out of the box ideas, etc. If your son is into sports, google athletes with adhd and tell him who he shares this diagnosis with. Try to make it a good thing instead of a bad thing.
I've heard it explained with a race-car analogy. The ADHD brain is like a race car with no brakes, very fast and powerful but very difficult to control. A race car with no brakes is going to crash, often and hard. Controlling ADHD, whether through meds, diet, or supplements, is all about fixing the brakes.
I hope this helps.
I guess my first question is if he's asked any questions about it? Our son was 5 when he was dx and he didn't really ask many questions so we didn't really provide much info. We felt that if he wanted to know, he would ask, otherwise we didn't want him to think he was different or that his behavior w/o meds was excusable because he is "special". The only question he asked was what his meds were for, we just told him that they would help him focus better and help him control his actions better, making it easier for him to make better choices with his actions. At 5, that was enough for him & he was fine with it. Honestly, he's 8 now and still has asked no more questions about it. It is just a part of his daily routine & who he is and he doesn't question it. You know your child better than anyone else, if he asks, explain it in a way that he understands & keep it simple...5 yr olds don't need much to understand. [QUOTE=willa]I've heard it explained with a race-car analogy. The ADHD brain is like a race car with no brakes, very fast and powerful but very difficult to control. A race car with no brakes is going to crash, often and hard. Controlling ADHD, whether through meds, diet, or supplements, is all about fixing the brakes.
I hope this helps.
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I really like this way of explaining it..especially to the younger children. It's simple and to the point with minimal words (which can confuse them!)
thank you!
There are a couple of great children's books about ADHD which provide a conversation starter. I also researched famous people with ADHD on the internet for my son when he was diagnosed. He knew many of the names, so he figured that if they were ok, so was he. I told my son that this is part of his personality and he will have to live with it, but it does not have to control him and he can not use it as an excuse for laziness or bad behaviour. We all make choices in our lives about our own behaviour. I have also tried to teach him how to manage this himself, by the way of meds, relaxation and anger management therapy. He has a great social worker at school who helps him learn how to manage his impulsiveness and frustration, and works with him on social skills. I have always been honest with my son about what ADHD means to him, but that he will learn how to manage the symptoms himself with time.I should add that when my son was 8 he told me that he felt like his brain was a tv that kept changing stations. He wanted to "puke up" the remote control (his words) and set it to one station and leave it there. I thought that it was interesting and insightful that an 8 year old could describe it this way.