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| Photo credit: newalbanychurch.com |
I recently taught a Sunday school
class of five and six year olds. The lesson was about Stephen and how he had to
be brave when people didn’t believe what he tried to tell them. I asked the
students, “Can you think of a time when you had to be brave?”
The students shared their stories
with me:
·
“I
was brave when I drank my mommy’s coffee, it was hot.”
·
“I
had to go in the basement at home and the washing machine was on, it was loud.”
As these students showed, sometimes
it’s the small things that seem like giants to us. I had to be brave when my
son was diagnosed as having ADHD. October 14-20 has been designated at ADHD
Awareness Week so I thought I would share a little of our story.
Photo courtesy: scribbletonic.com
While ADHD is not life threatening,
there are daily challenges and struggles. If you have been around a person with
ADHD you know it’s like the Energizer Bunny to the 10th power. Key
terms that are used to describe a person with ADHD include- inattention,
hyperactivity and impulsivity. My son has experienced all of this.
The inattention comes in the form of
being easily distracted and not completing tasks. When my son was younger, I
would tell him, “Put your toys away and hang up your clothes.” Ten minutes
later I would find him playing with the toys I’d asked him to put away and the
clothes were still in the same spot.
My son was in second grade when the
issue came up that he might be ADHD. He was getting in trouble at school for
moving around the room at inappropriate times or rushing to do something, but
knocking something else over. Hence, the display of hyperactivity. I was called
into the principals’ office.
The principal wanted to set up a
meeting with me and my son’s teacher to determine a plan of action. When the
meeting day arrived I walked into the office “boardroom” and was greeted by a
room full of people. At least in my eyes it was a room full of people. There
was the principal, the teacher, the speech therapist, the school psychologist
and me.
I was caught off guard because I
didn’t realize it was going to be a team meeting. So I sat kind of numb not
knowing what to expect. I didn’t have on my shield of bravery. I listened,
asked questions and we developed a plan of action. Although we accomplished a
task that may have been beneficial to my son, I felt like I was the one under
scrutiny.
We scheduled a follow up meeting to
evaluate how our plan was working. At the follow up meeting I showed up with my
team. My team included my mom, Rev. Sis. Dr. Adams, my grandfather and my
uncle. My brother would have gone with us, but he had to work and my husband
was out of town.
The purpose of dragging my family
from their homes 45 miles away, was to show that my son had a loving family who
cared about his well being. It didn’t hurt that my mother has a special
education background. And if all else failed, I knew she would pray for
somebody.
What I’ve learned about raising a
child with ADHD is that it requires patience. Situations will not always go as
you want, but you learn to adapt. I now know the symptoms of ADHD and can spot
them in other children. When I see them struggling, I reassure them that they
can get through their challenges.
For more information on ADHD check
out the website www.ADHDAwarenessWeek.com.
When was the last time you had to be
brave?
