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ADHD is a very complex difference.
I hate to use the word disorder as it implies sickness & being ADD
does not make us sick (unless you count our sense of humour!). Many ADDers
can be quite disabled by their traits, especially those in low income
families who cannot afford to get the correct treatment. The
'disability' is more through not being given access to the right forms
of multi-modal forms of therapy, which is a necessary part of the
whole treatment plan ..... not just the Pop the Pill Treatment Option.
It is also very
common for ADDers to have allergies such as sinusitis, asthma, eczema,
dermatitis & psoriasis. Many are also susceptible to migraines, back
problems and stomach/bowel problems (with some of these particular
ailments miraculously disappearing on treatment!). Women seem to be
prone to gynaecological problems such as Endometriosis & Poly Cystic
Ovaries (especially if severely overweight).
So, if you have a
child in your class or life that has attention difficulties (see the
traits
page on this site) plus allergy issues (particularly asthma, sinusitis & eczema)
it would be advisable to look further into whether an assessment by a
qualified professional is warranted. The child could however have a
food allergy. Just because a child has attention problems does
not necessarily mean they are ADD/ADHD. If it is purely another
problem/disorder that is treatable then this should be explored first.
However, if you have a diagnosis and the problems persist, further
exploration and a full assessment by a specialist psychologist should
be considered. On the
support groups page (soon to be
updated) look up your local support network or group and ask for the
name of a doctor they can recommend.
If you have
a child in your family or class that is struggling, then maybe you
will gain some knowledge from one of these sites to help them.
Also, in the
articles section
of this site there are a couple of explanations for ADHD kids, in
particular teens, explaining to them about ADHD that they can either
read or that you can explain to them. Being misunderstood because your
brain does not respond in the same way as others is very confusing for
anyone. Just having someone explain to you in words that you can
understand helps greatly, alleviates some of the pressure and also
sets it up for the child to ask you for help. ADHD kids are less
liable to ask for help.
These links have been
provided to me by ADHD professionals the world over and are some of
their favourites. I would like to
thank my cyber buddies in helping me put this together!
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