I had another blog post ready to go today, but things changed.
My 12 year old son handed me his “Letter to the Editor” assignment. The assignment asked him to write a letter to the editor of a publication expressing an opinion on something he was passionate about. I honestly expected him to write about “Why Kids Should Be Able To Play Video Games Every Day,” but he wrote this instead. We have talked about ADHD a lot together, so I know he worries that people think he’s a bad person. Even worse, I know there are times that he worries that I think he’s a bad person. I cried when I read this, because even though he plagiarized the heck out of the brain function sections, the voice is his, and it’s clearly a voice that needed to be heard. I asked him if he was okay with me sharing his letter on “A Mom’s View of ADHD.” He said, “SURE! I want to share it with the world! I want people to know how I feel!” So, here you go.
Why do some people think kids with ADHD are bad? ADHD kids aren’t bad, they just act impulsively. This means they act without thinking. A kid with ADHD has a brain that works differently than other kids’ brains. Some famous people had ADHD. This means that if they have ADHD, then people with ADHD can’t all be bad. ADHD kids sometimes get overactive, which makes it hard for them to be in school.
Kids with ADHD act differently than kids without ADHD. It’s because the brain works differently in a person who has ADHD than one who doesn’t have ADHD. Kids with ADHD have slower brainwave activity than other kids, which makes it hard for them to focus in school. The parts of the brain that are affected by ADHD are the frontal lobes, inhibitory mechanisms of the cortex, limbic system, and the reticular activating system. All of these are vital to the brain, especially the frontal lobes, which control the decision making part of the brain. This means that ADHD can make the brain work differently than other kids’ brains.
A lot of successful people have ADHD. One of them is Albert Einstein, who invented the theory of relativity. Another person is Benjamin Franklin, who invented bifocals. One other person is famous composer Beethoven. Both George Bush, Sr. and George Bush, Jr. had ADHD and they were both President of the United States. Famous photographer Ansel Adams also had ADHD. This shows that if people with ADHD can be successful, then people with ADHD can’t be all bad.
In school, ADHD kids get easily distracted and squirm in their seats. ADHD kids are constantly in motion and cannot complete a quiet task without making noises. Some of the kids talk nonstop and are very impatient. They can be very impulsive and sometimes act without thinking. It is hard for them to control themselves because their limbic system doesn’t function like other peoples’ brains. They need their teacher to understand that they have ADHD so the teacher won’t think that they’re rude and disrespectful. Teachers also need to learn about ADHD so they would know that the kids aren’t choosing to act this way. They need to learn to speak to them without hurting their feelings, and let them learn in their own way. Homeschooling can be good for a kid with ADHD is because he is with people who understand him and know how to talk to him. Kids in homeschool aren’t as easily distracted, because they can take breaks which helps calm their brain down to get more work done.
ADHD kids sometimes don’t think when they are in a place with a lot of kids. Big groups can make it harder for them to control themselves because their brain starts getting real excited and the limbic system starts to not function the same way as other kids.
I know these things because I have ADHD, too. ADHD can make you seem like you are rude and disrespectful to other people, and that can make parents think that their kids shouldn’t be around you. I want kids to think that I am just a person with a different kind of brain, and not that I am a bad person. In fact, I think I am a good person because I care about others, I’m funny and I’m smart. ADHD sometimes makes it hard for me to make friends, but I just want people to understand me. I hope this letter will help someone with ADHD understand that they’re not the only person in the world with ADHD, and that they are not a bad person.
I am so proud of you, Dylan. Keep believing in yourself.