What do I tell my child?
A lot of parents wonder if they should even tell their child about their diagnosis, especially if they are quite young. While each family will have to make their own decision based on what they think is best for their child, my short answer is: yes.
A lot of parents ask if they should even tell their child about their diagnosis. My short answer is: yes.
Once you’ve had an opportunity to process the information yourself, and are confident in your knowledge about their diagnosis, tell your child. Chances are they already feel different and don’t understand why. This could help put things into perspective for them.
Many children blame themselves for being different, especially if they have been getting into trouble at school, at home, or in social situations. It’s important for neurodiverse children to understand they are not less than anyone else.
It is not their fault they’ve been struggling, they were simply born with a brain that works differently from many others — In fact, sometimes this will be a strength, as a unique brain can bring gifts as well as difficulties.
The good news is now that we know more about our differences, we can develop strategies which allow our strengths to shine through.
Remember to explain to your child that our differences come with both challenges and gifts; there will be both pros and cons to having a differently wired brain.
It is not their fault they’ve been struggling, they were born with a brain that works differently from others.
If you’re not sure how to explain the diagnosis to your child, seek the assistance of a professional. The clinician who performed your child’s assessment may be able to help you with finding developmentally-appropriate ways to discuss their findings with your child and can also provide further resources.
Here I’ll outline some of the most common symptoms or traits, and how they might manifest in children. Keeping in mind that every person with ADHD will experience their symptoms differently, and there are different presentations of ADHD.
Kids with ADHD may struggle with a number of the following:
Hyperactivity (I like to refer to it as passion and energy)
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