My letter to children with ADHD

Dear child,

You were told you have ADHD. I would like to help you understand what that is and what it means for you. I’m sure you’ve heard this word before and probably are wondering what those letters stand for. ADHD stands for “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder”. It affects people in different ways, one person with ADHD might be more active, fidgety, restless, and another might struggle to do their homework, or find it difficult to focus. 

I hope that someone told you that you can do exactly what others can do! You might need a little bit more support or tools than other children, you might need to be taught in a different way, or you might need some more time, but I know that you can do it!

Imagine someone who needs glasses. This child can see a little bit without the glasses but once the glasses are on, the child can see so clearly that they don’t have to tire their eyes or squint anymore. Life is much easier for them with the support of their glasses. In exactly the same way, I hope that with the right support you can also learn ways to help manage your ADHD, focus better and control your body better. 

Please know that ADHD is something that you’re born with! It’s not your fault, it is not something that you did. It also doesn’t have anything to do with the way that your parents were with you, or your teachers, or even your siblings. It is not because of something that you ate.

You are who you are and you are awesome!

You are also not alone! There are millions of children around the world who have ADHD! Many of them have grown up to be very successful. Actually, one of the best Olympic swimmers in the world, Michael Phelps has ADHD. The American gymnast Simone Biles also has ADHD. The very popular musician Adam Levine also has ADHD. Ty Pennington (the star of extreme makeover home edition) also has ADHD! A boy named Dav Pilkey has ADHD - he was always getting in trouble in school and found it difficult to focus a lot of the time, daydreaming! He often escaped in his mind by inventing and drawing superheroes. Sound familiar? He is the one who created the Captain Underpants book series!!

There are hundreds of bosses of companies, doctors, firefighters, teachers, artists, engineers, journalists, and even psychologists who have ADHD. Some even say that one of the smartest people who has ever lived, Albert Einstein, had ADHD! You can be just as successful and live a wonderful life just like other children who do not have ADHD. 

I hope you get the right support, feel better and understand more about yourself and how you can help yourself! I want you to feel more confident and less frustrated about school, friendships, and home.

So? What are we waiting for? Let’s begin! 

Sincerely, 

Theodora, a psychologist who works with people with ADHD. 

If your child needs some support in their new diagnosis of ADHD, reach out and maybe I can help!