My granddaughter was diagnosed with ADHD when she was 4-years-old and now she is 10-years-old. She was held back in pre-school, because she had so much trouble sitting still, focusing, keeping her hands to herself, and was always wanting to run all over the classroom looking at everything. She would spend several minutes if that at each thing she was looking at and be off again.
She was so active that she was always accident prone: we were constantly taking her to ER. We had rules about what types of things were allowed in the house. For example: nothing with long sticks that she could put in her mouth and run with; as she was running with a toy pool que in her mouth - fell down and it stuck in the back of her throat and it had to be removed at the ER. If it had been went in a smidgen one way or the other she would have bled to death. Another time when she was at school the room mothers and the teacher were given a note from the doctor stating what kinds of candy she could have and what she wasn't allowed to have: but they still gave her small lolli pops on a stick that if she fell she could chock on them. It just so happened they were playing running games and she fell: the lolli pop portion lodged itself in the back of her throat and the stick was stuck in her cheek: again we rushed her to the ER. Again we were told how lucky our granddaughter was. From then on when there was a class party either my daughter or I would sit in to make sure that she didn't get something that could be dangerous to her health.
My granddaughter was held back again later when she was in 1st grade: but she is a bright 10-year-old if she is given instruction according to the appropriate way she learns: which is by allowing her to move around while learning: using Kinetics. When ever I do get to spend time with her I have found that is the way she learns and is when she is able to retain a majority of what she is being taught.
Every time she has been tested for ADHD she has never been able to score on the test because she has never been allowed to move around. My daughter is constantly fighting to keep her in in Catholic School: as they say my granddaughters ADHD interfers with the other students in her class: so far she has managed to keep her enrolled there. My granddaughter wanted to to attend the Catholic School that she convinced her mother to convert to Catholicism and so they both did. My granddaughter is so much happier there and a lot less stressed as well.
Something I have found for children of all ages with ADHD is to find a hobby of some sort they like to do all the time: that they can't get into trouble with and that is strickly there thing to do and none of the kids are allowed to touch it ever : while you as the parent can observe and ask questions as a learning activity.
Dear Grandmom
Thank you so much for sharing your inspirational story. (By the way, when my son was little he got a hold of a curtain rod and ran around the house, trying to play the trumpet with it. He accidently took a chunk out of the top of his mouth. I was reminded of this story reading your post).
Anyway, your post reminds us to be thankful for all of our family. It reminds us of the good in each of us.
Thanks again, please keep us posted on how things are going.
Eileen
Thank you, Eileen for your comments and will keep you updated.
Last night my daughter called to let me know my granddaughter is making small improvements: which are just large enough to be noticable. My granddaughter wanted to have a little dog of her own: so my daughter had made a chart with a picture of the little dog like she wanted and pasted it at the top of the chart for her to see everyday and also gave her a laminated copy to carry with her everywhere including to school. She told her teacher why she had the picture and she would like some extra special help so she could do better in her school work. Her teacher agreed and worked everyday before and after school for two weeks and she did make some small improvements. Now my daughter and my grandaughter are now working to find something else that can be put on the chart: which she may want to work hard for.
I am proud of my daughter for being a patient single mom: who is raising three children on her own: working: and still giving everything she has left to her children. Both my grandsons are straight "A" students: and the younger of the two you can't tell by watching him or by his grades that he had had ADD when he was little and it was caught when he was very young.
I totally believe in Early Child Care Educational Intervention as it really works. We as parents, grandparents, teachers, grovernment officials, medical doctors, etc. should always work together to accomplish these goals.
What a loving and wonderful your daughter sounds like. Your grandchildren are lucky to have such a mother!! You must have done a great job raising her.
Charts always work do well with children with ADHD, as does giving them motivation, such as the dog.
I have always believed that every success, no matter how small, needs to be celebrated. So tonight, I will celebrate these successes with you.
Tell your daughter to keep up the great work.
Eilee
Thank you so much for your support: it does mean so much. When my daughters were small I didn't have the same support then: that I make sure that they always receive from me. Though I was married: their father was on a traveling crew and was rarely ever home: so I did 99.9% of raising them on my own. I am very proud to say: that I did my very best to be the best role model I could be for my girls. I am proud of all my girls for doing all they can for their children. This daughter is just one example of what each daughter can do for their children.
Thank you again for your support.
Kathy