JENNIFER COX
dear bobbie, MY HEART BREAKS FOR YOU. YOU SOUND LIKE ME 4 YEARS AGO. MY SON IS DIAGNOSED ADD-ADHD. HE BEGAN TO HAVE BIG PROBLEMS IN SCHOOL AND AT HOME AT ABOUT AGE 8. HE COULD NOT WAIT HIS TURN, WAS IMPATIENT, VERY EASILY FRUSTRATED, HAD TERRIBLE OUTBURSTS ETC,ETC. I DID NOT EVEN START WITH THE SCHOOL, I KNEW WHAT A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE. DON'T THERE ARE MANY OF US WHO KNOW HOW YOU FEEL, AND KNOW THE PR0BLEM IS REAL. WHAT I DID IS BEGAN AT HOME. I READ HIM BOOKS ON ADD-ADHD, TOOK HIM TO A DOCTOR AND GOT HIM ON MEDICINE. MOST OF ALL I TALKED AND TALKED AND TALKED TO HIM SOME MORE. I REASSURED A LOT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM. HE IS JUST DIFFERENT. IT'S THE TRUTH. ADD PEOPLE ARE UNIQUE, AND HAVE MORE ENERGY AND INTELLIGENCE AND CREATIVITY THAN ANYONE IN THE ROOM. SOME JOBS ACTUALLY REQUIRE SOMEONE WHO'S MIND WORKS VERY FAST. ADD PEOPLE LOTS OF TIMES ARE WAYYYYY AHEAD OF EVERYONE ELSE. WHAT IS DISABLING ABOUT IT IS THIS. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHEN TO BE "FULL THROTTLE" SO TO SPEAK AND WHEN TO PULL IT IN SOME. TALK TO HIM ABOUT SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER.TRAIN HIM TO TRAIN HIMSELF AND GUESS WHAT ? HE'LL GET THE CREDIT AND FEEL SO MUCH BETTER ABOUT HIMSELF.LEARNING THE COPING SKILLS IS A LONG PROCESS BUT ONE WORTH WORKING TOWARD, BECAUSE THE RESULTS ARE PERMANENT. I CAN'T IMAGINE LIVING LIKE I USED TO. I'M NOT A PERFECT PERSON NOW, BUT MUCH BETTER AT THINGS,AND MOST OF ALL PROUD OF WHO I AM. NOT ASHAMED ANY MORE. I WISH I COULD TALK TO YOUR SON, TEENAGE YEARS ARE A STRUGLE AT BEST. JUST TELL HIM NOT TO GIVE UP, AND SPECIAL CLASSES MIGHT NOT BE THE ANSWER. HERE IN SAN ANTONIO,,TEXAS THE SPECIAL ED CLASSES ARE OVERCROWED AND ARE A DUMPING GROUND FOR THE KIDS NO ONE KNOWS WHAT TO DO WITH. I CAN RELATE TO YOUR HEARTACHE THERE. I WAS AN INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT IN SPEC ED FOR NORTHSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR 6 YEARS, AND HAD THE PRIVELEGE OF WORKING WITH LOTS OF ADD=ADHD KIDS AND LOVED THEM. I AM NOW GOING TO SCHOOL TO FINISH MY DEGREE AND BECOME A LICENSED TEACHER. BEST OF LUCK. WRITE AGAIN. SINCERELY,JENNIFER