Saturday, August 25, 2012

The ADHD Child's Bill of Rights

The ADHD Child's Bill of Rights

1. “Help me to focus…” Please teach me through my sense of ‘touch’, I need ‘hands on’ and ‘body movement’.

2. “I need to know what comes next.” Please give me a structured environment where there is a dependable routine. Give me an advanced warning if there will be changes.

3. “Wait for me, I'm still thinking.” Please allow me to go at my own pace. If I rush, I get confused and upset.

4. “I'm stuck! I can’t do it!” Please offer me options for problem-solving. I need to know the detours when the road is blocked.

5. “Is it right? I need to know NOW!” Please give me rich and immediate feedback on how I'm doing.

6. “I didn't forget, I didn't ‘hear’ it in the first place!” Please give me directions one step at a time and ask me to say back what I think you said.

7. “I didn't know I wasn't in my seat!” Please remind me to STOP, THINK and ACT.

8. “Am I almost done now?” Please give me short work periods with short-term goals.

9. “What?” Please don't say ‘I've already told you that’. Tell me again in different words- give me a signal- draw me a symbol.

10. “I know, it's ALL wrong, isn't it?” Please give me praise for partial success. Reward me for self-improvement, not just for perfection.

11. “But why do I always get yelled at?” Please catch me doing something right and praise me for my specific positive behaviour. Remind me (and yourself) about my good points, when I'm having a bad day.

12. I may be hard to live with, and have ADHD, but I still have feelings and would have never chosen to behave like I do sometimes…

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