OUR STORY
In first grade my son's teacher noticed that there was a large discrepancy between his capability to verbally demonstrate knowledge and his ability to write and memorize simple three letter sight words. This turned out to be the first clue we had that something was off. When things didn't get easier, we had him tested and found out that he had dyslexia, a learning disability in children affecting reading, writing and spelling. After going down the IEP path, we were fortunate to get him into an incredible school in Manhattan built just for kids with learning differences called The Churchill School. Because, day in and day out, they dealt with kids like my son it was soon suspected that dyslexia wasn't the only issue. Surprise, surprise! ADD was also part of his brain package. We figured that out in 3rd grade. It took a while because there are two types of ADHD: the part with hyper-activity and the part without - called Inattentive Type (which is what my son has). Having these issues definitely serves up some challenges, however with education and clear communication with a child's teachers and pediatrician we can make a world of difference in a child's life.
Some say having ADHD can even be a gift. Come to find out, many famous and brilliant people had ADHD brains. Beethoven, Hans Christian Andersen, Winston Churchill, Leonardo da Vinci, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemingway, Michael Jordan, Picasso, and the incredible list goes on and on.
Many people are still unaware of what ADHD really means. The more we all know, the more we can accept and help those wired differently. The other day my younger son was sitting in class while the teacher was explaining to the children what dyslexia and adhd are. My son proudly stated, "Hey! That's what my brother has!" He thought it was pretty cool.
(Read on for lots of facts and resources about ADHD).
