When you hear the term "ADHD" what is your initial thought?Naughty out of control child?Some kind of ASD?Or perhaps you just don't know?
The truth is though that ADHD in my personal experience has been a journey that has led into a way of life,an unpredictable one at that.Raising my son for the last five and a half years on my own as I stepped in and rescued his Mother and Sisters life from his violent,out of control,misunderstood life with ADHD,has been a mixed bag of behavioural ups and downs,good days,bad days,CAHMS appointments,social workers,social issues,school nightmares and we're still blazing a trail day by day.
Medication helps,then again that's become another daily battle,he doesn't like the 45mg dose he's supposed to be on,so to set a routine we're both happy with I've introduced a weekly pill mate box and got him to agree to take a 27mg every other day with an 18mg in between,life has become conquering the battle and instead of living it on his terms,living on some form of common ground where we are both reasonably happy.
Finally,School,five of them in five years!Im still struggling to find a solution to the nightmare that is his education and why the lea has insisted on trying to teach him in a mainstream environment even though they placed him 3 times into a S.E.N Unit in the last five years.
Life with ADHD is more than just an acronym or label,it's a long,mixed up journey.