Parent of newly diagnosed child with ADHD

[adamscottharold]

Looking for some support here. My wife and I have two daughters ages 6 and 8. The 8 year old can be tough. She was diagnosed with ADHD in November and feel like we have no idea how to parent this. I see that there may be support group. Is this still happening? Please help. She's so amazing and I feel like we are not helping her at this point, only hurting her.

[Aspen797]

Welcome! You will find the members of this site to be warm and helpful. I have gained such good insights, resources, and tools to help my child from members here. You will too. You are doing the best thing—reaching out! Another member on here often posts that treatment for ADHD is like the legs of a stool. You need all three to stay upright—education support at school through a 504 plan or IEP, counseling support from a therapist for both you and your child to help both learn new patterns of behaviors, and medication.

Have you checked with your state’s parent resource center for children with a disability? They are often extremely helpful in giving you local resources and referrals on a variety of topics. They often offer classes on different topics as well. Find yours here: parentcenterhub.org/find-yo...

Online, there are two websites that provide great information on a variety of topics affecting families of neurodiverse kids: ADDitude.com and understood.com. The first of these has a page with links to dozens of recorded webinars with experts in the field on a variety of subjects. ADDitude nicely covers medication, parenting, executive functioning deficits, school and more.

Many times our kids have undiagnosed difficulties as well as ADD. Speech therapists often work with kids with social skills deficits as they teach pragmatic language. They lead Social skills groups with this focus. Occupational therapists can diagnose hidden issues like sensory sensitivities that can contribute to anxiety and manifest as behavior issues. Some parents choose to have their child evaluated to make sure their is no issue flying under radar.

Regarding medication, working with a knowledgeable and experienced professional is really key. If you’re not hooked in already, a developmental behavioral pediatrician (usually at a university hospital) or a child psychiatrist can be some of the most helpful.

Again, welcome!

[Danseuse]

Hi there. There is much to learn. You can make a great start by watching this great introductory video by one of the leading experts. Also, be sure to join your local chapter of the national ADHD group CHADD. Maybe you’ve already done that. You’ve made a great 1st step! youtu.be/SCAGc-rkIfo(Not working as expected?)

[MomOfAWonderfulBoy]

Hello, my son is 10 years old and was diagnosed 2 years ago. l have had the same feelings as yours so I bought the book “Raising a boy with ADHD” and it has been very helpful and I learned about the things my husband and I were doing which were wrong and aggravating our son’s behavior. They have a similar book for girls and maybe you could look into reading it or listening to it on Audible or Amazon.

My husband has not read the book yet unfortunately so we are not in sync yet (I think he has a hard time with it).

Your little girl is wonderful and you and your wife are as well. It is hard but I often remind myself that he needs me, and I would do anything for him. I know you feel the same.

I wish you the best. You can do this.

(Raising a Girl with ADHD: A Practical Guide to Help Girls Harness Their Unique Strengths and Abilities. Book by Allison K. Tyler)