What Does it Feel Like to Be a Child With ADD?

Imagine yourself for a moment as a child with ADD.imagine someone telling you that you have to do
You have a problem concentrating for any length ofeverything with your left hand if you are right handed
time. You often find yourself overwhelmed when youor with your right if you are left handed. Sounds
have more than one thing to do at a time. You oftendifficult, right? That is what it feels like to be a child with
start projects but then get bored and move on toADD.
something else. You may have 20 different projectsThe good news is that the child with ADD is in very
going at one time and be switching back and forthgood company. Some of the brightest minds, the
between them. You may find it very difficult togreatest leaders and the most innovative inventors
concentrate in school during a lecture and find yourhad ADD. Albert Einstein had ADD. Winston Churchill
thoughts wandering. Other kids around you all seem tohad ADD. So did President Lincoln and President
be on the same wavelength but you are not. Instead,Kennedy. And beloved Benjamin Franklin. So many
you feel left out. This is what it feels like to be a childother talented entertainers and entrepreneurs have or
with ADD.had ADD. They did not allow this disorder to affect
If you are a child with ADD, you find it difficult tothem. They carried on and continued to, shall we say,
concentrate on anything for more than a fewwrite with the hand they favored, despite what people
moments. But in school, you will have to be able tothought.
listen to the teacher and complete an assignment.If you are going to help a child with ADD, you must first
What is more, the teacher will often give you specificunderstand how he or she thinks. You should not use
directions that you have to follow to get thedrugs to make someone write with the "right" hand.
assignment done. It may be very hard for you toInstead, you should teach them through therapy the
organize your thoughts so that you can complete theway to use their favored hand in a way that will let
project. You may often find the teacher makingthem thrive. Drugging children with ADD does nothing
comments like "he does not pay attention in class," orto help them. But if you use proper therapy to help a
"she cannot follow directions." This is what it feels likechild with ADD, you can teach the child how to make
to be a child with ADD.the most of this condition.
Are you right or left handed? For a moment, try to