As an ADHD lifer I am here to declare to you that there is more to ADHD than meets the eye. Unfortunately, because the negatives can be so disruptive at home and especially in the classroom, any positives that might exist can get lost in the negative’s glare. But don’t lose heart, there is good to be found in ADHD.
Too often teachers will unintentionally miss the good in ADHD because most classroom settings naturally create an environment with which ADHDers struggle. It is usually easier to spot the positive in ADHD outside of the classroom, so if you’re a parent be on the lookout for all the great things about your child that you can share with your child’s teacher.
When a teacher becomes aware of the positive ADHD traits and recognizes them in a student, the awareness creates a long term potential that can benefit the student’s learning as well as the teacher’s instructing.
[HIGH ENERGY high en-er-gy, adj. difficulty in sitting still; talking out of turn; jumping out of seat; wandering the room; excitable and distracted.]
It’s no secret that most people with ADHD are born with an inner nuclear reactor to fuel them with limitless energy. Upon seeing hyperactivity in kids, you’d swear that they were strung out on caffeine or Pixie Sticks. While, the inability to sit still and stop the constant jiggling, tapping and rubber-necking is a challenge in the typical classroom, outside of school, this high energy can be a wonderful gift especially if it’s given some direction and focus and slightly dampened by physical activity.
The key to helping your child harness and channel their energy is to get them to expend a whole lot of it first. Sounds a bit counterintuitive, but strenuous physical exercise is actually extremely helpful to those with ADHD. Everyone knows that exercise is great not just for the body, but the brain as well and nowhere is it more than true than when it comes to ADHD. There is also evidence that exercise can improve both memory and learning, so blowing off some energy is essential for children with ADHD, even those who don’t have the hyperactive component.
The good news about ADHDers and their high energy is that even after you’ve run them ragged physically, they still have ample mental energy left over for things like homework and special projects only now they can actually sit still long enough to get something done.
