ADHD Parenting Tip - Have We Gone Totally Overboard With the Term ADHD?

ADHD is actually not a learning disability. Did you know that? Despite popular belief, ADHD alone does not qualify or guarantee that a child would receive special accommodations in school. In fact, there is no guarantee that an individual who is diagnosed with ADHD will even qualify for services under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Here's the problem:

Labels like ADHD and learning disability have become such staples in our culture that I don't think we truly understand what they mean or represent anymore. Searching the literature on ADHD, there are different views (by both professionals and the public) on what ADHD is and who has it. While professionals and organizations set the standards, public perception quickly becomes reality.

Initially, diagnostic names like ADHD were intended as a means for professionals to communicate with one another about a shared group of behaviors or symptoms. But today, insurance companies use them to dictate who qualifies for treatment services and for how long. Schools use these labels to sort their students, and people use them as categories to discriminate against others. This last point is the final straw for me, because if we didn't have ADHD, we would have another label to separate these "different" people out.

Have we gone overboard?

The more and more I learn about conditions like ADHD, the more I wonder if anyone truly understands the condition. Most people believe that ADHD describes a child who is a behavioral problem. There is also the belief that there are no positive qualities associated with ADHD.

What do you believe?

After all, your beliefs guide how you see other people. For me? I don't care much for labels. I want to look at the differences of how someone learns, communicates, and takes in the world. Living in a world where many people are free, there is no right or wrong. There are only differences, and I hope you will embrace those differences and stand up against anyone who wants to use them as a way to hold children back.

Bottom Line? A child with ADHD needs the tools, resources, supports, and understanding to be successful in school and in life. I'd like to help with that! Download your free ADHD Essentials Audio Kit today, and you'll get immediate access to information and strategies that will make a difference.