Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Explaining ADHD to your child.

I've read a little online about how to explain an ADHD diagnosis to a young child, but I'm curious how the folks here have handled it. At first I thought we just wouldn't tell him. He's aware that he has trouble focusing, but we've never given it a name or spoken of any disorder. Also, he's starting medication this weekend, and I've told him he's going to be taking a "vitamin" that will help him focus. It's not that I don't want him to know he's taking actual medication; I just don't want him to get worried because he knows you take medicine when you are sick. He's good at taking vitamins. Any thoughts on how to explain this? We're pretty open here in our house, so I'm inclined to just explain it to him in an honest way. I'd like to know if you can think of any reasons I shouldn't do just that? I'll probably explain that he probably gets it from me and tell him about my own experience with undiagnosed ADHD, the positives and negatives of having ADHD, and what we can do to make it easier to handle.

When we told my DS11 about it, we told him that his brain has the amazing ability to notice little details of the world around him that other people don't usually notice, and that that's a really good thing. But then we said that the problem comes when they are supposed to be very focused on one particular thing -- like in school when he's supposed to just be listening to the teacher or looking at the whiteboard. We explained that, just during school hours, we were going to try a medicine that might help him to focus only on what his teacher wants him to. We also told him that we would be asking him if he noticed any difference during the day, so we could see if the medicine was helping him a little or a lot or not at all. So, since we couched his distraction issues in terms of "it's actually a good thing that you notice all the details of life but it's just not always a good time to do it," he was fine with it. Also, we gave him some examples of situations in which noticing details is a good thing, and we even talked about careers he could have as an adult where noticing details is essential (if only he can get through school!).

Thank you. I think that sounds perfect. Is there anyone who advocates not bringing it up at all, and if so, why?

Well, I haven't mentioned the name ADHD to my son, but he does know that he has some trouble focusing - particularly at school or when he needs to do homework that is not of interest to him. He knows that he takes some medicine for it and he recognizes that it helps him a lot in school.

I guess my main reason for not labeling it specifically for him is that he tends to get intensely focused (close to obsessed I guess) on health issues, his emotions, and his own strengths and weaknesses. We will have to discuss it at some point, but I didn't want him to get focused on the label and on a "medical condition" that he has. (Any time he thinks he may have some type of medical issue he tends to develop additional possible symptoms. This has actually lessened some with the mediciation - before we started the medication he spent a ton of time in the nurse's office at school (still goes now and again, but not several times a week like he did before)).

Anyway, for my son, I tend to feel that he would have more ADHD symptoms if we gave him the label, so avoiding it for now. Of course, if he really asked for a more in depth explanation, I would give it. I have certainly discussed with him times that I had trouble focusing on something and compared how we are alike in this way. This is all probably more specifically related to my DS10's personality, but you asked for possible reasons not to bring it up so thought I would share mine.

Good luck!