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Read an interesting post today with lots of follow up chatter about a woman who suspects her child has ADHD. I really feel her pain as I have been down this road. The diagnosis is only the beginning of a lifetime of work, but such an attentive, caring mother, will be the best thing that ever happened to her son.

Maybe I'm posting a little for her in case she reads my blog! One of her concerns was the LABEL ADHD. I know that labeling is a concern, but in all candor, the label ADHD is so much better than the alternative of the undiagnosed child who is a "behaviour problem", a "discipline problem", "a bad kid".

The label ADHD when provided by the school district opens a world of opportunities for your child because they are then allowed resource. My ds has been in resource and a regular classroom since 4th grade when we got him diagnosed. He has not, through lots of hard work on all our parts, failed a grade yet, and he is currently passing his junior year. Now, he is not Albert Einstein in the classroom because he finds school BORING. It is boring if you have ADHD. No kidding. It can be boring if you don't have ADHD.

Our simple goal as parents was to get him through high school without him failing. A child who fails is 2X as likely to drop out. Not that we would have let him. Also, it really takes a whack at their self-esteem, which ADHD kids have enough problems with from all the crap they were told before they were diagnosed. "Why can't you sit still?" "How come you forgot your homework AGAIN?" "You can't remember to write your name on your paper?" and many other fabulous things from insensitive people who didn't care or just didn't want to be bothered.

It is more work for a teacher to have and ADHD kid in her class. She has to accomodate. Oh, there are so many gifted teachers out there who will do this willingly and lovingly because they truly are a credit to their profession. And to those who don't, you have to train them by showing them that you know what should and should not be done and by having that all powerful IEP.

To all those who struggle with getting your child tested, do it. It will either be a yes or a no. Yes, means you now have a path to travel. No means you must look for something else that is causing what you are noticing. Yes, is a beginning. No is a fork in the road.