ADHD - Challenges of Teen Years

If you are a parent of an ADHD child who is- Twice as many kids with untreated ADHD run
becoming a teenager, you are no doubt worriedaway from home than teens without the
about her ability to cope with both her learningcondition.
disability as well as the inevitable changesTips
associated with adolescence. While it is true that- Make sure your child is getting proper treatment
teen years are difficult enough without having tofor ADHD: do not ignore the problem.
shoulder the additional burden of not being able to- Keep in close contact via email with your child's
"keep up" with peers, an understanding parent canjunior high and senior high teachers. The more
do a lot to help. Here are some of the specificinvolved you are, the more likely you will be to nip
challenges of teens with ADHD along with tips forproblems in the bud and help your child succeed.
parents.- Give her something to shoot for: Kids with
ChallengesADHD worry that their disability will prevent them
If you have been hoping your child would "growfrom pursuing their dreams like other kids. If you
out" of ADHD and so let treatment slide duringdo some research, you'll find that there are great
her elementary years, it is imperative to eithercolleges devoted exclusively to kids with learning
get or resume treatment now. Here are somedisabilities: get her excited about her future by
sobering statistics on teens with ADHD who aregiving her something to shoot for and a reason to
not getting any kind of help:stay in school.
- They are 10 times more likely to fail in schoolYou can help your ADHD child overcome the
- They have 400 percent more traffic tickets andchallenges she faces: it won't go away on its own,
accidents than their peersbut parents can do a lot to help.
- They are 10 times more likely to get pregnant