Your Teenager with ADHD
Your child
with ADHD has successfully navigated the
early school years and is beginning his or
her journey through middle school and high
school. Although your child has been
periodically evaluated through the years,
this is a good time to have a complete
re-evaluation of your child's health.
The teen
years are challenging for most children; for
the child with ADHD these years are doubly
hard. All the adolescent problems—peer
pressure, the fear of failure in both school
and socially, low self-esteem—are harder for
the ADHD child to handle. The desire to be
independent, to try new and forbidden
things—alcohol, drugs, and sexual
activity—can lead to unforeseen
consequences. The rules that once were, for
the most part, followed, are often now
flaunted. Parents may not agree with each
other on how the teenager's behavior should
be handled.
Now, more
than ever, rules should be straightforward
and easy to understand. Communication
between the adolescent and parents can help
the teenager to know the reasons for each
rule. When a rule is set, it should be clear
why the rule is set. Sometimes it
helps to have a chart, posted usually in the
kitchen, that lists all household rules and
all rules for outside the home (social and
school). Another chart could list household
chores with space to check off a chore once
it is done.
When rules
are broken—and they will be—respond to this
inappropriate behavior as calmly and
matter-of-factly as possible. Use punishment
sparingly. Even with teens, a time-out can
work. Impulsivity and hot temper often
accompany ADHD. A short time alone can help.
When rules
are broken—and they will be—respond to this
inappropriate behavior as calmly and
matter-of-factly as possible. Use punishment
sparingly. Even with teens, a time-out can
work. Impulsivity and hot temper often
accompany ADHD. A short time alone can help.
As the
teenager spends more time away from home,
there will be demands for a later curfew and
the use of the car. Listen to your child's
request, give reasons for your opinion and
listen to his or her opinion, and negotiate.
Communication, negotiation, and
compromise will prove helpful.
Parents play
an important role in helping teenagers
become independent. Encourage your teenager
to help him/herself with strategies such as
the following:
- Using a
daily planner for assignments and
appointments
- Making
lists
- Keeping
a routine
- Setting
aside a quiet time and place to do
homework
-
Organizing storage for school supplies,
clothes, CDs, sports equipment, etc
- Being
safety conscious (eg, always wearing
seat belts, using protective gear for
sports)
- Talking
about problems with someone you trust
- Getting
enough sleep
More Helpful
Information:
Recommended
tools for helping teens cope with ADHD:
Your ADHD Teenager and the Car
Teenagers,
especially boys, begin talking about driving
by the time they are 15. In some states, a
learner's permit is available at 15 and a
driver's license at 16. Statistics show that
16-year-old drivers have more accidents per
driving mile than any other age. In the year
2000, 18 percent of those who died in
speed-related crashes were youth ages 15 to
19. Sixty-six percent of these youth were
not wearing safety belts. Youth with ADHD,
in their first 2 to 5 years of driving, have
nearly four times as many automobile
accidents, are more likely to cause bodily
injury in accidents, and have three times as
many citations for speeding as the young
drivers without ADHD.
Most states,
after looking at the statistics for
automobile accidents involving teenage
drivers, have begun to use a graduated
driver licensing system (GDL). This system
eases young drivers onto the roads by a slow
progression of exposure to more difficult
driving experiences. The program, as
developed by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration and the American
Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators,
consists of three stages: learner's permit,
intermediate (provisional) license, and full
licensure. Drivers must demonstrate
responsible driving behavior at each stage
before advancing to the next level. During
the learner's permit stage, a licensed adult
must be in the car at all times.
This period of time will give the learner a
chance to practice, practice, practice. The
more your child drives, the more efficient
he or she will become. The sense of
accomplishment the teenager with ADHD will
feel when the coveted license is finally in
his or her hands will make all the time and
effort involved worthwhile.
More Helpful
Information:
Note: The
State Legislative Fact Sheets—Graduated
Driver Licensing System can be found at web
site
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/outreach/safesobr/21qp/html/fact_sheets/Graduated_Driver.html,
or it can be ordered from NHTSA
Headquarters, Traffic Safety Programs, ATTN:
NTS-32, 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,
Washington, DC 20590; telephone
202-366-6948. |
