Parents: The True Force Behind Successful Advocacy

Should we parents be overruled by teachers and physicians when it comes to our kids’ academic achievement and self-esteem?

I say no! We know our kids better than anyone, and therefore are in the right and best position to advocate for them.

Many times, a school’s driving force represents documenting “bad behavior” and a suggestion of ADHD with follow up physician prescribed stimulants. Is this their role? I would say no!

What is our role as a parent? Our role is to insure a proper diagnosis by knowing that a developmental pediatrician, psychologist, or any health professional with expertise in ADHD diagnosis follows protocol.

The lack of information is key to the growth of inaccurate and non-existent diagnoses. We can’t go backwards in our understanding of the true medical nature of this disorder that needs treatment, whether it be medication, behavior therapy, or both.

Again, it rests with us, the parents. Armed with accurate information, we ultimately have the responsibility to advocate for our children, both in the school and in the physician’s office. Parents need to feel confident about what encompasses this diagnosis of ADHD, the impairments that they see, the needed process to diagnosis accurately, and the needed school support to allow for their child’s success and healthy self-esteem!

Blog post by Karen Lowry, R.N.,M.S.N., a Parent2Parent ADHD Family Trainer for CHADD and ADHD Coach, AAC and blogger for JenningsWire.

Karen Lowry, R.N.,M.S.N.

http://www.ADDadvocate.com

Karen K. Lowry is a mother of four children, 3 of whom are adults, and grandma of a 10 month old. She is a registered nurse who has specialized in pediatrics. Her youngest child, now 16, was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 6. She has spent years advocating for this child with the co-existing condition of a learning difference. Schools in many cases do not understand this invisible, neurobiological diagnosis of ADHD and therefore the kids with impairments that create academic struggle are not adequately supported.

Since 2006, she has been a Parent2Parent ADHD Family Trainer certified by CHADD, Children and Adults with ADHD, a non-profit organization that offers support and education about ADHD. She has taught both community and online classes that offer support and information about ADHD so that families can better support and advocate for their kids. Karen also has become an ADHD Coach for children and teens to promote goal setting and action plans. It's so important for our kids with ADHD to have a healthy self-esteem: without it, they can not perform effectively. It is important for them to understand their ADHD and know that they are not broken, simply wired differently.

Karen wrote a book a few years ago, The Seventh Inning Sit: A Journey of ADHD. It is a book depicting a personal journey of advocacy for her son. A parent can never give up...They know their children best and need to be there to ensure their success as well as their ability to self-advocate.