OMG, I Just Found Out my Son has ADHD
I'm sure you imagined your child, at some point during pregnancy or the adoption process, proudly showing you his latest A on a school test or crossing the stage during college graduation. Parents want the best for their children and have the highest hopes for them.
An ADHD diagnosis initially feels like an abrupt end to many of the dreams you had for your child. It raises the possibility that your dreams for her may not come true. But it doesn't mean that achieving her dreams isn't possible. Put your dreams for her aside and focus on her strengths.
Receiving an ADHD diagnosis is tough for a parent. While ADHD isn't a terminal illness or a physical handicap, you have the right to be sad and grieve. You've been blindsided, and your pain is real and valid. You just found out that your child has a neurological disorder -- that something didn't go quite right when his brain was developing -- and that entitles you to sorrow. If you weren't upset about it, that would be something to worry about.
It's natural to grieve when your child is diagnosed with any disability. Your world has changed -- either your expectations have been shattered or you realize that chaos is here to stay. While it's necessary to go through that period of grief, you have to move beyond it.
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To finish reading the full story, visit the ADDitude website: http://www.additudemag.com/adhdblogs/32/11164.html.
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