it is difficult for them to sit still, listen and focus like other kids do. 1/4 to 1/3 of ADHD students have learning disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 2004), the probability for them to drop out of school is high. A study has shown that ADHD children are at higher risk for unintentional injuries, delinquency, and anti-social behavior (Meaux, 2000).
Parents and teachers should be empowered and receive training on how to deal with ADHD children.
They must work together to equip the child with learning strategies and communicating on how the child can improve and succeed in school. For example, children with ADHD should be allowed in class to express themselves in activities they perform the best. Instead of letting children get bored and frustrated with a math assignment, they can be allowed to complete the assignment in drawings, area in which they feel comfortable with. At home, parents should provide ample opportunities for children to make choices and progressively make wise decisions. This will help to enhance cognition. Moreover, parents should advocate for their children by communicating the child`s needs and equally listen to what school officials have to say.
Parents need to set the stage for their children`s emotional and physical health, it is crucial for them to understand that changes must be made in their home life in order to accommodate the child, they need to be positive and rewarding, practicing reinforcement techniques. In fact, ADHD is not a cause of poor parenting; children with ADHD because of impairments of the disease often develop poor social skills and low self-esteem; thus, it is essential to have an effective parenting
style. ADHD IN NUMBERS AND DEMOGRAPHIC
The number of cases and ADHD diagnosis has been increasing dramatically in the past few years: in 2003: 7.8%, 2007: 9.5%, and 2011: 11 %. Children from families living in poverty are found to have a higher percentage of being diagnosed with ADHD, 60% compared to 10% among kids from middle and upper class families (Holland & Riley, 2014). ADHD impacts children of all races. From 2001 to 2010, the rate of ADHD among non-Hispanic black girls increased 90 percent: whites: 9.8%, blacks: 9.5%, Latinos: 5.5% (Holland & Riley, 2014).
It is important to mention that having ADHD is a fatal sentence meaning failure in life because some celebrities that might be familiar to us, in various areas of life, have been diagnosed with ADHD. For example, we can name: Agatha Christie (Best-selling novelist), Albert Einstein, Justin Timberlake (singer), Liv Tyler (actress in the Lord of the Rings movie), Frank South (producer of “Melrose place”), and the founder of Wendy’s Dave Thomas.