Driven to Distraction

Have you ever picked up a book (besides the bible!) that has changed your life??  That happened to me last weekend.

I picked up this book - Driven to Distraction.  We have been waiting on the Sleep Study results from the study Jon had done back at the beginning of October. Little man has also been diagnosed with ADHD.  Today I had an appointment with the Dr. to go over all the test results and decide where to proceed from here.

Anyway - this past Friday - I picked up this book - and devoured it all weekend long.  Finally - answers.  For so long, I've thought ADD was merely just a hyperactive kid or a kid who bounces off the walls.  I never realized ADD is a biological problem - a problem with the functioning of the brain - and one that causes far more than a bit of hyperactivity here and there.  I had no idea all that ADD encompasses - and reading this book opened up my eyes to a lot of things.  It's NOT something slapped on "bad" kids who's parents can't control them.  That's not it at all.  It was a relief - to see so many things our kid struggles with - all actually have to do with this one diagnosis.  I'm NOT a bad parent, I haven't screwed up or messed up my kid - and best of all - my kid is not screwed up either.  He has a biological condition.

Like I said - several things I didn't realize were part of the ADD.  The fact that he responds so well to structure.  He's never been a kid who does well with change.  Vacations?  A nightmare.  Change the schedule without a lot of warning?  That has never gone over well in our house.  I learned from this book that transitions - even small transitions like waking up and going to sleep - are really hard for the child with ADD.  Who knew???  Oh the fights I could have prevented just by understanding this small thing!!

ADD kids have several physical issues - most of which little man has had.  Chronic ear infections as a child, asthma, allergies, sleep disturbances - all things we have struggled with.

Of course you have the typical lack of focus, concentration, impassivity, etc.

Physical activity is great for kids with ADD which explains why the best semester little man has had in school was the one in which he played two sports - something we had never before allowed in our home.

There is more but I don't have the book in front of me.  If you suspect your child has ADD - I highly recommend this book.  It left me in tears a lot of the time.  Also left me feeling guilty that I allowed stupid thinking to get in the way of a diagnosis that could have saved my son a whole lot of struggle a lot sooner.

Read it - you won't regret it.