Hi! I'm newbie here. I stumbled upon this site as I decided to browse around and look for other people facing the same thing as I do. My mother died and she cant take care of my baby for me, so even if my daughter is already 6 years old, her ADHD is still very new to me. Can anyone give me tips on how to deal with my little girls issue?

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At times raising and ADHD child feels like and incredibly overwhelming task but it is a truly worthwhile task. It sounds like this kid has not had an easy time of life and he sounds lucky to have someone like you who has opened your home and your heart to him.

Scouts might be a problem. I have ADHD as well and could never handle a situation like that, all the activities can become too overwhelming. It might be better to find a sport that is extremely active like swimming, gymnastics or martial arts. Unless he is busy and moving all the time he will get bored and cause trouble.

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My son has ADHD, as do I, and he's in Scouts - I'm his den leader. It's important to remember that the leaders in Scouts are volunteers, not trained in child psychology or educational techniques. That being said, Scouts is supposed to be a very inclusive organization. The leaders manual has tips on how to handle several common medical conditions, including ADHD. The advice they give on ADHD really applies to all boys this age: keep the activities short, active, and fun.

Talk to the leaders in his pack and den - see if they're open to working with your son. You'll want a leader that's understanding of the situation without allowing your son to run wild - the whole point of putting him in Scouts is to get him used to an organized group, so he should be a part of the group. I've found that a child's success in Scouts (with or without ADHD) really depends on the individual leaders and the involvement of the parents.

Just be sure to avoid talking about ADHD like it's a disability or puts your son in a "special needs" category. He's not damaged or broken...he just thinks differently. Talk openly with the leaders about the situation and offer suggestions to keep your son on track with the activities without singling him out - the same advice applies to school and sports. Let them know that you're willing to help out wherever you can.

As a leader, I can say that I really appreciate it when parents stay for the meetings and activities. Scouts is meant to be a family organization, especially for Cub Scouts. Plus, I feel really uncomfortable telling someone else's kid to behave themselves, especially if I don't know the boy very well. I'd recommend staying for the first few meetings (at least) to help the leader if your son needs some guidance on behavior or discipline.

let us know how it goes!

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I know it's been awhile since you posted, so I hope things worked out. Doubly ditto on sandielaw's comments regarding Scouts as a family activity. In fact, according to the Boy Scouts of America's child protection bylaw, Cub Scouts shouldn't ever be left alone with one adult, so ensure there are at least two present before leaving. I hope you followed your parenting instinct -- if you're nervous, stick around. As den leader, ADDer, and an ADD guy's dad, I've found Scouting to be a very rewarding (albeit time-consuming) excuse to keep in touch with my son and his buddies. Also, a general rule of thumb in the Scouting community is, "Drop-off parents drop out." Unless you're there to see how fun it can be -- and how much like controlled chaos it can be if you get a good den leader who keeps things active and on schedule -- you won't ever appreciate the confidence-building and sheer fun of Scouting even for us folk who can get crushed by a flood of sensory input. If you don't see it, it's easy to say, Why bother, right? Scouting is an easy way for your son to pursue active, fun interests that have a measurable reward (badge or achievement bead) associated with them. Goals are clear-cut and short. Mottos are short enough I can remember them. Having a community is great. Most ADDers thrive in this sort of environment. Hope it went (and goes) well. Each Pack is different (hey, we're volunteers), so I hope you got a good one.

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Hi, When I filled out the application for my son to join the first question it asks is if he has ADHD. So I expect a great deal of the scouts have ADHD as well.

I found the smaller the group the better and when they held the night meetings when all the boys meds were worn off it was a real zoo. My son was a scout through 5th grade and found it gave him experiences good and bad that he would not have otherwise. I would sign him up again. I always found in every activity it is always best to be up front and also be there as much as possible. Also for some things it was good to take him late and pick him up early to avoid melt down.

This year in football was the first year we did not disclose the information about his ADHD since it is now undercontrol because of alternative therapies. However when I talked to the coach at the end of the year and brought it up he said he wished he would have known so he could have done additional supports for him like he does for others.

Hope it is all going well. Always good to be the leader if possible. Lila

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My son has been in Scouting for 8 years (hopefully he will earn his Eagle in the next couple of years) and he was just recently dx'ed with inattentive add. The problems have always been there I just never knew that there was a name and treatments for it. Scouting has been challenging but well worth the efforts. It's best that you don't just drop your son off at meetings and camping trips, you will need to be close by to help with blow ups and social problems. Scouting has helped my son my learning to be more self sufficent, maintaining long-term friendships, self esteem. I recommend the program, but like i said you will need to be involved.

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