“My Child Makes Me Proud to Advocate for ADHD Awareness”
It’s taken me years to feel comfortable discussing my daughter’s ADHD diagnosis in public. As I watched her easily share her challenges with a room full of people, I was immeasurably proud to be her mom.
Plato wrote, “Courage is knowing what not to fear.” I thought of these words as I sat in a room packed with parents and educators from our community.
My 11-year-old daughter was sitting with experts facilitating a discussion on attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD). I was the proudest mom in the room — in fact, I could barely hold back tears — as she read a passage from our soon-to-be released book on our life with ADHD.
“I went back to school after I was diagnosed. One of my great friends, Davis, asked me if I had autism. I said, ‘No, but I do have ADHD.’ Davis replied, ‘Oh, good, I don’t know what that is, but I’m sure I will learn about it.’ That reassured me that no one would tease me about my ADHD, and no one ever has.”
[Free Handout: 25 Things to Love About ADHD]
When she finished reading, applause filled the room. It has taken me years of research and soul searching to openly discuss the subject of her ADHD diagnosis. I was awestruck by her poise and courage as she shared her deepest struggles with the audience.
I began blogging about parenting a family touched by ADHD last year. My hope was to educate myself about the disorder and to help others, too. This led to working on a book about ADHD with my daughter.
She may struggle to get out the door on time. She needs extra help organizing her schoolwork. But next time I need to find the courage to advocate for ADHD awareness, I won’t have to look far.
