Young Peoples’ Page
ADHD Explained
In putting on the brakes by Patricia O Quinn M.D. And Judith M Stern M.A. (for 8 to 13 year olds) she describes ADHD as follows: -There are some very good books available in the office for children of all ages which explain ADHD and give tips and advice on how to learn to live with the condition.
“Imagine a sleek red sports car driving around a track. It’s flying down the stretches, speeding around the curves, smooth and low to the road, the engine racing…BUT..it has no brakes. It can’t stop when the driver wants it to stop. It can’t slow down to a safer speed. It may get off the track, or even crash! It will certainly have a hard time proving to everyone what it really can do.
If you have ADHD, you may be like that racing car. You have a good engine (with lots of thinking power) and a good strong body, but your brakes don’t work very well. You might not be able to keep still or stop yourself from doing something, even when you know you should.”
We also have another good book in the library about a kid living with ADHD by Jeanne Kraus (for 6 to 11 year olds).
At the Phoenix Project the staff are here to help you to learn to cope with the difficulties caused by your ADHD. We want you to be able to do well, be happy at school, at home and with your peers. You may not feel you want or need help. We know that you may often feel sad or guilty about the way you have behaved at school, at home or elsewhere. You are not alone.
“You make new friends and people who understand you.” (13 year old teenage girl)
“It’s important to me as it teaches me things in reality, helps me in everyday situations I may face. I feel comfortable sharing my thoughts and feelings and I interact with people like myself.” (14 year old teenage boy)
Visit our Young Person’s Forum where you can communicate with other’s with ADHD and share how you feel about how you are coping.
You will also be able to talk to communicate with the Project Team.