Susan Yarney - Can I tell you about ADHD?: A guide for friends, family and professionals

Can I tell you about ADHD?

Can I tell you about...?

The Can I tell you about...? series offers simple introductions to a range of limiting conditions. Friendly characters invite readers to learn about their experiences of living with a particular condition and how they would like to be helped and supported. These books serve as excellent starting points for family and classroom discussions.

other books in the Can I tell you about...? series

Can I tell you about Asperger Syndrome?

A guide for friends and family

Jude Welton

Foreword by Elizabeth Newson

Illustrated by Jane Telford

ISBN 978 1 84310 206 9

eISBN 978 1 84642 422 9

Can I tell you about Asthma?

A guide for friends, family and professionals

Lesley Mills

Illustrated by Rosy Salaman

ISBN 978 1 84905 350 1

eISBN 978 0 85700 744 5

Can I tell you about Epilepsy?

A guide for friends, family and professionals

Kate Lambert

Illustrated by Scott Hellier

ISBN 978 1 84905 309 9

eISBN 978 0 85700 648 6

Can I tell you about Selective Mutism?

A guide for friends, family and professionals

Maggie Johnson and Alison Wintgens

Illustrated by Robyn Gallow

ISBN 978 1 84905 289 4

eISBN 978 0 85700 611 0

Can I tell you about ADHD?

A guide for friends, family and professionals

SUSAN YARNEY

Illustrated by Chris Martin

Jessica Kingsley Publishers
London and Philadelphia

First published in 2013

by Jessica Kingsley Publishers

116 Pentonville Road

London N1 9JB, UK

and

400 Market Street, Suite 400

Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

www.jkp.com

Copyright Susan Yarney 2013

Illustrations copyright Chris Martin 2013

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 610 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Applications for the copyright owners written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher.

Warning: The doing of an unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 84905 359 4

eISBN 978 0 85700 708 7

Printed and bound in Great Britain

To my sons Daniel and Samuel for your never-ending patience when listening to my stories. My parents for giving me a solid foundation. Emre (Askim) for believing in me. All the children/young people with ADHD/ADD we work with in East/North Hertfordshire. Working with you teaches me new things every day things not found in any textbook.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Mrs Susan McKay of Whitehall School, Cambridgeshire, for your helpful comments and contributions.

A big thank you to Mr David Entwistle for your part in this books journey.

Thank you to all my work colleagues for your encouragement and support, especially to Dr Inyang Takon for continuing to inspire me to strive for the best for our children and young people with ADHD.

Finally, thanks to Lucy Buckroyd and all JKP staff for your help and also to Chris Martin for his lovely illustrations.

The Story of Fidgety Philip

Let me see if Philip can

Be a little gentleman;

Let me see if he is able

To sit still for once at table:

Thus Papa bade Phil behave;

And Mamma looked very grave.

But fidgety Phil,

He wont sit still;

He wriggles,

And giggles,

And then, I declare,

Swings backwards and forwards,

And tilts up his chair,

Just like any rocking-horse

Philip! I am getting cross!

See the naughty, restless child

Growing still more rude and wild,

Till his chair falls over quite.

Philip screams with all his might,

Catches at the cloth, but then

That makes matters worse again.

Down upon the ground they fall,

Glasses, plates, knives, forks, and all.

How Mamma did fret and frown,

When she saw them tumbling down!

And Papa made such a face!

Philip is in sad disgrace.

Where is Philip, where is he?

Fairly covered up you see!

Cloth and all are lying on him;

He has pulled down all upon him.

What a terrible to-do!

Dishes, glasses, snapt in two!

Here a knife, and there a fork!

Philip, this is cruel work.

Table all so bare, and ah!

Poor Papa and poor Mamma

Look quite cross, and wonder how

They shall have their dinner now.

Heinrich Hoffman, 1845

Hi, my name is Ben and I have a condition with a long name called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD for short.

Some people refer to it as attention deficit disorder or ADD, which is ADHD without the H or hyperactivity.

Before I tell you about ADHD, I want to tell you more about myself.

My name is actually Benjamin but I prefer being called Ben.

I live with my parents and my four-year-old twin sisters in a big town.

I love playing football every Saturday and Im currently the top goal scorer in my football team.

I wish I could play football every day because Im happiest when Im doing things that require a lot of energy.

My hobbies are swimming, football, skateboarding and art. I like art because it helps me to express my feelings and also focus on schoolwork.

Although I have ADHD, Im just like any other child.

Ben aka (also known as...)

I am known by several nicknames because of my ADHD. Im sure youve heard of a few of them.

Having ADHD means that I sometimes behave in a certain way that makes me stand out. My family and teachers often call me naughty.

Sometimes I find it very hard to control some of my behaviour and feel really sad when I upset someone and get into trouble a lot.

Having ADHD can make me feel less confident.

Teachers who do not know me say Im a troublemaker and keep me in class during playtime. Some of my classmates upset me by saying unkind things about me.

This is why I want to tell you more about ADHD, so you can understand and help me.

Grown-ups, especially teachers, who meet me for the first time may think Im being naughty as I find it difficult to remain in my seat or not fiddle with something.

Sitting still in my classroom chair makes me feel really tired and causes me to lose concentration in lessons.

Fiddling with something in class can help me focus and is not meant to disrupt lessons.