Have you ever found yourself stuck, feeling like nothing you try is working with a child in your life? I’ve been there, and recently, I stumbled upon something that made everything click! I realize that my blogs have had a healthcare focus recently, so I want to keep this one short and sweet. But I wanted to share something with you that has positively impacted my life. After a deep discussion with my beautiful aunt about one of the loves of my life and their behavioral struggles, she shared a video with me.

The video is a talk by Dr. Susan Jerrott titled Tips and Strategies for Working with Kids with ADHD. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9OnMQQ_GIQ&t=10s. Trainings I’ve attended focused on ADHD were typically focused on behavioral health interventions. While I wholeheartedly believe in behavioral interventions, I have always been told that medication alone helps, behavioral intervention alone helps, but the combination of both is the most effective treatment. Yet, I realize now, that’s not exactly the whole story.

I’ve participated in training on ADHD since 2007, but I’ve never personally diagnosed it; I leave that to psychiatrists, psychologists, and primary care providers. ADHD is a complex diagnosis and can easily be misdiagnosed. Many symptoms overlap with other common conditions such as trauma, anxiety, and depression.

A New Perspective on ADHD

Dr. Jerrott’s video, however, gave me a new perspective. What she said is that, for children with ADHD, behavioral intervention is important but largely ineffective without the combination of medication. This explains why parents often feel like they’re spinning their wheels using the same parenting techniques that work on virtually every other child but seem to be ineffective with their own. I myself have experienced this, trying every parenting skill in my toolbox—focusing on consistency, praise, rewards, natural and logical consequences... you name it, but nothing ultimately changed. Well, there’s a reason for that, I learned—it’s because they are ineffective!

Key Takeaways from Dr. Jerrott's Talk

One of the main reasons I questioned an ADHD diagnosis for the child in my life was because their behavioral patterns were so inconsistent. Some days they’d respond wonderfully to parenting strategies. The next day, nothing would work! Some days they’d respond well to routine, and the next day they’d need help with every step. Some days they’d share and play well with peers; other days, as soon as they enter the room, both adults and peers would be upset! Why could they do it one day and not the next? Or why would they behave well in the morning but have a train wreck of an evening? ADHD is supposed to be consistent across the board, right?

I found out, no! Dr. Jerrott explained that "kids with ADHD are up and down in terms of their performance, and there are a lot of factors that influence that. You can try to manipulate those factors." She then goes on to explain more effective parenting strategies for these children.

Here are a few other things that stuck with me:

• The longer you wait to medicate, the more time they have to commit certain negative behaviors to habits, especially when it comes to their studies, how they problem solve, how they handle big emotions, and ways they learn to interact with adults and peers.
• They have difficulty making and keeping friends due to underdeveloped social skills.
• They tend to feel emotions in extremes, experiencing both extreme joy and happiness, as well as anger and sadness.
• On average, they are about 30% behind their peers in terms of maturity level. They will eventually catch up, but not typically until their mid-twenties.
• They typically can’t hear you unless you speak to them directly and ask them to repeat what they heard.
• They are often drawn to high-stimulation activities and people, which may lead them to connect with other kids who also have behavioral issues at school.

Why ADHD Behaviors Seem Inconsistent

After watching Dr. Jerrott's talk, I realized that what might seem like inconsistency in behavior is actually very characteristic of ADHD. Children with ADHD can fluctuate greatly in their ability to handle different situations based on factors like their mood, environment, and how overwhelmed they might feel that day. It helped me understand that the ups and downs aren’t a result of lack of effort or ineffective parenting—they’re just part of how ADHD affects their behavior.

Closing Thoughts

Learning about ADHD from Dr. Jerrott has brought me lasting peace of mind and reassurance that we’re on the right track, and that everything will work out in the end. If you’ve ever wondered whether a child in your life might have ADHD, or if you’re feeling unsure about the best approach, I highly recommend checking out her video. Have you noticed signs of ADHD in your child or student? Let’s start a conversation!

Here’s another short but helpful video from Seattle Children’s Hospital that also offers useful tips for parents and teachers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktb520seHYk. By understanding ADHD from this perspective, I feel more empowered to help those in my life.