Make Your Child Smarter

ADHD and Gifted

Q: I have an eight-year-old daughter that has been diagnose with ADHD and a visual perception problem. Her oral skills and memory are amazing this is something her teachers and people that meet her for the first time will notice and comment to me about. She is curious, a problem-solver and very creative she has unique ideas and solutions.

I need to place her in the right learning path. please help.

A: Your daughter exhibits many of the gifts of ADHD and she is lucky to have a parent who sees them so clearly. To get her on the right learning path, the best thing you can do is focus on building her strengths rather than patching up her weaknesses. For example, you may want to discuss with her teachers the possibilities of more project-based learning where she gets to solve real problems in the real world rather than just filling out piles of worksheets which is the standard these days.

You may want to find an environment that will be flexible in tolerating her need for more physical activity, is willing to give more individual attention to her because the ADHD in combination with the visual perception problem. One of the best things you can do is to advocate for her to her teachers. Make sure her teachers see the same gifts you do and ask them to emphasize the gifts. What parents and teachers pay attention to will be what you get more of. Its called the self-fulfilling prophesy.

As a parent, you can begin to steer her toward interests that use her gifts, and don't push her in arenas she may not be so strong in. Find out what she has a passion for and use those passions to build skills she will need to get through school. Think of yourself as her coach and help her to build her ability to pay attention to details and to listen to others.

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