Parent's Share

    Here you can post what you would like to share with other parents.  Or, what would you like teachers to know?  Then I will post it on the site. Only your first name will be posted!

• For Parents & Teachers:  My daughter wasn't diagnosed with ADD until last year she was 13 at the time. We always knew she has something going on, We thought she was ditzy and the teachers kept saying she was fine but once she hit home she stopped working.. She would work her tush off at school and by 3 she was mentally drained.. At the beginning of last year her grades fell to c's and d's still the school did nothing, We then urged our doctor she is now on Meds and a Straight A student... We are so proud of her!!!! And even more Proud to say she is a "Leader type" in her older girl troop something that we've never seen before in her has sprung!!! Teachers no parents concerns are too small, I know that the school is limited budget but listen and expand your mind. Parents Your child is full of potential and can do anything with just a little help.. Did you know that they say the most famous of inventors were ADD?  Ginger, mother of 13 year old
   

• For Parents & Teachers:  I am a parent of a 7 year old girl scout with ADHD. I myself, have ADD. I was finally diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago. I struggled in school like the rest of the kids with this disorder. I was a little hyper, but more of a daydreamer. I had to learn study skills in college, but made it through with lots of hard work. My daughter had symptoms of ADHD around 2 years old. Her own grandfather, a Pediatrician refused she had it, until she started Kindergarten. The teacher's reports finally convinced him to treat her. She really struggled until just this last year in 2nd grade, where she received an award for making the honor roll all year. It was a very emotional time for me that she really doesn't understand. You young girls are so lucky to have found out at a young age and able to receive treatment. I wasn't so lucky. I struggled with the rejection from other children, difficulties concentrating and worse, parents that were not knowledgeable and understanding of what I was going through.
  My advise to all of you is to continue with your treatment from the doctors and take advantage of the benefits. Since my daughter and I have started taking our medication, that smart and secure person has come out of us.  Stephanie, 34

• For Parents & Teachers:  This site is fabulous!!! Bravo, Carly, on a superb job! My name is Lori, I'm a woman with ADD, and have run groups as a therapist for girls with ADD . I've been looking for something exactly like your site for years! Thank you (and mom) for making this wonderful resource available to all~ Lori

• For Parents:  I am an elementary teacher & would like to encourage parents to be as educated as possible on the topics that your child deals with (ADHD or otherwise). It is up to you to advocate for your child that her individual needs are met even in the most traditional classroom settings. I encourage you to work with the teachers as much as possible and share strategies that you have found successful at home. Some teachers know very well how to accommodate for different learning styles, and others need ideas too. My heart goes out to you but the key is working with your teachers all the way. (Wish this site was around when I was a Brownie!!)  I. Teach

• For Parents & Teachers:  I just wanted to say that a very special girl in our GS troop has ADHD. I am very proud of her and all her accomplishments! She has served as a program aide at Day Camp ( and performed very well) and went to resident camp by herself. She has taught me a lot and I Love her Very Much!  Pam, GS Leader

• For Parents & Teachers:  My daughter is 8 years old and I would like to share how difficult it seems to be finding and then keeping friends for her. I wish that there were words to let her know that her time will come. I wish that more teachers understood that social behavior also affects academics. That when my daughter feels comfortable with her peers she flourishes in academics but when she feels like no one likes her, her behavior affects her school work. I wish that I could find a play group for adhd girls. I want people to know that medication helps but isn't a cure. Environment is key (my opinion) and unfortunately we as parents can't control that for our children throughout their lives. Good luck to all of you. YOU GO GIRLS! Believe always in yourselves. Marcie

• For Parents & Teachers:  My daughter, who is now in 6th grade was struggling with school ever since 1st grade. In 3rd grade we had all the testing done and they didn't find anything wrong. Our Dr said she was not ADD. She continued to have problems in 4th. In the middle of 4th, I did research into ADD and she seemed to meet all the classic symptoms, the teacher, just said, " I am not allowed to say that, it is a medical diagnosis, you should go see your Dr".  Teachers see more kids than Drs do, they are a much better judge of normal child behavior. Stupid rule!  Anyway I saw my doctor with all my research and this time he agreed. We put her on Adderal, and saw a vast improvement on her ability to concentrate in class. We only give it to her during the week, not on the weekend or on days she does not need it. We did not give it to her during the summer. She earned her Bronze Award last year and Bridged up to Cadettes. We are very proud of her. I learned a lot from this site, thank you for putting it together. A Leader and Mother of an 11 year old.

• For Parents & Teachers:  As a mother of four children, I know all children develop at their own rate and their personalities are all different. After two years of constant questioning doctors and teachers, my youngest child (daughter) was diagnosed at the end of first grade with Learning Disabilities specifically in reading. She has (mild) dyslexia. Having just completed junior high and struggling grades (A's in all subjects accept (D's) in Reading and English), with comments such as "pleasure to have in class" and "inconsistency"--I suspected more. Statistics show 4 to 10 percent of all children have ADD or ADHD but because girls don't always show signs of hyperactivity 1 in 4 girls go undiagnosed.

Parents AND Teachers know best, but because a teacher CAN NOT come right out and say "I think she's ADD" parents need to hear the clue words that teachers use and also hope WE will pick up on. It wasn't until a Special Ed teacher told me that she is "A great kid, but gets fidgety and distracted very easily and occasionally gives answers before questions are fully asked. She just blurts out." Only because I am a college student, who had struggled all my life with school work, working on an ADD Thesis did I jump up and say "OH my goodness...is she ADD?" The teacher said, "Possibly" (Teachers CAN NOT SAY YES) I should talk to her doctor...if I suspect so."

My daughter is being evaluated and I am 43 and have just been diagnosed with with Adult ADD. (Which means as a child I too had the syndrome.) Life is unbelievable now that I am on medication. My brain doesn't constantly "race" and can actually focus on one conversation or one task at one time. I am a wife, a mother, work during the school year, and go to college (with a GPA of 3.78) I want to be a teacher so I can teach children not only the mandated curriculum but empathy toward children who struggle physically or problems relating to non-visible disabilities. God Bless this Girl Scout and all girls with ADD. I too, was a girl scout and an assistant leader for six years.  Donna

Note from Webmaster's Mother :  It seems many women who begin the ADHD discovery process with their daughters start realizing that they themselves, may be impacted.  There is an interesting AD/HD Rating Scale for Women that is worth checking out.  Also, a book that has come highly recommended is Understanding Women With ADHD by Kathleen Nadeau, PhD., the author of the wonderful book, Understanding Girls With ADHD.  Finally, an on-line article definitely worth reading is Women and ADD .

• For Parents:  My daughter was just recently diagnosed ADD in the 3rd grade, after suspecting in 1st and 2nd that there might be a problem when her teachers would mention that she daydreamed alot. Everyone dismissed the problems until last year when she was faced with taking the TAKS test. It is stressful for children without any barriers to take the TAKS, but was almost impossible for her to deal with it having ADD. Due to the problems she was having coping, we went to her counselor at school who got us on the right path to getting her diagnosed. It was her teacher's first year teaching, so it was a learning experience for all of us. She feels so much better about herself now that she knows why she couldn't concentrate, and after starting treatment began to show immediate improvement in her work, her self esteem, and in her social skills. She is even able to make friends now-which didn't happen before. Other kids just thought she was weird. I think this website is wonderful. It gives girls just like her a chance to see that there are many other girls and girl scouts out there just like her. I let her read the girls part and she was amazed that there were other girls like her that face the same problems that she does. Great Job!  Kim, GS Troop Leader

• For Parents & Teachers:  My daughter, Heather, is ADHD/ODD. She is 7. She is a second year Brownie. I am one of three co-leaders in our troop. I am one of the leaders responsible for registration at our school. I would like to encourage special needs children to join scouts and our troop. Heather has done very well in scouts. I think this is a very good site you have created and I hope that many benefit from it.  Cheryl

• My oldest daughter is a Senior Girl Scout working toward her Gold. She has had a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD since third grade. By 10th grade, she had additional diagnoses of depression and ODD. Life is not easy for her. She did get her Silver Award (a Pet Care Fun Day for younger scouts) and is working toward her Gold. Even though most of her leaders (and, unfortunately, her teachers) never understood her behavior and some were not pleasant to her, she stayed in scouting because she set that goal to reach for the Gold. It is one of the few goals that she set long term and has actually worked consistently to achieve. Please tell all girls out there that they can succeed and not to let any adult (whether a teacher or leader) stop them with negativity. I hope they all succeed in their goals.  Sr. Troop Leader