The unique brain pattern of a child with ADHD

During a recent training course in English by a group of experts on ADHD, I wanted to share with you one of the excerpts from the course.

Your child has been diagnosed or is being screened forAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD in French. ADHD in English.

I hope this text gives you and your child hope.

IF this disorder has been validated, your child is in good company! You may have noticed that many personalities around the world are equipped with this disorder and have succeeded in transforming this initial limitation, from the point of view of others, into real success.

Some famous names:

Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, Adam Levine, Justin Timberlake, Will Smith, Ryan Gosling, Emma Watson, Michael Jordan, Michelle Rodriguez...
The latest rumor would add Albert Einstein.revisions. I'm also thinking of Mozart, Davinci, etc. In fact, people who, perhaps in spite of themselves, thought and acted outside expectations and forecasts...

And yet, for every person in the world who thrives with ADHD, there are dozens, even hundreds, for whom it is a real suffering, a real limitation. 

These people have difficulty respecting social norms, don't fit in with society, perform less well at work, feel disconnected from the world, fall into depression and never reach their full potential.

Yes, that's what it means to "suffer", to be equipped with this disorder.

As the parent of a child with ADHD, you have a unique opportunity to help your child turn his or her "handicap" into his or her greatest strength. In fact, every ADHD symptom has two facets.
Their apparent inability to concentrate and lack of attention can be transformed into a remarkable ability to multitask, develop lateral thinking and master a variety of valuable skills faster than most children ever will.

This ability to move fluidly from one idea to another, and to adapt to changing environments, can help them discover new ideas and approaches in everything they do. Their brains, if pointed in the right direction, can literally become a supercharged engine of creativity. 

Their lack of attention to detail can be transformed into a unique ability to see the big picture. They can learn to focus on the things that really matter, develop strategic and critical skills, make tough decisions quickly and identify patterns in chaotic data sets that might otherwise be hard to spot. Their giddiness can turn into resilience - thanks to their unique abilities, they can overcome setbacks and failures in a matter of minutes. 

They may not be "normal" children. They may be different and unique. Recognize them for what they are, instead of blaming them for what they're not.

Don't try to make them like other children... And don't compare them to them. 

They may not get good grades at school...But they can still have a successful career in their chosen field.
They may not have as many friends as other children, and may be a little awkward in social situations...But they will become the most loyal companions of the few friends they do find.
They certainly won't be the best at tidying their rooms... But they might be able to invent new gadgets that could literally change the world in the future.

Instead of trying to make them into someone they'll never be, focus on their development, their growth and support them in their unique abilities that make them truly special.

Help them become the best version of themselves they were meant to be.

The first thing to do is to understand the unique pattern of the "Ferrari brain".
You see, children with ADHD are wired differently.
Your child has a unique view of the world, different from that of nearly 90% of the population. This uniqueness is deeply rooted in the particular wiring of his brain and sensory system. These differences allow your child to alternate tasks and use his senses in slightly unconventional ways.
By understanding your child's individual "operating system", you'll be better equipped to implement the strategies you can learn from seminars, training courses, parent-child programs and ADHD coaching to effectively meet your child's needs.

Imagine your child's brain as a big city with different zones for specific activities.

The first zone is like the business district of the city - let's call it the "zone of concentration". This is where your child immerses himself completely in a task he enjoys, much like an executive who is fully committed to an important meeting. In these moments, he may forget everything else...just as the executive may forget to eat his lunch until the meeting is over.

The second area is the Dream Park. This is where your child revisits past experiences and imagines plans or scenarios for the future. Here, your child may be working out creative solutions or dreaming up new ideas...... much like an architect creating a mental image of a building he's going to design.
Ideally, these two zones - the "concentration zone" and the "dream park" - should be occupied in turn, creating a balance between thorough, concentrated work and creative imagination.

However, in children with this disorder, the city's traffic system sometimes has difficulty ensuring the transition between these two areas. This can lead to "traffic jams" where they can get stuck in one place, which can cause certain problems.
For example, they may be so captivated by a task in the "zone of concentration" that they neglect other responsibilities - homework, household chores, meetings with friends or a dentist's appointment.

Or his thoughts may linger in the "Park of Dreams" for hours, and you may wonder what he's been doing all day...At that point, they're constantly stuck in these traffic jams, and it's not their fault.

What you'll discover : Your child is not neglecting his or her responsibilities or disrespecting your requests - he or she's just a child. it's often the brain that's partly to blame. He tends to dream in the clouds and overthink every thought. When he suffers from time blindness, he literally loses track of time and forgets all the things that are important to you.

But there's a third and most important area of your child's brain. Let's call it the gym.
Scientists have discovered that this part of the ADHD brain is a little smaller than in other brains. This part of the brain is mainly responsible for fine motor skills, balance and coordination... But it also has an impact on attention, working memory and thinking.

This difference in size is the main reason for the difficulties that ADHD children generally encounter:
-Difficulties with writing, lacing shoes, etc;
- Frequent falls or clumsy, uncoordinated movements;
- Difficulty concentrating on a task;
- Reduced attention span;
- Planning and organization difficulties;
- Inability to regulate emotions.

The good news is that this "cerebellar center" is incredibly adaptable, especially in children whose brains are still developing. Just as a gym can improve its equipment, children with ADHD can work this "brain muscle" and overcome some of the challenges associated with ADHD.

Unfortunately, most children aren't able to figure out how to do this for themselves. It's not until adulthood that they learn they may have ADHD, and that's when they learn to use their gift in a way that helps them thrive, not struggle.

But you, as a parent, CAN!

You can help them learn to drive their Ferrari brains so they don't crash or get stuck in "traffic jams". You can help them develop their gifts into talents that will make them exceptional human beings. You can help them avoid the constant stress and anxiety they feel when they miss deadlines, fail to concentrate, procrastinate or fail to meet commitments.
And by doing this, by truly and deeply understanding how they function and accepting them as they are, you can discover new ways of getting them to listen to you and cooperate with you without resistance.
Children with ADHD, even more than other children, need a mentor and role model to help them navigate an overstimulating world. They need your help because they can't do it alone. They need to have someone like Albus Dumbledore in their lives, who notices how special they are and helps them thrive.

Yes, like me, you may be equipped with this life companion, because it's 80% hereditary. And you too have had to learn to live with these disorders, this brain pathology, whether consciously or not. You should therefore find it easier to understand and guide your child, perhaps sparing him the wanderings you went through before finding your Way, and your voice.

I've been there myself. I've tested, sometimes understood nothing, taken risks, experienced beautiful failures as well as real successes, explored how to go beyond, understand what was expected in order to be able to create what I knew was possible. All these experiences offered me the opportunity to go beyond what I thought was impossible, and to no longer be battered by my emotions, but to capitalize on that enthusiastic energy when I knew it was now. And throughout my professional and private experiences, as a coach and as a mother, I've helped these sensitive and different people to discover their specific talents, the possible choices transformed into realization and the creation of their own lives.

When chatting on various social networks, I always share that I wouldn't want a different brain for anything in the world! With such a companion for life and all our lives, boredom is never present and you always have a new idea to keep you going.

Yes, that's what it means to haveAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorderor not.