October marks national Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) awareness month and a Springboro mom has made it her mission to unite more parents with resources.
“A lot of people think that kids with ADHD are just hyperactive kids but with my son at least there’s a lot of other things that go along with that,” said Beth Bryner, founder of the Dayton Parents of ADHD children Facebook group.
Her son Cameron is a first grader at Clearcreek Elementary School in Springboro. He was diagnosed with ADHD a few months ago, which is why she created a Facebook group to connect parents to valuable information and resources.
According to Dayton Children’s Hospital, “a person with ADHD has differences in brain development and brain activity that affect attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control.”
“Maybe you tap your foot or twiddle your thumbs when you sitting and it [ADHD} is like that—only for them [kids diagnoses with ADHD] they need it on a much bigger scale,” said Renae Bucklew, Cameron’s first grade teacher at Clearcreek Elementary.
Bucklew said students diagnosed with ADHD are often over stimulated by the classroom. She said each child is different and she makes adjustments dependent on their needs. For Cameron she offers movement breaks, incentives for focusing and a ‘wiggle chair.’
“That over stimulation that kids get—it gives them a chance to wiggle without drawing a lot of to her or himself from the other kiddos,” said Bucklew.
The chair is portable, which allows Cameron to carry it anywhere in the classroom.
“When they sit on them, the air kind of moves around so kind of gets that motion while he’s at his desk which is really nice and now we use them at home,” said Bryner.
-Inattentive. Kids who are inattentive (easily distracted) have trouble focusing their attention, concentrating, and staying on task. They may not listen well to directions, may miss important details, and may not finish what they start. They may daydream or dawdle too much. They may seem absent-minded or forgetful, and lose track of their things.
-Hyperactive. Kids who are hyperactive are fidgety, restless, and easily bored. They may have trouble sitting still, or staying quiet when needed. They may rush through things and make careless mistakes. They may climb, jump, or roughhouse when they shouldn't. Without meaning to, they may act in ways that disrupt others.
-Impulsive. Kids who are impulsive act too quickly before thinking. They often interrupt, might push or grab, and find it hard to wait. They may do things without asking for permission, take things that aren't theirs, or act in ways that are risky. They may have emotional reactions that seem too intense for the situation.
“He [Cameron] is not good with understanding other people’s emotions because there’s so much going on in his own head. He’s not good at reading body language,” said Bryner. She added that the journey with the ADHD diagnosis for both the parents and the kids has a lot of ups and downs, which is why having a group for parental support, is essential.