How will ADHD affect my child’s future?

How will ADHD affect my child's future?

Every parent of a child with ADHD worries about what's going to happen when their baby grows up. True, there can be challenges ahead, but with the right support and management ADHD kids will thrive.

Early diagnosis helps

Early diagnosis and treatment is the key to helping a child with ADHD enjoy success and happiness in adult life, says Blythe Corbett, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at the University of California.

But she doesn't gloss over the facts. “They have a much higher rate of divorce. They have a much higher rate of car accidents, of having difficulty getting jobs and keeping jobs; and the percentage of individuals going to [university] and graduating…, despite being very smart people, is considerably lower than the general population,” she says.

“And so it does have a lifelong impact on many individuals, but we also know on the positive side that if we intervene early, we give them the appropriate supports, that they clearly can excel and do quite well actually in their lives.”

ADHD success story

Leading Australian ADHD advocate, Michele Toner agrees, saying there are many successful people who have admitted to having ADHD. US Olympic swimming champion and mega-gold medallist Michael Phelps was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 9, was treated with a combination of medication and behavioural therapy for a few years before learning to manage his ADHD without drugs.

His mum credits swimming as an activity which greatly helped Michael's ADHD.She told US magazine Good Housekeeping: “Swimmers have to develop good time management when they're juggling school work and hours of practice.

“The pool itself helped Michael, too. ADHD children need parameters. Even if Michael's mind was all over the place, he could focus on going up and down the pool. Plus, water itself has a calming, soothing effect.”

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Last revised: Tuesday, 20 July 2010


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