Problem Solving

NOTE: The following was written November 16, 2006. Watch the blog tomorrow for a follow-up post!

I got an email today from a teacher concerning a project that one of my boys hadn't turned in. I called this child at work!, asking what was up. "I was at the orthodontist when she assigned it and I don't know how to do it." This is why I worry he'll one day lose a checkbook and therefore neglect to pay his bills.

Many times our children have a difficult time 'switching gears' into problem solving mode. One of ours used to sit around in his boxers complaining about being cold. It took a long time before I realized that he really couldn't move his brain to figure out what to do next. One of his teachers taught me to say, "Problem solve!" This little phrase was a verbal push that helps shift the brain into problem solving mode. One day he complained of the cold, I said, "Problem solve!" and he actually said, "Duh! I need to get dressed."

I knew then that I was on the right track. And now, even with today's undone project, I still know that we're on the right track. Because the good news is that this child is getting better. He's actually keeping a checkbook, is always on time to work, and for the most part is doing his schoolwork without my help. He even remembered to vote last week...

This project was just a reminder that ADHD is sometimes a lifelong struggle. The problems change, but the strategies for combating them remain the same. Our job is to transfer the task of gear shifting to the child. But as for now, I can guarantee that this voting aged boy of mine will work on - and finish - the project tonight.