"Your child has ADHD..."
That's not exactly what every parent wants to hear. All parents hope to have that "normal" child. But what is the "normal"? Is it doing what everyone else is doing? Is it getting good grades and never getting in trouble? I, however, don't fall into that "normal" category, nor do I want to.
Growing up, I always had trouble sitting still, I had trouble with blurting out and not raising my hand, I struggled with reading comprehension, and with making friends. I was that obnoxious friend. I mean, I still am, but I've learned to control it. In elementary school, I remember always getting up and not being able to sit in my seat for very long. My teachers would constantly call me out and tell me to stop distracting the other students. I wasn't doing it on purpose; I couldn't help it. During class, I was always blurting out the answer before I was called on because I either felt the class was too slow or I just couldn't hold the answer in.
In first grade, they would do reading comprehensions. I remember being nervous for them because we would have competitions on who would read the fastest. However, it didn't matter if I read fast or slow, I still couldn't remember what I had read. It could've been right after I finished or five minutes after, I guessed on all of the questions, in hopes that I was close. I do still struggle with reading comprehension, but it's getting better.
I struggled to make close friends. I had friends that I would hang out with, but never really felt close to them. I was the obnoxious friend who talked loud, would change the subject quickly, or I would get too close into people's personal space without realizing that I made them uncomfortable. I'm happy to have a group of close friends now that like me for me and aren't quick to judge when I start acting crazy or obnoxious.
I wasn't officially diagnosed with ADHD until my junior year of high school. It was almost a feeling of relief to me and my parents because it explained so many of the questions that we had about my behavior.
I never want to be defined as "normal." I never want to be defined for my ADHD. I just want to keep being me.
