From special needs to troubled teens

How well are ADHD kids coping with the
transition to adolescence?

By Deana Stokes Sullivan

Going from childhood to adolescence is tough for any kid. Trying to fit in and deal with puberty and pimples is bad enough. Add to the mix some impulsive behaviour, inattentiveness and hyperactivity, common signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and you've got a potentially troubled teen, according to Scott Downey. He should know -- in addition to being a child and adolescent psychologist, he had ADHD as a child, which went undiagnosed until he was an adult.

"I was hyperactive when I was younger and I guess I'm still hyperactive now because I've got three jobs," he jokes. "But at least now I'm hyperactive in a more productive way." In addition to assessing and diagnosing children in a learning-behaviour clinic, Mr Downey also counsels children with ADHD at the Janeway Child Health Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Under the umbrella of ADHD there are three sub-types: ADHD primary inattentive, ADHD primary hyperactive and ADHD combined, where daydreaming, inattention, distractibility and hyperactivity occur at the same time.

"Kids with ADHD, who also have hyperactivity, present with even more concerns because their hyperactivity gets them into trouble," says Mr Downey. Sometimes when children with ADHD reach adolescence, he says, the hyperactivity decreases even though the other symptoms continue.

Many teens with ADHD also have learning disabilities. "A lot of times they may be bright kids, but they're not achieving academically because of their symptoms," he says. There are a lot of teens with ADHD who have been quite successful going through the adolescent stage, but the necessary supports, counselling and understanding of ADHD are crucial. "It's important for teens with ADHD to know that they have strengths and needs that are different than some other people, but they're not abnormal, crazy, retarded or stupid," says Mr Downey. He often tells his clients and their parents his own personal story to give them hope and assure them that they're normal and OK.

Downey notes that some teens with ADHD find they can improve their attention span and focusing ability through things like exercise. In his own personal experience, he has achieved this through martial arts, but he stresses that every person is an individual and it's important for them to find their own interests. A lot of kids with ADHD don't stick at things for very long, but often when they find something they like, "they can become much better than average at it because they tend to overfocus on things they're interested in," says Mr Downey.

Mr Downey has seen a lot of young people he's counselled actually follow in his footsteps and become involved in martial arts and music. Three of his male clients with ADHD have become musicians. "A fair number are also involved in hockey," says Downey, but he points out that group activities are not always suitable for people with ADHD. They can have difficulty being part of a team because they can get distracted easily and if they're daydreaming, they'll be chastised by the team for not focusing. "In individual sports, they do well," he says.

Teens with ADHD often socialize with other ADHD kids. They all hang around together, most of them aren't doing well in school so they goof off and get into trouble. "It can be difficult for parents to deal with, but when you're an adolescent, the most important thing for you is what your peer group thinks, not your family and not your parents," says Mr Downey. "There's no clear cookbook, answers or steps to follow, but if parents start off by punishing their child for opening up and being honest, then that communication is going to be quickly shut off," he cautions.

On the positive side ADHD is being diagnosed earlier today and there are more supports and resources for children and youth with the disorder. Ten years ago, Mr Downey recalls having a lot of adolescents referred to him for the first time, but now most referrals are coming in for children in primary grades, from kindergarten up. Guidance counsellors in the school system are much more educated today about ADHD.

There are also new medications available, says Mr Downey, such as Concerta. Unlike Ritalin, which had to be taken in the morning and again in the afternoon during school hours, Concerta can be taken just once a day, taking away the stigma of having to pop pills in front of other kids.