How to Live With Someone Who Has ADD
Living with family isn't easy under the best circumstances. Each member of the family has a different personality, likes and dislikes. Add Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) into the dynamic, and the goal of getting along with everyone in the family has just been complicated. The family member diagnosed with this disorder deals with too much stimuli, impulsiveness and the inability to pay attention consistently. You and your family members can learn how to live with ADD and with each other.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Children
-
1
Touch your child's shoulder to get her attention before you say something to her. When you have her full attention, turn the sound of the television down, make eye contact and say what you need to say.
-
2
Give only one or two instructions at a time. Children with ADD can't focus their attention for too long.
-
-
3
Seek family therapy so you and your family member can learn new ways of interacting with each other. A licensed family therapist can help you identify behaviors and find new and more positive ways of responding to those behaviors and your child. Include other children in these sessions, because the ADD symptoms have affected their relationship with their sibling as well.
-
4
Find other ways of disciplining your child with ADD. She doesn't want to act out, but she cannot control the impulsiveness, inattention or outbursts of anger. Instead of raising your voice, take her aside and ask what led to the behaviors.
-
5
Give your child with ADD positive attention. She may have only received negative attention in the past, which can affect how she feels about herself. Find ways to praise and "catch" her in a positive behavior.
-
6
Arrange social skills training for your child. Her social development lags behind other children of the same age, so she needs to learn new behaviors and skills, such as sharing toys, waiting for her turn during games, and dealing with teasing behaviors.
Adults
-
7
Learn to communicate with the family member who has been diagnosed with ADD. This person's mind has to block out distracting stimuli from different sources, which makes it more difficult for him to concentrate on conversations.
-
8
Look for ways to reduce the distractions around you and the family member with ADD. Make it a habit to talk in quieter environments, where loud noises or other conversations will not intrude.
-
9
Allow for a level of sound that helps to mask smaller, more repetitive noises, like the "clack-clack-clack" of fan blades or the hum of the refrigerator fan. These sounds, while small, can also contribute to your family member's inability to concentrate. If the sound of a television program or music coming from an MP3 player, set to a low volume, helps, allow this.
-
10
Communicate in writing when possible. This makes the message more permanent because it is recorded on paper; the person can focus on the written message more easily.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you are involved in a relationship with someone who has ADD, seek couples counseling. Find ways of interacting with each other that focus on your partner's strong points.
Sit down and have regular meetings with your family and the family member with ADD. Discuss issues and situations that have developed and ways you can deal with them.
Don't yell at the family member with ADD -- she may already suffer from lowered self-esteem.
References
- Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
