ADHD

[Rainbow_ADHDash]

Dear all

My son (10) has a mild form of ADHD, and I am mostly concerned these days about his time scheduling ability.

Should the place and time to pick him up after sports change because I have a time constraint (we are talking about either meeting at one of the sports centres, at home or in front of his school, ie in a 200m triangle!), he is not able to remember it and waits for me quietly at the last place where he was, does not remember where we are supposed to go next.

For example today, he went to a chess playing course for the first time today until 3.30 pm. I told him to go home directly to pick up his stuff for his usual running course, which is at 4pm as I know he can't manage time (I am working from home and could not pick him up). He did not come home after chess playing so I went to see his running instructors but he didn't show up. I called the chess place and they told me he was quietly waiting for me at the reception, totally unaware of time and that he had to go to his running course! 

So I am lost as I don't know how I can teach him a new routine when I am unable to be here. He is not allowed to have a watch or a phone either at school or at the sports centre. 

I am mostly worried as he is going to have new activities during the summer and I can't be behind his back all the time. There is no appointment available at a MH specialist near me (France) for the next 3 months.

Thanks for your help !

[Bre-RO]

Hey, @Rainbow_ADHDash thank you for sharing about your son. 

It's great that you are seeking different ways of getting support while waiting for an appointment with a mental health professional. It's so tough waiting for appointments when concerns arise in daily life.

One suggestion (that you might already be doing) is to record the concerns you have and challenges you notice, such as time scheduling. When you eventually attend an appointment, you'll have plenty of tangible examples to discuss. 

Time blindness is one term to describe the challenge with people ADHD have with time management and planning (you can read a bit about it here). I thought it might be helpful for you to check out this website which provides support for parents of children with ADHD between the ages of 5-11 years. 

As we're an Australian-based service, support groups or services may be available in your local area however we aren't aware of them. Does your son's school provide any support? Speaking to his teachers about how to best support him and asking about possible services could be worthwhile.

It sounds like although your son is having some challenges with keeping time, he's experiencing a common aspect of ADHD that can be improved on with strategies and support.

In saying that, it's understandably worrying for a caring parent like yourself. Are there any people in your life who support you when you're worried? 

Hope to hear back from you soon and take care!