(May 3, 2006) -- "Entering middle school, my son suddenly hit a brick wall."

Chris Pardee, with his mom, Monica, and dog, Ebi, said his attention deficit disorder wasn't a big problem until he hit middle school. Chris is now in ninth grade, and Monica is confident he'll graduate from high school. DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES Monica Pardee has learned lots of "tricks and coping strategies" since her son, Chris Pardee, was diagnosed with ADD. "You are your child's best advocate," she says. "Never, ever give up."

Wendy Karboski's 13-year-old son has attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Go to any conference or support group about ADHD and you'll hear many personal stories that begin this way.

School-related problems often suddenly escalate when ADHD kids hit middle school. The transition can be stressful for the best of students, but for a child with an "invisible" disability such as ADHD, it can be traumatic unless parents, teachers and the students themselves team up to address problems before they escalate. Without intervention, there's plenty that can go wrong:

Staying organized is a pipe dream for the ADHD student in a school setting with multiple classes. The necessary skills — keeping planners; filing papers; and remembering whatever books, binders and implements are needed for class or homework — don't develop naturally. In ADHD kids, these are skills that must be taught. Without them, grades suffer and self-esteem plummets.

ADHD students are easily distracted, and that means losing track of time. Getting to class on time — several times a day as one must in middle school and high school — can be particularly challenging. There are lots of new faces in the new, bigger school. Behaving impulsively and missing social cues — both common among ADHD students — often land them in the principal's office or make them targets of ridicule.

There are lots of new faces in the new, bigger school. Behaving impulsively and missing social cues — both common among ADHD students — often land them in the principal's office or make them targets of ridicule.

ADHD kids look like their peers. They blend in. It isn't uncommon to find educators who consider the disorder an "excuse" for immature behavior rather than the neurobiological disorder it is. Without intervention, teachers and administrators may simply label the child as a troublemaker.

Medical researchers now know that ADHD is caused by deficiencies in neurotransmitters in the central nervous system.

"What we know about ADHD is that it's been with us a long time," says Dr. Peter Jensen, director of the Center for the Advancement of Children's Mental Health and Ruane Professor of Child Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

"As far back as 100, 150 years ago, people gave clinical descriptions of what we know as ADHD today."

"Over the course of the last 50 years, the terms have changed," he said, "from 'minimal brain damage' to 'minimal brain dysfunction' to 'hyperkinetic disorder' to, ... in the early 70s, 'attention deficit disorder' to, most recently, 'attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.' "

"The terms have changed, but the kids haven't — they have been here throughout," he said.

Jensen and other specialists believe that ADHD affects 3-5 percent of school-aged children worldwide.

It has become much more widely known and accepted in the past 20 years, but many people are still not diagnosed until they're teens or adults. Typically, it's those with the hyperactive element who get diagnosed as early as preschool. Girls with ADHD are often missed because they tend to have the less-disruptive inattentive subtype.

But even with a late diagnosis, there's a lot that can be done to help the young person cope and succeed.

Academics first

Students with ADHD often have both academic and behavior problems, and the common tendency is to address behavior issues first, says Chris Dendy, keynote speaker at a recent ADD-resources conference in Tukwila. She strongly recommends taking on the academic issues first.

"Succeeding in school is one of the most therapeutic things for a child," she says. "For the ADD child, academic interventions improve behavior, but the converse is not true."

There's a lot parents can do to nurture academic success in ADHD kids and, fortunately, parents who look will find hundreds of books and articles and plenty of other parents to guide them.

Monica Pardee is well-educated about ADHD, having learned many "tricks and coping strategies" over the 12 years since her son Chris was diagnosed. The Auburn mother knows what works best for him. Chris Pardee is doing just fine in the ninth grade, and Monica knows he'll graduate from high school.

"You are your child's best advocate," she says. "Never, ever give up." Pardee is keen to share her experiences to pave the way for others. Her advice:

Get on the same page: Act one, Pardee says, is often getting the father on board. Men take longer to accept that their child may need medication and/or ongoing help. A strong family team supports the ADHD teen both at home and school — if the parents are not in agreement, the child's needs are less likely to be met.

Tom Dendy shared the microphone with his wife at the Tukwila conference. He told his own story about learning to accept his son Steven's ADHD. After constant fighting over academics, he said, Steven's mother finally suggested the boy get counseling. Tom Dendy's response: "You want me to pay someone $100 an hour because our son's too lazy to do his homework?!"

Only when Steven attempted suicide did Dendy accept that his son needed professional help. Now he's reaching out to other fathers.

Last updated: 05/06

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