It’s Wrong to Believe Poor Parenting Causes ADHD

Written By Cynthia Hammer, MSW

by Liz Adams, Minnesota Neuropsychology, LLC

Parents of children with ADHD often blame themselves for their child's behavior, especially when the symptoms are problematic at home but not at school.

 It is common for kids with ADHD to experience/express more emotional dysregulation and impulsive behaviors at home. This is where they feel more comfortable and often need a release after a long exhausting day at school.

Because the child is more volatile at home does not mean that the parents are the problem. What it means is the parents need more support with behavior management strategies designed explicitly for ADHD symptoms. These parenting skills can be taught.

What it means is a child with ADHD needs more support to master coping skills and developmentally appropriate self-regulation skills. A parent, a therapist, or a coach can teach the child these skills.

Parenting a child with ADHD requires extra support and different strategies for behavior management because the child has needs at a higher level of intensity than their peers.

Cynthia Hammer, MSW

Cynthia Hammer, MSW, was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD in 1992 when she was 49 years old. The following year she created the non-profit organization, ADD Resources, with a mission to educate adults and helping professionals about ADHD in adults. She ran the organization for 15 years before retiring.

During the Covid isolation she wrote a book about her life with inattentive ADHD which should be published by the end of this year. In writing the book, she was dismayed to learn that children with inattentive ADHD continue to be under-diagnosed and adults with inattentive ADHD often are incorrectly diagnosed with depression or anxiety.

She created a new non-profit in 2021, the Inattentive ADHD Coalition (www.iadhd.org), to create more awareness about inattentive ADHD and the need for early diagnosis and treatment.

https://www.iadhd.org
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