Jennifer Gay Summers

...When we told Lee she would have to wait until she was 18 to drive, she was angry.  But when her anxiety grew worse in tenth grade, she became fearful.  My husband and I went from reassuring her it could wait to encouraging her to give it a try when she turned 18. ...

...I leaned back in my chair, feeling my heart swell.  If I had known, when Lee was diagnosed with ADHD, that one day I’d hear these words, it would have given me so much hope.  ... “Mom, Alex and I had an argument.”  Lee plopped into a chair across from me at the...

...When Lee was thirteen, I went to a conference for people with ADHD and met the representative for ADDitude magazine, a leading resource for the ADHD community.  Without a doubt, I knew this was the place I wanted to submit an essay.  The ADDitude representative...

... To hell with what other people thought or the obstacles I might face along the way.  I signed up for the CHADD conference and my world did a 180.  From doctors to psychologists, to educators, to other moms in support groups, I found my ADHD community...In my...

I’m excited to share with you a blog published in ADDitude this month, “Every Child with ADHD Needs a Miss Ellie.”  Click on the link for the full blog.  https://www.additudemag.com/hyperactive-adhd-girl-preschool/BlogsRelated

...It’s exhausting, right?   Poor impulse control was, for me, the hardest part of parenting an ADHD child.  Instead of disciplining Lee for urges her brain couldn’t avoid, I learned over time to talk to her about the feelings that led to the impulse.  We discussed...

If you’re just starting down the path yourself, tape them to your bathroom mirror and remember, you are never alone. ...Photo Credit: AbMoriarty DesignsWhen Lee was diagnosed with ADHD at seven years old, I had no idea what to do.  It felt like someone knocked the...

...Lee’s focus on catching a lizard was legendary.  But, in the classroom, she was unable to focus on words or numbers and was diagnosed with ADHD in first grade.  I learned that it is common for a child with ADHD, who has difficulty paying attention, to hyperfocus on...

After Lee was diagnosed with ADHD in first grade, we took her to a neurologist.  She told us that Lee had symptoms of sensory processing disorder (SPD), which often occurs with ADHD.  She explained that SPD occurs due to an imbalance in the central nervous system...