Positive Characteristics of Children With ADHD
When talking about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a lot of negative signs and symptoms come to mind at first.
We often think of how badly behaved many children with the condition act instead of their strengths.
While not being able to focus, being able to sit still, or have a lot of impulsive urges are all thought to be weaknesses, there are many positive characteristics of children with ADHD also that should not be overlooked.
For parents and their children, it's important that you don't focus on all of the negatives all of the time.
Recognizing your child's strengths instead of constantly worrying about their weaknesses will not only help you feel better about the situation, but it can also open up the opportunity to help your child become more productive and happy as well.
Many children with ADHD can suffer from other problems such as poor self esteem issues, depression, or anxiety because they think something is "wrong" with them.
Looking at their positive aspects can help them feel better about themselves and accept the situation for what it is and be more receptive towards behavioral therapy.
Here are some positive characteristics of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder that often go overlooked: 1.
The Gift of Creativity: Creativity is a wonderful gift, though many do not always understand it to be so.
You may have noticed that your child is very good at coming up with stories or has a great interest in drawing or art.
Some children prefer music as a creative outlet and will make up their own songs.
Beyond the artistic side of creativity, kids often also have new or unusual approaches for doing seemingly mundane tasks or solving problems.
Because their attention is never stuck on one thing for very long, and because they do not stick to the rigid society expectations, they can often "think outside the box" and look at things with a different viewpoint than most of us do.
2.
Boundless Source of Energy: A child who displays the hyperactive symptoms can often become "hyper focused" on one particular task or project if it captures their interest enough.
They can often excel in certain athletic situations because it seems as if they never tire.
When their boundless energy is channeled into something productive and positive, it can create many great opportunities to accomplish great things.
3.
Emotional Intuition: Many children with ADHD have a higher sensitivity to emotions than others.
They can often sense when someone is feeling a certain way, even if that person does not tell them how they feel or tries to cover it up.
They can also notice many things in their environment that others may not, which though is a result of their inability to focus may also help them with problem solving.
The ability to do these things can often make for children who when given the right support and treatment can be very caring and empathetic individuals.
4.
Your Own List: A great exercise for parents to do is to come up with a list of strengths about their kid that they may be overlooking.
Maybe he or she has a great sense of humor.
Maybe he or she has skills or talents in areas you may have overlooked before.
Each child is highly unique, and there are likely some strengths that you may have been not noticing before all this time.
Being able to look past the negative characteristics of ADHD and see the positive strengths your child has can greatly help you with their development and success into later childhood and adulthood.
Focusing on the good traits your child has can not only make you feel better as a parent, but also help in creating activities and an environment that can help them learn important behavioral skills and foster their success.
We often think of how badly behaved many children with the condition act instead of their strengths.
While not being able to focus, being able to sit still, or have a lot of impulsive urges are all thought to be weaknesses, there are many positive characteristics of children with ADHD also that should not be overlooked.
For parents and their children, it's important that you don't focus on all of the negatives all of the time.
Recognizing your child's strengths instead of constantly worrying about their weaknesses will not only help you feel better about the situation, but it can also open up the opportunity to help your child become more productive and happy as well.
Many children with ADHD can suffer from other problems such as poor self esteem issues, depression, or anxiety because they think something is "wrong" with them.
Looking at their positive aspects can help them feel better about themselves and accept the situation for what it is and be more receptive towards behavioral therapy.
Here are some positive characteristics of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder that often go overlooked: 1.
The Gift of Creativity: Creativity is a wonderful gift, though many do not always understand it to be so.
You may have noticed that your child is very good at coming up with stories or has a great interest in drawing or art.
Some children prefer music as a creative outlet and will make up their own songs.
Beyond the artistic side of creativity, kids often also have new or unusual approaches for doing seemingly mundane tasks or solving problems.
Because their attention is never stuck on one thing for very long, and because they do not stick to the rigid society expectations, they can often "think outside the box" and look at things with a different viewpoint than most of us do.
2.
Boundless Source of Energy: A child who displays the hyperactive symptoms can often become "hyper focused" on one particular task or project if it captures their interest enough.
They can often excel in certain athletic situations because it seems as if they never tire.
When their boundless energy is channeled into something productive and positive, it can create many great opportunities to accomplish great things.
3.
Emotional Intuition: Many children with ADHD have a higher sensitivity to emotions than others.
They can often sense when someone is feeling a certain way, even if that person does not tell them how they feel or tries to cover it up.
They can also notice many things in their environment that others may not, which though is a result of their inability to focus may also help them with problem solving.
The ability to do these things can often make for children who when given the right support and treatment can be very caring and empathetic individuals.
4.
Your Own List: A great exercise for parents to do is to come up with a list of strengths about their kid that they may be overlooking.
Maybe he or she has a great sense of humor.
Maybe he or she has skills or talents in areas you may have overlooked before.
Each child is highly unique, and there are likely some strengths that you may have been not noticing before all this time.
Being able to look past the negative characteristics of ADHD and see the positive strengths your child has can greatly help you with their development and success into later childhood and adulthood.
Focusing on the good traits your child has can not only make you feel better as a parent, but also help in creating activities and an environment that can help them learn important behavioral skills and foster their success.
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