Learning with ADHD: «I need a cat!»
Elisabeth Vetsch, 40, a vet, and her husband Stefan Rieder, 42, an environmental scientist, live with their three sons in Grüsch GR. Cornel, 11, Rico, 10, and Franco, 7, have ADHD.
Our middle son Rico was diagnosed in first grade. He stood out there because he was just mucking about and disrupting the lessons massively. As several children in a family are often affected by ADHD, we also had his older brother assessed. Cornel's behaviour had always been special and he showed certain autistic traits. In particular, he struggled with rules, was unresponsive and often lived in his own world. We couldn't imagine that he could just have severe ADHD.
The youngest son's ADHD is very different: he is much less hyper and very dreamy.
As with his brother, Ritalin had an incredible effect on Cornel: suddenly the child was responsive! I was very touched when Cornel came home on the third day and said: «Mummy, it's funny, I have such a good feeling at school.» The child was in third grade and felt really comfortable there for the first time! We knew then: We should have had him checked earlier.
We therefore had our youngest, Franco, who was only slightly conspicuous, tested before he started school. His ADHD is very different: he is much less hyper and very dreamy. For example, it takes him ten minutes to put on his socks and another five to put on his shoes. So far, he has coped well without Ritalin.
All teachers are informed about our children's diagnoses and support us and the children in an exemplary manner. Thanks to our open communication, we experience a lot of understanding, tolerance and help. In addition, our two eldest children go to occupational therapy, which they love and benefit greatly from.
ADHD and homework
Our 31 animals - chickens, guinea pigs, hamsters, a snake, rabbits, five cats and a dog - also help. When the children used to come home from school, it was accompanied by shouting. Today, they first cuddle the dog, then the children are approachable again. This also applies to the cats: «I need a cat!» the boys shout when they are about to go crazy. Then they cuddle one and it's all good again.
Sending each child to their own room to do their homework is useless; they need to be close to each other.
Homework is another issue: after 15 minutes at the latest, nobody can concentrate any more. Then it helps if the boys go for a walk in the chicken run where they can climb around. Or they can jump on the trampoline. In our old barn, which we have converted into an indoor playground, there is a huge walk-in guinea pig enclosure. Sitting down and feeding the animals from your hand also relaxes the boys enormously.
We now also know that sending each child to their own room to do their homework is useless; they need to be close to each other. At the same time, it is important to separate the boys spatially. So one works in the kitchen, another in the living room and the third in my surgery, which is in the same building. I have also accepted that one of the boys is an evening person. Since I tolerate the fact that he does his homework later, things are going better.
