«Sometimes you have to be creative to make things work better»
Johan Achermann, 11, is in fifth grade and, together with his mother Carmen Stirnimann, 44, director of a museum, talks about his experiences with ADHD. He lives in Stans NW with his siblings Lorenz, 15, and Paula, 5, and his father Marco, 46, a spatial planner.
Johan: «In second grade, I realised that I couldn't concentrate as well as the others and that I was slower. After talking to the teacher, we went to the - what was it called?»
Carmen: «School psychology service.»
Johan: «Yes, exactly. And then it turned out that I have silent ADHD, i.e. without hyperactivity. Since then, I've been given more time in exams.»
Carmen: «We parents found it strange that Johan was doing well at school on the one hand, but that the pace of work and homework were stressing him out so much on the other. He always pulled himself together at school, but then he couldn't compensate for it at home.»
Johan: «You have to imagine it like this: You're cycling with a group and everyone has new, good bikes. Only you have an old, rusty one. No matter how hard you try, you'll always be at the back, even if you try three times as hard. That's how I often feel, and that's how I explain it to the teachers.»
It's a big challenge for everyone. You always have to keep Johan's needs in mind.
Carmen, mum
Carmen: «After an intensive assessment phase with an ADHD specialist, we sat down with the teachers and agreed what Johan needed to learn well.»
Johan: «That I can also work in the group room, for example, if I need a quiet place to concentrate.»
Carmen: «You often find it difficult to get started, then you set yourself a watch and have to start within the first minute - that works quite well.»
Johan: «Yes, or I say to myself: «I'm going to work for ten minutes and then I can eat a jelly baby or get up and do something else for a bit.» Then it works better too.»
Carmen: «It's a big challenge for everyone. You always have to keep Johan's needs in mind and adapt everyday structures for him. Since this school year, for example, the pupils have had to write down their homework themselves. It was difficult for Johan to keep track of everything. This initially led to a lot of frustration at home because he didn't know what he had to do. We have now agreed with the teacher that she will always briefly check with Johan what he has to do.»
Johan: «Yes, and it's worked well since then.»
Carmen: «You've always been very lucky with your teachers. The flute teacher, for example, has realised that Johan finds it difficult to practise pieces and play the notes from sheet music. That's why she now lets him compose pieces himself. Sometimes you just have to be a little creative to make it work better.»
