Daily Excerpt: Andrew's Awesome Adventures with His ADHD Brain (Wilcox) - Monumental Meltdowns and My ADHD Brain
Today's book excerpt comes from Andrew's Awesome Adventures with His ADHD Brain by Kristin and Andrew Wilcox.
Monumental Meltdowns and My ADHD Brain
The kid
sitting across from me on the bus is picking his nose. I turn away and look out
the window, watching the endless line of kids sprint by, trying to make it to
their bus on time. Music is blaring from the back of the bus, and kids are
talking loudly over the music. A group of eighth grade
girls is getting on the bus now and talking nonstop about some cute boy in
their science class.
“Hello,” I say as they pass by. The lead girl stops dead in her tracks and glares at me. I immediately regret my decision.
“Oh, look at that, the little seventh grader thinks he can talk to us.”
All at once, the group of girls begins to laugh and make fun of me. Clenched fists, muscles tensing, heart pounding, and teeth grinding, I feel the anger rising from my toes to the top of my head. I am helpless to stop it.
In a flash, I am yelling as loud as I can, “Stop laughing at me!” The more I yell, the more the girls laugh.
I notice one of the girls is holding a book in her hands. Whap! I knock the book out of the girl’s hand and onto the floor of the bus. Now, the girls aren’t laughing. I raise my eyes from focusing on the book lying on the floor of the bus to find all the kids staring at me. Embarrassed, I flop back down onto my seat, wishing the bus would get moving already—not the finest moment for me and my lose-control ADHD brain.
That afternoon I tell my ADHD counselor about the incident with the girls on the bus. I feel a little better after she tells me my ADHD can make it difficult for me to control my reaction, temper, and behavior when something makes me angry.
“It’s okay to get angry. Even non-ADHD brains get mad, but you have to learn to control your behavior when you get frustrated.”
These ABBS help me control my response to frustrating situations:
1. I try to pay attention to how I feel and recognize when I am getting angry and frustrated. My ADHD brain doesn’t always think about the consequences of my actions, and sometimes my behavior can be impulsive, like when I slapped the book out of the eighth-grade girl’s hand in front of everyone on the bus.
2. If I feel myself getting angry or frustrated, I try to walk away from the situation. I often use this strategy when I am working on one of my model kits with the tiny pieces that just don’t seem to fit right or building with Legos when I can’t seem to find a specific piece. This strategy even works for difficult homework assignments.
3.
Sometimes,
if I can’t walk away, I think of someplace I would rather be. The place I like
to think about is the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They have an outdoor
area with several rockets towering above you. I like to imagine myself there
walking under the giant rockets, looking up trying to see the top.
* * *
Did you know?
Laughing
can help when you are angry. The positive effect laughing has on your brain is
greater than the negative effect anger has on your brain. Think of how funny
your face looks when you are mad, maybe all squished together like a troll, and
use that image to help change your anger into laughter. Because what’s funnier
than a troll face?
Book description:
In this two-part book Andrew and his neuroscientist mom each tell their story about living with the inattentive subtype of ADHD.
How do you survive life and middle school with an ADHD elephant in your brain? Kids with ADHD will relate to Andrew's reactions to everyday and school-related situations, like remembering to turn in homework, staying organized, and making friends. Using practical strategies Andrew learns to manage his ADHD even when his brain sometimes feels "like and overstuffed garbage can, the lid won't stay on and garbage is falling out all over the floor". He even realizes there is a positive side to having ADHD like creativity, fearlessness and hyperfocus.
Dr. Wilcox discusses the science behind ADHD, parent-to-parent, from someone living in the trenches, learning to work with Andrew's ADHD brain. She discusses the significance of various aspects of inattentive-type ADHD and the theory and practices of the education and medical professions related to them. Two helpful appendices include a means for parents to "diagnose" the inattentive subtype of ADHD and a list of resources for parents and children with ADHD.
This book provides unique insights into ADHD behaviors and suggests highly pragmatic and successfully implemented strategies for children with the inattentive subtype of ADHD and their parents (with implications for educators and others who work with ADHD children). A must read for kids with ADHD and their parents!
From Amazon: Customers find the book provides brilliant insight into inattentive ADHD, with one customer noting it's a wonderful informative read for children with the condition. The book is easy to read and customers consider it a must-read. They appreciate its pacing, with one customer mentioning it's perfect for both parents and teachers.
Best Indie Book Award
Readers' Favorite Book Award
Pinnacle Book Achievement Award
Read more posts about the Wilcoxes and their book, click HERE.
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