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Good afternoon,
I had to write to tell you how pleased I
am for having the information on your website. Just this morning
I had a meeting at my daughter’s school for her inability
to stay focused. The meeting has been planned for a week, and the
other night I went in search of information to help her. I found
your website, printed out the checklist to help identify girls with
AD/HD and had my daughter fill it in for me. The results were amazing.
She answered many statements with a “3” or “4”.
I brought this to the meeting with me and
after I finished explaining about my concerns and the history of
problems we have been facing, I presented the checklist and read
off all the items my daughter had checked with a “4”.
By the end of the meeting we all came to the same conclusion: my
daughter has ADD. Of course, all the paperwork and diagnosis from
her physician will be in the near future and we can continue from
there. The women at the meeting were quite impressed that there
was a website for this information. I gave them all the web address
so I am sure they will be visiting. I just wanted to thank you for
having this information available for parents like me who are looking
for answers and information to help our daughters!
Sincerely,
Christine Garrity
Editor responds:
Dear Christine,
Thank you for writing. The questionnaire you mention is available
– and undergoing field testing at last report -- both on the
website and in the book by Patricia Quinn, MD and Kathleen Nadeau,
PhD, “Understanding Girls With AD/HD.” It must not by
itself be used as a diagnostic tool, but is a good way to start
conversations with girls about their inner experiences, and to confirm
(or disconfirm) our suspicions about what they may be experiencing.
Since AD/HD is a cognitive disorder, and since girls as a group
(with exceptions, of course) often internalize their distresses,
we have all noticed that the external behaviors leading boys to
be noticed by teachers, parents and physicians frequently are not
exhibited by girls; yet they may be just as distracted, disorganized,
underperforming and perhaps worst of all, be experiencing themselves
as inept, out of it, different – and have no idea why.
Thank you for writing, we’re glad you found the website
and passed it along to others who are in a position to do the same;
and we wish you and your daughter the very best. Surely your resourcefulness
will be a great help to her!
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