Adhd and Imagination

[jfla]

Add/adhd and imagination:

Adders often have a special gift of imagination and creativity. They are often the artists, poets, musicians and actors of society.

Thinking back on my childhood, I remember my home as a wild and crazy house where there was the freedom to let your imagination soar and encouragement for your dreams to become reality. There is ADD/Adhd on both sides of my family.

My dad had the gift of telling wild imaginative stories to us as kids. We never knew what was real and what wasn't because he entwined it with reality. If we asked if it was true, he always had the same answer, "Oh surrrrre." Even on his deathbed and only spoke a few words every day or so, he answered my question of "Daddy, were the stories you told about Allie and Oily true?" His answer? "Oh, surrrre." Still a sense of humor to the end.

[jfla]

Okay, here's another one when my son was in pre school and preK:

I went to the parent conference and was surprised when the teachers asked if "Stabadon" was my son's middle name or something. Stabadon was his imaginary hero character that he told stories about or became sometimes in role playing at home.

Evidently he became Stabadon every day at school and had the entire school fooled into thinking that was his name! They all called him "Stabadon". Blackwood was his evil foe. When I picked him up and they would say "Good bye, Stabadon" I thought they were just affectionately playing along with him. One day he told them that S had died. He was sad for a period of time but then somehow he resolved it. Maybe he was resurrected...I can't remember..but he still told stories about Stabadon for a year afterward.

[jj]

Your story brought a smile to my face. Your Dad must of been pretty special.

I found out rather soon, when I first started researching ADHD, that ADD'ers are exceptionally artistic and creative. Some of the poetry I've read by people with ADHD is outstanding!!!

Thanks for sharing Jfla.

[jfla]

jj said:

Your Dad must of been pretty special.

That he was.

[crazyhouse]

When I was younger I would spend long periods of time drawing and writing but when I would get a piece of paper I could draw for hours and if I were with friends and other people would ask they would always say oh she just a very right brained person! We could be watching a movie or something and the zoning feeling after a period of time was like waking up and I would feel better after every session with my notebook. I probaly have 100 poems or so and at least 30 pages of art. I keep it in a binder for when I get older I can share with my kids.

jfla you are very lucky to have had parents that were so creative my mother was not the case it was hard for her to understand why I did these things and she always felt it was a waste of time and paper. She never could understand but oh well no ones perfect

[charliegirl]

What a cool dad! Your house must have been the place to hang out for your friends when you were growing up. I bet thats why your kids are doing so very well now.

The Stabadon story is funny. My daughter decided to try out different names and in 2nd grade, she decided Karen was the one she wanted. Being a small town, when she signed Karen on her home work and said it was ok with her teacher I didn't worry. One day I went to an open house and met a new teacher she had (maybe for art? I can't remember). I was asking how Miranda was doing and the teacher looked right at me and said she knew Karen but not Miranda, was Miranda Karen's sister? I cracked up!

My daughter has never been diagnosed with anything but my son has ADHD. He turned our neighborhood into Peyton Place. (married neighbors kissing other neighbors, a whole town a few miles away blew up, a toranado watch, etc) He had such stories about all my neighbors and was so convinced himself that everyone believed him. He insisted even to me that they were true and you couldn't shake him. I finally allowed him two realities. He had the reality of what he thought was true and the one of what could be proven true. I always had to ask him if it was his truth or the truth we could prove. He still tells wonderful stories but he usually knows the difference now. I still have to ask him at times though.

How did you channel it in your kids so they could dream and achieve without getting so far beyond their abilities that it would crash on them?

[misty]

Those are WONDERFUL stories!

Shannon's learning support teacher tells me he can see Shannon growing up to be an author. She's constantly writing stories & they are so entertaining & the characters really come alive when you read them! I often can't wait for the next chapter when she's reading me a story thats half written. Her LS teacher put it best at her last IEP meeting...he told her "You have this incredible gift. Don't let yourself lose that". He encourages her to write when her work is finished.

Funny about the names....one of Shannons reappearing story characters is named JD & she molded the character after herself & so has begun calling herself JD & signing her papers with it. All her friends now refer to her as JD.

I encourage her imagination & creativity...I always have. When she was younger we had the craft box where she could find odds & ends I saved for craft making. I've always allowed half finished projects & lego constructions to stay where they were so she could finish them later. Now I keep her supplied with pens, paper, computer ink & comp. paper for story writing.

[Linda]

How many of your kids are natural comedienes? Paul who will soon be 19 was always funny as a toddler and he is still off the wall! No one except maybe my dh makes me laugh so much!

It got him out of a lot of trouble too when he was small

[notellin]

This is a very interesting topic, and has been an issue with my family members. The feedback that I get is that my son has an artistic temperment, not ADHD. "He's an independent thinker, creative, artistic." One family member is a psychologist who attended a seminar where ADHD vs artistic was discussed. Apparently, this is a theory. I don't know what to think of it.

[misty]

linda said:

How many of your kids are natural comedienes?

MINE, for sure! I remember when Shannon was 2 or 3 & we were AMAZED that she understood jokes, even practical jokes! She definitely has the knack to keep me in stitches.