Teenagers with ADHD need role models. Role models show teens that even if they have to work harder in school than most students they can be successful as young adults and professionals. What’s more, role models can demonstrate strategies teens can use for overcoming their challenges.
A Birds-Eye View of Life with ADHD and EFD, by Chris Ziegler Dendy and her son Alex Ziegler, is a great read for any teenager or young adult struggling with ADHD. The book follows 11 people with ADHD on their journey from teenager to young adult. One of the best parts of this book is it explores the great variety in the ADHD experience. Each student has their own experience with the symptoms of ADHD and their own preferred strategies to share. They use facts, stories, and humor to show how to tackle a variety of issues, including “disorganization, forgetfulness, always being late, sleep problems, memorization, procrastination, restlessness, medication, writing essays, and algebra.”
The 3rd Edition, written 10 years after the 2nd, shows how these 11 students have grown and changed over the years. They have had to shift their strategies as the demands increased, yet for the most part they have found more success as they each discovered a direction that matched who they are as individuals. In the 2nd edition, they were all students; in the 3rd edition they have become musicians, soldiers, college students, and medical professionals.
In Chris Ziegler Dendy’s words, this book is “ADHD education.” It uses the experience of real people with ADHD to teach the reader what ADHD is and how to cope with it. After all, knowledge is power. Teaching students more about ADHD is an essential step to empowering them to thrive.
- Michael Greschler, M.Ed., SMARTS Director