Parents Young Gymnasts with ADD/ADHD?

[Wanona]

Hi, my little gymnie is 6 going to be 7. She hasn’t been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, but probably will be. She is very athletic and we've been told by her coach that she has some raw talent in gymnastics. Last season her coach invited her to train over the summer and then if all went well, my daughter would begin this season competing at level 4. We ultimately made the decision to sit the summer out and start fresh in the fall. The coach was fine with this and my daughter is back at the gym on pre-team training 3/hrs. each week. She is at the skill level where it takes a lot of concentration and focus—which is hard work and exhausting for her. As a result, when she is waiting her turn, she is not paying attention, easily distracted, and usually finds a way to get into mild trouble. She is a good kid and really wants to please and is easily redirectable, but it is exhausting work for the coach and hard to watch from the bleachers. Are there any other parents or coaches out there who have kids that you're parenting or coaching with ADD/ADHD? If so, do you have any pearls of wisdom you can pass my way? Thanks!

 

[sglemon]

I wish I did have words of wisdom, for you. My oldest is ADHD and competed 2 years at Level 4. Although she had all of her skills, the processing of body form and skills at the same time was a little too much. For example, it was hard for her to do a backhandspring with straight arms, legs, pointed toes, straight knees all at the same time. Her difficulty came in the processing. Same things with other routines, they have to constantly process, like straight arms, straight legs, pointed toes, chin up plus the skill all at the same time. It was impossible for her to do everything needed at one time. She could fix 1 or 2 things at a time, like legs together, pointed toes on the backhandspring, but the other parts of her form would collapse. After 2 years in Level 4, she was a consistent 35 AA scorer, which didn't make her to happy, so she moved onto travel soccer. She is extremely happy there and is having success. Now, my dd wasn't medicated, I don't believe in it.

My younger DD had a teammate also with ADHD who was medicated, she has the same problems as my DD in the end and also quit. Went on to soccer. LOL! Another friend of mine also has a ADHD DD, who spent 2 years at Level 4 and is on her second year of level 5. She is also not medicated. She has the skills, but seems to have the same problem processing form while doing the skills. She also scores in the 35 range, but she is happy to be there. She has a different personality from my older DD. So just because my experience has been somewhat negative, doesn't mean your will. There are different degrees of ADHD and personality plays a huge factor in it.

It is going to take a lot of work from both you and the coach. Maybe work out a rewards system with the coaches, where she gets a sticker for correcting a ADHD behavior, like listening, waiting quietly, even performing a skill correctly. You want to target very specific behaviors, maybe the 2 worst, at first. After so many stickers she recieves a reward of some kind. Even a silly reward, like 5 minutes on the tramp during practice. I have seen some have limited success with that. It will be a challenge to coach her, but also a wonderful learning experience for the coach because she will definitely not be the last ADHD gymnast they see.

 

[iwannacoach]

Maybe work out a rewards system with the coaches, where she gets a sticker for correcting a ADHD behavior, like listening, waiting quietly, even performing a skill correctly. You want to target very specific behaviors, maybe the 2 worst, at first. After so many stickers she recieves a reward of some kind[/I].

You should approach the rewards for "good, correct, or acceptable" behavior with care and caution. ADHD kids are almost constantly out of some "autority figure's" definition of acceptable behavior.

They wake up in the morning and take 20 minutes to put on fresh underwear, pants, socks, and a t-shirt....usually while being reminded several times by a parent who gts more frustrated and impatient each time they have prod their child to do what needs to be done. Same story for breakfast, brushing teeth and hair, and putting on shoes....if they can find them.

From there they go to school where there may be a "patient" teacher who believes the child would do better if there was just a little more "discipline and structure" at home, and try to set the kid straight with guidelines, deadlines, and consequences.

From there it's to the gym where they have a chance to do something fun, but along with that comes the task of "improving" their behavior in the hopes of earning a reward.......Consider what happens in this kid's head when she misses out on the reward. Let me save you the effort of that thought process.......The absence of a positive result, for a child who experiences "failure" through-out the day, will result in feelings of failure and inadequacy. So........IMHO as a parent who survived a childhood of un-diagnosed ADHD, who's now raising two sons 9 and 16 with ADHD, it's a mistake to add anything that can end with them experiencing what feels like another failure in their day.

I'd suggest the coach develope strategies to use during the class. Is that going to impose your dd's "problem" on the coach?......maybe, and maybe not. The strategies the coach develops can be quick, simple, and be a benifit to the coach in every class taught, with or with-out ADHD kids. Here's a few brief ideas.....

Get rid of as many "wait times" as possible by adding "return to line" activities or skills. Everyone benifits from that.

Be open with the kid and the rest of the class. A child with ADHD certainly knows they have it, and so should the other kids in the class. At the very least some of them may understand her behaviors.

Enlist some of these "enlightened" class mates as buddy system helpers that can remind your dd that it'll be her turn next and to be ready. These kids may not be able to control every "activity outburst" on the part of your dd, but at least some is better than none, and the coach can always serve as a "back-up".

Explain how their behavior isn't working for them by letting them know when they've missed an explanation, and that you want them to get the benifit of the explanation because you value them as a gym student and a person in your work day life.

Plan ahead by anticipating their lapse of attention. Remind them ahead of a presentation that the next 3 minutes are more important than most, and that you don't want them to miss out.

These are measures I've used in the gym with kids that tend to wander. They don't just work....they work for me by helping the class run more efficiently. Done well these strategies save me what feels like about 2 minutes of "intervention" for every 20 seconds spent on them, and can frequently be applied to every kid in the class.

Just from my own experience as a child and a parent, the most difficult years were 9, 10, and 11. The hyper-activity seem to fade from that point forward for me and my oldest. The youngest hasn't gotten there yet, but I'm sure he'll start to slow down a little each year about the time he turns 12.

In case your wondering about how I did as a gymnast.....I was older when I started, and the hyper stage was pretty much under control by then. What I did experience, looking back on it, was a characteristic common in people with ADHD called hyper-focus, and I think it was the catalyst for a successful gymnastics experience that included performing in the "top tier" through-out my collegiate career.....go figure!

Private message me if you have questions about med pros and cons, phych's, therapists, ect.....

So hang in there and roll with it.....

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well then, i was too. except they called us a "PITA" back then for lack of a better medical diagnosis. and today, by far the best gymnasts going both boys and girls all have a bit of the same. not much has changed. i've never met a 'cerebral' gymnast.

 

[iwannacoach]

They say it's hereditary.........say, you don't suppose our great grandparents all had the same mailman....do ya?

 

[wallinbl]

Amazon.com: Attention Deficit Disorder : A Different Perception (9781887424141): Thom Hartmann, Edward M. Hallowell (Introduction), Michael Popkin (Foreword): Books

I read that book a few years ago, not because of my kids, but because of my realization that I had it. Took me until I was an adult to recognize it. Anyway, the book is pretty good about explaining how people that have it have some benefits from it (oddly enough, hyperfocus) and how to adapt to the traits associated with ADD and use them to your advantage. Among the other things you're likely doing for your child, pick up a copy from the library and see if you find it helpful.

 

[Kiwi]

Get rid of as many "wait times" as possible by adding "return to line" activities or skills. Everyone benifits from that.

This is what I was thinking. Waiting in line is usually a waste of time, unless the coach is wanting them to watch something specific. I've noticed that when my DD's group is waiting in line, they are often not paying attention either, they are usually chatting and giggling as little girls tend to do. Coaches often give other exercises to do in between turns so kids don't have to wait around. For example, on vault, in between turns the kids might practice handstand props or handstand flatbacks.

 

[sglemon]

I have 2 kids (out of 4) with ADHD and they are very different. My oldest who was a gymnasts and team mates who were also DX with ADHD, had very similar characteristics. They scored extremely high on intelligent exams in verbal and/or preceptive reasoning, and really low in brain processing speed. That descrepency is what dx their ADHD. I will use my DD for an example, she is 95th % tile in preceptive reasoning (130s IQ) and 5th % tile (80 IQ) in brain processing speed. So the time it took her to draw the information from her brain, she would loose track of what she was thinking. Activity level, all kids are active, some sit still, some jump around, etc... Just because they are active it doesn't mean, they are ADHD. There is a problem with society labeling kids that don't fall into society's definition or "normal." But a kid truely with ADHD (they no longer dx ADD) will have trouble with processing in the brain. Our gym, provides many of the suggestions that were offered above, which work fine for all type of kids in a gym setting. My DD psychologist set up the reward system, to help her stay on track with her thinking. So she is thinking, my legs will remain straight on my pullover, "my legs straight" "my legs straight" and she will keep her legs straight. She would keep her legs straight on 80% of her tries, so she would earn a sticker. We would do this over and over and over again, until she would learn she didn't have to think about it. But as she progressed in gymnastics it became too difficult for her to process all of the minor details needed to score high.

My son almost has the opposite problem from my DD. He is also DX with ADHD, but his brain processing is super fast, also extremely intelligent. When he is sitting down trying to read, his brain is jumping so far ahead, he can't keep on the current task. I had to fight his school for 2 years not to hold him back. You can see it in his eyes, when talking to him, his brain is always one step ahead of where the conversation is.



Maybe if you get you child tested, you will have a better idea of how her brain is working. It is easier to target ADHD behaviors if you know what you are dealing with.

 

[Wanona]

WOW! Just what I needed to hear! You were all so helpful and compassionate! Thank you!

We have an appointment scheduled with the Child Development Center for tests.

 

[Amusibus]

Sglemon, who did all those tests? My two girls are both ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome, and have seen developmental pediatricians, child psychiatrists, therapists, had in-home behavioral therapy up to 15 hours per week over a year now, and numerous other docs(audiologist, ped endo and GI doc, school psychologist, GP,OT, etc) and none of them has ever done testing like that. It sounds useful.

 

[Amusibus]

By the way, my 6year old with ADHD and Asperger's is on the developmental team, 9 hours a week, dance one night a week also, and all day at school in first grade. I have found that for her, the more structured activities, the better she does. That may be more a function of the Aspergers than adhd, but coming out of practice at 7 pm, after a 10 hour day of structure, she is more focused, attentive, and interactive than during unstructured time at ome on weekends. I am thinking the gymnastics is therapeutic for her. She does have a great pre team coach who uses mainly stations rather than waiting turns in line, and is very understanding of her disabilities. We have been lucky with great teachers at school. And lasly, I could not imagine sending her to any of these activities without her medication - she takes adderall since age 4 and huge improvement on the meds. We have also done other therapies like behavior modification and interactive metronome, which have also helped.

 

[sglemon]

Sglemon, who did all those tests? My two girls are both ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome, and have seen developmental pediatricians, child psychiatrists, therapists, had in-home behavioral therapy up to 15 hours per week over a year now, and numerous other docs(audiologist, ped endo and GI doc, school psychologist, GP,OT, etc) and none of them has ever done testing like that. It sounds useful.

Look into Colleges and Universaries, ours was done though the Child Study Center at Virginia Tech. I know many schools have wonderful departments, that provide education and behavior testing. The other one nearby is UNC Chapel Hill. The actual testing is done by Grad students, underneath a doctor. The testing is done in several sessions, over several days. I think it took us 4 to 5 days. UNCs program, is an intensive weekend of testing, and observation. The flat rate though Va Tech was $500, but if you can't afford it, you can pay what you can. I find the assessments, done through the colleges to be more comprehnsive, much longer and far less money, then through a private Doctor. We also use Va Tech Autism Center, for my oldest, 13 yr old son with high funtioning autism. If you are dealing with a more of an Auditory Processing Disorder, a separate college in the area, offers that specific testing. ADHD and Auditory Processing Disorder, can have similar symptoms, but you must be tested through someone specifically trained to look for it. A "normal" Audiologist, may not be able to.

 

[BlairBob]

I've coached a few labeled ADHD/ADD kids. Meds made a huge difference. Not that I'm pro meds, but they were a lot more functional in the gym. One of my adult friends has currently gone on them and I guess they are helping after he had to find one that didn't affect him funny (side effects - nausea).

And to note, these kids were way different than the usual PITA kids. Getting them to focus on details is painstaking but all in all they tend to be good kids at heart.

 

[ARKGYMMOM]

I have two DD's that are ADD/ADHD. For years we were against medication and fought an uphill battle. We finally met a teacher that looked us straight in the eyes and told us to get off our high horse and realize that we were NOT the ones sitting in the classroom struggling. She was so blunt that honestly it really made me mad. I am now so greatful to her and after seeing what a difference the medicine made I am sorry that I did not do it sooner. I did do it sooner with my younger of the two and you can tell the difference. BTW my oldest is not a gymnast but my youngest is very good in the gym and very focused. To the OP: Please take your DD to the correct place to have her tested and follow your doctors advise. I am glad that i did!!!!

 

[Amusibus]

yes it is amazing what a difference the meds make. i know, because I take them too, starting last year. wow. wish i had them as a kid, maybe would not have struggled so much.

 

[munchkin3]

Hi Wanona,
My oldest is ADHD and has been a gymnasts for 5 years. He is 12 now and like many of the other posters, is very smart and thinks too fast. He is also severely dyslexic but has very high verbal and reasoning skills and high IQ.
His coach always laughs and says they easily get caught up in very complex conversations and loose work out time.

When he was little we always embraced his energy level. I have always felt ADHD is somewhat of a gift and it allows my son to take in much more than a non ADDer. Of course this 'energy' needs MUCH MORE TIME to control than other kids. It takes longer for all of the data to be processed and to be put into the right place in their brains. they need to be told the same thing MANY more times than a non ADDer. My DS is RX and asked specifically to STAY on meds during practice because he can complete his work with no background noise. THese are his words. Another boy in his class was not RX while in practice for a few years and although had lots of fun, he was not advancing. He too asked his mom to extend his meds into practice and can now follow through. Meds are not for all kids though.

Ask your coach if he can have a circuits while the kids wait, or push ups, sit ups, leg lifts etc....this way there are occupied while they wait. It also limits conversations and keeps their minds busy. Hyper kids love the extra excercise....She needs to understand that she was blessed with extra energy and she can turn it into a positive by working hard and using her muscles. She must practice hard at paying attention.....just like practicing hard at reading or math...

You should definitely invest in a neuropsychological exam. They are expensive but well worth it. THey tell you exactly what is going on in their heads. It is useful for school, the coach and for parenting.
Remember that these kids can be exhausting for their coaches and sometimes they get outright frustrated with them. They are human too!!! Good Luck!

 

[shelovestoflip]

well then, i was too. except they called us a "PITA" back then for lack of a better medical diagnosis. and today, by far the best gymnasts going both boys and girls all have a bit of the same. not much has changed. i've never met a 'cerebral' gymnast.

Dunno....interesting about a cerebral gymnast.....On many levels, I would describe my daughter as cerebral and I think at her age (13) it may be what gives her pause before jumping into a skill-she really needs to know she is ready before she does it (ie: back tuck or back handspring on beam come to mind) She knows she has 'the skill' but is old enough to realize consequences if she misses the skill.....whereas many of the younger gymnasts jump first and think later about the skill.....

hmmmmm.......