I need advice for a suspected ADHD child at Disney

[vhoffman]

another rthing we have noticed is that kids with ADHD can wait a lot better for attractions they want to see than those they don't care about.
We're pretty used to DD (who has ADD, among other things).
A few years ago we took our nephew, who has ADHD. He was very good waiting for things he wanted to go on, like Space Mountain. He had a lot of difficulty (to the point of sitting on the ground and refusing to move) when we went on some things like Country Bears that he had absolutely no interest in. Once he was in, he was fine and enjoyed it, but since he didn't really know what it was, he wasn't interested.

One book that is really good for kids is called Walt Disney World for Kids, by Kids. It's nice because it is written from a kids point of view and covers things like - how scary is it.

That can describe just about any kid, don't over focus on the ADHD thing!

 

[SueM in MN]

That can describe just about any kid, don't over focus on the ADHD thing!

Well, yeah, but it's more of an intense thing with adhd than with any other kid.
My own youngest DD has ADD and her older sister does not. When older DD got bored waiting in line for something she didn't particulary care for, we knew she was bored, but when younger DD is bored waiting for something, it's clear to everyone around that she is BORED AND UNHAPPY. It's just on a different level.

My nephew who sat on the floor and pouted when he didn't care to see the Country Bears was 10 at the time. If he had been 3, 4 or 5, I'd expect that with any kid, but not with a 10 yr old.

 

[BeckyScott]

How about a GameBoy for the waits in line?

I haven't tried it at WDW, but I've had it work other places. It would be worth the investment, even if he doesn't already have one, to buy one and some new games. We only have one (I need to pick up a second so both boys have one) that I thought would be useful on the plane trip-- you know, after the novelty of the plane has worn off but we still have two hours of sitting.

 

[Tinker_Belle]

This month will be our "once-in-a-lifetime trip" too (although I'm holding out hope!). My 13-year-old son has ADHD/PDD (high-functioning Autism). He is very timid and needs to know what to expect for everything. I got him a copy of Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids by Kids, and he made 2 lists: the things he can't wait to do & the things he definitely does not want to do. He mostly chose the playgrounds (especially "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" movie set at MGM) and the shows (especially Fantasmic!), staying away from ALL of the thrill rides. I made a very tight schedule (like a drill-sergeant as my DH says) with some extra time for flexibility, and I'll go over it with him a few times before we get there. Now, I just have to hope that the weather is bearable!

Good luck, and have fun!

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Well, yeah, but it's more of an intense thing with adhd than with any other kid.
My own youngest DD has ADD and her older sister does not. When older DD got bored waiting in line for something she didn't particulary care for, we knew she was bored, but when younger DD is bored waiting for something, it's clear to everyone around that she is BORED AND UNHAPPY. It's just on a different level.

QUOTE]

That is EXACTLY how my DS is! I can definitely sympathize!

 

[Leonsmom]

That can describe just about any kid, don't over focus on the ADHD thing!

Grrrrrr!

 

[SueM in MN]

This is a very old thread that just got bumped up to the top. I am going to close it at this time since it is over 2 years old.