Mother of a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD has penned a book about her experience of raising a child with the disorder. From fun family trips to emotional breakdowns, Rhashidah Perry gives a bold and realistic look into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder treatments, the struggle in getting widespread treatment options for African-American girls and impact of the disorder on African-Americans.
Rhashidah Perry began blogging her experience about raising her daughter with ADHD after she went to a local ADHD class, where she found some African-American parents with the same struggle. Now due to popular demand, she compiled all her blog write ups and printed them in a two-part book series.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in the United States, there are over 6.4 million kids between 4 and 17 of age have ADHD. The condition refers to a brain disorder which can affect the child's success in school as well as their relationships.
"ADHD often goes undetected in girls when it is primarily the inattentive type," Philadelphia Sun quoted Perry as saying. However, girls with the high hyperactivity, like her daughter Hasana, are frequently ridiculed for their mischievousness and impulsivity more harshly than their male counterparts which often end up in these girls having low self-esteem, she added.
Nathan Blum, chief of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Philadelphia's The Children's Hospital, said ADHD affects children's self-esteem to the point that it makes it hard for them to thrive in environments where they are expected to succeed. These environments include school or classroom, at the house or with friends in a sports club. Perry said her challenges sometimes came up on holiday seasons when her daughter with ADHD was expected to behave well and join in all family activities.
When her daughter was diagnosed with ADHD, Perry decided to surround herself with a group of caregivers. Behavior therapist has helped Hasana learn and know how she can relate to other kids. Perry has also learned from the therapist ideas on making healthy habits for Hasana.
Now, Perry is a certified parent trainer with CHADD, a nonprofit organization that operates as a national resource on ADHD; The Philadelphia Tribune has learned. The first book she releases is entitled "Raising Hasana: Summer Adventures: A Parent's Guide to Building Enriching Activities for Your Daughter with ADHD."
