Maja is raising a nine-year-old boy with ADHD, and she lives with the same diagnosis herself. People often assume that shared experience makes parenting easier, but she says it can be more complicated than that. Her days are built around patience, planning, and a constant effort to tune out the stereotypes that still follow neurodivergent families. At the same time, she is learning how to manage her own limits while staying present for her child.
She believes the first clues appeared when her son was still a baby. He slept lightly, woke often, and seemed restless in a way that felt different from typical infant fussiness. He walked at ten months, and his impulsivity showed up early, from wandering off in kindergarten to dropping belongings wherever he took them off. Maja remembers moments that frightened her far more than they frightened him, like when he launched himself toward a lake because he wanted to catch ducks and showed no fear of water or traffic.
Even then, she felt the seriousness of it was being brushed aside. Caregivers described him as smart and well-behaved, yet she sensed the issue wasn’t about being “bad” but about being unsafe and impulsive. She also learned to separate ordinary tantrums from meltdowns, which she describes as episodes that can happen when a child is overwhelmed by sensory input and can’t be easily soothed. In their home, she says they dealt with both, and it took time to understand what her son needed in each moment.
When he was six, she reached out to the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, knowing their assessment would matter in the school system. A psychologist suspected ADHD, but advised waiting until he started school for formal testing. Once first grade began, the diagnosis was confirmed, and Maja felt relieved that someone finally “read” her child quickly and clearly. That clarity helped her prepare for what came next, including navigating the paperwork that often surprises families.
She pushed for an individualized approach at school and discovered she needed additional documentation, even from a speech therapist, despite her son not having speech issues. She now works from home part time, which allows her to stay closely involved in daily routines. Their days have structure, but the real key is flexibility, since learning can happen on a bed, on the floor, or wherever focus is easiest.
They tried different therapies and activities, from neurofeedback to sports, and eventually kept what felt right, including climbing and psychodrama. School has been smoother thanks to a teacher who doesn’t shame him for fidgeting or misplacing things, and the class doesn’t even know he has individualized support. Social life has been trickier, and while video games helped him connect with peers, Maja also noticed they could fuel behavior issues, so she encouraged him to create content instead of only consuming it. She holds tight to one belief that guides her through the hardest days, that school performance is not the same as intelligence, and every child has a place where they shine.
If you’ve raised or taught a child with ADHD, what strategies have helped your family feel more supported and understood? Share your thoughts in the comments.
