Karla felt like everyone was angry with her – her parents, teachers, even her soccer coach. She tried to pay attention. She tried to sit quietly in class. Karla began feeling worthless, like she couldn’t do anything right, she was always getting in trouble.
After being assessed by the school psychologist and her pediatrician, she was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Her parents brought her to Western Youth Services.
The Western Youth Services professional consulted with the school psychologist and pediatrician, went to the school to observe Karla in the classroom, talked to her teachers, and gathered as much information to get a full picture of Karla’s behavior at home, at school and in other situations.
Karla didn’t know what ADHD meant. Was something really wrong with her? At Western Youth Services, she began participating in a weekly group. There, she met other kids who felt the same way she did! They learned to support each other while learning different skills, like relaxation techniques, and exercises to build the ability to monitor and control her behavior, emotions, and thoughts. Along with the other children in the group, Karla learned how to manage her behavior, feelings and thoughts in social situations.
Karla practiced these exercises when she was in school and at home. Karla was excited, she felt like, for the first time, she was getting praised! She was proud of herself, that she able to follow directions and really listen. Her grades went from Cs and Ds to As and Bs. Though she learned how to focus much better, more importantly, she learned that she is a worthy, valuable person. As she graduated from middle school, Karla proudly accepted her honors’ award and is looking forward to high school and taking some advanced courses.
