The entire month of October is dedicated to celebrating ADHD Awareness Month. The Baker Center has been an impactful name in the ADHD community for years and we are proud to be a part of this month-long spotlight on a condition that impacts such a large percentage of our community.
What is ADHD Awareness Month?
ADHD Awareness Month spans the entirety of October and is an opportunity to increase education and understanding of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and to decrease the stigma surrounding it.
ADHD is a disorder that largely impacts children, but in many cases, symptoms persist well into adulthood, especially without proper treatment. ADHD can have a huge impact on a child’s ability to perform well in school, with symptoms such as an inability to sit still, immense difficulty paying attention, high potential for distraction, fidgeting and restlessness, excessive talking, and more. These symptoms make ADHD extremely hard to diagnose during childhood as many parents interpret these behaviors as typical for a child of a certain age.[1]
A large purpose of establishing ADHD Awareness Month is to disseminate accurate information on ADHD and help prevent parents from making that very mistake. Early intervention can help kids get back on the right track and prevent complications down the line.[2] In addition, ADHD tends to be very poorly represented in the mainstream media with many people having a false idea of what the disorder actually is. ADHD Awareness Month grants the opportunity to dispel these misconceptions.
Why Celebrate ADHD Awareness Month?
ADHD Awareness Month is the perfect time to come out in support of those who are living with the disorder. Whether you’re a parent of a child with ADHD, a teacher of a student, a friend, or even have it yourself, the month of October is your chance to stand up and show how ADHD impacts you or those you love. These types of issues rarely get talked about on a daily basis, and it can be empowering and uplifting to have a dedicated space available to address the issue.
The other large piece of ADHD Awareness Month is to encourage as many people as possible to spread information about the disorder to stimulate impactful conversations, increase understanding, and decrease stigma and stereotypical thinking. Via the Internet and social media, sharing accurate information about ADHD has become extremely easy. Through graphics, videos, PSAs, and more, shining a spotlight on the reality of ADHD will benefit those living with the disorder and positively change the culture surrounding it.
What is The Baker Center Doing to Support the ADHD Community?
The Baker Center has been assisting children with ADHD for years. Through our established programs such as Camp Baker and the Center for Effective Therapy (CET), we are working toward a future where all kids have access to the support and resources they need to be successful.
Camp Baker is one of the only summer programs in the world specifically designed to help treat kids with ADHD. Over the course of 6 weeks, kids are taught valuable social and developmental skills while still getting to enjoy a typical summer camp experience. The Camp Baker staff understands the individual needs of children with ADHD, including the challenges that they face, and are prepared to assist. One such example of this is the implementation of academic periods into the program. Kids with ADHD are at risk of developing academic regression while out of school for the entire summer. Having a structured academic period each day at Camp Baker helps decrease this risk and ensures kids come back to school feeling prepared and capable.
CET is also a huge source of support for the ADHD community. CET strictly adheres to using evidence-based treatment methods only. Evidence-based treatments are therapies and techniques that have been proven to be the most effective for certain disorders based on years of research findings.[3] This method not only involves the child but the parents and caregivers as well. Adults will learn how to respond to increased compliance, on-task behavior, inhibition, and other prosocial skills while providing a structure full of positive reinforcement for these behaviors.
Through this approach, CET is able to produce more success stories with their clients, many of whom are children who have struggled to find an effective treatment for years. With a disorder such as ADHD, which is commonly misinterpreted as normal child behavior, the evidence-based mantra makes a world of difference.
How Can I Contribute?
While we are fully committed to improving the lives of kids with ADHD, we rely on our community to help propel us toward this goal. You can create positive change and impact by supporting our causes and programs. If you know someone who may be struggling with ADHD why not refer them to Camp Baker or CECT? Even if you don’t personally know anyone who displays symptoms of ADHD, it’s possible you encounter undiagnosed kids every day and just don’t know it.
Another impactful way you can help is to consider making a donation. As a non-profit organization, we need these types of contributions in order to keep offering our vital services. You even have the option of selecting a specific program to fund, such as Camp Baker or CECT. This way, you’ll know your money is changing the lives of children with ADHD. You can make a donation directly on our website by clicking here.
We hope this blog post has been informative and has encouraged you to join us in celebrating ADHD Awareness Month! Be on the lookout for more content all throughout the month of October.
[1] https://chadd.org/about-adhd/overview/