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Ty Pennington, host of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, was apparently a challenging child to raise due to his AD/HD behaviors. His psychologist mother, Dr. Yvonne Pennington, will share her mothering experiences with parents, teachers and mental health professionals who attend the Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) conference on May 9, 2009, at the Baltimore Hilton. Co-sponsored with Loyola College Department of Education, this is a unique opportunity for the public to hear Dr. Pennington and many other nationally renowned experts.
Most people are familiar with AD/HD as a condition of childhood, and most of us know or live with a child diagnosed with AD/HD. New information on AD/HD is emerging all of the time. It has become clear that many people do not become diagnosed until adulthood when the condition begins to interfere with adult activities and relationships. There also are many children who manage to get by in the early years, but run head-on into problems as adults. Have you ever heard an adult say, "I'll bet I have some type of learning disorder that was never diagnosed..."
AD/HD represents a set of behaviors that can be present in varying combinations and degrees. The broad categories are impulsivity, inattention and hyperactivity. The underlying behaviors interfere in school success and sometimes tie into delinquent acting out behavior. It's not uncommon for a child with AD/HD to develop and live with poor self-esteem.
Adults with AD/HD may suffer in their careers, mature relationships and be diagnosed with a variety of mental illness, such as anxiety and depression. They may float from job to job and have trouble communicating.
Learning about AD/HD in children and adults and the many useful strategies and resources can help bring families together and thwart years of discomfort and dysfunction. For more information on AD/HD and the Baltimore conference see CHADD's web site. Photo/CHADD: Dr. Yvonne Pennington
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