I wish to help persons with ADHD succeed in their relationships with their spouses, partners, and even their parents. I understand what the research literature says about ADHD, and I know what has worked in my marriage to a person with ADHD. It is time I share my perceptions.
We live in Wichita, Kansas and have raised three successful children, one of whom is married and therefore, has provided us with the ideal son-in-law. Grandchildren are not in the picture at this time. We know at least one of those fantastic young adults is a person with ADHD.
As a young adult, I desired to study history and education, and I even considered becoming a lawyer. However, I always knew my strength lay in teaching and leading others to learn, and while in college, I became acquainted with my friend’s sister who has Down Syndrome. This relationship and friendship provided the hook that prompted my many years working with persons with disabilities in educational settings.
Many of those years included countless hours as a volunteer in church settings and in other community venues, where I advocated and taught not only the persons with disabilities, but the people committed to work with them and teach them. I wrote Bible study for over 20 years for a major publication company and served as a teacher in my local district. My service includes the Kansas Guardianship Program which is a partnership between Kansas citizens and the State of Kansas to provide support and legal substitute decision makers for Kansans who are adjudicated incapacitated. My friends call me the Frontier Woman because I lead cutting-edge services in my community and throughout other regions of the nation. At home I piloted a self-determination possibility for one of my wards as he exercised personal choice where to live and work with the help of a personal assistant as opposed to a group home setting.
Even though I have 40 years combined in various interests dealing with education, education of persons with disabilities, a professional writer and curriculum designer, and author, more importantly I am the wife of an individual who has lived with ADHD for over 60 years, and 40 of those years, he has lived it with me. Our relationship and the ideas shared here can potentially encouraged and enlighten my readers. I hope you gain understanding from what I write.
