ADHD Child vs. Non-ADHD Child Interview

Summary

In this heartfelt and candid interview with a young child, the conversation touches on various aspects of school life, friendships, and self-perception. The child shares insights on their love for playing with friends at recess, their feelings about schoolwork, and the challenges they face with their moods. Despite feeling 'normal' about their accomplishments, the child opens up about their sense of self-worth, revealing confidence in their intelligence and creativity. The child also reflects on their experience with ADHD and how they wish others could better understand and support kids like them.

Takeaways

• 😀 The child is six and a half years old and in first grade.
• 😀 They enjoy school mainly because they like to play with friends at recess.
• 😀 The child dislikes school because they feel they have to do a lot of work and would prefer to spend time with their cute little sister.
• 😀 Homework takes the child around five to ten minutes, and they don't find it too difficult.
• 😀 The child typically performs well on tests, getting A's but not A+'s, and almost always getting everything right.
• 😀 Despite doing well on tests, the child feels 'normal' rather than proud of their achievements.
• 😀 The child has a mixed view on friendships, feeling happy when they have many friends, but unsure about not having a lot of friends.
• 😀 They get invited to parties occasionally, though not very often.
• 😀 The child has never been severely bullied but admits to being bullied sometimes.
• 😀 The child thinks they are smart and handsome, and occasionally feels they are pretty.
• 😀 The child likes themselves for being smart, good at drawing, and because they value their relationship with Jesus and God.
• 😀 The child dislikes nothing about themselves, but they acknowledge that sometimes they act bad by giving attitude to their mom.
• 😀 The child attributes their bad behavior to being in a bad mood, often influenced by the day’s events.
• 😀 The child believes kids with ADHD are good listeners, and other kids should support them by assuring them that their efforts, even if not perfect, are valuable.

Q & A

How old are you and what grade are you in?

I am six and a half years old, and I am in first grade.

Why do you like school?

I like school because I enjoy playing with my friends at recess.

What don't you like about school?

I don't like that I have to do a lot of stuff, and I wish I could spend more time with my little sister because she's really cute.

How long does it take you to do your homework?

It takes me maybe five or ten minutes, but I'm not sure. It's sort of in the middle.

Do you have a hard time with your homework?

Sometimes I do.

How do you feel about your test scores?

I usually get A's, but not A+'s. I almost get every single question right, but I just feel normal about it.

Do you have a lot of friends?

I do have a lot of friends, but sometimes I don't.

How do you feel about having a lot of friends versus not having many friends?

I feel happy when I have a lot of friends, but I don't feel as good when I don't have a lot of friends.

What do you like about yourself?

I like myself because I am smart, I draw well, and I like Jesus and God because they are really important to me.

Is there anything you dislike about yourself?

Not really, but sometimes I act bad by giving attitude to my mom, especially when I'm in a bad mood.

How do you think kids with ADHD should be treated by others?

Kids with ADHD are better at listening than others, and people should help them by reminding them that whatever they do is still right because they tried their best.