Photo courtesy the Cavanaugh familyKelly Cavanaugh of East Whiteland, her husband, Patrick, and three of their five children have been diagnosed with ADHD. she is a board member of CHADD, which is holding a conference at West Chester University on Feb. 12.

Kelly Cavanagh wasn’t always a believer. When her oldest daughter first started showing signs of having ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) she thought it was a discipline issue.”I used to ask other parents if they had trouble with (their child completing) homework assignments. Often they said they did, but our issues were different. I literally had to stay at my daughter’s elbow to get her to do her work,” recalled the East Whiteland resident.Although she admits she was resistant to the idea of her daughter being helped with medication and wasn’t even sure if she believed ADHD was a real disorder, Cavanaugh decided to do some research on the subject. That effort eventually led to diagnoses of ADHD for three of her five children, as well as for her husband, Patrick, and herself.”Learning about my daughter’s behavior was revelation for me, and my husband saw it too,” said Cavanagh.the connection is not surprising, since studies have found that ADHD, one of the most common brain disorders that can continue through adolescence and adulthood, runs in families. And three of the five Cavanaghs who have the disorder are also part of a growing trend — girls and women being diagnosed with ADHD.Marisa Burton was diagnosed with ADHD soon after her three children were born. a teacher with a master’s degree in special education, Burton had twins, and then another child 14 months later.”I had high expectations for myself as a mother, but when the kids all started becoming mobile it was difficult to keep my patience. I was resentful because I was stuck at home, and I was bored. And the biggest thing is that I didn’t have any structure in my days. I lost my routine,” said Burton, who lives in West Grove.Burton certainly isn’t alone. Ari Tuckman is a West Chester psychologist who specializes in treating people with ADHD. He said many women with ADHD are able to manage their symptoms when they are working, but once they have children things can start to unravel.”Raising kids in an unstructured environment is very difficult for women with ADHD. It’s up to the parent to provide the structure, and that’s where they are struggling,” Tuckman said, adding, “Another common place for these issues to come out is in college, since that is not a very structured atmosphere either.”Those struggles can also develop into depressed and anxious feelings, two things that are often prevalent in girls and women with ADHD.”Some of the differences between the ways boys and girls present with ADHD are cultural. Boys are more likely to act out and get into trouble, girls are more likely to become anxious or depressed about it,” Tuckman said.Burton explained it this way, “There’s a huge difference for girls with ADHD. Society has so many expectations for them. for one, they’re expected to be neat and tidy, but when you are barely able to handle the things you need to do, it’s hard to make sure you look cute.”Now that her own 12-year-old daughter is diagnosed with ADHD, Burton said she feels a special connection.”I always felt that I was different from the other girls and I felt isolated. my daughter is a tomboy, like I was. Neither of us are into what we call ‘mall talk,’ like some girls. the differences can make it hard to develop good social skills,” Burton said, adding, “I hope my daughter’s experiences are better because she has my support.”And Kelly Cavanagh, who has two daughters who are diagnosed with ADHD, said the family has developed many different strategies to deal with such issues as time management and organization deficits, impulsiveness and procrastination.”The biggest thing was being able to realize where the behaviors come from. That was a huge relief,” Cavanagh said.Cavanagh and Burton, both on the board of directors for the Chester County/Main Line chapter of CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention/Hyperactivity Disorder) will be among hundreds of participants to learn more about how ADHD affects specific age groups and genders, at the group’s 10th annual ADHD Conference, to be held Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at West Chester University. the conference, titled “ADHD at Home, at Work, and in the Classroom” is for parents, teachers, professionals and adults with ADHD.Marie Paxson, past coordinator of Chester County/Main Line and immediate past president of CHADD National, said the conference, which usually draws between 400 and 500 people, is open to the public and is especially helpful for educators since CHADD is an approved provider by the PA Dept. of Education and can provide Act 48 credits.this year’s conference topics include “Essentials for Homework Success,” “Understanding Medications used to Treat ADHD in Children, Adolescents and Adults” and “Special Issues for Girls and Women with ADHD.” Sessions on transitioning from high school to college, strategies for overcoming executive function weakness and interacting with others are offered as well.said Paxson, “We rely on several methods for choosing the topics. our members and meeting attendees will often bring issues to our attention at our monthly meetings. our board of directors has great intuition about topics of interest because we are affected by ADHD, either in our families or in ourselves. CHADD National does a great job in keeping us educated about current research, trends and breakthroughs in treatment options. And we have a great Professional Advisory Board who keep us up to date on issues their clients and students are facing, as well as what is happening in our local community.”For more information or to register for the 10th Annual ADHD Conference, visit the CHADD website at chadd.net/222. Space is limited, so early registration is recommended. There are a limited number of scholarships available. to find out more, contact Suzanne Smith-Colbert at 610-240-9760.

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