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The first iteration of ADHD saw ADHD teenagers as behavior problems and troublemakers. The second iteration described the population as having a neuro-biological disorder that needed to be medicated. ADD Leadership is reinforcing a paradigm shift which defines this population as having particular characteristics innate to strong leadership by introducing a third iteration, which defines this population as those individuals who will lead us successfully through the 21st century. While there are many educational programs for families and students with ADHD and many wilderness programs, none have focused on nurturing the leadership potential of ADHD teenagers specifically. ADD Student Leadership is one of the first programs to integrate wilderness training and leadership development with education specific to ADHD teenagers. ADD Student Leadership is also one of the first to empower ADHD teens to advocate for themselves in their schools and communities. By providing ADHD teens with the tools and resources to start a positive conversation with their families and peers, ADD Student Leadership helps teens take what has been perceived as a disability and turn it into an asset. Most of the programs for this population are reactive; they deal with the child after he/she has crashed and burned. ADD Student Leadership’s approach is proactive and solution-focused, rather than problem-focused. It recognizes the leadership potential of ADHD youth and seeks to empower them with the understanding that they can become “the authors of their own lives and be a vehicle of transformation for themselves and others.” Only now are cognitive experts beginning to see the enormous creative and entrepreneurial potential of ADHD children. ADD Student leadership not only gives teens the skills and resources for self-management and advocacy; it helps them to identity the “fire within,” their own unique gifts, and to recognize opportunities for extraordinary growth. Founded in 2005, ADD Student Leadership is a non-profit program designed to meet the social, emotional, and self-esteem needs of ADHD teenagers and their families. |