index4a

About Us

Copyright @ 1999 - 2007, Webmaster: K. Nikischin. Special Thanks: J. Nikischin

I am the founder of the support group. In 1997 my son, who was 8 years old, was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, Inattentive Type.
     Although we were getting very good counselling and assistance from our therapist , I felt over-whelmed, frustrated and very much alone in my daily battle with ADD It would have been wonderful to talk with other parents who were going through the same thing but there was no support group for Attention Deficit Disorder in my small town.
     With our therapist's encouragement, I organized a support group that included families who were dealing with the same or similar issues. It was the therapist's belief that other families were probably feeling the same sense of isolation, which they were.
     Not really knowing where to start, I arranged a meeting place at the local Health Center and then put an ad on the local TV cable "Community Events" calendar.
I was skeptical and didn't expect anyone to show up at the first meeting but I had decided that I would go through with the initial meeting date and see what happened. The first meeting brought out 8 people who were relieved to find that, indeed, they were not alone and that together they could find some answers to the questions that had been plaguing them for some time.
     Success with the first meeting encouraged me to continue and to learn as much about ADD as I possibly could so that I could help others to understand and to deal with it. With the help of members of the support group, we founded a small library of ADD-related books and videos. We did presentations to community groups to help them to understand ADD and its implications and remedies. We have advocated for our children at our local schools which promoted understanding and caring to teachers and principals who previously had less knowledge regarding ADD. This in turn has improved communication between the school and home in most cases. We have gone to the schools and attended IPRC meetings with other parents, at their request, to provide support and encouragement. The list just gets longer.
My son is a kind, gentle young teenager who is slowly growing into the man he will become. I am proud of him and his accomplishments. We still struggle with ADD and life is not always perfect but both of us are much better at coping than before. He has a long road to travel and I know that he will 'make it'. I think I'll keep him.
Tabi

I am the co-founder of the support group and I am the mother of four grown sons. My eldest son was diagnosed at a very young age with Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder,combined Hyperactivity and Inattentiveness. My youngest son was recognized as having Attention Deficit Disorder, Inattentive Type at a much later age (he was in his teens). At the time of my oldest son's diagnosis in the '70's, ADHD was still being called "Minimal Brain Dysfunction".
     As I had recently moved to Parry Sound, I was especially interested in finding a community group that would include some of my interests and help me to get to know the people in the community. That's when I saw Tabi's ad on the TV.
     I had survived the over-whelming frustration, the sense of isolation when no one seemed to understand, the stigma of being labelled a 'bad mom' and the ever-present fear of losing my child to whatever demon was pursuing him. I knew what it was like to live with a child who has ADHD.
     There were times while my sons were growing up when I didn't think I would make it through another day. I was haunted by thoughts that I might some day harm one of my children out of frustration and/or anger. I could have used an understanding shoulder to lean on then. It was for those reasons that I involved myself with the support group to lend another parent that shoulder.
     Three of my sons had grown and moved out and the fourth still lived with me. I decided that maybe, as a veteran, I could provide some input or at least let families coping with ADD/ADHD know that one can survive and live to tell the tale. I picked up the phone and called Tabi, offered her assistance and the rest is history.
     And my sons? My oldest is married to a wonderful young lady who has the patience of Job and understands why he makes her nuts. He is a responsible young man with a good job and a positive future. He still deals with his demons but he understands ADHD and how it affects him. He is coping very well and he knows that when he isn't coping , he can call anytime and I will try to help him regain his perspective.
     My youngest son is a bright, serious young man who is still a little lost as to his life goals. He also deals with his demons and understands his ADD. He is a work-in-progress and I have faith in his ability to function independently. He has a full-time job that he enjoys and he has become very good at playing guitar.
     My two middle sons sometimes had to live in the shadow of their siblings but they have been very supportive and generous since they have gotten older. (It wasn't always easy for them and they weren't always so understanding). It was my second oldest son who designed this website and I think he did an excellent job. He showed an enormous amount of patience when it came time to teach his technologically-challenged mother how to manage the webpages.
     My children have been the source of my greatest joys and also the source of my deepest sorrows. They have been my best teachers and my worst critics. The experiences they provided me with made me a better parent. I love each of them for who they are and I wouldn't trade them for the world.
Karen

~Tabitha's Story~

~Karen's Story~

ADD ~ ADHD Family Support Group of Parry Sound
~bios~

You might be asking yourself, "Who are these people and do they really know anything at all about ADD/ADHD?...or are they just another bunch of 'crackpot, wanna-be experts' who don't know what they are talking about and have no idea what you're going through?"
     Legitimate assumption and questions and understandably so. You have been going through your own private 'hell on earth' and have wondered if there is any hope at all for you and/or your child and family. You have tried every parenting trick in the book and then some. You may or may not have been ready to give up on the educational system because they just don't 'get it' and all they do is pick on your child and make 'unreasonable' demands; either that or your child has already been suspended for whatever reason and you feel it was unfair or unwarranted. You may have considered giving your child away to anyone who would promise not to bring him back (just joking). You have probably also wondered if there is another soul on earth who truly understands what you are going through. Am I getting close?
Let me answer thusly:
     No...we are not 'experts' in any way, shape or form. Just 'veterans' of the daily struggle of raising and keeping alive our own children who live with ADHD.
     Yes...we have some idea of what you are going through as a parent or caregiver of a child with ADHD. We are, ourselves, parents of children with ADHD and have survived to tell the tale. As the saying goes, "We have been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt. Also, we've fixed the broken window, repainted the living room, rescued the cat from the toilet, replaced the neighbour's fence, made the kid wear a helmet at all times, explained why one doesn't shave the dog, bribed the teacher with chocolates, got the blue dye out of the washer (and the dog), found a babysitter who actually said yes she would, bought new linens and drapes for the kid's room, washed off the artwork a million times from the wall, put the dentist's kids through college, gotten to know the ER staff on a first name basis, are again welcome in others' homes even if we take the kids, etc, etc, ad nauseum. You get the picture.
     All joking aside, we have, hopefully, learned a few things along the way and are willing to lend an understanding shoulder for you to lean on if you so wish.
     Please take a moment to read our biographies...it will help you to understand where we were and where we are today. Thank you. ~~Karen~~