Those teenagers with ADHD can be managed and can do things on what others without ADHD can do. However, those teens that have ADHD and left untreated would face many risks and difficulties in life. That’s why early diagnosis is important to treat and manage it. This would help an ADHD kid, teenager and adults a lot. They can live a life like those without ADHD with a lesser risk involve.
Teenager life is the stage where they learn and desire many things. One of which is driving. Driving needs skills and concentration. And as far as we know, focus and concentration are one of the symptoms of ADHD. That’s why those teenagers with ADHD without treatment that desires to take hold of the wheel are likely to engage in more risk and danger. According to survey, for the first few years of driving for teens with ADHD, they are involved in many car accidents four times than those who do not have ADHD. They also got three times speeding tickets compared to others, and they have many injuries in accidents as well.
It’s good to know that many states now a day allow young drivers both with and without ADHD to use a graduated licensing system. Here, they gradually learn about more challenging and difficult driving situations.
This licensing system is consisting of three stages:
Learner’s permit – the young driver must have a licensed adult that always accompanies him on her while driving. Immediate or Provisional License Full Licensure
As a parent, you need to be concerned about this. Before engaging your child into driving, you need to give certain precautions. Primarily, they must be under treatment or management. A doctor’s advice or permission to drive would be helpful as well to add assurance. Always remind your child about the dos and don’ts in driving and the rules of the road especially those with ADHD. You could put some notes on the car for reminders or you could try other methods to help your child to be reminded at all times. In cases that your ADHD child really has difficulty in driving, don’t insist. It is best also to ask your physician about other things that they need to consider about driving. Constant driving practice makes it permanent, especially for those with ADHD.
However, an adult supervision for ADHD teens at all times is important.