MEET KELLY WILLIAMS
Over the past 11 years, I’ve expanded and developed methods that WORK for kids with ADHD,
first as a family therapist and now as a parenting coach.
My son was in first grade when he was diagnosed with ADHD. Looking back, the symptoms had been there since he was 3.
Exuberant energy, obsessive fascination with things, and intense anger over not getting his way. His obsessions were relentless. We couldn’t do anything without a MAJOR meltdown.
I was that mom who felt completely helpless and cried every night.
Our crisis happened when it came time for standardized testing in first grade. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to sit still for the test, his teacher called and offered suggestions but, like all the other advice I had been given, it didn’t help.
Each day I got concerned calls from the school about my son’s behavior. On the third day of testing, I got the frantic call: I needed to drop everything and go get my son immediately.
He was out of control, hiding under his desk, refusing to finish the test, and disrupting the rest of the class. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he promised he would never go back to that school. My happy-go-lucky boy, who only a week ago loved his teacher and his school, turned into a screaming, angry, fearful kid who refused to come out of his room for DAYS at a time. WTH??
He was 6 years old when this situation went down and it’s what led us to the eventual diagnosis of ADHD.
I remember feeling relieved at first, but at the same time, I was terrified.
The diagnosis explained SO MUCH. Like why I was SO EXHAUSTED all the time and why the parenting advice I kept getting simply would not work. But I also remember that the thought of giving him medication was paralyzing and that's was the only thing the professionals had to offer. I was falling into depression as I mourned the child I thought I would have.
I wanted tools, not just pills.
When my son was diagnosed I thought that professionals like teachers, doctors, and therapists would be able to guide me, explain things to me, and tell me what I needed to do to be the best parent I could be for my son.
Boy, was I wrong. The advice I got from professionals just didn’t work for us. It was like they couldn’t grasp the intensity of the tantrums or the unpredictability of the outbursts. And then, they acted like I wasn’t being strict enough, that MY PARENTING was the problem.
I had been a practicing family therapist for years and it was only after my own son was diagnosed that I realized how incredibly inadequate my training as a therapist was.
So, I became determined to find a way to help him and keep our connection intact.
I spent countless hours reading and researching everything I could about ADHD and parenting. Finally, with the help of my son and a lot of trial and error we started to see some successes.
Together, my son and I came up with a system that worked for both of us.
Today, the very same approaches that my son helped me create have also helped hundreds of other families.
It's my dream to help every kid with ADHD feel loved and understood by teaching parents about ADHD so they can learn how to work with it, not fight against it. I believe whole-heartedly that ADHD is a difference that doesn't have to become a disorder.
When parents understand this brain difference they can take action to make simple parenting shifts and realize more success and fulfillment. Action takers are change makers! Together we can create the change we want for our kids.
