“I also don’t want me to be doing what I’m doing.” Actor/Comedian John Mulaney
This quote is from one of John Mulaney's stand-up routines where he talks about being a very bad driver. That's the only clip I saw and I don't know much about Mulaney, but he appears to be a very witty man. He said as people drive up beside him they give him a stare (most polite) or a nasty hand gesture (horribly impolite). All he can do is look back with eyes beseeching them to understand, “I also don’t want me to be doing what I’m doing.” But, he is simply unable to drive well.
Dr. Hannah Baczynski, Dakota Family Services Psychologist, showed this video in a staff training she did on understanding children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Her training centered around debunking myths about children with ADHD, one of the greatest ones being they could quit their behaviors if they just tried hard enough. With most of the children at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch having some level of ADHD or a related diagnosis, it is important we understand their reality.
Like Mulaney, these children “don’t want to be doing what they are doing.” No child chooses to spend their days in a constant flurry of agitation or intense focus. It is exhausting. Treating ADHD is a combination of good psychological/psychiatric care and skill building to help children manage their energies. Their behaviors are a result of “skill, not will.” With the right care, patience, tools, and compassion, children can learn to do what they wish to be doing, not what ADHD harasses them to do.
Now about Mulaney’s driving…
Please keep our kids and staff in your prayers.
In His love,
Joy Ryan, President/CEO
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch
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