Take Five for ADHD

WILDWOOD CREST—Jennifer Dolbow is a mom on a mission. For the past three years she has been working with government officials and celebrities to bring awareness to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a condition she knows all too well. Dolbow’s son, Nicholas, was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of three.
As a teacher at Crest Memorial School in Wildwood, Dolbow spends her days helping students, some with varying degrees of ADHD. At night she works with Nicholas, helping with homework, a task that can often times prove difficult for the six-year-old. After seeing commercials and campaigns for other disorders, like autism, it occurred to Dolbow that there was a lack of recognition for ADHD, one of the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioral disorders. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 3 to 7 percent of school-aged children suffer with ADHD.
Dolbow said the misconception with ADHD is that it doesn’t exist, that the behavior is a result of bad parenting. The CDC states, that in addition to genetics, other possible causes and risk factors for ADHD include brain injury, environmental exposures, alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy, premature delivery, and low birth weight.
ADHD is a disorder characterized by inattentiveness, over-activity, and/or impulsivity. “A therapist once told me that by the time you’ve reprimanded the child, he’s already forgotten what he’s done,” said Dolbow. “Their brain is like a TV on the blink. They’re constantly switching channels all the time.”
Following her son’s diagnosis and learning of the misconceptions associated with the disorder, Dolbow was determined to get a national day of recognition for ADHD. First she reached out to President Barack Obama. When she didn’t receive any feedback from Washington, D.C., Dolbow instead decided to think locally. She contacted Senator Jeff Van Drew, who immediately joined the cause. Before long, 12 more senators were on board.
Introduced on Jan. 28, Senate Joint Resolution No. 69 was introduced with the intent to designate Jan. 21 of each year as “Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Awareness Day.” According to Dolbow, they are currently waiting for the schedule of when the committee meets, at which time she’ll need nine more senators to sign the bill, as well as support from the State Assembly.
The bill states, “Encouraging the citizens of New Jersey to learn more about ADHD will help individuals with the disorder receive the treatments that they need, improving the quality of life for those individuals and their families, and reducing the costs borne by all citizens.”
Dolbow has also contacted numerous celebrities who have been open about their struggles with ADHD, including Will Smith and Olympian Michael Phelps. “I wanted children to know that they can still do amazing things, like win gold medals, Academy Awards, or Emmys,” said Dolbow. “They may struggle with other aspects of their lives, but they can still be successful.”
A celebrity has already agreed to film a Public Service Announcement in anticipation of National Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Awareness Day. Dolbow has been in constant contact with the celebrity’s publicist, whom she declined to identify until the campaign officially launches.
In addition to a celebrity endorsement, Dolbow has also started a Facebook page, “We want an ADHD/ADD Awareness Day, an online petition, and a YouTube channel. The support has been incredible,” said Dolbow. “We have people from 18 different states who have signed the petition. There’s even support from Belgium.”
The campaign even has its own symbol and slogan, “Take five for ADHD.” The message, Dolbow said, is twofold. “Many of these kids with ADHD are highly emotional or have other disorders like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or Oppositional Defiant Disorder, so for them it means ‘take five minutes to calm yourself, to settle down,’ and for parents and teachers it means ‘take five minutes to familiarize yourself with ADHD.”
For more information on ADHD or to support the “Take 5 for ADHD” campaign, visit www.facebook.com/WeWantAnAdhdaddAwarenessDay. From there you’ll be able to sign the petition, connect with other parents, and learn about different treatment options.