Keeping Licensed Teen Drivers With AD/HD Safe: Parent Strategies
Remain Vigilant
Just because your teen with AD/HD has an unrestricted driver's license, your parental responsibility for his safe driving does not end! In fact, this is the very time when all parents should be most vigilant. Be aware that more teens are killed during the first year of driving alone than any other time.
When your teen becomes a licensed driver, monitoring his driving is just as or more important than it was while he held a learner's permit. Continue to monitor his driving behavior, administer consequences, and enforce all contract agreements. Your teen with AD/HD needs you to set realistic expectations and offer consistent support as he gains experience and good judgment behind the wheel of a car.
Stay Optimistic
When raising a child with AD/HD, you face many challenges that parents of kids without the disorder do not. Sometimes those challenges seem overwhelming, but don't get discouraged. Continue to seek new information that will help your child become a safe and happy individual. I hope you will experience the satisfaction of knowing you have helped your teenager with AD/HD develop safe driving habits that will serve him well all his life.
*(Note: You need the Adobe Reader/Acrobat Reader software in order to view the file).
AD/HD by Other Names and Acronyms
While Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is the official term and acronym used by today's mental health care professionals, it is sometimes referred to by other names and abbreviations. For example, it is sometimes called:
ADHD (without the "slash" in the middle)
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Attention Disorder
