Lou-Lou Super Hero
A couple were on their way to Spain for a holiday, when the woman suddenly said "David can you see that, am I dreaming, is there a little girl on the wing?" The man smiled and said "No, you are not dreaming, haven't you heard of Lou Lou - Super Hero?" "No" replied the woman. "Let me tell you about Lou Lou, she is a very special little girl, she has ADHD and she is a Super Hero," said the man. He went on to say, "her brain races at a fast speed, just like a Ferrari, yet she goes around the world helping other children with ADHD." "David, please will you tell me more about Lou Lou and ADHD?" "Of course dear, well...................
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ADHD is NOT a learned behaviour.
ADHD is NOT a spoilt child.
ADHD is NOT a temper tantrum.
ADHD is NOT a choice.
Lou Lou was eating her breakfast when she heard the cry from a mother trying to get her son to brush his teeth and get ready for school. Within seconds she was there, standing by the boy whose name was Josh. Lou Lou smiled at the mum and said " can I borrow Josh for a couple of minutes?" The mother nodded and Lou Lou grabbed Josh's hand and they were gone. Within seconds they were standing by a race track. Josh's eyes were everywhere, he loved cars. "Oh my a red Ferrari, that's my favourite, it goes really fast." Lou Lou smiled and said "Josh you have ADHD, just like me and our brains go as fast as that Ferrari." "Really oh whoa," replied Josh.
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When everything seems to be going against you,
remember, planes take off against the wind
not with the wind.
xx Henry Ford
"I have learnt that like you I have a brain that is as fast as a Ferrari, but at the beginning I had brakes from my old broken bike, which were not very good. Now I have better brakes and with help from your mum and dad you can strengthen your brakes." Josh nodded, explained like that, he totally got it. "So when I take ages to clean my teeth, it's because my brakes are not strong enough?" Said Josh. They both giggled and then they were back with Josh's mum and Josh said "off to clean my teeth mum, sorry it was my brakes." Josh's mum turned to Lou Lou and said "brakes?" Lou Lou smiled and replied " let me explain."
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Children with ADHD, need someone in their corner.
Even if you don't have all the asnwers,
be that someone.
Lou Lou came to her mum and said "mum I need to go, there is another child, who needs my help." Her mum turned to say "be careful," but Lou Lou had not only gone, but already had arrived at the home of Steve. Steve loved computers, he wasn't interested in playing games, he was more interested in writing computer code and making his robot work. Like Lou Lou, he has ADHD and just recently he has been getting really angry with himself. He kept forgetting things, his school work was suffering and he kept snapping at his brother and sister. "Let me show you something Steve" and with that Lou Lou whisked Steve off to a huge room full of computers.
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The hardest thing about ADHD, is that it is "Invisible"
to others. People just assume you are bad parents and that
your children are spoilt. How WRONG they are.
Steve absolutely loved computers and for a few minutes just stood there taking it all in. Then they sat down and Steve told Lou Lou all the things that were going on. "Steve you know how computers work, they have a set structure and follow set routines, which makes them work." Steve nodded. "Well my mum and dad helped me and I have a daily routine which I follow and it makes me feel safe and secure." "Lou Lou that makes you the best computer in the world," replied Steve. They both giggled and in a flash Steve was back at home with Lou Lou by his side. His mum came in and Steve said "mum, can we sit down with dad and work out a daily routine for me, as I want to be the best computer in the world like Lou Lou." Steve mum turned to thank Lou Lou, but she had already gone.
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ADHD is not a bad thing and you should NEVER feel
different to those who don't have ADHD.
Lou Lou was watching TV with her mum, when she suddenly got up and said "I have got to go mum" and there she was gone. Lou Lou's mum continued to watch TV when she suddenly gasped, there on TV was Lou Lou, she was in the houses of Parliament. She turned up the sound to hear what Lou Lou was saying. " Like many children and adults I have ADHD, here you ask questions, so I am going to ask you a couple of questions." "How many of you know what ADHD stands for?" "Answer by putting your hand up." "mmmmm, not so many, my mum would not be impressed, okay one more question, how many of you think ADHD, is a behaviour problem?" "Mmmmm not good."
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Having ADHD just means you have
ADDed Personality.
"Now let me tell you what it is like to live with ADHD, it is nothing to do with having bad parents, my mum and dad are the best parents in the world, it's nothing to do with bad diet either, my mum feeds me really well. It is nothing to do with being difficult, lazy, stupid and is not contagious. There is no cure, like millions like me, I have to live with it. What would be really good if people started to understand and take the time to see the real person in front of them." Everyone got to the feet and clapped and with that Lou Lou was back on the sofa with her mum.
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The way we speak to children,
becomes their "inner voice."
Every week Lou Lou sends every child with ADHD a special message. "Like everyone, some days I don't like the way my brain is, that I don't mean to talk in class, that I mean to follow the rules. Sometimes it makes me cry, but then my mum cuddles me and tells me, that I am going to be somebody in the world. That makes me smile and I am ready for the next day. Never forget, all of us are Super Heroes." As you know Lou Lou is a Super Hero, so apart from helping others with ADHD, she has her normal job of saving the world. Lou Lou was in the garden playing with her brother, when she got a call, she rushed in to tell her mum and then whoosh she was gone.
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No matter how angry you get with me, it is nothing,
compared to how angry I get with myself.
It was not far this time, only a few miles away, but there was an old lady who lived in a cottage, who was ill and a really awful fox had turned up to scare her. So firstly, Lou Lou chased the fox away and then Lou Lou helped sort out some help for the old lady, while she was getting better. Lou Lou promised to pop in every week, to see how she was and told the old lady if she needed her, to just call. After a lovely Sunday dinner with her family, Lou Lou had a call and told her mum she had to go, her mother would never get used to her suddenly going, but she was proud of all the good Lou Lou was doing.
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The most impotant thing in communication
is hearing what isn't said.
Emma was having problem with her math's homework and she had an exam on Monday. Lou Lou spoke to her and realised that Emma had the same problem as her, she saw numbers the wrong way round. The first thing Lou Lou did was show Emma a picture on her phone, she then told Emma, it was her quiet place, to imagine she was there and it was a sunny afternoon. She then asked Emma what she would be doing there? Emma replied "oh that's easy, I would be dancing, I love to dance." After 10 minutes, Lou Lou asked Emma if she had some paper and a pencil, Emma nodded and went to get them.
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ADHD is just a different way of thinking.
She returned with them and Lou Lou sat at Emma's desk and wrote down a question on the paper from Emma's homework. "Emma, look at the picture again, imagine you are dancing there." Emma nodded and after a couple of minutes she then asked Emma to look at paper and the question. "Can you answer that question Emma? asked Lou Lou. "OMG, yes I can, oh whoa is that magic?" Replied Emma. Lou Lou giggled and answered "no, it's just about relaxing." Suddenly Lou-Lou heard "Jules, please sit down, the train will go", but Jules wanted to get to the mountains, so he could use his new snowboard. With that Lou-Lou was there.
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"I am not random,
you just don't think as fast as me."
The train was waiting for another train to be fixed further up the track. Lou Lou could hear Jules and his parents were getting upset and decided to go and see if she could help. "Hello Jules can I sit next to you?" Said Lou Lou. Jules looked round and was surprised to see Lou Lou, mmm he thought she wasn't there a second ago? "Yes" he replied. "Many a time I get annoyed, but I am beginning to understand that not everything happens immediately and that there are things I can't control." Said Lou Lou. "So what I do, is in my bag here, are some games I play while I am waiting and also I have paper and pencils, so you could draw me a trick you want to do on your snowboard when you get to the mountains, or a design you would like on your next skateboard."
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Every child is gifted, they just unwrap their packages
at different times.
Jules and Lou Lou sat quietly, as Jules drew his design, 15 minutes later the train started to move. Jules turned to tell Lou Lou the train was moving, but Lou Lou had gone and was back on the sofa with her mum. As children with ADHD, we all know who are the Super Heroes in our lives, our families, without their love and support, life would be tough. My mum is amazing, like all mums of children with ADHD, she took a step back and thought long and hard and realised she had to stop seeing the problems as though I didn't want to be organised and attentive. That the truth was until she found the right way of helping me, I wouldn't be.
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"I don't mean to interupt you, I just randomly remember
things and get very excited."
My amazing beautiful mum found the way and helps me with every single challenge. My wonderful mum tirelessly fights for me for every single day and I couldn't ask for more. So that's why for all of us, our families are Super Heroes. There are times I do send my mum and dad crazy, it's those times we all know too well, when we ask our mum and dad millions of questions, one after another and never waiting for an answer. I tend to do this, when I am trying to do my homework. My mum has a neat way of keeping me focused, first I sit at the dining table and do one piece of homework, it could be spelling or math's for 15 minutes, then I have a 5 minute break, then I sit on the sofa and do another piece of homework and then have another 5 minutes break.
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ADHD should teach us all, the importance of never judging
others, compassion, patience and tolerance.
It really helps me focus and relax, but it's still great fun to see my mum and dad like that, it does make me giggle. "Mum mum I don't understand the words, why can't I read like everyone else in my class." Said Billie and threw his book on the floor. At that moment Lou Lou arrived, "hello Billie", said Lou Lou and with that she picked up the book and gave it to Billie. "Billie, I had the same problem as you and with my mum's help, I started to read better. What I used to do was read aloud to mum, it was hard at first, but then it became easier, until I could read a whole paragraph to my mum without any mistakes. Billie you can do the same with your mum." Said Lou Lou.
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Your Ferrari brain will always be part of you, so be proud
of who you are and stand tall and shine brightly.
"At the beginning I just read for a couple of minutes then had a break, then 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, until I am able to read as long as I want," said Lou Lou. "Can I do that too?" Asked Billie. "Yes of course," replied Lou Lou. "At the beginning I read with my mum, she made it fun and you can do the same." Replied Lou Lou. She went on to tell Billie, that every evening she stills reads with her mum for 15 minutes, that it was a nice way of ending the day on a positive note. "What do you like Billie, me I am crazy about giraffes." Said Lou Lou. Billie thought for a moment and then replied " I love planes, nature and snakes."
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"I wont' change the way my child views the world, instead
I will change the way the world views my child."
"Well then Billie tomorrow go to the library and get a book on one of them and that can be your first book to read." Replied Lou Lou. Billie smiled and gave Lou Lou a big hug and ran over to his mum and asked what time the library opens. Lou Lou was enjoying herself in her room, just relaxing, she felt good today, when suddenly she was called away, a girl was having trouble and Lou Lou went to help. Lou Lou just arrived in time, Eva did not know what was happening to her and her mum did not know yet, that Eva had ADHD. Eva was standing there shouting "I am not like other girls, my brain doesn't work properly." Lou Lou said quietly "Eva, look around, you are frightening your little sister and you don't want to do that do you?" Eva nodded and began to cry.
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"Please let me grow as me and understand why I want to grow
like me, not like others want me to be.
Please help me grow as me."
Lou Lou then sat them down and then told them her story, how she was the same as Eva at the beginning, until her mum got a diagnosis and then with medication and the strength of mum and dad, how her life improved. Lou Lou then told Eva she was not alone and Eva's mum stood up and gave Eva a big hug. They both turned to thank Lou Lou, but she was already back in her bedroom, with her two tigers, her mum and dad. At school Lou Lou loves painting, the other girls in her class love the paintings she does, as Lou Lou is very creative. Three girls in her class invited her after school to come and have tea and do some painting. They started off well, but then they started painting each other, first their hands and then their faces, it's fair to say, the paint went everywhere.
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"I have a very strong sense of what is fair."
The girl's mum came into the room and went "OMG, Susan tell me that paint is water based." "No mum." Susan replied. Susan mum almost fainted, Susan giggled and said "only kidding mum." They all went downstairs and had tea, as they were eating Susan turned to Lou Lou and said "can you tell us about your ADHD, what it feels like and as your friends what can we do to help?" Lou Lou had a tear in her eye, she knew she would never forget this special day . As she ate her cake she begun to tell them, after she had finished, they had a group hug and all her new friends thought she was quite amazing.
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"I am always being there to provide
a different perspective."
Lou Lou loved cutting hair, she was very good at styling and cutting the hair on her dolls, but mum had said she was a bit too young to start cutting hair properly. This had made Lou Lou sad and she actually got very angry about this, until she realised her mum was right and it was her ADHD making her want it now. Her mum was really proud that Lou Lou had worked that out all on her own, so arranged a surprise for her. A friend of hers, John owned a hairdressers not very far from them and on this particular morning, it was school holidays, so Lou Lou's mum took her to John's place. Lou Lou watched him cut hair and after 10 minutes thought he was not cutting it right and told her mum what she thought, her mum actually agreed.
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"ADHD means I take in a lot of information at once
and sometimes it's hard to concentrate on one thing."
John had over heard and said "OMG, it's like having two bosses." With that they all giggled. John asked Lou Lou what was her idea and she told him and John actually liked the idea and used it. Lou Lou loves riding her bike and every opportunity her mum and dad take her riding. They discovered early on that when Lou Lou was spending time in nature, she became calm and relaxed. Lou Lou tells everyone she meets with ADHD, that riding her bike is not only good for her muscles, but keeps her brain in good shape too. In the summer before school mum lets me run around and skip in the garden, it reduces my anxiety and helps my brain get ready for learning things. In the winter, I run around the house, which sends my mum and dad crazy, but it let's me blow off steam.
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We are so much more than our diagnosis.
Don't give up on us, as we will never give up on you.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story.