Beth's ADD

I've always known Beth had attention difficulties. From the time I first got her, she'd ask a question and then, as you were answering, she'd say, "Wait, I forgot to listen to the answer. Start over." We laughed about it. She wanted (and got) a shirt that said, "They say I have A.D.D. but they just don't understand...Oh, look. A chicken!" In 8th grade, she stayed in trouble for chewing gum at school. I let it slide because when she chews gum, she can focus much better. She figured this out and it worked for her. (Her teachers figured it out, too, and backed off. They even gave her an award at the end of the year party. Her award was for "Most likely to get caught chewing gum" and the prize was - you guessed it - a pack of gum.) Then came high school and gum just wasn't working for her anymore. We've tried several different meds for ADD over the last few years. They have helped some but she doesn't like taking them. She's on Concerta now, it seems to working and she hasn't mentioned any side effects.

All that to say, I got a little peek into her world yesterday when we were about to leave to come home from school. She walked outside ahead of me, asking me if it was raining. I asked why it mattered because it had rained all day and if she was going to drive home, it was going to be wet, whether or not rain was actually falling at the time. She said it wasn't the wet that bothered her, it was the windshield wipers. "I'm afraid I'll watch them and not the road." I just stared at her, slightly amused, and she said, "That's all I can do when I'm riding and they are on. I don't want to risk doing that while I'm driving." She's got a valid point.