Here are some of my favorite analogies which help to explain ADHD.

The Moth

ADHDers are like moths:

	They are drawn to the brightest light.
	Unfortunately, the brightest light is sometimes a Bug Zapper.
	Our job is insure that the brightest light leads them in a productive direction.

The Nasty Policeman (See Dr. Joseph Carvers' site)

Imagine that you are caught in a traffic violation. The policeman gets out of his car to give you your well deserved ticket. How would you like it if he handed you the ticket and yelled at you at the same time--calling you thoughtless and all sorts of other awful things? Would you like the policeman? Don't we expect the authorities to be respectful while handing out the punishment? So...

When you hand out the punishment, leave the nasty comments behind.

The Speedometer (adapted from Dr. Ross Greene, The Explosive Child)

Imagine that your ADHDer has a "Stress Speedometer."

	When the speedometer hits 60 miles per hour (mph), the back wheels spin out, and the child will crash.
	Once that stress level of 60 mph is achieved, there is nothing to do except wait for the disaster to finish.
	So, our job is to help keep the stress level from hitting 60 mph.
	One day, you walk into his room and discover a child whose stress meter is 40 mph.
	You calmly help, and the stress speedometer drops to 30 mph. Great. Keep at it.
	Another day, you try to finesse him through homework, but find that voices are getting louder. The stress meter is now 50 mph. You try a little more, and the speedometer is 55 mph. BACK OFF! STEP AWAY FROM THE CAR! Let the car roll gradually to a safer speed, and then try again.
	Allowing the child to hit 60 mph never leads to anything good.

The Brakeless Bike (adapted from Putting on the Brakes by Quinn & Stern)

	Imagine this: A kid is on a bicycle speeding downhill. The world is whizzing by. He needs to avoid holes in the pavement. The road is curving. The wind buzzes in his ear, and makes his eyes tear. Suddenly, there are rocks in the road. He goes to put on the brakes—but they don’t work!! As the bike speeds downhill, just staying on it seems overwhelming. Too many obstacles call for the rider’s attention. So much seems out of control. Who has time to pay attention to the huge truck coming up?
	Screaming at the bicyclist only makes things more overwhelming and thus more out of control. What, then, is the best action to take? STOP! Clear the path! Get out of the way! Wait for the bike to gradually coast to a stop. Once the bike has had a chance to safely slow down, then ask the ADHDer to make appropriate plans for the upcoming truck.
	Stimulant medications help by stimulating the function of the ADHDer’s own brakes--like giving them new brake linings. Importantly, stimulants DO NOT work by "pouring tar" on the gears, making them too tired to get into trouble.

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