Life With ADHD: Our Family’s Struggle
When my son was just 18 months old, we were asked to remove him from daycare. He was later expelled from multiple day-cares, a Montessori school, and even a private elementary school. At 9, nothing was working — not therapy, not medication, not structure, not time-outs. ADHD was stealing my son’s childhood, and as a psychologist myself, it broke me knowing how much we were trying, and how little progress we were making.
He’s gifted ,his IQ is nearly 150. But his grades never showed it. He’d bounce from As to Ds depending on his interest level. Meltdowns, frustration, isolation — it became our daily rhythm.
And then something unexpected happened.
He discovered chess.
At first, it was just another short-lived obsession, like many before. But this time… it stuck.
We got him a chessboard. Then software. Then books. He started going to local tournaments. Within months, he placed 2nd in the state scholastic chess championships. He nearly beat the #1 city-ranked player in his age group. “I lost focus for a second,” he said. He knew. He was learning self-awareness.
Academic and Behavioral Improvements After Chess
- Today, he's a straight-A student.
- He does algebra in his head.
- He self-regulates by going to the library to play chess when he feels overwhelmed.
- His social skills have improved dramatically.
- His reward for good behavior? Time on Chess.com.
Chess and ADHD: Why It Might Help Your Child Too
Is this a scientific case study? No. But if you’re a parent of a child with ADHD, I want you to hear this:
Something as simple as chess can change everything.
Chess gave my son the one thing he desperately needed — a battlefield where his mind could be a strength, not a struggle.
By Andrew – Alabama, USA (Original story from Chess House)