Eleven-year-old Ashley Perry has yet to decide on a career, although one line of work she's considering is movie star.

        “But there are consequences with it,” she says. “I'd have to move away from home. I'd want to see my family.” Another potential drawback, Ashley says, is she might “have to wear dresses all the time.”

Tracy Perry and her daughter Ashley. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        Dresses aside, Ashley has always enjoyed arranging clothes, shoes, hair. Her 37-year-old mother, Tracy Perry, wonders if that might portend a career in fashion design.

        If that is to happen, though, Tracy knows there are hurdles to clear.

        “She's having a lot of trouble at school,” Tracy says, sitting in the Columbia Tusculum apartment she and Ashley share. “She gets upset really easy, and frustrated.”

        As early as age 3, Ashley was more rambunctious than other children. She ran and jumped all day, rarely sitting still. Worried, Tracy made an appointment with a doctor, who diagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

        ADHD affects 3 percent to 5 percent of school-age children, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Symptoms include being inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive. The disorder often continues into adolescence and adulthood.

        Ashley was 4 when her doctor prescribed Ritalin, a stimulant medication that helps control ADHD symptoms. Since then, “she's tried almost all the medications they have for ADHD,” Tracy says.

        Her daughter's treatment includes seeing a therapist regularly. That and the medication have helped, but not to the extent Tracy would like.

        Ashley, a sixth-grader at Kilgour Elementary, used to ride the school bus, but got in too many fights. Two years ago, her mother began driving her to and from school.

        In the classroom, her mother says, Ashley has “a lot of trouble focusing and paying attention. Her mind is like a TV channel, always changing. It's frustrating for her.”

        And it's frustrating for Tracy, a single mother who never married. When she is working nights at a grocery store, Ashley stays with her grandmother. The girl doesn't know her father, but he provides financial support.

        From all she's read about ADHD, Tracy knows many people with the disorder go on to live fulfilling lives. Still, it's not easy to watch her daughter struggle.

        “She attracts negative attention,” Tracy says. “The bullies target people like her. She's been in so much trouble because of her mouth.

        “When I pick her up from school, she's irritated. It takes a while for her to calm down. She's like a tornado.”

        She's no tornado this day, sitting quietly on the floor of her apartment. Each time she answers a question, her eyes dart back to her mother.

        Tracy knows her daughter can be successful. She's seen it.

        “We got a computer last year for Christmas. I didn't know anything about it. She taught me.”

        As Tracy contemplates her daughter's future, there are equal amounts of hope and worry. She's waiting to hear if Ashley will be accepted at a special school next year where she'll receive more individual attention.

        Asked what she does best, Ashley says, “Bouncing and climbing. In gym, there's this climbing pole. It goes all the way up to the ceiling.”

        In gym, Ashley can climb as high as anyone.

        Her mother hopes the same is true in life.

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