| ADHD: Disability or gift? |
21 Aug 04
Despite the silly stuff you read in the press, ADHD (or ADD) is not a "condition" or illness, and it not only applies to boys but also girls and grown women and men. It is a way of being, the way a person is "wired". Therefore people diagnosed with ADHD do not actually "have ADHD", they are ADHD. So ADD or ADHD people (or ADDers) are a bit different to the rest of us.
Since ADHD is not an illness, there is no cure. Medication is provided to help ADHD people be more like others, helping them to better fit in at school, at work and socially. This is because society is organised by non-ADDers. Therefore, without medication, some ADDers may experience some rejection and criticism for being "different".
However, this difference does not mean ADDers are less skilled or gifted than others, just that their skills and gifts are different.
For example, an adult ADHD office worker will probably benefit more from Ritalin, dexamphetamine and other medications than an ADDer who works in a design studio. It depends on whether a workplace's priorities are geared more towards organisation or creativity.
Some famous people are widely reported to have exhibited many of the signs of ADD/AHDH, such as Thomas Edison, John Lennon, Whoopi Goldberg, Leo Tolstoy and Albert Einstein.
The below table lists some common diagnostic criteria (negative attributes) for ADHD, along with the complementary positive qualities. Some of the negatives are a result of the positives (or vice versa), at other times ADDers develop positive traits as adaptions to their problems.
The below attributes, of course, do not apply in equal measure to all ADHD people. They are simply tendencies. ADHD people enjoy the same level of diversity as any other group.
|
DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA |
THE FLIPSIDE |
| Attention |
|
| poor with details, error-prone |
visionary, broad sweep understanding |
| difficulty sustaining attention or listening when directly addressed |
insightful |
| difficulty following instructions |
original thinking - works out new ways of doing things |
| forgetful |
intelligent |
| distractible |
adaptable |
| disorganised |
busy, high output |
| fine motor coordination difficulties |
athletic, sporty |
| poor 3D visuo-spatial skills |
often strong mathematically and/or verbally |
| obsessive, hyper-concentrated attention |
creative |
| the inability to focus on mundane tasks |
extremely high focus on interesting tasks (also called hyperfocus) |
| poor finishing of tasks |
artistic |
| poor reading of social cues |
humble |
| Impulsivity |
|
| excessive talking |
verbally advanced |
| impatient, cannot easily wait turn |
devises original ways of avoiding waiting |
| poorly-controlled emotional reactivity |
animated |
| interrupts others |
responsive if corrected, humble |
| blurts things out without thinking first |
spontaneous |
| difficulty sensing boundaries |
imaginative - thinks "outside the square" |
| overly trusting, naive |
trusting |
| quick to anger |
compassionate, kind-hearted |
| poor timing in interactions |
unpredictable and surprising |
| compulsive joking |
fun-loving and humourous |
| procrastination - difficulty starting tasks |
optimistic |
| Hyperactivity |
|
| restless and fidgety |
lively and energetic |
| mind is a perpetual motion machine |
open-minded |
| intense aversion to boredom, and need for constant activity, distraction, or attention |
hard working |
| workaholic at the expense of social life |
hard working |
| insatiable desire for physical and emotional contact |
passionate |
| rapid-fire speech, with much topic-hopping |
lively conversationalists |
ADHD
or ADD: Signs, Symptoms, and Subtypes of Attention Deficit
www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_signs_symptoms.htm
The Coincidence
of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Creativity by Bonnie
Cramond, Ph.D.
www.borntoexplore.org/cramond.htm
Lesson tutor
- 26 Positive Things about ADD and 46 Famous People With ADD
www.lessontutor.com/kw6.html
ADD
& ADHD - Attention Deficit Disorder & Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder
http://home.iprimus.com.au/rboon/ADDADHD.htm
Did
Albert Einstein live with Attention Deficit Disorder?
http://add.about.com/library/weekly/blalbert.htm
Note: This page is provided "as is",
for informational purposes. No responsibility can be taken for your use of
the material.