Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), with or without hyperactivity (ADHD), is often thought of as a condition where an individual is unable to pay attention. Actually, the opposite is true. ADD/ADHD is a neurological condition which causes an individual to pay attention to everything. Those with ADD have a difficult time screening out stimuli in their immediate environment, so they might pay attention to the poster on the wall, the sunlight coming in through the window, the people talking in the next room, and the pen that the teacher just dropped on the floor. Dr. Edward Hallowell, who wrote Driven to Distraction, puts it this way in his article What's It Like to Have ADD?: "It’s like driving in the rain with bad windshield wipers. Everything is smudged and blurred and you’re speeding along, and its reeeeally frustrating not being able to see very well. Or it’s like listening to a radio station with a lot of static and you have to strain to hear what’s going on. Or, it’s like trying to build a house of cards in a dust storm."
People with ADD can also hyper-focus, zoning in on one particular stimulus or task to the exclusion of all others. It is important to note that the hyperactive behavior that has become a stereotype of the disorder is not always present. Many folks with ADD appear calm and relaxed. Yet their struggles with attention are very real and can impact their daily activities to a severe degree.
Diagnosis of ADD/ADHD is not always easy because similar symptoms can be present in other conditions such as depression or anxiety. To diagnose ADD/ADHD, a medical practitioner will need to rule out these other possibilities and also to investigate if the symptoms have been present since childhood, which is another sign that it’s ADD. Some people may have attention styles that have the qualities of ADD, but the symptoms are not complex or severe enough to place them at the far end of the attention spectrum. Some professionals think of attention in terms of a bell curve, with extremely non-ADD at one end, most people falling somewhere in the middle, and then extreme ADD at the other end.
Common behaviors that might indicate ADD or ADHD:
- Trouble getting started on tasks
- Lack of attention to detail
- Cluttered personal space
- Many projects or activities going on all at once
- Difficulty following tasks through to completion
- Trouble with organization
- Impulsivity
- Distracted by external stimuli such as sights or sounds
- Attraction to activities with high level of risk
- Intolerance of boredom
- Easily frustrated
- Worrying incessantly
- Mood swings
- Low self-esteem and sense of underachievement
- Procrastination when beginning tasks
- Speaking without thinking (doesn’t always consider appropriateness of remark)
- Creative, intuitive, intelligent
- Energetic drive
- Distaste for methodical or repetitive tasks such as filling out forms
Helpful Strategies for Students with ADD or ADHD
- Build structure into your life in as many ways as possible.
- Experiment with keeping a daily or weekly calendar to track appointments and due dates.
- Keep one “to do” list for each day. Prioritize by designating tasks that you must do, task you will do if you have extra time, and tasks that are not time sensitive or important (you can make three different columns on your to do list).
- Create a study routine that you can stick to (i.e. from 6:00 to 8:00 each night with breaks every half hour).
- Break larger tasks into smaller pieces. Rather than sitting down to write the whole paper, start with the introduction. Then work on the first section, and so on. Read the first chapter and take notes. Then take a break. Then read the next chapter.
- Create a distraction-free study environment that is for studying only. Avoid having distracting items like the daily mail, bills to pay, pleasure reading materials, or a TV in your study area. Make your study area off limits for roommates or family.
- If a distraction-free study environment is not possible at home, find a favorite cubicle or corner of your local library.
- Learn to say “no” to too many social commitments. Those with ADD often find all outside activities interesting and easily over-commit, resulting in not having enough study time. “No” will take practice. It’s not an easy word for those who have this learning style.
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Make a “no-surfing” rule. The Internet is a fabulous ready distraction. Limit your surf time to your well-deserved breaks from studying.
- Build in extra time before deadlines to compensate for procrastination tendencies.
- Use a study group or partner to help keep you motivated.
- Consider an ADD coach. There are many great coaching organizations with qualified professionals who can help you get organized and teach you strategies for your learning style.
- Tape lectures or seminars to review later.
- Allow yourself to work on a few different study tasks at the same time (honor your learning style). You will make progress on all of them and it will keep you from getting bored with one task.
- Take pride in and maximize your strengths, such as creativity, intuition, intelligence and boundless energy.
Considerations When Working With Students with ADD:
- Support student in creating structure. Create very specific tasks and very specific deadlines. For example, rather than a study plan that reads “will read 20 books over the semester, suggest a schedule – “will read these two titles during week one, these two titles during week two” and so on.
- Support student in breaking larger tasks down into smaller pieces. Model how it can be done.
- Review information and check for understanding in case student was distracted when information was first given.
- Create easy-to-follow overviews or lecture notes. Use charts, bulleted lists, and visual cues.
- Meet student in quiet, consistent meeting spot where distractions are minimal.
- Collaborate on ways to maximize student strengths. How can studies be structured to allow for multiple interests or ideas, hands-on tasks, and social interaction?
Selected Resources on ADD/ADHD:
National Institute of Mental Health – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ADHDnews.com
Attention Deficit Disorder Association
