THE A.D.D. PAGE

What it is....and what it is not!

A.D.D. vs A.D.H.D

ADD, or Attention Deficit Disorder, is a very misunderstood condition. The "deficit" is really not the inability to stay focused, but rather the inability to remain focused on only one thing!

ADDers have an amazing knack for hyperfocusing, but that's a whole other page!

The H comes into play when hyperactivity is seen with the ADD. It seems it is far easier to diagnose ADD when hyperactivity is seen with it. Or perhaps, it is more of a concern to parents when the hyper aspect is present, as was in the case of some of my children. Unfortunately, ADD (without the H) is all too often overlooked.

From here on, I am going to refer to ADD or ADHD simply as ADD. It'll save me typing and you reading!

Things Often Seen On An ADDer's Report Card

Often daydreams.

Does not live up to potential.

Does not finish assignments on time.

Could do better if....

Is often late for class.

Seems to be very bright, yet does not complete assignments.

And On An ADHDer's Report

Often acts out dramatically in class.

Is too busy clowning to live up to potential.

Does not think assignments have any importance what-so-ever.

Needs to do better if....

Is late for class, and in and out of class all day long.

Seems to be very bright, yet is made for the stage.

It's All In The Wiring

ADD is not a question of intelligence, but rather a question of wiring. ADDers have a unique perspective on the world. They are able to make connections where others see none. They are often considered great comediens with their quick wit, yet harbor deep emotions.

ADDers are known for their "organized" piles of stuff. Just don't move the piles!

To give you a bit of an idea as to how the ADD mind works, try this:

Pull all of your household appliances into one room. All of them! TV's, washer, dryer, dishwasher, toaster, microwave, etc.
Turn them all on at once.
Make sure all the lights in the room are on.
If any heavy machinary is working outside, open the windows as well.

Now, have a conversation on the phone!

And to make it even more realistic, have three phones ringing, answer them all, keep all the conversations straight, and try to remember what the heck you're doing in that room anyway!

Are you getting the idea? Input, input, input!! And it seems the little brain neurons responsible for sorting all this input are forever on coffee break!

If you really want to get a better idea of what Input Overload is (as we call it around here) then fasten your seatbelt and COME IN HERE WITH ME!

(There is another "ENTRANCE" at the bottom of this page!)

Distraction

Things I refer to as Simple Distractions:

Driving down the freeway, concentrating on your destination.....and missing your exit.
Writing yourself a list of things to do.....then forgetting to take the list with you.
Answering the phone on the way to the fridge.....and forgetting what it was you were going to the fridge for.
Finding you can't read while the radio is on.
The amount of things you forget to do is directly proportional to the amount of "background noise."
Homework, assignments, etc. are never done until the last possible minute, because there's always something else to do.

It really is not a matter of "forgetting", but more a matter of too much input. Think of it as butterflies. One butterfly for each thought, idea, etc. Now try to follow and catch just one butterfly! Not an easy task.

A more Complex Distraction:

This is probably best explained by example!

I am sitting here trying to write this example for you, and my kids are making so much noise that I forget my train of thought! That reminds me--I took a train trip one year and we went by a beautiful lake....speaking of lakes, we took the kids camping last year to Mara Lake, in the motorhome! We once drove the motorhome from Vancouver to Winnipeg--a 30 hour drive--with 8 of us! One gal was pregnant....she's pregnant again and due soon! Another boy! I have 2 boys, and my oldest wants to build his own homepage.. Yikes! I am supposed to be writing about distraction!

The same thing can happen with things, rather than just thoughts:

On the way to put in a load of laundry, you notice some clean clothes that haven't been put away...so you go into your son's room to do that. While there, you see that the poor hamster is starving, so you go get him some food, which is in the kitchen. In the kitchen, you spot a magazine on the counter that you have been meaning to read, and it's just a short article, so you sit down to read it. In it you see an ad for tennis shoes, which reminds you, you meant to clean yours, so off you go to get your shoes. But halfway there you trip over the cat, and remember that he hasn't been fed in two days. Back to the kitchen to feed the cat, but in the cupboard are some cookies, and gee, you haven't had lunch yet...which of course triggers the fact that you were supposed to meet a friend for lunch 15 minutes ago! You call your friend and yes, they were running behind, too, so lunch is still on! And out you go for lunch!

In the meantime, the poor starving cat eats the hamster and you never do get your laundry done!

Things We All Do....But Not Quite Like An ADDer!

We've all locked our keys in the car.
But have you locked them in the car three times in one week?

We've all had to back up three steps to get the baby out of the carseat, because we were in a hurry and almost forgot!
But have you ever locked the baby and the keys in the car?

We've all forgotten a couple of items while grocery shopping.
But have you gone to the grocery store for 3 items and come back with 20, none of which was on your list? And had your list with you?

We've all forgotten names at one time or another.
But do you go through all 5 of your children's names every time you speak to one of them?

We've all had to stop and think about where we parked the car.
But have you ever forgotten which car you brought? Or that you actually did drive?

Be sure to check outThings Often Heard in an A.D.D. Home!

Find out more about Hyper-Focusing!