If you know me at all, you know that I am an intelligent person (an academic if you will). However, you are also painfully aware that I am extremely scatterbrained–dare I say even ditzy? There is a good reason for this contrast in my personality that I don’t often publicize, as I don’t want to use it as an excuse or be judged unfairly because of it. I have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). I am talking about this now because I strongly believe that this is an important issue–especially in regards to how teachers react to the students who have the “disorder.” More understanding can deeply help those who identify with this subject.
This entry is terribly difficult for me to write and I am sure that it will be even more difficult to post. This is because I used to be ashamed of my ADD tendencies. Now that I have learned more about the “disorder” I have become more able to understand and respect myself. I recognize my challenges, try to accommodate for them and focus on my inherent strengths. While I do not give up and use ADD as an excuse, I now give myself a little slack now and again. Yet there is still a stigma about ADD that is deeply instilled in the general population. Even though I am viewed as an intelligent and responsible person by most people, many still view ADD solely in a negative light. In fact, usually when I tell people I get a reaction of shock and disbelief. This reaction is both positive and negative in my opinion.
There is nothing wrong with this diagnosis. It does not make me any less smart or less talented–in fact, I believe it has actually contributed to many of the successes in my life. It is also important to note that I am successful, talented and most importantly motivated to learn and succeed (not a trait that is generally thought of when the subject of ADD comes up). It is my opinion that the negative stigma of the “disorder” is often unwarranted and is almost always detrimental to the success of a student.
Yes, it is true that students with ADD and ADHD often require special accommodations and extra planning in order to receive the support that they need to live up to their potential. It can be hard for a teacher to consistently break through and capture the attention of a dreamy student with ADD or deal with the constant disruptions associated with a fidgeting student with ADHD. However, these difficulties that the student with AD(H)D can bring into the classroom often become the teachers’ focus rather than the immense potential that can come from these students. A passage from the book Delivered from Distraction describes this better than I can
In places where most people are blind, the person with ADD can, if not see the light, at least feel the light, and she can produce answers, apparently out of the dark. It is important for others to be sensitive to this “sixth sense” many ADD people have, and to nurture it. If the environment insists on rational, linear thinking and “good” behavior all the time, then these people may never develop their intuitive style to the point where they can use it profitably. Indeed, it may atrophy, or, worse, be used in the service of revenge or criminal behavior. But with proper treatment, what at first seemed impaired may soon prove gifted (26).”
For most of my life I’ve known about my ADD and I have kept it to myself. I tried my best to avoid using the accommodations that were given to me. I struggled with various challenges such as forgetfulness, a pathetic sense of time and a tendency to blurt out my thoughts in the wrong ways, the wrong times or the wrong places. Until a few years ago I completely disregarded the talents that come from the “disorder” such as my creativity, my ability to see right into the heart of a problem, my ability to intuitively understand a concept as it is explained to me and my unique perspective (I can make connections between ideas, events and concepts that rarely occur to others).
In the public school system, my ADD would have been overlooked had it not have been for my mother. I performed well in school, got good grades and was well behaved. I enjoyed learning new things and wanted to be a “good” student. However, I was spacey and had trouble completing tasks–especially my homework. In third grade the ADD began to cause problems as that was the year I had a particularly “traditional” teacher. She read my dreamy state as lack of intelligence and my tardiness as simply misbehavior. In the end she concluded that, while I was a sweet girl, I must not be too bright. While standardized tests are definitely not the most reliable way to assess intelligence (a subject for another blog post entirely), my ITBS scores where the only thing to convince her that I had any real brain power. She even called my parents in for a special meeting to announce that I was, in fact, highly intelligent–something that my parents were already well aware of.
My parents knew who I was–an intelligent, hardworking and caring little girl. They knew that I was well behaved and there was little that I enjoyed more than learning. They got me the support that I needed to succeed in school. My mom kept on me making sure that I completed my homework, despite the angry protests and sometimes screaming matches that ensued. She also fought for some slight accommodations for me in school so that I would be able to reach my full potential. Many of the teachers resisted this. In their opinion, I got good grades, so why should I get special treatment? They didn’t realize that my grades did not reflect my true knowledge of the subject and that every night was a struggle at home to get even the smallest amount of homework done.
As teachers, our perspective needs to change. We need to take an active role in recognizing our students’ challenges and implement the necessary accommodations. Many students with ADD or ADHD are not as lucky as I was to have an advocate working endlessly for them. They do not get the help they need and are instead labeled as troublemakers and students that are sweet but “not quite there.” Upon recent reflection, I have found that even I, a person who has dealt with these challenges all of my life, can easily fall into the trap of trying to treat/manage the negative symptoms of the disorder rather than provide the support that is needed. These misconceptions can lead to mistakes in dealing with the behavior and can ultimately be detrimental to the students’ self-esteem and future success.
When we have a student in our class with a special need we need to educate ourselves so that we can best serve our students. We don’t need to feel sorry for them, instead we need to feel empowered! We are lucky enough to make a big difference in someone’s life and help them to reach their potential. They don’t need our pity, they need our support. They need us to be confident that they can overcome their challenges and succeed so that they may one day believe it themselves.
) to get ready and E decided to get up early as well. Technically that meant that I could sleep in for about an hour or so, but I’ve come to realize that I simply cannot sleep when people are milling around.
I ended up getting a bit more of a late start and was the last one to breakfast. Typical.
