Have you ever suspected you might have a learning disability? Perhaps Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? Is it hard for you to get or stay organized? Are you impulsive; do you sometimes act without thinking about the possible consequences? Are you creative? And smart? Did your grades in high school or college reflect your abilities? Perhaps it would be a good idea to get tested for ADHD. The story about Donna Love that follows may convince you.
ADHD viewed differently
By Lindsey Frank
ASSOCIATED PRESS
05/19/2009
Donna Love always had trouble in school.
She knew she was bright, but something consistently prevented her from succeeding. She had trouble organizing her time, often blurted things out in class and always felt isolated. She eventually dropped out of college after receiving bad grades, spent decades living without a college degree, and then went back to school in her 50s to earn a college diploma. She then attempted graduate school a few years later, only to drop out after once again struggling with academics.
Love, 80, always knew she was different from her peers, but never knew why.
Until 12 years ago.
When Love was 68, she was working as a psychological assistant, and encountered a client who had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. After listening to the client's symptoms, and realizing they seemed all-too familiar, she decided to get tested for the disorder herself. A doctor confirmed her suspicion, and suddenly all of Love's struggles made sense.
"Growing up, I had never even heard of ADHD," said Love, who now receives medical treatment and has learned behavioral management techniques to combat the symptoms of the disorder. She also works as a mentor for people who have ADHD and founded an adult ADHD support group.
ADHD is a common neurobiological condition that affects more than four million people in the United States. University of California, Berkeley psychology department chair Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D., who has studied ADHD for more than 25 years, says the condition is characterized by distractibility, impulsivity and hyperactivity on one hand, and by intelligence, creativity and energy on the other.
While the symptoms of ADHD remain the same, the perception of it has changed greatly over time. When Love was young, ADHD was called "minimal brain dysfunction." The condition was under-diagnosed and was thought to be the result of laziness and poor parenting, said Bryan Goodman, director of communications for Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). Now, as people and organizations make efforts to educate people about ADHD and reduce its negative stigma, there has been a societal shift in how it is perceived -- making it much easier for people who have the disorder to cope.
Continue reading >>
Posted
May 26 2009, 01:26 PM
by
BusyBee
Filed under: forgetful, accommodations, behavioral and psychological intervention, under diagnosed condition, eliminating negative stigma, neurobiological condition, education regarding ADHD, intelligence, trouble in school, distractibility, comprehensive approach to treatment, " mood swings, excessive amounts of energy, perception of ADHD has changed greatly, impulsivity, Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, creativity, minimal brain dysfunction, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, hyperactivity, behavioral management techniques, medication, adult ADHD support group, reduced negative stigma, "ADHD & Me: What I Learned from Lighting Fires at the Dinner Table, CHADD, neurological basis, trouble organizing time, medical, behavioral intervention strategies, IDEA, educational, treatment, energy, parent training, instructional modifications, multimodal approach, covered disability under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act