Emily Telesco, Blogs Editor
@etelescocourant
In today’s society, many people are often quick to judge those with neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – otherwise known as ADHD – and only focus on its weaknesses. ADHD affects more than 3 million people each year in America. As the name suggests, people with ADHD may have trouble focusing, or controlling certain behaviors. Although it’s an extremely common condition, there are many negative connotations associated with it. However, what most don’t acknowledge is that people with ADHD possess many positive traits that others may not have.
School psychologist Maria Calcagni identifies barriers to a student’s learning and education, as well as the support and resources necessary to help students overcome these barriers. “I perform evaluations to understand a student’s abilities, strengths, and areas of need. I also meet with students for counseling support, consult with teachers and other members of the faculty to address student concerns and meet with parents to identify ways to support students’ success in school,” she said.
Ms. Calcagni finds there are a lot of misconceptions about people with ADHD. “Some common ones include that they are lazy, not smart, absent-minded, don’t care about how they do in school or their relationships, and are totally capable of changing their behavior if they just tried or put forth the effort,” she said.
However, she also highlights many positives and unique strengths in those who have ADHD. “They are typically very creative, curious, inventive and are ‘out of the box’ thinkers. They notice and observe things in their surroundings that those without ADHD don’t even think about. Additionally, they have the ability to hyperfocus on something that they are interested in, allowing them to immerse themselves in the task at hand, and further improving their productivity with it,” she said.
Sophomore Ryan* provided his insight on having ADHD. “It’s generally more difficult to focus on one task for a prolonged period of time, although sometimes I see this as a benefit because it makes it easier to multitask,” he said. He also finds that it can be difficult to focus in certain situations. “It’s harder to sit through longer lessons in class, and I usually just want to start working on the new material rather than just listening to the teacher explain it,” he said.
However, Ryan also finds he possesses certain strengths in a school setting. “When I am interested in a topic, it can actually be beneficial because I become hyper focused on it and kind of just tune out distractions,” he said.
Additionally, having ADHD can be extremely beneficial in the world of entrepreneurship and business. JetBlue founder and CEO David Neelman and founder of Kinkos (now FedEx) Paul Orfalea are both successful entrepreneurs with ADHD – and have found it to be helpful in their business endeavors. In fact, Neeleman claims that it helps him break down complicated information into simpler answers and problem-solve more efficiently.
Business teacher Kevin Devine finds that the course provides students with a lot of creative ability as well. “The business course is focused on practical application of skills that will be used in the real world, while also allowing students to be creative, show off aspects of their personality, and learn from each other,” he said, “I’m continually surprised with ideas students come up with because we have students of different backgrounds who constantly bring their strengths to the table.”
Freshman *Alex, who has ADHD, has grown to see the benefits in having it. However, she finds that sometimes her point of view differs from that of others. “I think most other people’s perspective of ADHD is more negative, because it is a learning disorder,” she said, “But, I feel it doesn’t affect me much, because I usually educate them about it and how it’s not a bad thing – and that you can succeed with it.”
While Alex has a positive outlook on her ADHD now, her perception wasn’t always this way. “At first, when I was younger, I thought of it as a bad thing because there wasn’t much talk about it and I didn’t have as much help. But, now that it is more recognized and appreciated, I have started to appreciate more of the positives that come with having ADHD.”
In school, students with ADHD do face some difficulties. “My ADHD has held me back by making it hard for me to focus in classrooms,” said Alex. To help with these struggles, students with ADHD are often able to receive extra assistance from teachers, counselors, and more. “I am able to manage my ADHD by receiving extra help from teachers that help me organize aspects of my life. Also, I get extra time for tests giving me more time to actually think about what to write down and reflect on my thoughts,” she said.
“Recognizing that ADHD has its benefits allows for a greater understanding of what individuals with ADHD can bring to the table. We are all unique individuals so being able to embrace our differences helps make the school environment richer for all because it increases knowledge, perspectives, and points of view,” Ms. Calcagni said.
*students have been given fake names for privacy purposes
