10/29/2013

The Learning Curve (feature)

I found a great post today over at ADDitude by a teacher who agrees with me.
At my first reading of my latest book.
Yes, it's about having a superpower!
"I think of my ADHD symptoms almost like super powers! When I let my mind run free with an idea, it’s like switching on the turbo boost. I can think of 100 different creative ways to do or say something in two minutes! Like many ADHDers, I can go into hyperfocus mode, too. The rest of the world fades into the background. A few minutes in a quiet room with some paper, pens, and pencils and I come out with a couple of solutions to any problem I’m facing.
"That’s why I always say a person is 'living with ADHD (or ADD)' instead of 'has ADHD.' The second one has a negative feeling to it that I don’t like. I think that saying you’re 'living with ADHD' sends the message that you’re doing fine. Yes, you have a certain symptom set, but you’re not suffering. The key word for me is living!" 
For one thing: he has a great point. Living sometimes feels like coping, or even struggling, but once you place your focus on a problem, you really can solve it, sometimes with extraordinary grace.

For another thing: I might tweak that up a bit. Living is great, but "rockin' it" captures the pleasure we have in riding these wild horses we call our minds — and the gifts we have to share.

Make sure to click the link at the top and read the article. And click his links, too. But first... set a timer!

1 comment:

  1. I really liked the post too. And I agree that there are many gifts with ADD. It seems like the majority of the articles and literature weigh in with the opposite argument, that ADD is a disorder and disability to be remedied. I know as a teacher myself that ADD can interfere with students ability to stay focused and "on task" and control impulsive behavior. But how much is lost or damaged by making kids feel so abnormal?

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