Advantages of ADD in a High-Tech Career

[Salik Syed]

I don't know if I have ADD or not, but i have often been called "fidgety" . as in I am bored or distracted extremely easily, and I cannot sit unoccupied... in my boring classes i am either asleep or madly scrawling drawings in notebooks... I do not take notes for any of my classes... i flipped through last years Calculus notebook and I had like 4-5 pages worth of actual NOTES for the whole year .. the rest was all drawings . I get anxious if i am unoccupied like i tap fingers start humming guitar solos or something... it annoys the crap out of people cuz i finish a test and if its after lunch and i'm not sleepy i make a lot of noise humming or tapping fingers.

is that ADD ... i don't know... i asked my doctor and he said if i get good grades i don't have ADD

[KenWittlief]

if you characterize ADD people as hunters (instead of farmers) or pilots (instead of passengers) or warriors (instead of bankers) you start to see why our educational system was not designed for us ADD-people.

The fact that you feel out of place in school is a good indication that you are out of place in school. Many ADD-people are very intelligent and are able to compensate for poor study/note taking/ organizational skills, getting through by the seat of their pants instead.

BTW: you should be able to google up plenty of websites with tests or check lists that will answer your question.

[Pavan Dave]

Here is a test I took that said I might possibly have it.

Take Test By Clicking Here.

It is about 50 something questions. If a question does not pertain to you click na/ other wize awnser 0-4

-Pavan

[KenWittlief]

that test is a little strange

"do you have symptoms of ADD?" THATS WHAT IM TAKING THE TEST TO FIND OUT!

"do you tend to snap at people a lot?" oops! Sorry. :^)

[Kenta]

I can actually relate with that article.

Though, I have ADHD and not ADD.

[Pavan Dave]

I still dont get the difference between the two.

-Pavan

[KTorak]

I'd probably be diagnosed with a small bit of ADD. As for meds, I probably wouldnt take them. But I do exhibit alot of the typical "traits" if you call them. It drives me crazy to be in classes that don't interest me, but even if I barely pay attention, I'll pull a stong A in it. I also always have to be doing something. Normally I'm at my PC playing a game, chatting with a friend, or reading up on forums I belong to...I rarely just sit down and watch a movie or a TV show...I'll get up and go do something else half way through. Also, if i'm doing something...I'm completely involved and you have to drag me away from it. I just can't stop working on something or reading something part of the way through. My parents will bug me for an hour until I finally finish something and go get dinner.

The little test thing said it's likely that I have ADD...go figure.

[dshidler]

I still dont get the difference between the two.

-Pavan

ADD is Attention Deficit Disorder while ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. The latter meaning they are more energetic and have a very difficult time sitting down, while ADD you still have those problems just not nearly as severe. I've been diagnosed with ADD since 2nd grade and have been taking medication for it since then. Sometimes I'll forget to take it and in the middle of the day will actually be able to tell I had forgotten. The medication makes all the difference because on those days that I'll forget to take it, I get close to no work done unless it is in my technical based classes (aka my interest).

Hope I cleared up any confusion.

[Pavan Dave]

Originally Posted by dshidler

ADD is Attention Deficit Disorder while ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. The latter meaning they are more energetic and have a very difficult time sitting down, while ADD you still have those problems just not nearly as severe. I've been diagnosed with ADD since 2nd grade and have been taking medication for it since then. Sometimes I'll forget to take it and in the middle of the day will actually be able to tell I had forgotten. The medication makes all the difference because on those days that I'll forget to take it, I get close to no work done unless it is in my technical based classes (aka my interest).

Hope I cleared up any confusion.

Thanks for clearing it up man.

Pavan

[Hexagram]

You forgot that part...

you know, when you're working and everything is fine.

oh...wait...what's that colorfull banner ad? online flash games no way! you look at the clock, 3 hours have passed, and you got nothing done.

I. Hate. That. Part. =[

[MattD1Drift]

Heh, I've never had to take notes for anything in my life, and actually, when I study, I end up doing worse on a test. Go Figure!

[KenWittlief]

Originally Posted by MattD1Drift

Heh, I've never had to take notes for anything in my life, and actually, when I study, I end up doing worse on a test. Go Figure!

ok, figuring....

A. you have taken tests and not done well on them
B. you have never taken notes in your life
C. when you study for a test you end up doing worse.

So what are you studying then if you've never taken any notes in your classes?

something doesnt add up! If you always ace your tests then ok, you dont need to take notes. But if you have trouble with some tests then you need to rethink your study process.

[Jaine Perotti]

As a person with ADD, who is planning on going in to a tech career, I can see both the advantages and disadvantages of the disorder.

I definitely find that I have an ability to hyper focus on the things I am interested in. This will definitely be an advantage for me when I go on to college, because I will hyper focus on the classes that I love (the engineering ones), and be able to learn the subject deeply. I find that I am much better at taking a few classes at a time (and being able to focus all of my energy on them), rather than taking a whole bunch at once (where managing the time I spend on each subject becomes more difficult).

However, I imagine that my difficulties with time management will still end up causing me trouble when it comes to playing the "school game" - namely, keeping up with the academic demands of my education. This has always been a problem for me. I choose to hyper focus on the activities that interest me, and lose track of how to balance my time between doing the things that I love, and doing the things that are required of me.

For example, right now, I am writing this post on Chief Delphi (something which I love to do), instead of doing my homework. I am also feeling the temptation to do other projects, such as work on NERD, work on our team's new scouting sheet, start planning for my summer robotics programs, as well as things I do for pleasure such as read or talk to my friends. I have a hard time recognizing the fact that by writing this post, I am using up valuable time to get my work done. In fact, making this post is sort of paradoxical, because I know that I shouldn't be doing it, but I am anyways, and I am recognizing the fact that I have problems managing my time, but I am doing it anyways....

So yes, I agree that the ability to hyper focus may eventually come in handy for college in terms of helping me delve deeply into the subjects which I am interested in. However, I know that it will still continue to prevent me from being able to manage my time. At this time of year, my grades always drop because I am focused on so many other things (robotics). In fact, right now I am failing a few classes, and with the marking period coming to an end in a few weeks, I really need to get going on making up the work. It would be a real shame if I couldn't graduate...

It is interesting to see how many great scientists throughout history have been known to have ADD. In particular, I look up to Einstein as a model of someone who was able to overcome failing grades because of ADD, to go on to be one of the most renowned physicists in history. I do believe that our ability to percieve many things at once, and to perhaps notice things that people might not otherwise notice, enhances our ability to be creative.

Having ADD does not mean that you don't pay attention to anything, or that you don't notice anything. In fact, ADD is characterized by the brain telling you to notice EVERYTHING at once, therefore making it appear as if you aren't focusing on the most important topic at hand. However, because your brain is telling you to notice EVERYTHING, you tend to zone out on the things you are most interested in. For me, in a classroom setting, it could be me zoning out during AP Calc so I could think about my social life. Or, it could be me zoning out during English class so I can stare out the window at a passing cloud.

But, when I am intent on finishing a project, and highly interested in what I am doing, I can shift my attention from the surrounding world, and focus intensely on that project. I see this characteristic as an integral part of my personality. In fact, I think this is one of the reasons why I have grown so much through my robotics team. When I develop a passion for something, I hyperfocus on it, and I study it and become involved in it very deeply.

As a child, I remember going through different interest phases. When I was two, it was learning the names of all the plants in my garden. When I was five, it was learning to identify all of the different kinds of butterflys. When I was seven, it was all about studying geology and how volcanoes work. When I was ten, it was all about studying meteorology and all of the different kinds of clouds. This pattern of "interest phases" has continued into today, where my current interest is robotics, engineering, and science. I am positive that this learning style will be of benefit to me in the future.

-- Jaine

[Jaine Perotti]

Originally Posted by Joe Johnson

It is this belief that makes me worry about the widespread medication of kids with the ADD or ADHD label on them.

Yet... ...I know examples of many kids that do much better in school with the meds. I also know teachers that swear by the meds.

Would I have been labeled ADD or ADHD had I grown up today? I suppose so. Would I have done better in school and perhaps avoided some painful experiences in my life had I been medicated? I suppose so. Would some important part of me been suppressed had I done so. I don't know but I think maybe yes...

As for the issue of medication, I have had several experiences with taking them.

I was first diagnosed with ADD when I was in 6th grade. The first medication that I took was called Adderall. I found that it worked phenomenally well for me. I was able to concentrate on the "important stuff" much more easily, as well as manage my time, and stay organized better. However, I was forced to discontinue taking it because it caused me to lose alot of weight. I am already very skinny (I am 17 and I weigh 100 pounds), and the appetite suppressing qualities of the medication was dangerous to me.

Since then, I have also tried taking medications such as Ritalin and Concerta. However, I found that neither of these worked as well as the Adderall had. I could hardly notice their effect. So I decided not to take any medication at all. This choice has been fine for me. But what it has meant for me is that I have had to develop alternative skills in order for me to stay on track. For example, I MAKE myself write down all of my assignments, and I MAKE myself try to budget my time and keep a clean workspace. Unless I do these things, I am truly lost.

I don't feel that taking medication "suppressed" me in any way. Even though I found that my time management and organizational skills improved, I never found myself lacking the good aspects of ADD - such as the ability to have an intense passion for the subjects that interested me. All that I found was that instead of purely focusing on the things that I loved, I was able to focus on BOTH the things that I liked and disliked, and was able to manage a balance between them better.

I am not in either camp with vouches to "medicate everyone!" or to "medicate no one!". I believe that it comes down to the individual's preference. I don't think there is any harm in experimenting with different types of medications. If the effects are not desirable, then the person can always stop. What is most important is for people to try to find the best way to deal with their ADD - whether it be through the development of techniques to deal with it, or through medication.

As I like to say, "to each, their own - whatever works best for you."

-- Jaine

[MattD1Drift]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

ok, figuring....

A. you have taken tests and not done well on them
B. you have never taken notes in your life
C. when you study for a test you end up doing worse.

So what are you studying then if you've never taken any notes in your classes?

something doesnt add up! If you always ace your tests then ok, you dont need to take notes. But if you have trouble with some tests then you need to rethink your study process.

When I mean 'Studying' it means reviewing the chapter in the book, I don't 'ace' them per se, but I get mostly all 85 or over.