Growing up ADHD

My journey through life followed a path that will be recognised by many people with ADHD:

• Expelled from school at 14 after years of, detentions, suspensions, etc…
• Issues with authority figures (teachers, police, parents, bosses)
• Lots of conflicts with others from argument to physical fights
• Frequent arrests, court cases, community service, electronic tagging, etc…
• Regular hospital visits for behaviour resulting injuries
• Substance and alcohol abuse
• In-and-out of employment (until I reached my mid-twenties)
• Difficulties maintaining relationships
• Parents at their wits end after trying everything for years

Despite all of that, I wasn’t a ‘bad’ kid, I was known to be friendly and polite. But I was extreme in my defiance, standing up for what I believed to be right, challenging what I believed to be wrong, and never backing down – which got me into a lot of trouble.

Working with ADHD

Like many people, I went through a variety of treatments until I found what worked for me. That being the right medication, earlier bedtimes, regular exercise, and a bit less sugar.

I went on to get a 1^st Class BSc (Hons) and an MSc, along with many professional qualifications that would form part of what saw me through a good, well compensated career.

But despite my specialised skill set and abilities to get results, I still found myself facing challenges at work. The very same types of challenges that have been reported by many others with ADHD, often coming down to being on ‘different wavelengths’ to others, which leads to misinterpretation on either or both sides.

I have learned that the perspectives between a person with ADHD and some co-workers can be so mismatched that they result in completely different understandings and expectations of the same task, often ending with conflict. And try as they might, the person with ADHD will not be able to connect at the right level unless their colleague also puts effort in to do so, which requires training about ADHD.

Without greater awareness, those of us with ADHD will still be compared to others without ADHD, and then only seen for what we cannot do, missing what we can do, regardless of achievement or end-results.

Time for change

It is in the desire to take on these challenges that I began my PhD research into the benefits of ADHD in the workplace.

I can see ADHD traits in my two young children (no surprise given the 86% heritability rate), and I am determined to do everything I can to make sure that once they join the workforce, they will be seen as their whole selves – not just their ‘deficits’ by non-ADHD standards, but their aptitudes too.

Only with widespread training will more neurotypical people start to recognise the value of their neurodivergent colleagues, because they will understand that the ways to measure their capabilities are not the same.

So watch this space, for research and commentary, ideas and observations, lobbying and activism, and training for companies that want to treat their ADHD workers well, whilst benefiting from their unique cognitive styles.