ADHD impacts students differently
You sit through an hour-long lecture about soil PH or something. You are unable to focus on the incomprehensible babble of your teacher, who seems to always talk in an annoyingly monotonous tone. Head down, you decide to twiddle your thumbs, as any other stimulant would attract unwanted attention to yourself. At this point, you’ve forgotten what you’re supposed to be doing in the class; nonetheless, you peer at one of your classmates and see that they are writing something down in a packet that looks utterly alien to you.
There is a very common scenario for people with ADHD. According to Additude magazine and chadd.org, ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) can be both cognitive and behavioral. As a result, it affects everyone differently, but common symptoms include fidgeting, mood swings, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. More often than not, ADHD affects younger boys rather than girls, but by the time someone hits late adolescence, their symptoms tend to decrease drastically.
Some people with ADHD can handle their symptoms in a classroom, but there are a lot of people that aren’t capable of dealing with the symptoms of ADHD alone. Edward Herrmann ’24, and Luke Thumser ’24 both Staples students with ADHD know this all too well.
“It forces me to plan my time more accordingly because I know it takes me longer to complete easy tasks like homework,” Herrmann said. “But I also find I tend to think more rapidly, and not think things through all the way, which can lead to trouble sometimes.”
It forces me to plan my time more accordingly because I know it takes me longer to complete easy tasks like homework,” Herrmann said. “But I also find I tend to think more rapidly, and not think things through all the way, which can lead to trouble sometimes. ” — Edward Herrmann ’24
Since not everyone is the same, their symptoms aren’t either.
“Dealing with what is potentially ADHD means that getting through everyday tasks is hard,” Thumser said. “Whereas many people have a voice in their head expressing their thoughts, I usually have multiple […] I can’t stay on task because my mind has gone completely blank or I have one voice in my head singing a song while another is thinking about how my desk is messy, another is thinking about an upcoming event, and more.”
It’s often hard to diagnose someone with ADHD since symptoms can be similar to that of Autism or other cognitive disorders. While there is no cure, there is medication that works to dampen the effects. Medicine, therapy, and even conversations with someone like a guidance counselor, someone who has a lot of insight on the topic, can all be useful ways to manage symptoms. There are many ways to help if you find yourself struggling with hyperactivity. Guidance counselor Kimberley Curran shared some ways to assist.
“A lot of students with ADHD benefit from taking breaks,” Curran said. “That might be standing up at a standing desk, going for a quick walk down the hall, taking a bathroom break, or something similar. Some students benefit from fidget toys. It really depends on what works for the individual person.”
Everyone has a different motivation to join Inklings — Staff Writer Nile Jean ’24 endeavors to hone his writing skills.
“I thought journalism...
