It’s not all bad folks

People with ADHD have many good characteristics.  Those who understand the condition soon realise this.  In fact a teacher recently made the comment that provided young people were understood and managed correctly they were the ones who showed promise and determination to succeed where others without ADHD gave up.  The trick seems to be to identify their talents and strengths and to help them utilise them.

Children and young people with ADHD are NOT like other children.  One of the symptoms is that they talk too much, but this can be a good thing in that they tend to tell their parents everything and normally like to tell things as they are of how they happened.  Most parents complain that their son’s tell them nothing.  Parents of ADHD children find the opposite.

They are very affectionate and loving.  Although, they sometimes need to be reminded that once they are in their teens that this level of affection is not always appropriate.

They are usually very sensitive, not only about their own feelings but also for those around them.

They are usually very hard working as they do not like to be bored and therefore if given a task to do they complete it and look for something else to occupy them rather than having nothing to do.

They are usually funny, although they are not often so keen when the joke is at their expense.

As children they are always smiling or laughing and up to something.

“People always said they loved to see my son as he was always smiling and made them feel better.  This was until things started to go wrong at school and after that he did not smile as much.” (parent)

They can often have an obsession.  These obsessions vary from an interest in cars, photography or a sport.  As mentioned above this obsession can be used to their benefit.  With some mentoring, encouragement and given the opportunity, provided their talent matches their obsession they can often make a career out of their obsession.

“My son has a way with young children.  If he hears a child crying in a shop he just smiles at them and they stop crying and before long they are smiling with him.  One mother even insisted in buying him a bar of chocolate when he made her twins stop crying and causing a scene.” (parent)

This is why so many famous people have or likely had ADHD.

Jim Carry
Tom Cruise
Robin Williams
Jackie Stewart
Leonardo de Vinci
Vincent Van Gough
Whoopie Goldberg
Albert Einstein
Winston Churchill

http://www.addsuccess.co.uk/main/FamousPeopleWithADHD.asp

http://www.kpinst.org/famous.html