The Focus Myth
Individuals gifted with ADD/HD have two activity settings, so to speak: hyper focus and multi-task. Many assume that those with ADD/HD display an overall lack of focus, a misunderstanding which gave us the misnomer of “attention deficit” in the first place, rooted only in what others see in the ADD/HD individual rather than what is actually happening in the ADD/HD brain space.
As such, the vast majority of people don’t realize that ADD/HD brains actually possess the ability to hyper focus, or they simply don’t value that which ADD/HD the individual is focusing on if they deem it to be trivial or a passive activity, such as watching TV and playing video games – they aren’t taking into account how engrossed the ADD/HD brain can become in anything it is exposed to, so long as it is fascinated and remains engaged. This common misconception that ADD/HD individuals can’t focus, or can’t focus on things that “actually matter”, has led to a society that’s focusing on the wrong problem.
I made these observations when I started working with ADD/HD children and adults two decades ago. And it is understandable that everyone was convinced that ADD/HD was an inability to focus, in the same way everyone was convinced that the fat content in food was responsible for weight gain rather than caloric content. The name says it all, right? But as an alternative coach and counselor, it became clear to me that the name was all wrong. I discovered that the so-called “problems” that arise when working with this group aren’t problems at all.
Can a person with ADD/HD focus without medication? In my experience, the answer is yes. Many of the solutions and coping skills out there that seem to work still miss opportunities for real solutions. Western medicine recognizes (or even creates) symptoms, but the causes and preventative measures are beyond their grasp. Oftentimes methods don’t help the individual’s creativity or value the wonderful, wandering intelligence of those gifted with ADD/HD. These questions will help guide parents, siblings, teachers, community leaders, and peers to help their friends and families with ADD/HD:
- Is the subject presented in an engaging way? Have you or someone else helped the individual’s mind understand the value of what they are aiming to learn?
- Is the learning style that is most appropriate for the individual allowed or encouraged?
3. Are there environmental factors that make focusing difficult?
4. Is the learner’s diet monitored?
5. Has the material been presented in different ways for the student to choose? Is it easy for the learner to move between these approaches to help them learn the material?
6. Is the student allowed to process the information according to their appropriate processing styles?
7. Is the student allowed to take the information in a number of directions? That is, are their questions being answered, even if it’s unclear where the questions are coming from or why they’re being asked? Are the answers given being tied into what they are learning, or are their questions being dismissed by educators as off topic and irrelevant, thus discouraging them from expressing interest or exploring the subject in the ways that feel most natural to them?
By asking these questions and looking deeper into root causes of underlying issues, we not only challenge the idea that ADD/HD brains are not wired for attentiveness, we also create learning environments which are more conducive to the individual’s learning style and thus set them up for greater future success.
