They may have thought they were offering words of comfort, but it was not comforting. Instead, it felt like they were diminishing the significance of my ADHD.

Inside I was annoyed and hurt by their words, but without knowing how to respond, I said nothing.

Imagine having a toddler in the room with you. The room is constantly messy. You cannot keep it tidy because the toddler keeps messing it up. You occasionally tidy the room, but when you turn your back, it is a mess again. You get overwhelmed with the chaos and cannot control feeling discouraged. It is a never-ending battle to keep my room tidy.

Roger: I have trouble organizing, prioritizing, managing time, switching from one activity/state to another, and directing my attention. I am messy and forgetful. I am easily overwhelmed, always run late, do one thing obsessively until it is nearly perfect, drift off when my mind should be focused on one thing, and have trouble working without explicit instructions.

What Is the Difference Between 8:55 a.m. and 9:05 a.m.?

Any child knows the simple answer is 10 minutes, but I’m asking for a more complex answer to a more complex question: What’s the difference between being 5 minutes early and five minutes late?  What is the difference between arriving to a staff meeting at 8:55 a.m. instead of 9:05 a.m.?

Perseverance

Why ignore reality? Life with ADHD can get tough. There are struggles aplenty. I do not have to describe them to you. Chances are, you know what I am talking about.

In the moments when life seems complicated, what do you do?

I believe talking about the "gifts" of ADHD started with physicians and therapists who were uncomfortable telling a child and her parents that she had ADHD. They wanted the diagnosis to be less scary, less awful sounding. They wanted to say something positive so the child and the family would not be downhearted and discouraged by the diagnosis. However, even for children, the talk about "gifts" rings hollow. They know they are different; they know they have struggles; and they don't understand why.

Today a lady told me she didn't believe in ADHD. "We don't need labels," she said. "We're all just on one big spectrum. I don't think you have ADHD at all." she smiled after 5 minutes of meeting me. 😬

She was trying to come from a good place, so I'm not here to rant at her ✌ but it's a view shared by many and damaging.

Today I asked CHATGPT this question, "Are people with ADHD as capable as people without ADHD?

I really liked the answer!

"Absolutely, people with ADHD are just as capable as people without ADHD.

Neil Pasricha, to lift his down mood, created a list of 1000 things that make him happy. At least 50 of his items, are particularly appropriate for someone with ADHD. Do you agree?

Finding money you didn’t know you lost.

Eating things past the expiration date

Someone offering to toss your dirty clothes in with their load of laundry

A single book could change lives for children with ADHD—that is my dream—and you can make it happen. If my book becomes a best seller, that alone will bring more attention to ADHD in women and the children with inattentive ADHD and the small royalty for each book (about $1.27/book) benefits the non-profit the Inattentive ADHD Coalition.

Him: "Okay, look. You wear glasses. How well can you see without them?"

Me: "I can't. I can see colors and general shapes, but I'm functionally useless without glasses."

Him: "Right. Without your glasses, life is just a blur that you can't really focus on. You can squint a little, and it helps you focus on something a little bit, but it takes a ton of effort and isn't terribly effective. Sound familiar? Well, Adderall are my glasses, and attention is my vision."

Powerful Insights from Neurodivergent Influencers Worth Following

Children with the hyperactive type of ADHD are diagnosed, on average, by age 7, but children with the inattentive type of ADHD still are rarely diagnosed by age 7.

Does it matter? Yes, it does! This article will explain why and why it is essential for elementary school personnel to seek out children with inattentive ADHD.

Neurodiversity means everyone's minds and variability we have in our brain connections.

Our brains change throughout our lives and can be impacted and change with the environment we are in (now and in the past).

I perform in an improve group, write poetry and design jerseys. Why do I do these things? I need to have creativity in my life. Flexing my creative juices keeps me sane. Without a creative outlet, I get restless and depressed. I need to be creative; all ADHDers need a creative outlet. Here's why:

I completed an 18-day trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon many years ago. We were away from “civilization” for the whole time. Our only possessions were our clothing, sleeping bag, tent, and personal care items. We survived and came home, realizing we could improve our lives by having less “stuff.”

A diagnosis of ADHD is not scary. With the proper support, strategies, treatment, and, most importantly, love, your child can succeed in anything they attempt. Most adults who were diagnosed later in life say, "ADHD isn't the problem; not knowing was the problem." Learning your child has ADHD is a positive, helpful step.

If you think people are born charming, you’re mistaken — you can learn likability like any other skill.

According to a Harvard study, to be more likable isn’t to be polite, helpful, or have a good sense of humor. It’s asking more questions.

Isn’t it our fault that people find it hard to believe we have ADHD? Most people won't get it. They say, "I do those things, too. It's not a big deal." Their forgetful moments and their occasional feelings of overwhelm are part of life. It's not a problem for them, so why is it a problem for you?

Believe that ADHD is a difference in learning style that doesn’t match the current educational system.

Remember and connect with your confidence that your child has the ability to overcome challenges.

Approach the conversation with your child by believing that both you and your child will feel relief with this new way of understanding their learning experience.