ADHD, which stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting many children, teens and adults. Common ADHD symptoms include difficulty or inability to focus on tasks, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors. Other symptoms people experience include forgetfulness, disorganization, becoming easily distracted or bored with a task, mood swings, difficulty coping with stress and temper issues.
ADHD is widely misunderstood. Many people believe the myth that it is something that only affects young kids, and that kids can simply “grow out of” the disorder later in life. This is far from the truth, and this belief has affected me personally and caused me not to be taken seriously or receive the support I need. ADHD affects everyone slightly differently, and the right support and resources can help people affected live healthy and successful lives. There are many ways that ADHD impacts high school students, and can make school feel daunting and overwhelming, but there are also incredibly helpful tools to succeed.
Difficulty focusing on schoolwork and tasks has been one of my biggest struggles with ADHD. For as long as I can remember, I’ve rarely ever been able to focus on the entire lesson, start to finish, take notes and complete assignments without one-on-one support. Assignments will then start to pile up, and it’ll feel too overwhelming to even start, especially when I’ve forgotten the classroom material. This causes students with ADHD to have to retake classes and make up missing credits, which can hinder their chances of graduating on time. At the beginning of my freshman year, I was in a math class with a co-teacher to provide one-on-one support to myself and other students who needed it. Because of this exceptional support, I passed the class with an A and got near-perfect scores on tests.
Later in that year, due to a sudden schedule change with no communication from anyone, I was moved to a class with no additional staff to provide support. My grades almost immediately dropped after this, and so did my self-esteem and confidence. I was able to see the math tutor at the Orioles Nest, which did help to raise my grade, but the next year, they no longer had this person at Park. Having adequate support staff is absolutely imperative to students, especially those with disabilities. If Park and other schools actually want academic success, a main priority should be hiring and maintaining co-teachers and paraprofessionals, and adjusting their financial priorities to accommodate this, as it is far more important than renovating every single classroom and hallway solely for aesthetic purposes.
Hyperactivity and impulsivity are other widely known symptoms. This can mean that you have excessive energy and a constant need for mental stimulation. Having too much energy makes it extremely difficult for me to focus on one task at a time, especially boring and tedious ones. I have countless unfinished craft projects in my room that I lost interest in and never picked back up, and now I have no idea what to do with them. Hyperactivity makes it difficult to sit still, causing fidgeting and restlessness. This affects not only schoolwork, but also social skills and hobbies. Trying to pick up a meaningful hobby involves countless hours of practice and consistency, which feels impossible when my brain is unable to lock in on one task at a time. Socializing is difficult as well, because my brain’s energy can override my social skills and ability to read others’ cues and body language. Sometimes, I’ll unintentionally take over conversations, interrupt others or overwhelm people. Because many people don’t have a true understanding of ADHD, they will assume you are rude or selfish, and will end friendships or refuse to see past their assumptions about you, even if you try to be friends with everyone.
While hyperactivity, difficulty focusing and impulsivity are the blueprint symptoms, they hardly even scratch the surface of the extent of living with severe ADHD. The burnout, exhaustion, depressive episodes, executive dysfunction, disorganization, forgetfulness and social rejection are indescribably difficult for me and many others. However, ADHD can come with positive aspects that are highlighted once a person gets the right treatment to counteract the negative symptoms. People with ADHD can be creative, friendly, risk-taking and enthusiastic, to name a few. It can take a while for some people to find the treatment that works for them, and it can be a long and tiring journey. Some treatment options include medication, various therapies, educational support such as IEPs, (individual education programs), 504 plans and support from family, friends and school staff. The most valuable skill I’ve learned the hard way is self-advocacy. If you don’t learn to advocate for yourself, no one will do it for you, and you’ll be way less likely to get help.
