Does this sound familiar? Or how about this variation: “Your child is very intelligent, therefore he/she does not need (select one of the following: medication, accommodations, an IEP, or additional help/support).”
I don’t know about you folks, but I can say first hand that this is the kind of thinking we tend to run into when dealing with many in our children’s school district. The people I have come to know online who have ADD or ADHD, as children or adults, have related countless stories like this. Many explain how as teens and adults they have had medical professionals tell them that they can’t have ADD or ADHD simply because they are not fidgeting in their chairs or can look the doctor in the eye while speaking. Why bother with studying DNA when we have these geniuses? Conduct new research studies? Why would we do that when we have the “fidget scale”, which is bullet-proof! I suppose some of these medical professionals would suggest leeches or a blood-letting instead.
A recent study performed by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine shows indications that being smart is no defense against the negative effects of ADHD. They looked at individuals with IQ scores over 120. These individuals are representative of the top 9%, in intelligence, in the U.S. Comparing the behaviors of those in this group, with and without ADHD, they discovered that the ADHDr’s showed significant impairment in memory and cognitive tests, compared to their non-ADHD counterparts. Approximately 73% of the ADHDr’s studied showed significant executive function impairments in five or more of the eight measures used.
Thomas E. Brown is the assistant professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and lead author of the study. According to Dr. Brown, “Many of these people are told they can’t be suffering the loss of executive function (the ability to plan and carry out many day-to-day tasks) from ADHD because they are too smart.”
The ADHDr’s lacked self-management skills and the ability to focus. They tended to procrastinate and be forgetful. They also demonstrated difficulty in harnessing their talents to complete many daily tasks.
The report used the following analogy: “Each of these individuals might be compared to a symphony orchestra of very talented musicians who cannot produce adequate symphonic music because the orchestra lacks an effective conductor,”
Philipp C. Reichel and Donald M. Quinlan of Yale co-authored the paper. The report will be published in the September 2009 print edition of the Journal of Attention Disorders. The following link, provides access to the report in its current state: http://jad.sagepub.com/pap.dtl .
I can see the comments on this one now – “I’m printing this out and giving this to my child’s teacher/principal/doctor.” More power to you.
Thanks for posting this. I might print this out to take with me to my upcoming appointment.
It’s so true. When we had DS15 tested, they did a battery of tests including IQ. He’s 1pt lower than what they consider “genius.” Top 3% of the population–but he’s lost 2 football shirts, has missing assignments in every class, and can’t remember to put the milk back in the fridge! I always equate it to the absent-minded professor.
I’m afraid I suffer the same issues–lots of ideas but no follow-through. All the same, it is these smart, different-thinking folk that have changed the world. Just because it is a challenge for us doesn’t mean that in the right circumstances, with the right passion, we won’t actually DO something brilliant that makes the world a better place.
Dana
my daughter has been feeling like a failure, and she just turned 8 years old. her teacher has complained constantly all year that she doesn’t focus in class and spends her time socializing. it wasn’t until I got the ADHD diagnosis that I could convince her teacher to allow my daughter to sit by herself to work. her teacher’s first objection was “how will she be socialized?”
I was aghast. socialization is the least of our worries. my daughter is very outgoing, but her self-esteem is getting stomped pretty well because she feels like one of the “bad kids” who get put at a special table because they “misbehave”.
we just finished an IQ test. the results haven’t been tabulated yet, but they ran out of reading material to test her with, so the tester feels that her IQ will measure high. I already knew she was smart. she learned to use an abacus in less than 15 minutes of coaching and googles for information on wide and various topics of interest. she’s also perceptive to a scary degree.
all that potential, and she’ll be an utter failure in a traditional school setting if allowances aren’t made for both her intelligence and her ADHD. it’s been a frustrating ride so far, for her and for me.
Thanks for the comments so far. I am continually amazed at how many of us are experiencing the same things and having the same thoughts and feelings, in regard to ADD or ADHD in our lives. I am glad that we have somewhere to get this out. Together we are all stronger.
Have a great weekend!
– Chris
I have always heard that it IS the smart kids that have ADHD. Not sure why it works that way but I am glad for it. Otherwise my son would be nothing but a failure (in his eyes). I wish there was a school for just ADHD children… one that allows them what they need to learn and grow… not what some government says they need.
There are starting to be more and more programs for kids with ADHD and associated challenges. Some are more “therapeutic” than others, which isn’t the right situation for all kids (like my son).
There is a partial list here: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-web/article/5100.html
Also, they are opening a charter here in Scottsdale http://www.lexisprep.org and they have one in Tampa, Florida, too http://www.tampadayschool.org. These look like great, non-therapeutic programs.
Things are slowly but surely moving along!
Dana
Ok, this reads like my life! I was actually amazed when my doctor took my self-diagnosis at face value. I expected to hear “you’re too smart/well organized/put together to have ADD”. We did in the following weeks formalize the diagnosis.
Of course, I’d come to the appoitment with 30 or 40 pages of material culled from the 150+ pages I’d read and deemed to be the most important, but had left my cell phone and the self-diagnosis test sitting on my desk at home before the appointment. Needless to say, I’d already made three trips back inside to pick up something I’d forgotten.
Entreprenuers do seem to be a group that self-identifies as ADHD. Diverse interests, and drive for something you love (even to the point of hyperfocus) may be a savior in the job market. Famous ADD people I’m aware of? Founder of Zipcar, Southwest Airlines, Benjamin Franklin (suspected), and others. My biggest challenge in being an entreprenuer? Remembering I don’t have to do it all. Which is hard when I was raised as someone who is self-sufficient and should be able to do it all–even the things I don’t like including billing and record keeping.
When my son was on Adderall XP His grades were below grade level, in First grade they were planning and IEP meeting to determine where he needed the most help, well during he had a bad reaction to the meds so we switched to Concerta his grades improved since his grades fluctuated he no longer qualified for special classes, mind you one semester he would do poorly and the next he would do great, and I got phone calls and notes everyday from his teacher In Florida stating that he needs help well no kidding, At home he would recite his spelling words with no problems and write and spell them correctly but at school he would misspell them on his test, And his 1st teacher and I butted heads over this constantly , I went to the school wanting to get him help in areas like math, reading etc, but to no prevail would they budge, 2nd grade was not much better for him and still on Concerta but he managed to improve then went down hill and still no special classes or help for him, Well during the summer we moved out of state to Missouri, Whole new school, and even though he had to repeat the 2nd grade he Flourished and actually had teachers that understood him and and got him the help he needed for the subjects he was having trouble in, Well the concerta was no longer effective for a while he was doing good , then not so good so his dosage was increased and it made it worse , We then switched to Metadate CD and guess what he is doing so much better still see’s the special ed teacher twice a week and grades are improving greatly , and now next fall he will be in 3rd grade, What a difference being in another school in another state made I get positive reports from the school on how well he has improved, on another note he participated in school track and field day and won (2) 3rd Place ribbons way to go son!!! His teacher tells me he is very creative and when he puts his mind to something he does very well…
Hmm am I too poor to have ADHD? Is there a way for a poor boy to view that article?
Once again you have opened my mind. Sure – “Too Poor to Have ADHD” and another one that I know you have seen, “I Live in the Wrong Country to Have ADHD”. There are many people out there who can’t get diagnosed and then treated, due to not being able to afford the process, or living in a country where socialized medical care prevents people from finding good doctors.
Thanks for the viewpoint.
My wife just came across an article out of the UK that is an example of the kind of roadblocks a parent can face in dealing with educators. Thought some of you might find this interesting.
http://www.berrowsjournal.co.uk/news/4354878.School_isn_t_taking_my_son_s_needs_seriously/?ref=rss
One more:
Jennifer Laviano contacted me with the link, below, to one of her blog posts that really captures these concepts well.
http://www.connecticutspecialeducationlawyer.com/occasional-rants/other-than-that/
Jennifer has dedicated her law practice entirely to the representation of children and adolescents with disabilities whose families are in disagreement with their public school districts.
– Thanks Jennifer!
Thanks for referencing the Yale study. I think it’s important to have more perspective on the whole I.Q. thing. Some of those who are being tested are told they have this impressive intellect and could be in for a real let down when their achievements don’t match their expectations. I personally don’t think I.Q. tests should be cumulative and that the focus on the total sum of ones abilities shadows the need for improvement in areas where people need the most work. Very often in life our problems tend to define us, and for some of us with ADHD, that is simply not acceptable.
Allowing our past experiences to form the context of who we are is a natural, easy and common reaction. None of that makes it good though.
One of my more recent awakenings came in realizing that we are often limited, not empowered by our beliefs. Structuring positive beliefs and finding ways to confirm them is much more productive. I had gone from feeling defeated and that I had reached my peak in life, to understanding that I can expand and improve my life and circumstances at any time. Instead of accepting where I was, I have now grown tremendously hopeful by the mere act of being determined to change what I was doing.
I must apologize for being vague, but I believe all will be made clear in the coming months.
Additionally, I would ask you to consider your statement from a different perspective – instead of (or maybe better yet, in addition to) people focusing on their need to improve their weakest areas, I would suggest that we take our greatest strengths and the combined experience that makes us who we are , to become a unique individual with tremendous offerings. If I am not a good organizer, but I am a phenominal creative thinker, then possibly, my best approach would be to bring my talents to the party and allow someone else (who might be a great organizer) take care of the balance. As a society, I feel we are heading down the wrong path trying to make everyone the same homogeneous robot. We are not standardized parts in a factory or machine, yet we train everyone to think and behave alike. It is time for the rise of unique approaches and unique personalities.
I realize this may be straying off your intended topic, but your comments have inspired these responses at a time when my mind is itching to be heard.
Thanks for your comments and interest.
– Chris
Thank you for sharing the Yale Study. You can be highly intelligent and have ADHD. I am not a crazy mother who just thinks she has a smart child and tries to convince educators that you can be highly intelligent and have ADHD and can’t tie your shoes.
However, since it is not a learning or behavior there is no accomodations that the school can provide. Where do we go for resources to properly advocate for our children.
Thank you, thank you.
Thanks for writing Mary. We have been going through our own struggles with the school system. A few posts here give some examples – try clicking the “School” tag at right. There is much more to the story at this point, but I must wait a little longer to share that here.
– Chris
I had a meeting with a psychiatrisit and he gave a list of reasons why I could not have adhd. They all didnt make sense and he said he could definitively prove to me I didnt have ADHD by me taking a IQ test. He said if I scored over 120 I could not have adhd. When I told him that didnt make any sense and pointed to the yale research on adhd he said “anything can be found online true or not”, he then proceeded to give me a lecture on how it is wrong to search for drugs for recreational purposes. This was months ago and im still upset about it.
Wow Josh. If I was this reckless with a client’s well-being in my professional life, I would lose my home in a lawsuit. I guess he feels that in all of his clinical work and study, he is smarter than the cutting edge minds coming out of one of the best schools in the U.S. I am getting angrier by the minute just considering my response.
It’s this kind of ignorance about ADHD that drives me forward.
Please tell me you have found another doctor??? Don’t let this fool stand between you and your mental health.
I think that maybe Josh’s doctor needs to move into the 21st century. I find that when I am looking for a new medical provider, the first question I ask is if the doctor is forward thinking. My experience is that some doctors are in denial of the medical advances with regards to ADHD and very resistant to change. Sadly there is nothing we can do about that.
I get just as angry as Chris, fire that doctor and find a new one. My life began when I started treating my ADHD at the age of 40. Don’t wait because it is so well worth it to find a solution to all the frustrations.
It took alot for me to go to a doctor in the first place, I have been thinking about it for years. After this I really lost most of my motivation to find professional help. I think about it but after convincing myself to go to a doctor for years and having this happen leaves me even more frustrated then when I started. I origionally went in for anxiety/depression problems but I feel adhd is the root cause of most of my problems. Do you have any suggestions for how I could find a psychiatrist/psychologist that is familiar with adhd treatment?
On a side note here are some statements my last doctor made about people with adhd.
“people with ADHD dont use alarm clocks”
“people with adhd can’t be succesful”
“people with adhd cannot get an A in any class”
He even told me when I first mentioned adhd that he all but eliminated the possibility of me having adhd because of the college I am attending.
Josh, I hope that you will prevail and be persistent in finding a doctor that will help you. Most hospitals will have a directory with doctors that specialize in certain fields. I have learned to ask for doctors who specialize in ADHD and it makes a huge difference. I also learned to document and keep record of every visit with the outcomes.
Here are my favorite two resources and they have helped me learn to advocate both for myself and my children. ADHD is a genetic disorder and most ADHD individuals are extremely intelligent.
CHADD.org
http://www.additudemag.com
These two web-sites will keep you reading for a while. If you have questions or frustrations, I will be happy to add my two cents of main stream experience because I am not a professional. I am simply a ADHD person who is learning to manage her disorder as well as that of her children the best way she can. It can be done but persistence is a huge key factor.