The mind of someone with ADD is unwillingly tuning out and makes them miss out on important information or disconnected during conversations. They will struggle to stay tuned into a conversation and mostly will become more and more silent due to their inability to focus on what has been said. People with ADD are struggling to get their work or tasks organized or finished and get bored easily. Their undivided attention will be present to activities or subjects they enjoy. In those cases they can be extremely focused.

Unfair labelling

Many people are convinced ADD does not exist at all. The symptoms and characteristics of ADD are interpreted in a negative way. People with ADD are labeled as being lazy, uninterested, daydreamers with lack of respect for others and lack of effort. They are simply told to “try harder” or “start doing their best”. Their forgetfulness or absent mindedness is explained as deliberate or just being sloppy. None of this is the case, or it’s like telling a blind man he should “try harder ”to see. I can assure you although it may seem like laziness, their struggle to keep up with all expectation can be very painful and most of the time very stressful. It takes a lot of energy which does not contribute to “doing more”.

Managing daily life

• Forgetting appointments or being late for meetings all the time

• Difficulty with planning their (home)work

• Inability to prioritize the task that lay ahead of them

• Postponing everything

• Inconsistency between what they say they will do and what they actually do

• Difficulty with writing reports or papers

• Overwhelmed by everything they have to get done

• Difficulty following instructions or finishing tasks

• Poor sense of time and timing

Positive sides of ADD

Most individuals with ADD are creative, intelligent and sensitive people. They are charming and fun people to be around with. Their high intelligence makes it possible for them to be high achievers despite this disorder. Once they are interested in a particular subject their energy will go up and sometimes even hyper focus can occur. Their enthusiasm can be strong.

Look for the good things your child does during the day and give it many compliments. Support his or her ideas and be open to their creativity. Help them start or setup projects and encourage them along the way to finish them. Make sure they can get help from you in a positive way whenever they get stuck. This way you will be able to allow them to get the most out of their life.