ADHD is trending so EduTwitter ( #txed #cfisdchat #tlap #gtchat #TAGT #freshthoughtedu) here's my story (a thread):
When I was a child I thought the following was entirely normal: If the teacher doesn't call on me and I don't get to share this thought/idea the world will end 1/17

this impulsivity and need to share didn't always translate into the social context that made me an "ideal" student. I didn't know that this feeling wasn't normal-- I thought other people were just better at controlling themselves.

Socially I usually had one best friend 2/17

This one best friend was good because I remember recognizing that I annoyed my peers and especially my female peers were not always good at hiding that. I learned to mask, became apologetic for my behavior and felt constantly guilty for "annoying" people. 3/17

By the time I reached middle school I struggled to know the line of where something was funny and when it was obnoxious. I couldn't divine where the line was. I had a hard time learning in the classroom- my notes were never as neat as I wanted them to be. 4/17

I had a hard time with due dates and surrounded myself with friends who were more "type A" than I was and would ask if there was homework-- or a project. I remember getting a project and thinking about a really cool way I wanted to approach it-- 5/17

Then the more I built it up-- the more I felt overwhelmed at the sheer magnitude of it and the more I avoided starting entirely. What would eventually emerge was a project or paper I had written/created the night before. Usually good enough for a B. 6/17

I masked my ADHD in class by reading the textbook at home and creating doodle notes or talking through the textbook with a friend. I didn't sleep well. I worked from 5-8 and by the time I got home would eat dinner and not start homework until almost 10 7/17

Getting between three and five hours of sleep in high school was my normal. In history classes (my favorite)-- I wouldn't take notes because when I took notes I couldn't focus on what was being said. I opened a textbook and followed along with my teacher 8/17

And yet I could read books at 100 pages an hour. I could sit down with a new Harry Potter book at midnight and finish at around 7AM (depending on the book). I could sit for hours and read up on any subject that I found interesting. 9/17

Even now when I was writing papers and doing assignments for graduate school-- focus for me meant: headphones on-- audiobook playing, reading opened, and facing a place with consistent movement (so my eyes and brain don't seek to find movement). 10/17

As an adult I do a lot of things to mask my ADHD and compensate. When traveling or visitings someone--I bring myself "activities" or something to do if I'm bored-- mostly because I fear becoming a burden on others if I'm not mindful. 11/17

I always take an extra copy of handouts and never throw them away because I'm afraid of losing them or not having them when I'm supposed to reference them. The same reason I have a hard time closing tabs before a task is finished-- i fear forgetting and letting someone down 12/17

This comes from years of being the "unreliable" one, being the one who had to ask others when we had hw, and in my mind (and IRL) letting people down. When I'm driving if I am tired I turn off the music and think about a story I want to write 13/17

If I listen to music-- my brain gets to rest-- it can focus on two seemingly "mundane" things: the road and the song. This "break" causes me to get tired. This also happens when I try hard to focus on one thing. My brain thinks it's time to rest and I end up asleep. 14/17

This was hard for me in Physics in HS-- I wanted to pay attention because I really struggled. But the second I tried to focus my energy on one thing-- my brain decided-- Oh a break? SLEEP TIME. At night though I have to sleep with an eye mask to force distractions away 15/17

ADHD doesn't always look hyperactive. It's not as simple as "just get organized". It's also not always a bad thing-- it's the reason I am interested in so many things. It helps me be a more empathetic person to others. I think it's the reason I teach the way I do 16/17

ADHD is a real and true diagnosis. The kids you encounter with ADHD and are outwardly annoyed by... become young people and adults who live with the knowledge that being themselves is frustrating and annoying for others. As with all kids-- interact with empathy 17/17