Surviving ADHD at Work and School

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Surviving ADHD at Work and School

Accommodations range from desks designed for standing, to talking calculators

and office location.

School means seven classes with seven different teachers. Work means all day,

five days a week, in a pressure-filled, deadline-oriented office. In either

setting, there are assignments to juggle, time to manage, and priorities to

organize. For someone with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, success in

school or the workplace is a moving and elusive target.

" People with ADHD can't make it out the door on time. They have trouble

finishing projects, problems with paperwork, and usually, a disaster of an

office, " says psychotherapist Terry Matlen, author of Survival Tips for Women

with ADHD. " When you take the symptoms of ADHD and put them into a work or

school setting, there's more than likely going to be a struggle. "

About 4 percent of adults and children are believed to have ADHD. They are

forgetful and hyperactive, have trouble staying focused and paying attention,

and understand or follow instructions with difficulty—all symptoms that can

wreak havoc on educational and professional success. Up to a third of students

with ADHD drop out of high school, and they're also less likely to attend and

graduate from college.

It's no better in the workplace: Adults with ADHD lose an average of three weeks

a year of productivity, according to the World Health Organization. They earn

less than their coworkers, take more sick days, have more on-the-job accidents,

and are more likely to be fired. They also don't get the support that students

do. To succeed, they must take the lead by developing coping strategies

themselves.

At School

Spurred by greater awareness of the condition and a growing number of diagnoses,

schools are catering to ADHD students with innovative approaches to learning,

such as under-the-desk pedaling devices that simulate bicycle riding. Desks that

are designed for standing or have built-in treadmills are also popular. Movement

and standing enhance focus and attention, says Schantz, head of the

Lab School, which serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade in

Baltimore and Washington, D.C., who have ADHD and learning disabilities. Even

squeezing rubber balls or doodling in class can promote concentration, says

Schantz. In fact, past research suggests doodling boosts both concentration and

recall by preventing daydreaming and helping to maintain a level of mental

arousal, allowing the brain to absorb information.

Hands-on instruction using multiple senses is far more effective than the

traditional classroom setting, says Schantz. Lab School students spend 40

minutes a day in academic clubs that recapture specific times and places in

history. The Renaissance Club, for example, welcomes students to Florence, where

they work as guild artists for a patron—their teacher—and learn about history,

geography, and civics. In the Revolution Club, students dress up as historical

characters to learn about the experiences and perspectives of early American

life. The clubs appeal to all types of learners, including those who need to see

or hear or touch to understand an idea, and liven up monotonous school days that

set a student's mind to wander.

Most students with ADHD, of course, cannot attend expensive specialized schools.

But mainstream curriculums are taking ADHD into account—for example, by

considering where ADHD students sit. A desk near the front of the classroom

minimizes distractions and allows teachers to reengage a student with eye

contact or a tap on the desk. " But it must be tailored to the individual

student, " says Ruth , interim CEO of CHADD (Children and Adults with

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), a nonprofit advocacy group. " Some do

better in the front, but others need to be in the very back, where they can

wiggle and stand up and sit down without distracting everybody. "

To combat forgetfulness, the bane of many ADHD children, some school districts

give students two copies of every textbook: one for home and one for school.

Writing and listening at the same time can be tough for these children, so some

systems provide a peer note taker.

ADHD-savvy teachers also assign homework orally and hand out written

instructions, increasing the likelihood that one or the other will register.

Some allow students with ADHD to run occasional errands, like delivering files

to the school office, to burn off fidgety energy. Alternating between physical

and mental activities helps, too, as does increasing the novelty of lessons by

blending films, tapes, flash cards, and group work.

[Do Video Games Cause ADHD? 3 Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe]

At Work

Students who spend years in nurturing classrooms eventually move on to jobs,

with potentially unsympathetic bosses. Some experts warn that job applicants and

employees should not disclose their condition. " You don't know what your boss or

coworkers think or know about ADHD, " says clinical psychologist Ari Tuckman of

West Chester, Pa. " There's still a lot of misinformation out there. If they have

some farfetched notion about what it means, it may not be conducive to a good

working situation. "

The first step in minimizing the ADHD factor at work is to make it TO work, says

Matlen. " Getting up in the morning requires a tremendous effort, " she says. " A

lot of people with ADHD have trouble shutting down at night—their brains are so

overactive they can't sleep. " Multiple alarm clocks may help: one on the

nightstand to wake up and another five feet away that can only be turned off by

getting out of bed. A third in the bathroom might even be a good idea, Matlen

says.

Since productivity often varies depending on the time of day, flex time is a

viable alternative to a fixed schedule. Some employees may choose to delay their

start time; others may arrive early, if that's when they're most focused, or

decide to occasionally work from home.

Eliminating workplace distractions like chatty coworkers can boost

concentration. If available, private offices or cubicles should be requested.

When you approach your boss, describe a symptom instead of naming your

condition, Tuckman says. For example: " I have a tendency to get distracted if

I'm in a noisy environment. Is there a quiet spot where I could sit? " Otherwise,

spend an hour working in an unused conference room, or close the curtains to

minimize outside distractions. A noise-blocking headset or soft music can

muffle—if not eliminate—office racket. Even adding a " do not disturb " sign or

turning the desk to avoid facing the door can help those thrown off by

interruptions. Meetings in particular can be nervewrackingly chaotic or deadly

dull. If you tend to zone out or lose track, record them and review the sessions

later, undisturbed.

Since people with ADHD are often visually oriented, files, schedules, and other

documents should be color-coded. To combat time management problems, break

projects into smaller tasks and create a schedule allocating a specific amount

of time to each piece. Use a vibrating watch to (silently) stick to that

schedule—and to remember phone calls and meeting times.

Moving around throughout the day can counter a tendency to fidget and chatter.

Scheduled breaks are helpful, especially before and after long meetings. " Take

the long way when you're walking around the office, " says Tuckman. " Take the

stairs instead of the elevator, and go for a walk or to the gym at lunch. Tell

people that you do your best thinking when you're moving around­—that it gets

the juices flowing. "