One of the most formidable challenges in education today is
ADD. What is ADD, how is it affecting the educational
process, and what can be done about it? These questions are
particularly relevant to us since Israel and the United
States are two of the countries where this condition is most
widespread.
What is ADD?
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a condition that is
characterized by inattentiveness, impulsiveness and
hyperactivity. One of the most interesting explanations of
why the ADD person exhibits these symptoms is that the ADD
mind is an understimulated mind. The various symptoms
are the mind's effort to stimulate itself. With the needed
stimulation, the mind is stabilized and the person can
function more "normally." This explains the paradox that
Ritalin and other stimulant drugs can be very
effective in calming down many people with ADD.
Here is a short description of what you might expect to find
in persons with ADD: Any little noise or movement distracts
them. They listen poorly when you are talking to them, and
can't seem to follow instructions. Rather, they wait for you
to finish talking so they can blurt out what they want to
say. They may suddenly and spontaneously behave in a
socially unacceptable way. They tend to procrastinate and
they love high risk activity. They have a difficult time
being organized and prefer doing things differently each
time. They have a much higher percentage for all kinds of
addictions, from substance abuse to video games. They may
fidget or hum to themselves or insist on listening to music
when they are studying or working.
Why? Because their minds crave stimulation and these things
are stimulating.
Many people with ADD learn to control their symptoms.
Sometimes, this is good news. Other times, however, the
person suppresses a symptom because someone forces him to.
Children are especially vulnerable to this. For example, a
student holds on to his desk because his teacher
relentlessly reprimands him for fidgeting. There is a risk
that suppressing the symptom in this way can lead to other
disorders such as anxiety and depression.
The Other Side of ADD
This brief introduction is only one side of the story. It is
very unfortunate that the positive side of ADD is
often overlooked or played down. This is probably because
ADDers can be inconvenient to have around. Their neurology
does not fit into what modern society has decided is
"correct."
I think that it is very important to present the positive
side to the person who is struggling with ADD -- both to the
person who has it as well as the teacher, parent, employer
etc. who has to contend with it. The ADDer will function
much better if he does not relate to himself as handicapped,
inferior, learning disabled, dysfunctional or different than
the rest of society. These lables can wipe out his self
esteem. And a healthy self esteem is essential to realizing
potential. Instead, let him know the advantages of
being ADD.
Inform him that many people have ADD and are very successful
in what they do. When they are really into something,
ADDers can get intensely involved and become tremendous
achievers. I heard of a book authored by a CEO in the United
States who claims that he never met a CEO without ADD.
A research project conducted by Washington University
concludes that ADDers outperform non-ADDers in crisis
situations. Think for a minute how distractibility and
impulsiveness could be tremendous assets in crisis
situations.
Distractibility makes the person more alert to all of
the stimuli in the environment. On the contrary, the non-
ADDer will be more focused on what he is doing and might not
pick up the warning signal.
Impulsiveness will help the ADDer to act immediately
in the crisis situation whereas the person without ADD may
not react until it is too late.
One researcher describes the ADD mind as "one step below
genius." This is because the ADD mind is extraordinarily
active. The most significant difference is that the ADDer
has trouble controlling his mind and directing
his thoughts. But there are ways to assist him to do this
and thereby harness his potential.
What about the lack of organization of the ADD mind?
Constantly trying novel methods, looking at things from new
angles, doing things in a non- standard way -- this is where
creativity is born.
The Technology Culture
Having briefly discussed the two sides of ADD, let us now
talk about the effects of the cultures in which we live on
our thinking processes. Most of us realize how the
content of the media in modern Western cultures can
affect us, but we may not be as aware of how the thinking
processes of these cultures may be affecting us.
The natural environment has plenty of stimulation. There are
fascinating things to see, hear, feel, smell and taste.
Modern technology also has provided us with its own
stimulations. However, there are very significant
differences in the two types of stimulation. First of all,
modern technology overloads us with stimulation.
Everything has to be super- bright, super-loud, super-
kinesthetic, super-fast, and super-dramatic.
Take our music, for example. A typical tape or CD will start
off with a very fast song that lasts a few minutes. The next
song is totally unrelated to the first one and is usually a
very slow song. No gradual changes; the person is stimulated
in one extreme and then suddenly stimulated in the other
extreme. Every few minutes, something new and different. The
"pleasure" comes from the change in feeling you get by
vacillating between two extremes.
Compare this to Classical music, where one symphony can last
for a half- hour or more, and where the different themes
seem to flow into each other. This is much more similar to
the stimulation found in nature: the day changes to night
gradually and subtly.
Another characteristic of modern technology is
interruptions. Programs are interrupted every few
minutes for commercial announcements which themselves are
interruptions of the previous commercial. Even our own
newspapers will have several stories on one page as well as
advertisements. It is the rare indivdual who reads one story
from start to finish without glancing back and forth at the
other stories and advertisements. Our lifestyles are filled
with many other interruptions as well. These interruptions
blend confusion with overstimulation and cannot be conducive
to our being focused on a subject and to sustained
attention. And these are preconditions for learning.
Are we inadvertently formatting our minds to shorter and
shorter attention spans and to needing this never-ending
variety? Even if we insulate ourselves from some of the
noxious content of modern culture, we are exposed to
and influenced by its process of thinking.
Let us recall that we described the ADD mind as an
understimulated mind. Could we not postulate that our
environment is exacerbating the very conditions we described
that characterize the ADD mind -- distractibility,
impulsiveness, hyperactivity? Are we producing minds that
are so overstimulated by the environment that they cannot
function properly in school, work, and other everyday
situations where this level of stimulation is not found?
What Can Be Done
Here are ten simple ideas that can ameliorate the situation
where the ADDer is not functioning well. They may also help
to prevent some of the ADD symptoms from developing. For
many ADD people, one or more of these may be all they
need.
1. Create a more stimulating environment, inviting
participation. One way of doing this is through more
discussion and less lecturing. Another way is to give them
projects to do -- as much as possible in their own way and
at their own pace.
2. Work out a way to allow them more freedom of movement as
long as it does not disturb everyone else. I personally know
a teacher who told a student to use the back of the
classroom to walk about when he could not sit any more. The
boy did not have to ask permission but could simply get up
out of his seat and go to the back of the room. The rest of
the class was informed about the reason why and were told
not to turn around. The boy absorbed the learning very well
and as a result of the boy's not disturbing, the class
functioned better, too.
3. Let them do things their own way. Take procrastination,
for example. Don't try to coerce the ADDer to be more
organized and finish projects ahead of the deadline. If he
is getting his work done, let him be. If not, give him ideas
of how to procrastinate effectively. Talk to some expert
procrastinators and find out tips on how to procrastinate
well.
4. Instead of taking away hope, give them a positive self
image. This includes everything we said above.
5. Concerning boys who have trouble in classroom-style
learning: Some boys who are veritable `monsters' (excuse the
term) in younger grades completely change when they reach
yeshiva. My theory is that in school they sit still in
classrooms which is understimulating. The learning is
presented in an orderly fashion and they may be expected to
do homework assignments in an organized way.
However, yeshiva learning is different. One can stand up and
walk around. Speaking out loud is encouraged. There is much
more freedom in the pace of the learning and what to learn,
and this is more aligned to the way ADD people function.
Give these boys something to look forward to: encourage them
by describing how yeshiva learning is much different.
6. There is the well-known story of the Brisker Rav sending
his son out on an errand and giving him a question to
ponder. When the son returned, he would discuss it with him.
This way he taught the boy to continue to think in learning
even during disturbing conditions. Realizing that we live in
a society of distractions and interruptions and preparing
ourselves to maintain a train of thought in spite of it is
an important resource to develop.
7. Equally important is to give people the opportunity to
spend extended periods of time in surroundings which are
relatively free of distractions and interruptions. It is
essential that we naturally develop the ability to think in
a focused way for sustained periods of time. For example:
let children play and study without constant
interruptions.
As innocent a device as a telephone can instill
inattentiveness and impulsiveness in us. You're in the
middle of a task and the phone rings. You drop everything to
answer it. You might consider turning off the ringer for a
period of time a few times a week. Experience what it is
like to go through a task from start to finish without
interruption. Bonus tip: this can also be an excellent way
of reducing stress.
8. Use your imagination to train children how to act in a
non-impulsive way. One simple technique is with food. When
you are sitting down together to eat, give a young child the
platter of something he likes and teach him to pass on to
someone before he takes.
9. Aerobic exercise 5-7 times a day for 12 minutes each will
have the same effect on the brain as Ritalin, according to
Dr. John Ratey. This can help do away with Ritalin and other
stimulant drugs that are often given to ADD people. It also
explains why ADD people like to fidget and move around.
10. For many ADD people, time is a big issue. It can be more
difficult for them to immediately respond to demands than it
is for the average person. Try telling them that you need
them to do something and then ask them when they
could do it. Alternatively, you could mention that in a few
minutes you are going to need them for something. Then wait
10 minutes and make your request. They will respond better
when demands are made in these ways.
Above all, be non-coercive, gentle, patient, optimistic,
consistent and persistent. There are many successful
approaches to dealing with ADD. There are medicines and
therapies. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) has developed
some very effective techniques.
For more information: phone 051-985-225;
info@nlpjerusalem.com
