ADHD is the most commonly cited type of neurodivergence, which leads one to believe that it is well understood. ADHD in the workplace is gaining attention but can be a mystery to many of us. While it is clearly defined by professionals, with clear and specific criteria, for the rest of us it can be confusing.

• It is both over and under diagnosed.
• It may or may not include hyperactivity.
• There isn’t actually a deficit in attention.
• The word ‘disorder’ implies that the brain of people with ADHD is broken. It isn’t.

According to the Cleveland Clinic (link) ADHD isn’t about having too little attention – it’s about regulating where attention goes. In fact, a person may have too much of it. It’s not a deficit problem, it’s a dysregulation problem. People with ADHD have a dysregulation in dopamine and norepinephrine production and use in the brain, making it more difficult to focus on low-stimulation tasks. It’s a wiring difference, not a flaw. (Huberman Lab / pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3016271)

ADHD is ultimately a difference in the way a person’s brain manages planning, organizing, initiating and regulating attention. A person with ADHD may be hyper fixated on some things, to the point of forgetting to eat or sleep. He or she may have difficulty maintaining focus on administrative tasks when there is the slightest distraction.  There may even be an inability to start a task at all, known as task initiation paralysis.

This is by no means a comprehensive explanation of what ADHD is. What’s important to note is that ADHD isn’t about a deficit of attention. It’s about the challenge in focusing that attention.

How common is ADHD?

It is believed that approximately 11% of children have ADHD. According to NIMH data, more than 60% still have it as an adult. Boys are diagnosed at 15%, but girls only at 8%. The reason is that girls’ symptoms tend to be inattentiveness, while boys often show hyperactivity, which is noticed sooner.

Younger children in a class, those with birthdays just before enrollment cut off, are 38% more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.  The theory is that teachers compare children to their classmates, and the younger children are simply less developed.

More and more adults are being diagnosed with ADHD in their 30s and 40s. They have struggled with focused attention all their lives and finally get the relief of having a concrete reason why.

Self-diagnosis is becoming common. A study of 33,000 college students at 51 different universities shows that 15% self-reported having ADHD. Formal diagnosis rates of the same population are estimated at around 5%.

These statistics make it clear that ADHD is over-diagnosed, under-diagnosed and often self-diagnosed.  Rather than creating a label out of it, we can instead learn to capitalize on the strengths and challenges ADHD presents.

Strengths

Three very powerful traits in people with ADHD are:

• Hyperfocus
• Creativity
• Unconventional thinking.

Many of history’s great inventors and innovators show signs of ADHD. In fact, research published in the Journal of Business Venturing found that over 29% of entrepreneurs exhibit ADHD characteristics, compared to roughly 4-5% of the general population.  Innovation requires seeing things in a new way, coming up with creative solutions and focusing on it for as long as it takes to get it done.

When channeled, these are incredible traits! Creativity helps a group to come up with new ideas. Unconventional thinking challenges the status quo and reduces mistakes through challenging groupthink. Hyperfocus is sometimes necessary for working through a problem. These are traits that every company seeks!

Challenges and Solutions

While it’s clear that ADHD provides unique and important strengths, there are some challenges that come along with it. Executive function is required for managing time, initiating tasks and maintaining order – and that is where many people with ADHD struggle the most. That beautiful brain with the ability to hyperfocus for hours on an engaging problem, can practically shut down when it comes to doing administrative tasks. In school it may manifest as acing a project, then forgetting to turn in a homework assignment, which was completed on time.

For People With ADHD

Building external structures can go a long way to shoring up what the ADHD brain struggles to do on its own. Time blocking and creating visible schedules make it easy to decide what to do next. Breaking larger projects into small steps with defined deadlines creates the urgency ADHD brains require to be fully engaged.

For people with ADHD, verbal instructions are often processed and forgotten before they can be acted upon. ADHD affects working memory and the brain’s ability to hold and manipulate information in the short term. Whenever possible, request written instructions rather than verbal ones. If they aren’t provided, find a way to record what is being talked about so that you can refer to it later. Externalizing the information by writing it down greatly reduces the amount of mental energy needed to track and remember what was said.

Capitalize on your ability to focus. Do big, important and complex tasks at the time of day when you are most focused and creative. Lean into the power of hyperfocus. Be sure to set a timer for when that focus is to end. Then take a break to create transition time before taking on your next task.

Interacting with People who Have ADHD

Setting agendas before meetings and providing the information needed ahead of time is beneficial for everyone, but especially for people with ADHD. Providing that structure will help you get the best out of everyone.

None of us have flawless memories, so after verbal conversations, send a written follow-up summarizing the discussion. This is helpful for the neurodivergent and the neurotypical.

Be explicit about priorities. Deciding what to do next can feel insurmountable to people with ADHD. By clearly stating priorities, and the order in which things are to be done, you make it easier for them to focus their mind on the projects rather than the decision of what to do next.

Accept the fact that people with ADHD are likely to fidget. Doodling, tapping and pacing are not being disrespectful to the person speaking, they are means of managing stimulation needs. Whenever possible, give people the freedom to fidget.

The Bottom Line

Rather than looking at ADHD as a disorder, look at it as a series of traits. Those traits can be incredibly useful at times and challenging at times – no different than the traits that everyone has. Rather than stigmatizing people with ADHD, work with them. Help them capitalize on their strengths and create external structures and information to help reduce challenges. For people with ADHD, the goal is not to become neurotypical, the goal is to design an environment that unleashes your brain to do what it does best.

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