Q. When did you first learn you had ADHD? How did you react? 

A. Third grade

It felt like all the issues I was having in school finally made sense, that there was a reason I was having so much difficulty. It wasn't that I was just stupid.



Q. How do you personally define ADHD?

A. As a learning (dis)ability. I define it that way because I feel like my ADHD gives me attributes that other people don't have and it has made me a stronger person as a result.



Q. Are you proud to have ADHD? 

A. Yes



Q. How do you think people without ADHD define it? 

A. I think they define it as a disability, they see it as a stigma.



Q. Do you think that people without ADHD look at it as a negative or positive? 

A. I think they see it as a negative.



Q. What are some of the positive characteristics ADHD gives you? 

A. It has forced me to face my academic weaknesses, which means:

- I have found positive ways to cope (working harder, studying longer, not giving up, always trying to improve)
- I've learned the importance of asking for help when I need it
- I am able to advocate for myself
- I know my brain and the way I learn best better than most people
- I have stopped judging myself based on my peers (I don't compare my test scores or grades) and instead set goals for myself, which is much healthier
There are so many other things...



Q. Has there ever been a time where someone has misunderstood your learning difference? How so? 

A. The first time I can remember someone misunderstanding my learning difference was in Kindergarten; my teacher told my parents I was a 'daydreamer'.

Now, people mostly think that I'm not listening to them when they're talking to me because I'm always looking around at the outside stimuli (I actually am listening, just not making eye contact).



Q. What kind of accommodations do you use in class? How do they help you? 

A. Now that I'm in college, I'm provided a notetaker for all of my classes, as well as extra time and a quiet place to work for all tests.The notetaker allows me to focus on what my professor is saying instead of trying to get down all of the points he/she is saying (because my brain only allows me to do one or the other).

The quiet space for tests allows me to take my exam without distractions (which hinder my ability to stay focused).
The extended time for tests enables me to do quality work instead of rushing through it.



Q. How do you advocate for your accommodations? 

A. In both high school and college, I have worked with the learning disabilities liaison to discuss the accommodations I need and how I can get them from my teachers and other students



Q. How does ADHD affect you in school? 

A.  It affects every aspect of my academic life. It affects my ability to pay attention in class, my ability to multi-task (i.e. take notes and listen to professor), my ability to block out unnecessary stimuli (cars passing by through the window, the person sitting next to me tapping their pencil, etc.), my ability to filter my comments and actions in class (saying something that I haven't full thought through, distracting my classmates because I didn't think about the fact that that's not what I'm supposed to do)...



Q. How does ADHD affect you socially? 

A. It mostly affects my impulse control. I would say that part of my ADHD is that I don't really have as much of a 'filter' as I should, so sometimes I say and so things that I regret/wouldn't do if I had thought about it fully. As a little kid (which was the last time I wasn't medicated), I got into a lot of fights because kids would make me mad. So, instead of thinking through the situation and walking away (what I would do if I had a filter/ was medicated), I went with my impulses and started fighting.



Q. Have you ever been able to overcome a challenge because of your ADHD? 

A. I think the fact that I have been able to succeed academically (I attend one of the nation's top ranked colleges) is the biggest challenge I've overcome. I think my learning disability has given me the drive & motivation to expect more from myself and strive to achieve it.



Q. What are some of the strategies you use to stay focused in school, on homework, in social settings? 

A. I only do my homework by myself (no study groups) because I know it's the most conducive environment for me.

I've also learned that when I'm studying, having music in the background helps- but it can't be music with words (my brain can't deal with two inputs at once, like voices while I'm reading). So, I listen to a lot of jazz, but other people might prefer classical or electronica.



Q. WHat advice do you have for people who have just found out they have ADHD? 

A. 1. Find out what it means for you- learn the ways in which ADHD affects you.

2. Find resources & advocates- check and see if you have a learning strategies counselor at your school, they can help you get the accommodations you need. It's also their job to know about learning disabilities, so go to them with questions or emotions you have- they know what to do.
3. Go to your doctor and talk about medication- look at all your options (and side effects) and decide for yourself whether you want to take medication or not.



Q. Why should people be proud to have ADHD? 

A. Because it makes you different/ special/ awesome.