--Education 1: ADD, Self-Esteem, & Technology

When things aren't going as you would like....

--Education 1: ADD, Self-Esteem, & Technology

Date: 7/1/2001

One of the most formidable challenges in education today is ADD (and ADHD) . 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) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are conditions that are 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 a person 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.

That reminds me of an amusing story I heard once at a lecture. The boy's response in this story portrays how some ADD people do not follow instructions well. It should not be interpreted as deliberate chutzpah.

There is a school in Washington DC that has a rule forbidding students to bring guns to school. One 14 year old boy with ADD had borrowed his friend's gun and wanted to return it to him. The problem was that his friend lived across town. Instead of traveling to his friend's house to return the gun he brought it to school to give it to him. A teacher spotted the gun and the boy got caught. When the principal asked him if he was aware of the rule forbidding bringing guns to school he replied "yes; but I was just returning it."

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 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 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 interested in 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 them to do this and thereby harness their 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 it's own stimulations. However, there are very significant differences in the two types of stimulation. First of all, modern technology seeks to overload 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 individual 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 being focused on a subject and to sustaining attention. And these are two 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 and influenced by it's 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 ideas may be all that they need.

One, create a more stimulating environment by 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.

Two, 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 around when he could not sit anymore. 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.

Three, 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. I knew the editor of a weekly newpaper who functioned best by starting work on Sunday even though everything had to be ready no later than Tuesday! Talk to some expert procrastinators and find out tips on how to procrastinate well!

Four, instead of taking away hope, give them a positive self image. This includes everything we said above in the section entitled "The Other Side of ADD".

The fifth idea pertains to boys who have trouble in classroom-style learning. I have observed that many boys who are--please excuse the term--monsters in younger grades completely change when they go to Yeshiva. My theory why this happens is that in school they sit still in classrooms which are for them understimulating. The learning is presented in an orderly fashion and they may be expected to do homework assignments in an organized way. The ADDer may not function well under these conditions as we mentioned.

However, Yeshiva learning is totally 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. This is much more aligned with the way ADD people do things. Give these boys something to look forward to; encourage them by describing how Yeshiva learning is much different.

Six, there is a story about the Brisker Rav that he would send his son out on an errand and give him a question to think about. When the son returned he would discuss it with him. This way he taught his son 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.

Seven, on the other hand try 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 install inattentiveness and impulsiveness in us. You're in the middle of a task and the phone rings. You drop everything to go 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.

Eight, use your imagination to find ways to train children and teenagers how to act in a non-impulsive way. One simple technique is with food. When you are sitting down together to eat, give them the platter of something he wants to eat and teach him to pass it to someone else before he takes.

Nine, aerobic exercise 5-7 times per day for 12 minutes per time 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.

Ten, 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 soDD. 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.

There is a school in Washington DC that has a rule forbidding students to bring guns to school. One 14 year old boy with ADD had borrowed his friend's gun and wanted to return it to him. The problem was that his friend lived across town. Instead of traveling to his friend's house to return the gun he brought it to school to give it to him. A teacher spotted the gun and the boy got caught. When the principal asked him if he was aware of the rule forbidding bringing guns to school he replied "yes; but I was just returning it."