Post by Amtram on Feb 1, 2014 8:37:26 GMT -5
Psych Central is a pretty interesting site. There are even a couple of blogs that are written by people with ADHD, but every once in a while I just scratch my head at things I see there. ADHD Associated with Communication Problems is one of them. Here's where it starts:
ADHD Associated with Communication ProblemsEmerging research suggests people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may face challenges when communicating and interacting with other people.
In Canada, University of Waterloo researchers say “people with ADHD are often less able to consider the perspective of their conversational partner.
You know, that may be so, but honestly, I don't see it as a problem that's unique to people with ADHD. Sometimes I think we might even have less of a problem with it than some people without ADHD. Because, I have to tell you, whenever you read comments about any article that covers anyone who might be different in a certain way, there seem to be a lot of people who make no attempt to see a point of view that's different from their own.
My personal experience is that when you try to explain to someone with ADHD the reason that someone did or said something differently from the way they would have, it's like a lightbulb going off over their head. When you try to tell someone who's neurotypical why you say or do something differently from they way they would have, the response seems to be a lot less understanding. (One of the things I'm thinking about here is the "Gee, then I guess I must have a little ADHD" one that I'm sure we've all heard.)
Not to bash, and I'll have to go read the whole study to be sure, but if you have communication problems because you think differently, then there are ways of fixing that. It's a lot less of a problem than if you have communication problems because you refuse to accept that people think differently.
ADHD Associated with Communication ProblemsEmerging research suggests people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may face challenges when communicating and interacting with other people.
In Canada, University of Waterloo researchers say “people with ADHD are often less able to consider the perspective of their conversational partner.
You know, that may be so, but honestly, I don't see it as a problem that's unique to people with ADHD. Sometimes I think we might even have less of a problem with it than some people without ADHD. Because, I have to tell you, whenever you read comments about any article that covers anyone who might be different in a certain way, there seem to be a lot of people who make no attempt to see a point of view that's different from their own.
My personal experience is that when you try to explain to someone with ADHD the reason that someone did or said something differently from the way they would have, it's like a lightbulb going off over their head. When you try to tell someone who's neurotypical why you say or do something differently from they way they would have, the response seems to be a lot less understanding. (One of the things I'm thinking about here is the "Gee, then I guess I must have a little ADHD" one that I'm sure we've all heard.)
Not to bash, and I'll have to go read the whole study to be sure, but if you have communication problems because you think differently, then there are ways of fixing that. It's a lot less of a problem than if you have communication problems because you refuse to accept that people think differently.