ADHD is not a learning disability, as it does not affect a person's ability to learn a specific skill set, such as reading, writing, or mathematics. However, some effects of ADHD, such as difficulty concentrating, can lead to some challenges in learning.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not a learning disability; however, it does make learning difficult. For example, it is hard to learn when you struggle to focus on what your teacher is saying or when you can't seem to be able to sit down and pay attention to a book. You can have both.
ADHD can affect a student's ability to focus, pay attention, listen, or put effort into schoolwork. ADHD also can make a student fidgety, restless, talk too much, or disrupt the class. Kids with ADHD might also have learning disabilities that cause them to have problems in school.
Slow processing speed is common in people with ADHD. Your processing speed is the time it takes you to process information and respond to it. Psychomotor is the connection between your muscle and mental functions.
In and of itself, ADHD is neither a learning difficulty nor a learning disability. It does, however, co-occur with range of learning difficulties such as dyslexia, auditory processing disorder, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia.
Physical or kinesthetic: With this style of learning (which is extremely common for children with ADHD and other learning disabilities), the child prefers using their hands, body and sense of touch to learn.
Usually, the most difficult times for persons with ADHD are their years from middle school through the first few years after high school. Those are the years when students are faced with the widest range of tasks to do and the least opportunity to escape from the tasks that they struggle with or find to be boring.
The brain's frontal lobes, which are involved in ADHD, continue to mature until we reach age 35. In practical terms, this means that people with ADHD can expect some lessening of their symptoms over time. Many will not match the emotional maturity of a 21-year-old until their late 30's.
Myths and Stereotypes Surrounding ADHD
Some people believe ADHD is a learning disability because of the adverse effects it has on successful learning; however, it is actually classified as a mental health disorder.
Autism is very distinct from ADHD, but the core symptoms of ADHD-Combined type, i.e., attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, would appear to also be features of autism. ASD and ADHD are neurobiological disorders characterized by similar underlying neuropsychological “deficits”.
In general, children with ADHD are right-brained learners. They prefer to learn visually — by watching or doing a task in an activity-based, hands-on format, not by listening to lectures, practicing drills, or memorizing. There are many ways to implement visual learning outside the classroom.
“Studying is about performance, so repetition is key,” Savage says. “Many people with ADHD [may have issues with] working memory, which means you can't easily retain what you've learned. So, take notes in class, read the chapter more than once, and review everything over and over again.”
Keep instructions simple and structured. Use props, charts, and other visual aids. Vary the pace and include different kinds of activities. Many students with ADHD do well with competitive games or other activities that are rapid and intense.
On average, the brains of ADHD children matured about three years later than those of their peers. Half of their cortex has reached their maximum thickness at age 10 and a half, while those of children without ADHD did so at age 7 and a half; you can see an evocative Quicktime video of this happening online.
The mind of a person with ADHD is full of the minutiae of life (“Where are my keys?” “Where did I park the car?”), so there is little room left for new thoughts and memories. Something has to be discarded or forgotten to make room for new information. Often the information individuals with ADHD need is in their memory…
ADHD can reduce life expectancy by as much as 13 years, but its risk is reversible. Learn how to mitigate the risks in this video, with Russell Barkley, Ph. D.
Common ADHD-Related Problems
Impulsive spending or overspending. Starting fights or arguing. Trouble maintaining friendships and romantic relationships. Speeding and dangerous driving.
ADHD can make you forgetful and distracted. You're also likely to have trouble with time management because of your problems with focus. All of these symptoms can lead to missed due dates for work, school, and personal projects.
Genetics. ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.
The students with ADHD also performed better in certain subject areas than those without ADHD. These included the arts, creative writing, science discovery, and architecture. (Their achievement was self-reported.)
Studies have also discovered that in people with ADHD, there is an unusually high level of functional connectivity between the brain regions that form part of a mechanism called the “selective visual attention system.” This system allows us to determine what's important to notice or pay attention to in the moment.