I also have ADHD, and the experiences you've talked about are exactly like mine (from elementary school to college and then to work). Moreover, nobody realized it was ADHD throughout the process. It wasn't until I was 29 years old and had been fired too many times that I sought medical help and was finally diagnosed with ADHD.
HyperGee
This could have been me giving this same talk. Somehow was able to be a valedictorian in high school and really started to struggle in college when you got longer projects that had many steps that had to be planned in advance. The not being able to give directions, losing stuff, needing multiple calendar reminders, doodling to get through class, all of that. My daughter is also showing symptoms and they are telling her the typical stuff that she is being disruptive when I think her brain just works similar to mine. I have learned to work around my challenges but I am encouraged to share this so that maybe there’s less of an expectation that we have to do all the work to change. It’s exhausting!
monicarenee
Brilliant. Thanks, Rovena. At 51 years old, and by chance having to take my daughter to the psychologist because we thought she has ADHD, I found out that I have it too. It's a strange feeling, but now I understand many of the things that have happened to me in life. Thanks to all the people who, like you, disseminate information about ADHD, you help a lot.
SereneOasis
Homerun dudine! I'm high functioning autistic and you had my attention all along the trail
williamwood
Ouch, the point at 6 minutes hits home. Getting told all those things while being twice exceptional.
However my university lecturers have been great at supporting me and seeing my potential, but my psychiatrist not so much (always telling me to do less, not do this and that).
All the best for your future. Hopefully the shift from expertise to enterprise skills will benefit you too ❤️
Veritytrue
Beautiful job Rovena. This world tries to conform us with insults in the guise of thoughtful corrections, not realizing the way they are crushing us. But we can live in their houses of shame no longer. We know who we are now, the inventors, the wild and vibrant creators, and we will live in houses of beauty and light.
MarkMerrick
I know how it feels, it's like you do 200%, get invested and then others tell you where you were lacking so much of...
I stopped drinking alcohol and juice, and started working out more. I keep the flow but have coping mechanisms to keep my creativity flowing, in order to commit to the normal rule. My attention span is really not as expected, and I do tend to approach conversations and body language differently, but here we are. Schedules, notes, reminders, pushing to follow habits and strictly abide by a routine in order to teach my brain new behaviours, like if it was all easy mechanical work. I hope this makes sense and helps someone else.
hebertoorozco
Well said Rovena and thanks for sticking up for us 👏🌻⚡
S.K.
It’s ironic that she can admit she planned a TEDTalk in the middle of an exam and acknowledge that she didn’t do well, yet still not see the “disorder” side of ADHD. If all student can have it their way, they probably would’ve liked to avoid sitting exams, but we all know that exams hold weight for our future as unpleasant as they may be. Exams need to be sat. Work needs to be done. Money needs to be earned. You can’t avoid it.
Someone with ADHD shouldn’t be told to ignore society standards but rather should be educated on how to navigate their own brain to level the playing field. I underperformed at school which caused me to not get the grades I needed to go to university. I picked a course that I still enjoyed but dropped out because I didn’t have the adequate systems in place. I found a job but have since been struggling to progress in my career. ADHD has held me back in life at many points.
Society will always leave someone behind before it has a chance to change.
kagithkagith
Thank you. RMN here with self diagnosed ADHD. Well said 😊
MiscellaneousMeMe
Very informative. I have friends recently diagnosed with this.
RickyRinkyDink
A great view, it us quite difficult living in this neurotypical world.
brucewade
I’m watching this while practicing for my piano recital and thinking about my architectural thesis design. Indeed ADHD CAN be a superpower if used and shaped correctly.
arman.kashef
Very accurate, even the simplest accommodations, WITH legal precedent are incredibly hard to receive. If even the bare legal minimum was accessible it would improve millions of lives.
TheBookburners
doubting my degree in university not even two years in… even after the first semester I thought I couldn’t do it for 3 years… sorry I don’t have much plot twist to give you lmao 😭 except I’m now on meds and it helps me SO MUCH at least in class (but I still struggle with deadlines ;-;)
avalk
ADHD runs in my family. I wish things could be better for my grandchildren.
annsolce
if they would make classes for diagnosed neurodivergents, they would ALL BE GENIUS BILLIONAIRES.... these classes would be graded on the quality and accuracy of our work. BUT WE WOULD DECIDE THE CURRICULUM. WE DECIDE THE TOPIC, THE DEADLINES OR LACK THEREOF, THE HOMEWORK AND MAYBE HEAR Each other give lectures on things we have just read about. . instead of having a teacher. since i feel we learn much better from our peers than authority figures . i bet this will happen
lechatleblanc
ADHD ist ein Geschenk, lernt endlich damit zu spielen zu experimentieren und erfreut euch daran.
Qwerty
I have ADHD but I feel like she really misrepresented the disorder. It is a disorder and I do not think it is the worlds problem that it is structured the way it is. If we look at ADHD through her lens, then we completely ignore the part where the disorder affects us independent of societal structures. And vacuum, I will still have more challenges in life regardless of expectations. Were I to live alone, I would still find that I battle symptoms of ADHD. It is not uncommon to have mild to severe sensory sensitivities, emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, the inability to read social cues and to struggle with interpersonal relationships, and so on. I think that there is an effort to make ADHD a more palatable concept but it is dishonest and I personally believe that perspective only serves the people who are uncomfortable with how their ADHD presents itself. I am in my mid 30s and I am able to view ADHD as my “super power“ because with the bad, there is also a lot of good. But I think it does it a bit of a disservice to speak about ADHD and not call it a disorder, but then proceed to talk for several minutes without once mentioning the positive aspects of it while also presenting a very unflattering picture. I commend her for taking this opportunity, but she is still quite young and missed the mark quite a bit.
clairetoukan
I have an issue with the definition "neurotypical norms", I agree with the definition, but, I find it has no commonplace in the world we live in. Humans are atomized individuals that create a collective society, sure, we have developed norms from predispositions and biases, however, we are now aware. Disenabling the standardized model of living (neurotypical) would allow us to be who we are without becoming subjected to medical diagnoses like ADHD. Thinking too much of the world we live in limits our ability to enjoy the lives we have, why not just accept individuals and deconstruct the models of life we're told?
