Getting through school with ADD

For people like, people with ADD, learning is far more challenging than for neurotypical people. However, we are still taught and treated in the same way as neurotypical people. The quality of education and school systems has evolved by an enormous about, however the modes of teaching are still living in the stone ages. Educational systems, even after all this time, do not cater for people with Attention Deficit Disorder

Think of your mind as a road, and your thoughts as a car. Your car may sometimes take a detour, however it is easy to put your car in reverse and get back on track. However, for people with ADD, people like me, this peaceful journey is not what we experience. Our minds consist of multiple lanes on a highway, with countless detours. Our thoughts are not one, but several cars racing each other as if in a drag race. Our cars have no GPS, often going on detours, unaware of the dangers ahead.

Instead of utilizing the research and new discoveries of how to help learners with ADD learn, for some reason that I cannot comprehend, schools continue insist on us using medication such as Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall and Vyvanse. However, these drugs that schools want to shove down our throats, do not actually "cure" us of our learning disability; they simply aid is in trying to keep up with your peers. It only blocks some of the detours on our highway. Moreover, many people get atrocious side-effects from these medications. Should people with ADD really be expected to consume drugs that can cause insomnia, anxiety, headaches and increase blood pressure and heart rate?

Why is it that educational institutions still rely on drugs to solve our... "affliction"? Why do they not rather adopt and modify the way they teach us? After all, everyone, not just people with ADD, learn and study in different ways. We cannot expect this 'one size fits all' mode of teaching to work for everyone. It is like putting diesel in a petrol car and still expecting it to work. The way students receive education has barely evolved since the 1800s. The only thing that has changed is that we now use whiteboards and markers rather than a chalkboard and chalk. Research finds that students that are exposed to differentiated learning approaches are more engaged and achieve more that students exposed to only traditional learning approaches. So why is it that schools are so reluctant to evolve?

I was in grade 6 when I got a fidget spinner, grade 7 when I got magnetic fidget balls, and I was in grade 8 when I got a fidget cube. All of these tools (which teachers and schools called 'toys') I got to help me focus, each time I was told I was no longer allowed to bring to school because they were too "distracting". But I wonder who exactly was being distracted? Furthermore, all the way up to and during grade 12, I would be reprimanded for doodling or fidgeting during class. This results me in trying so hard to that I would ironically get distracted. I try focus on what the teacher is saying or focus on doing my work, when I start to hyper-fixate on sounds, textures and even visuals in class. In fact, while I was writing the rough draft of this essay, I could not focus because the guy next to me was using a blunt pencil to write, which sounded almost like he was colouring the page. Or the feeling of the jersey under my blazer feels too scratchy, or suddenly my buttons at the back of my skirt is annoyingly digging into my back. Or the posters on the wall are slightly askew, or not evenly distanced. Think of it like I am trying to drive at 60km/h in only first gear, all while the cars behind are all hooting and shouting at me to drive me faster.

ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder, is a sub type form of ADHD, Atttention Deficit Hyper-acticity Disorder, which is one of the most common learning disabilities. Nevertheless, educational institutions do not cater or even try accommodate these learners. This leads to these learners having to work excessively harder just to try be able keep up with their peers, often leading to them becoming burnt out. Schools need to not only become educated about learning disabilities, but also need to evolve from the stone ages, and start accommodating and helping Learners with learning disabilities.

Additional Resources:

https://www.hmhco.com/blog/benefits-of-differentiation-in-the-classroom#:~:text=Differentiation%20in%20Instruction,confidence%20for%20students%20and%20teachers.