ADD isn't ADD
One of the signs of ADD is being often distracted. However, "spacing out" is an activity that is popularly associated with persons with ADD.
However, really the two phenomena are indicative of opposite traits. Someone who is easily distract-able should be acutely aware of what is going on around him. However, hyper-focusing is a trait found in people with ADD.
How can it be that the two traits coincide?
I think that the answer is that part of ADD ( and there are different types of ADD ) is not so much the inability to focus, but a lack of control over that focus. That would explain how the same person who is easily distracted by what is going around him can super-focus on a topic of interest.
Hence, ADD really isn't necessarily "attention deficit" at all.
1 comment:
you should read "driven to distraction." great book on ADD.
ADD only looks like an absolute attention deficit when you try to get a kid to concentrate for hours on something totally boring, like learning cursive.
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