ADVICE FROM A CHILD WITH ADHD: How can Individuals who are Unfocused Successfully Complete the Many Jobs that they have to Accomplish at Home?

I was talking the other day with a child with whom I work about ways that she could go about diminishing her distractibility (she calls it being unfocused) at home. Specifically, we were discussing how she could successfully complete her many daily responsibilities, such as doing her homework, taking a shower, practicing her instrument, cleaning up the dinner dishes, working on the computer, etc., when she felt unfocused.

I told her that becoming unfocused or scattered (my term and not a scientific one that I then explained the meaning of to her) happens to everyone at one time or another. She said to me “But you don’t have ADHD!” I then told her that she was correct in that I did not have ADHD. However, I  explained to her that quite often when I have many jobs to complete, I start out doing one of those jobs, then leave that job incomplete, while I go on to another job, etc.

I asked her what I should do in order to successfully finish my numerous jobs. I was amazed by her response. She told me that “You need to do whatever you need to do very slowly, one thing at a time.” I was flabbergasted by her insight.

I then asked her if she could try using her own advice and she said “Sure, why not?” I also asked her if she had previously thought about how to successfully complete the many jobs that she has to do despite her feeling unfocused.

She told me that had never thought about how to do all of the jobs that she has to do in spite of feeling that way. Instead, she told me that she frequently becomes upset and overwhelmed as a response to having to complete so many activities. In fact, she told me that she often does not complete any of those activities.

 Just asking her how I could complete those tasks successfully helped her to try to adapt the method that SHE DEVISED to the activities that SHE has to accomplish. Wow! I LOVE learning from children and teenagers!!!