The Good Things (ADHD)

I have been thinking about ADHD a lot lately.  My 17 year old has Attention Deficit Disorder.  I hate the term.  Deficit is defined as 'an inadequacy or insufficiency'.  I am one of those positive people that always sees the cup as half full.  I look for something good in everything no matter how difficult that may be at times.  Deficit immediately has a negative connotation.
I have dealt with my son's 'deficit' for 10 years.  I have listened to my close friends talk about their children's ADD and even some of their own personality traits as suffering from this deficit of ADD. 
I want so much to tell my son and all of those people looking at ADD as an insufficiency or deficit that they need to spend a few minutes thinking about the positive traits of ADD.

My son at a very early age was an out of the box thinker.  I remember in grade 2 his teacher showed me the class drawing they did of a still life portrait.  Each one of the children in the class drew the vase and apple very similar, except Austin.  His picture was through the eyes of a child who they labelled as having a deficit.  The picture couldnt have been farther from the truth.  His picture was very unique and showed so much of what others didn't even notice, but stood out to him.  He saw what others didn't but was right in front of them.

The energy and drive that Austin has is intense to say the least.  When motivated and interested in something he puts his all into it.  Inattentive is hardly accurate when you describe something that interests him.  He will focus intently, to the point of being oblivious to all else around him.  Sometimes these intense thoughts will consume him and he will share those thoughts with others around him.  I have learned more about hockey player statistics, drafting autocad terms that I ever thought possible.  It is so good to see him take something like that and show such passion.

I think about the other traits that often follow this deficit:

• good judge of character
• sense of humour
• quick to grasp essentials
• flexibility
• intuitiveness
• sensitive to surrounding environment
• enthusiastic, passionate
• forgives mistakes
• tries to do better next time
• willing to take risks
• charming personality, warmheartedness
• determined

The list of these traits are endless.  As I write them down I realize there is so much good within my son.  ADD needs to be looked at as an advantage defined by unique characteristics.  ADD is a trait not a disorder or deficit.  I am not in denial and I completely realize that there are issues that my son and others face because of these characteristics, These characteristics make up who they are and the ADD is part of who they are.  Instead of focusing all our energy on how to deal with the negative traits of ADD, we need to spend some time appreciating the positive traits of ADD. 
Most importantly share those thoughts.
I promise to make sure Austin and others I know with ADD know how much I appreciate their unique characteristics, I think the world of them and wouldn't change a single thing.