I found a very interesting article on the topic of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) through the Mental Health Agency America of Illinois. This document can be found at http://www.mhai.org/ADHD_in_the_Workplace.pdf . ADHD is defined as a nuerobiological psychiatric disorder that includes a persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
How many people are affected by ADHD?
I found it very suprising that over 4.4 million students and 9 million adults have been diagnosed with the disorder. An interesting fact is that the disorder usually stays with the adolescent throughout their lifetime at a rate of 60% going into adulthood.
How does ADHD affect people at school?
Many people who have been diagnosed with ADHD have a difficult time concentrating on their work and therefore they have lower educational acheivements than those without the disorder and are less likely to graduate from high school. Students with ADHD typically have lower self esteem, anti-social tendencies, and hold a pessimistic view on life.
How does ADHD affect people in the workplace?
People affected by ADHD have difficulty staying engaged in reading, meetings, or while working with paperwork. Many times they have difficulty staying on task and do not finish projects that they start or meet deadlines. Many employers view employees with ADHD as underperforming and inefficient. Usually those with ADHD have poor time management skills which can lead to stress of being overscheduled and feeling overwhelmed. People who suffer from ADHD most likely will perform better in the workplace if the job requires creativity and interactive jobs in the workplace. Among a survey of adults suffering from ADHD 43 percent reported that they had left jobs because the symptoms of ADHD were interfering in their work. I found a very interesting fact that the average person suffering from ADHD in the workplace loses approximately $8,900 to $15,400 on average each year.
How can you find more information about ADHD?
You can visit websites such as www.ADHDSupport.com , www.mhai.org, or www.nmha.org . Here you will find useful information about the symptoms of the ADHD disorder, as well as assistance on how to deal with the disorder. There are many support groups that would be willing to help people with ADHD get their lives back to where they want to be.