The Hyperactivity Advantage

The ExchangeEveryDay messages on January 18th and 26th elicited vigorous discussions about ADHD.  Now we have had brought to our attention a book by Thomas Armstrong, Neurodiversity:  Discovering the Extraordinary Gifts or Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and other Brain Differences (New York: Da Capo Press, 2010), which observes that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are labeled as having a disability even though they excel in creative learning environments and a range of professions that use their strength.  Here are some excerpts:

• "A 2007 study commissioned by the National Institute of Mental Health revealed that children labeled with ADHD undergo normal brain growth, but lag behind typical kids by an average of three years.  This study and others suggest that these youngsters would be better described as late bloomers."
• The late anthropologist Ashley Montagu suggested that the more evolved a species, the more likely it is to retain qualities of childhood like curiosity, creativity, flexibility, and wonder into adulthood.  It could be that children labeled with ADHD, with their lag in brain development, may actually be the leading edge in evolution."
• "Children (and adults) labeled with ADHD are actually very good at paying attention to what interests them.  Many parents say their ADHD-diagnosed kids will spend hours focused on building with Legos®, dancing, playing video games, or engaging in other absorbing tasks.  Unfortunately, the ADHD community calls this admirable trait 'hyperfocus' and negatively labels it as a 'warning sign' of ADHD."
• "A 2004 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that ADHD symptoms were significantly reduced in children as young as 5 when they engaged with nature.  Rough-and-tumble play also can be beneficial (particularly for boys).  Jaak Panksepp, from Washington State University, has suggested that the increase in ADHD diagnoses in the United States may reflect that children 'no longer have adequate spaces and opportunities' to play each day."

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