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In my middle school years and elementary I always had below average grades. This worried my mother and teachers not knowing how to help me. It was always hard to focus in school and one day we went to the doctors telling them my situation they diagnosed me with ADHD. At first this diagnosis did not affect me because dealing with ADHD my whole life seemed normal. When I started learning more about ADHD I was clearly seeing how I would relate to this disability. I was noticing how every day I would need music in class to sit still, always moving my leg fidgeting and needing to move around. It was hard to pay attention and sit for hours learning. when the teacher was trying to teach it was just going in one ear and out the other. It affected my learning and made it more difficult for me. ADHD would also make me forget easily about things I would enter a room with having to do something and I would forget what I wanted to do. I would try to use medication as prescribed by the doctors but the side affects of the medication was very strong to a point where I wouldn't be able to eat all day so eventually I decided to live my life without medication for my ADHD. (Word count: 225)

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As I searched around trying to find a candidate for my interview. I asked multiple people around my work and found my associate named Henry he was Also diagnosed With ADHD. Henry said he was diagnosed when he was older in his late high school years. He told me growing up his parents would notice his energetic personality and how school was not a great fit for him due to the lack of concentration and focus. Teachers would say he would lack a connection to his school work and it affected his lifestyle by being told he wouldn't put enough effort and having his parents being disappointed in him growing up. Henry mentioned that he thinks ADHD affects his personality because he is a outgoing and funny person. With growing up with ADHD he noticed he wouldn't be able to concentrate but thought it was normal as no one thinks they have a disorder before actually being diagnosed. He copes with ADHD by taking medicine like Adderall but it changes his mood and it doesn't seem like he is his normal self. When he is off the medicine he enjoys himself more but tends to easily fall into the ADHD symptoms easily like losing focus and the Adderall can cause depression symptoms that he wants to just live life without medication.

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This is my original art that I have sketched to try and show that in class with a person that has ADHD it is hard to focus and there are random things that go through your mind. Such as playing games. It is very easy to lose focus and concentration with ADHD.

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Exploring my critical question. I have read through 5 articles and did a Special sauce interview. I made a Annotated Bibliography to dig deeper into my critical question and found other peoples perspective about ADHD.

For some people they believe ADHD is not a disorder. They believe it can have benefits within the symptoms of personality. In one of the article's that I have read explained that we benefit with a outgoing personality and have a sense of humor. We are great problem solvers and would say we have "relentless determination". As a person with ADHD I didn't have that in mind until I put it into perspective of how I will keep going if I am interested enough and push through the finish line. I learned more things about my self because these articles helped me explore different perspectives. How to find ways to stay tuned in and focused. I took into reality how people with ADHD can have benefits such as schooling wise and emotion.

I learned that in Adult life there are so many things running through someone's mind with ADHD to where it feels like you are scattered and lost. Many of us have to cope with dealing with the ADHD symptoms because we dislike how medication makes us feel or it would run out throughout the day. As in my interview Henry talked about how Adderall made him feel like he was not himself showing how medicine can take a toll on our mindsets. In my own experience of medication I would not be able to eat as whole day went on. Some cope by bein able to use techniques to help manage their daily life activities. Such as having a place to keep your items before leaving the house.

I also learned that Most of our learning experiences from growing up through elementary and high school we experienced negative comments from teachers through parents not knowing what is going on in our minds. As we have to experience a different perspective not being able to concentrate to needing extra help.

I learned that we can improve life skills are being more confident in asking for help. In the "5 skills every young adult with ADHD Should (Eventually) Master". This article talks about not being able to ask for help because of embarrassment there should not be shame of having the support of others. This would one of the biggest struggle of a person growing up with ADHD.

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