Dougal Sutherland: What is ADHD and what workplace support is available?
Saturday Morning with Jack Tame · Newstalk ZB
November 3, 20239m 4s
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Show Notes
What is ADHD?
- Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Symptoms include difficulty focusing attention -often cant’s keep focused on something but sometimes get “hyperfocused” on something and can’t move off it when need to; acting suddenly without thinking (impulsivity); being really disorganised; fidgety, restless, can’t sit still for long; changing jobs a lot, messy and disorganised, misses deadlines, often seen as unreliable; can affect friendships
Why is it an issue in the workplace
- Historically ADHD was thought to only exist in children and that they would grow out of it
- Now know that about 2/3 of people with ADHD as a child continue to have symptoms and signs as an adult
- Lots of people missed being diagnosed in childhood but now realising that they might have it – so lots more people getting diagnosed as adults
- Also increasing number of women being diagnosed in adulthood who were likely overlooked during childhood
How to support at work
- Recognising it’s ADHD is a good start rather than assuming someone is “lazy” or it’s something to do with their personality
- Adjusting work environment to reduce distractions
- Figuring out with the person how best they work – sometimes having tight deadlines is really useful as it creates positive pressure to get a job done. A number of journalists have commented to me that they think they have ADHD and news media is a great place for them to work as the content is constantly changing and the deadlines are tight and quick
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Topics
HealthADHD