With ADHD, you have a choice of two worlds - Disability or Genius. We will show you both worlds. You get to choose which world you want to live in.

ADHD as a Disorder. Generally accepted view.

If you search ai, you will find results like these: "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects both children and adults. It is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development."

Here, the problem is a person, who has a defective brain. The predictable future is a lifetime of struggle, frustration, difficult relationships in family and at work. The solution is try harder, learn time management skills, suck it up and make the best of it.

ADHD as a Genius Gift

Some people, including those with ADHD, have special gifts in mental processing. They process information at very high speeds. Their thinking is visual-spatial, and typically faster than conscious thought. They are 'picture thinkers,' taking in vast amounts of data, from many angles at once. ADHD thinking is right-brain, intuitive and creative.

High energy is another part of the ADHD gift. Having a lot of energy is a great advantage, when it matches the situation. In adult life, many people with ADHD have capacity to accomplish a wide variety of goals on less sleep than average people. Used well, ADHD energy may be thought of as a gift. Misunderstood, ADHD can cause a cascade of problems.

People with ADHD are often so brilliant, and learn so quickly, that the pace of classroom instruction, or group interaction, may seem boring, and trivial. "Blah.. blah... blaah....." Painfully slow. When bored, quick ADHD minds find something else to think about. Their minds are said to 'wander off.' They focus attention elsewhere. This is called 'disorientation,'

Picture thinkers have a special gift or talent for disorientation. It is a method used to solve problems, for inner entertainment, to create art or inventions. From the outside, this may look like daydreaming, distraction, careless inattention, impulsivity, or even defiance.

Disorientation.
What it is: disorientation is a mental state that occurs when the brain turns off the outer senses and goes inward to imagination and creative thinking. In other words, the eyes see, the ears hear, but the brain is not taking in the information. The person turns off the outer world, and experiences their own thoughts as reality. When that happens, their sense of time, vision, hearing, balance and/or coordination may be 'off.' The person is 'in their own world.'

Orientation

What it is: Orientation is a focused, attentive state. The brain takes information from the outer world - what the eyes see, the ears hear, and all the senses feed in. Balance and coordination are here. Orientation is essential for communication, learning to read and write, safety in driving, working with tools and knives, noticing where we put our keys, arriving on time, taking tests, succeeding in school, holding a job, holding a conversation.

We Need Both

For a great life, humans need both states: orientation and disorientation. We can master moving back and forth between the two mental states, at will.

Let us be clear about the two states: Disorientation is not bad or wrong. Orientation is not good or right.

They are two DIFFERENT states of awareness, with two different purposes. Oversimplified, we might consider orientation is used for logical, left-brain functions. Disorientation is right-brain, creative, non-linear functions.

Disorientation is NOT wrong. It is a creative, brilliant, inventive state, of the imagination and exploration. As adults, we want to keep this disoriented state available. The joy of being alive, beauty, and adventure are here. Your genius gift is here. Without this state, people become depressed, unable to thrive.

Understanding ADHD Problems:

Consider there are three main issues at play with ADHD

1. Missing Out

When a person with ADHD 'goes away' into their creative inner world, they are not present with the outer world. In that moment, the brain disconnects from the senses. The person is not taking in what the eyes are seeing, and the ears are hearing. In a disoriented state, a person is not focused on what is going on around them. Things may get misplaced. A sense of time alters. Think of the stereotype... a brilliant 'absent-minded professor' walking in the rain, not noticing they are getting wet. Their awareness is not in their body, interacting with other people. Whatever is being taught or said during their 'absence,' they will miss the communication. In this way, people with ADHD may grow up missing key concepts and important information. These are, in fact, real deficits in learning, causing real problems. The underlying issue is disorientation.

2. Emotional Damage

Picture thinkers learn by sight, not by sound. The current way to teach reading and writing uses 'phonics.' This is learning by listening, hearing, and translating sounds into letters and words. A simple difference, with profound and lifelong impact on the learner. Picture thinkers can't learn the same way as their classmates. They try harder. It doesn't work. They feel embarrassed, ashamed, and come to believe they are stupid. This starts a lifetime of struggle. Picture thinkers work harder, applying their awesome problem-solving method of disorientation. But disorientation is a 3D method, and works in the world of 3D objects. Learning to read, write, and do math happens with flat, 2D symbols. Disorientation fails the picture thinker. Again, the issue involves disorientation.

3. Energy Regulation

ADHD comes with a lot of energy. To be successful, a person with ADHD must learn to regulate their energy, and use it appropriately.

SOLUTIONS

Good News! A solution exists. It is medication-free. It involves learning to use Orientation and Disorientation deliberately, and regulating energy.

There is a program created specifically for persons with ADHD, called Davis Mastery for Attention (see Resources below). There may be others. This is the program we personally use and recommend. Davis Methods address the root causes of the problem, which include undistinguished, involuntary Disorientation/Orientation, and unskilled energy management.

Once the gifts are understood, and the problems identified, a person can master the skills needed to USE the gifts, in a brilliant genius way. Specific ADHD learning deficits can be filled in, with excellent results. These include basic life concepts, such as order/disorder, sequence, cause & effect, and more. The symptoms of ADHD problems naturally fall away.

We see a bright future when Davis principles are taught to ALL children. We all need the life skills of moving between oriented and disoriented states, and regulating our energy levels. For those of us with ADHD, these skills are essential.

We must have mastery in BOTH oriented and disoriented states. Focused and creative states are BOTH needed to live a fulfilling life.

Mastery looks like awareness and choice. Noticing - what state am I in right now? What state is needed, right now? How much energy is needed right now? Gracefully moving back and forth, in this moment.

As with every skill, this takes learning, practice, and motivation to keep going. It is the journey of a lifetime.

Born Genius

If you or your children have ADHD, do not delay. Understand the root causes. Get the solutions!

Shaming ourselves causes emotional scarring. People grow up to believe they are stupid. Shamed people try to stop disorientation. We tell ourselves... Be logical and organized. Stay focused! Grow up! Try harder! In the process, we forget our gifts. We lose our joy. We lose ourselves. Toxic shame causes ADHD disability and disorder.

It is time to STOP IT!

Let us remember who we are. Born Genius.

We have a set of genetic gifts, that we can train and develop into genius levels of functioning.

We can learn to move seamlessly back and forth between our highest oriented focused state, and our most joyful disoriented creative state.

I will.

Will you join me?

Together, we can do it. Claim our forgotten gifts. Shine our light. Remember our joy, and who we are.

Born Genius.