Covers issues surrounding success on the job for adults with ADHD and/or LD adults.

Luck or intuition? Some adults with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or a LD (Learning Disability) have created enormously successful careers. Do you know any? Others have struggled because it is often our work that places the greatest demands on our capacities for planning, memory, organization, teamwork and precision.

Many ADHD adults have checkered resumes because they have left jobs out of boredom, poor working relationships or difficulties meeting the demands of a job. For many ADHD adults, work life has been far from ideal, resulting in chronic feelings of discouragement and dissatisfaction.

In this article I will discuss many issues surrounding success on the job for ADHD and/or LD adults. Although ADHD and LD are separate disabilities, they tend to co-occur, and have similar struggles.

Problems and Strategies:

• Successfully Coping with ADHD/LD Issues on the Job
• Organisation Difficulty
• Do you have difficulty getting places on time, figuring out how much you can do in a day or an hour, organising your physical workspace, keeping track of time? If so, every part of your life is affected.

Time

Typically, if something is interesting, you probably get caught up in that activity and just keep going. An ADHD mind does not naturally think in terms of minutes or hours.

Helpers

a. Auditory aids--buzzers or alarms. b. Visual aids-digital timers, post-it notes. c. Kinesthetic aids--vibrating timers/pagers. d. Ask a co-worker to give you a reminder. e. Create a partnership with a co-worker. f. Build in rewards for yourself.

Workspace

Keeping baskets or boxes to hold information and set aside a certain amount of time daily to go through these. Sticky notes, daily reminder charts/calendars, write to do list daily. Set aside 10-15 minutes at beginning of work day to organise yourself. Learn your own way to be organised--try a few things to see what works the best.

Hyperactivity

Are you drawn to jobs that allow freedom of movement? Do you become restless easily? Here are some techniques to try:

a. Look for work that allows for high degree of physical movement (delivery person, sales person, etc.).
b. Take frequent breaks - trip to get some water or walk outside.
c. Bring lunch to work so you can take a walk at lunch-known to increase productivity.
d. The more sedentary your job (like mine), the more important it is to get regular exercise before or after work.
e. Carry small unobtrusive object in pocket or hand during long meetings.
f. In meetings, take pad and pen to take notes. Even with the small amount of movement involved in writing can help contain restlessness. You can also write down the things that may be distracting you, such as what you are going to do after the meeting, what you need at the grocery store, where you're going on vacation this summer, etc.

Distractibility

Most workplaces have a high degree of distractibility.

a. Whenever possible, arrange workday to have blocks of uninterrupted time.
b. Let voicemail answer phone calls during certain times of the day. And, return calls only during specific times of the day.
c. If you have a private office, shut the door during certain times of the day. If not, look for unused space (conference room, empty office) that you can work on projects that require a lot of concentration.
d. Experiment with earplugs or head phones to reduce distractions.
e. Use flex-time to provide yourself with an hour at the beginning or end of the day when less people are in the office.
f. Keep your work surface clean and clear. Visual distractions can reduce productivity.

Procrastination

May resultfrom not knowing where to begin, feeling overwhelmed or disliking certain tasks. It may mean that you need a little assistance to get started.

a. Give yourself deadlines.
b Ask your supervisor for specific deadlines. Anytime becomes never.
c. When facing a boring or tedious task, break it into small pieces and reward yourself.
d. Work on a team with someone else.
e. Look for work that involves short-term tasks with definite deadlines.