Understanding the Long-Term Impact of Attention Disorders

Attention disorders are functional impairments that disrupt basic daily activities. It is very common for additional challenges to accompany these disorders over the years, making therapeutic intervention more complicated.

A- Learning Disabilities

The first challenge that often accompanies attention disorders is various learning disabilities.

Since the disorder is present from birth, its effects impact the acquisition of fundamental learning stages, such as vocabulary, comprehension, reading, writing, reading comprehension, and so on. These learning subjects are often developed in a fragmented and unstructured manner, leading to deficits and disabilities. Without the presence of attention disorders, one could address specific learning disabilities through a specialist for that particular issue. However, when attention disorders are also present, it becomes more challenging to overcome the learning disability and rectify what is needed.

B- Writing Problems

Children with the disorder typically have illegible handwriting. After starting medication, their handwriting usually becomes neat and clear, and generally, their notebooks are more organized.

C- Difficulty with Transitions

They greatly struggle to transition from one activity to another, whether it's going to sleep/waking up, leaving home/returning home, and similar situations, making it difficult for them to function throughout the day.

D- Adjustment Difficulties

The existing difficulties with self-management and organization, along with their impulsivity that drives them to chase every stimulus, hinder their ability to adapt to frameworks and meet the requirements and order demanded. The system feels that if they "really wanted to," they would be able to comply with conditions and tasks. While there is some basis to this claim, as when there is a particularly interesting stimulus that attracts them, they do indeed manage to gather themselves and complete tasks, sometimes even faster than their peers. However, the system does not realize that this state only occurs through external stimulation, and this stimulation is not under the control of the individuals with the disorder at all. They cannot control and stimulate themselves! Particularly, this stimulus must be extremely compelling!

E- Mentalization Disability

(From the term: 'mentality' - learning behavioral rules in life from life experiences themselves) The thinking of those with the disorder is fragmented, limited, and distracted. As a result, the lessons learned and life experiences acquired from various events are often incomplete and impaired. Their experiences and lessons learned primarily pertain to external and technical aspects to which they pay attention and are relevant. They struggle to relate to cognitive aspects or the emotional and mental experiences they and others have endured. Socially, they do not grasp what they have done or how they have provoked situations; they only manage to pick up on what has been done to them.

Two elements disrupt their acquisition of life experience:

A - Their input is not continuous, and not all the real data is absorbed in their minds. The data processing system, reliant on the input system, is less effective and less capable of drawing conclusions for the future due to faulty input.

B - The suffering they have experienced - in many meetings where individuals with attention disorders have been involved, conflicts arose with others due to their behavior, dysfunction, or lack of success. These conflicts often led to their punishment. The punishments and suffering have been recorded and imprinted in their systems of life experience: "They are not good enough," "they are not okay," "they are 'types' who cannot succeed at anything." These prejudices and negative self-images, which they have absorbed repeatedly, fill their entire essence and do not allow them to learn additional subjects.

If we sometimes see adolescents with attention disorders during their teenage years appearing confident, it is merely a facade to connect with society, but academically or in terms of acquiring life experience, they lack significant content.

F- Low Self-Esteem

They become very entangled with others, generally with everyone! At home, with friends, with educational staff, and similar situations, the messages they receive everywhere and at all times are: "They are not good enough," "they deserve punishment," and indeed they are punished frequently.

When children are punished normally, they understand that they did "something wrong." Children who are punished constantly become very unstable; their self-image is low from a young age, and there is a high likelihood that they will want to escape the tormenting system!!

G- Behavioral Issues and Emotional Difficulties

Children want to invest, succeed, make their parents and teachers happy, and hear words of encouragement, reinforcement, and support from them. Children with attention disorders also want to invest, succeed, make their parents and teachers happy, and receive words of encouragement, reinforcement, and support.

Children with attention disorders who face a task they are almost certain they will fail to perform correctly are confronted with difficulty and feelings of frustration: on one hand, they want to invest, succeed, and function like their peers, make their parents and teachers proud, and receive encouragement and support from them. On the other hand, they know they will not be able to invest and succeed like their peers. They believe that by failing, they will disappoint their parents and teachers, will not receive encouragement and support from them, and may even experience alienation and abandonment from their parents and teachers. They prefer not to enter this grim state and try to evade and avoid performing the task.

The task at hand can be very routine in a classroom or home environment: a test, classwork, home help, etc., but since they think they are destined to fail and in doing so will disappoint their parents and teachers, they do not want to find themselves in that situation. Past experiences of failure contribute to their feelings in the present and help them decide to avoid and escape performing tasks that are challenging for them.

There are several reasons that cause them difficulty and frustration: either - because they do not know the material or - because it is hard for them to read, or - because it is hard for them to write, or - because it is hard for them to organize themselves for work, or - because it is hard for them to work in a structured manner, or - all of the above together.

It is all cloudy,

Everything m – a – r – r – e – d   is.

This article is taken from the book – "ADHD Coping is Possible," by Avraham Kalberman. To purchase the book, click here.

For additional articles and content on attention and concentration issues, click here.