Last week, I received criticism for a column that I wrote about Attention Deficit Disorder. Having taken your comments into account, I’m dedicating this column to clarifying my perspective.
First off, students claimed to have been surprised that such an offensive column would be published in a Northwestern paper. At such a prestigious university, I’d expect The Daily to publish thoughts that challenge our thinking and say things that people don’t necessarily want to hear.
However, I did not intend to trivialize ADD. In fact, I understand the struggles of ADD because I have it.
I know what it’s like to frequently emerge from daydreams frustrated because I just realized that it’s been five minutes and I’m still reading the same sentence. I am too familiar with the panic accompanying losing another valuable or zoning out again during an interview. ADD is more than just an academic problem; It affects all aspects of life.
Like glasses, medications can make a blurry mind more focused, but that help is only temporary and produces adverse side effects such as nausea and throbbing headaches.
Some don’t view ADD as a real disorder, but at least for me, the diagnosis has allowed me to forgive myself and productively move forward after years of self-resentment. That knowledge is a relief that I would never deny to anyone else.
I am simply suggesting that NU offer additional options to students with ADD.
Current accommodations provide us with a chance to receive an equal education. Extra time or notes are extremely important in an environment where exams and homework are used to evaluate a student’s knowledge.
Our performances, however, will not always be determined by criteria on which we are able to receive accommodations. Most employers will not provide extended time when on tight deadlines, nor always have distraction-free workplaces.
In order to prepare students, a coaching program should be offered in conjunction with the accommodations that NU already offers. The program would consist of sessions that focus on topics such as organization, time management and listening skills. Participation in the program should be optional, and accommodations should be provided regardless of the student’s decision.
If one chooses to enroll, the coach would meet with each student to set individual goals and create a schedule of specific sessions that the student should attend depending on his or her weaknesses. If a student’s goal includes operating independently of accommodations, then the plan should incorporate gradually removing them. By serving as a partner, the coach will provide support that facilitates that transition. Additionally, these sessions give students with ADD who cannot afford therapy a chance to better understand and manage their disability.
Though implementing such sessions may seem absurd, schools like Purdue University offer similar programming for students with ADHD. Furthermore, CAPS already offers sessions like the Valentine’s Workshop Series. Why not gear a series toward students with ADD or other learning disabilities and help them to not only have an equal opportunity to succeed in the classroom but after graduation also?
Communication junior Nausheen Shaikh can be reached at [email protected].
