At 06:52 PM 7/30/2002, you wrote:
>Hmm. When I was a kid in 2nd - 4th grade, I think the biggest thing
>that could have been done to help me cope with my ADD would have been an
>introduction to methodical problem solving. I'm very good at thinking
>"around corners", and some things like computers are so simple (in my
>eyes) as far as maintenance and repair go, that my ADD isn't even
>noticeable there. However, even though I got high marks in programming
>and other college courses (save for algebra) and graduated with honors,
>I still don't think I have the mindset for it, simply because methodical
>problem solving was never ingrained into my thought processes.
>
>Once I did get access to computers (in 5th-8th grades), I became a much
>different sort of student. I've been reading at high-school level since
>grade school, and typing came quite quickly to me. When I was in
>college these past two years, I used a laptop (first an IBM thinkpad and
>then a 500Mhz iBook) for as much as possible. I definitely think having
>the ability to learn computing basics from the "ground up" helped a lot.
>After managing a Commodore 64 and DOS 4.11 and everything since, there's
>not an OS that frightens me other than things you'd find on big iron.
>My ADD has definitely helped me adapt quickly to things I enjoy like
>computers. I can try and evaluate several possible solutions while your
>typical MCSE is still leafing through books trying to find the word
>"troubleshoot".
>
>Unfortunately, my ADD was completely untreated from 3rd grade until I
>was 25. No therapy, no lifestyle management, no medication. I took
>poorly to Ritalin as a child, but matured to handle it quite well.
>Apparently Ritalin is one of those things that'll either help a child
>significantly or completely screw them up. The only way to know is to
>try. As adults, many children that didn't work well with it are just
>fine.
>
>ADD is really a lifestyle for people who have bad cases of it. My case
>is so strong that I'm actually receiving social security, though expect
>to be free of it within the next year or so. Kids need to understand
>that ADD isn't necessarily a bad thing, but that it will mean a lot of
>adjustment in early years, adjustments that can lead to a much smoother
>life in the future.
>
>Ugh, long rant. Sorry. :)
I'm reading this, and it sounds more like you were one of what someone is
calling "Indigo Children". They tend to be misdiagnosed as ADD, but all
the signs you talk about point to Indigo tendencies. I'm only just
learning about it now, since I've never had it bad enough to make any kind
of medication necessary, but I've always had a very slight problem with
it. I'll get back to you with the title of the book I'm reading, since I
don't have it with me right now, if you're interested. You could also do a
web search on "Indigo Children" and see what you get...
Keith McComb
...sorry for copying all his e-mail, but I really wasn't sure were to snip,
and where not to...you'll notice I got rid of the one he was responding
to...*shrugs*
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Would somebody PLEASE reboot the clue server?
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