You think you’re listening but fail to hear all that’s said

Sandra arrived early at work, ready to begin that special project that was due in a week. She proudly put the papers in order and began working at the computer. Focusing on the project, she quickly completed the first three sections. This time she would not be late. This time she would be successful. She went into the hall to take a break. But the hall was filled with people talking and the sounds of business machines in action. There she met her boss who was hurrying off to a meeting. He asked her about her progress on the project. Sandra proudly told him that she was well on target for the completion date next week. He was pleased and told her so. Basking in the praise, she failed to hear his next words: “Give me a progress report at the end of the day to take to the board meeting tonight”. He again wished her well and she went back to work on the project. Sandra worked tirelessly on the project, beaming from the encouragement of her boss. The project was coming together nicely. Sandra went home very pleased with herself. But there was no progress report on the boss’s desk at the end of the day! The next day the boss was very angry with Sandra’s lack of follow-through on such an important matter. Since this was not the first time Sandra had failed to follow instructions, he put her on probation. Sandra was heartbroken and confused. She thought she had done all that was asked of her. “ Why are people so difficult to work with?” she wondered.

Reasoning:

The Diagnosis of ADHD does not mean that you have an absence of attention, but rather that you have an inconsistent attentional pattern. At times-in fact, most time-conversations are heard. But sometimes there are lapses in attention because you have shifted focus. Often this shift of focus goes unnoticed by both parties in a conversation, and that can cause problems. We saw that in Sandra’s story, she never knew she missed her boss’s instructions, and neither did he. Jim Reisinger, President of ADDien , describes these brief lapses of attention as “blinks” For those with ADHD, he says, the world is sprinkled with information holes created by these blinks. Since no one realizes that a blink has occurred, everyone ‘assumes’ that everyone heard all the information that was said. And we all know what happens when you assume something!

Hence it is important, that a diagnosis is being taken, so that an ADHD employer as well as an ADHD child in school is being equipped with interventions. Equally so, is it important that those people who are part of the ADHD’ers everyday life, that they are being informed. People who do not hear properly puts on hearing aids, likewise people who do not see properly put on glasses in order to read. “Blinks” in the head are just invisible for the listener, so everyone should bear that in mind, and repeat the statements or ask if the ADHD’er has understood.