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The treasures, explained

Linda calls the positive aspects of AD/HD 'the hidden treasures of the condition, and we promise you, they are real. She is not in the business of inventing feel-good jargon to boost her students' self-esteem and does not believe in trying to brighten their parents' outlook with chirpy theories. But she also tells her students that almost every admirable human trait can have a negative side, as well a side they must learn to avoid.

For example, too much honesty can lead to tactlessness or even cruelty. A sense of humor is a wonderful thing, but not when you turn everything into a joke. Great energy is a real blessing, but not when you allow it to wreak havoc and disrupt everyone around you.

And that's what often goes wrong with the positive aspects of AD/HD. They are used in the wrong way or carried to an unfortunate extreme. When that occurs, these traits remain hidden and people see them as trash rather than treasures. Linda addresses this problem by teaching students about the positive aspects of their AD/HD, then helping them learn to use these traits in a beneficial way in their daily lives.

The first treasure is heightened awareness. Kids find their way into Linda's class because of a condition called attention deficit disorder, but in fact, these students are attending. It's just that they are attending to everything. They see things other people don't. When teachers tell them to focus on just one thing and it's something they are not highly interested in, they begin to have problems.

But people with AD/HD have also been called the eagle-eyed observers of the world. Linda has found this to be true and sees this trait as a strong plus. For example, she was teaching a class one day, about to make what she considered a fascinating point, when one of her students pointed to the wall and screamed, 'Look everyone! There's a spider!

Fifteen heads swiveled around. The spider, a tiny creature, was scurrying up the wall behind the table. Linda's annoyance faded as her students all smiled and watched the spider climb.

Would anyone but a person with AD/HD have noticed the little spider in the first place? Linda doubts it. Her eagle-eyed student provided them with an enchanting moment that day.

Linda loves her students' heightened awareness. Day after day, her kids make things more exciting by what they see in their environment that others might miss.

She's often thought how handy this trait would be in a middle school principal. Principals have to patrol busy campuses, staying on guard for potential problems. If they could take in everything at once, nothing would ever get past them.

The best scientists probably have this talent, too. It allows them to notice the unexpected, to see beyond the usual or normal. So, too, must medical doctors who are exceptionally good diagnosticians. They see things other people miss. Heightened awareness can lead to aimless distractibility when it's carried too far, but when it's tamed and focused, it's a huge asset.

Second, people with AD/HD are often creative and innovative the divergent thinkers of the world. This doesn't mean they are problem solvers that requires the sort of logical, analytical mind they generally lack. But when it comes to generating ideas, they excel. Linda has noticed their talents in a host of different areas, from the visual to the intellectual to the verbal.

For example, some of her students are unusually artistic. She has taught kids who are wonderful cartoonists. Their bold, detailed drawings are like nothing she's seen before. She remembers another child who made sketches of beautiful, unusual clothing and hoped to become a fashion designer someday.

Others with AD/HD are creative in a more intellectual way. They can do things on the computer changing programs, moving data around that their teachers can't begin to fathom, much less duplicate. The treasure of creativity makes still others with AD/HD naturals for the business world. These are the kids who are closely in touch with the popular culture, full of innovative ideas for sales. They would do well in Hollywood, or in the marketing departments of trendy companies. But their talent in this area doesn't usually extend to the written word, so just don't ask them to express too much in writing.

They are often very clever verbally, however. They think quickly on their feet. They are natural comedians. In fact, Linda had one student a few years ago, a boy named Scott, who seemed destined for stand-up comedy.

She discovered the extent of his talent the day he walked into class in a funk, dropped into his chair, and all but slumped out of sight. When she asked him what was wrong, he immediately perked up. Suddenly, he was imitating his history teacher, who had chewed him out the previous day for his failures as a student. The impersonation was so funny and so dead-on accurate that Linda thought she would fall off her chair laughing.

But problems arise when you combine this sort of creativity with the impulsiveness found in so many students with AD/HD. Computer whizzes who hack into the wrong places can wind up in jail. Too much clowning, and even the funniest students will find themselves suspended. Linda helps these students learn to channel their raging torrents of ideas into manageable flows.

Third, people with AD/HD are persistent and determined. They keep trying until they get it right. Once they make up their minds to do something, they generally will.

Linda's favorite example of this persistence dates back to the mid-90s, to a winter when California was pummeled by one horrible rainstorm after another. Roads flooded. Levees broke. In a story that went national, a border collie was stranded on the roof of its flooded house and had to be rescued by the crew of a TV weather chopper.

Christmas vacation ended on a Wednesday that year, leaving only two days of school in the week classes resumed. As Linda drove into the parking lot on Thursday, she thought about the awful weather and the short week and wondered how many kids would show up at school. For most of her classes, the answer was one or two. The sole exception was zero period, where every single student was present.

In fact, these kids are almost always in class. On the few days they miss school, their other teachers are often relieved. 'Thank goodness, they'll think. 'Tracy's not here to create havoc. But as Linda never tires of pointing out, these kids come to school because they care. They keep trying. Their teachers should see this persistence as a treasure, not a trial.

Or take Brian, a student who wanted to play both track and basketball. He made both teams, but he knew he would be dropped if his grades fell or if he misbehaved. This motivated him, and as long as he played those two sports, he maintained a C+ average and stayed out of trouble.

Then the season for the two sports ended. He still wanted to do well, but with nothing to spur him on each day, his behavior and grades deteriorated. How did Linda turn him around? She found another sport he wanted to play and that got him through the next season.

The experience taught her yet another lesson about how to help her students with AD/HD succeed. For all their determination, an abstract goal isn't enough to motivate them. You have to harness that determination to short-term consequences to bolster their resolve. Then the goal will be met.

Unfortunately, as we said before, even the most positive trait can have a negative side, and determination leads to more than its share of problems. Once these kids make up their minds to do something, they are going to do it no matter what. When the goal is negative rather than positive, too much determination will get a child in trouble.

Linda remembers one student who was trying to get her end-of-the-year science project done. She was progressing well until her science teacher told her, 'I don't think you're going to get your project in on time, Vanessa, and if you don't, I won't give you any credit.

Vanessa was furious. 'I'm so angry, I'm not going to do it, she said to Linda. And after that, it was like trying to move the Rock of Gibraltar.

Linda tried cajolery and logic, but Vanessa wouldn't budge. She wasn't even swayed by the prospect of proving the science teacher wrong. She was furious, she wasn't going to do the project, and that was that.

Linda finally consulted the school psychologist, who said that the science teacher's statement had wounded Vanessa so deeply that the pain had taken control. All she could manage to do was lash out in anger. They went back and talked to the girl, saying they understood how hurt she was, and why she didn't want to do the project.

'But if you keep refusing, Linda went on, 'you'll only be hurt twice, Vanessa. Mr. Truitt hurt you with his comment, and you'll be hurt again by the bad grade you get.

Somehow, that got through to the girl where other arguments hadn't. She finally agreed to do the project and she did get it in on time. Linda suspects that kids with AD/HD tend to 'get stuck on their initial emotions or reactions. Then their determination keeps them there, to their own detriment. To get them unstuck, you have to find something to motivate them in the opposite direction.

Teachers often see the fourth trait, high energy, as more of a curse than a treasure. A single child with ADHD, fidgeting nonstop or running around, can disrupt an entire class. Parents are usually told to get such kids into sports, particularly into martial arts like tai chi, which has movements that burn up energy while teaching discipline and mental focus.

That's good advice, but high energy can be channeled for productive use in other ways, too. For example, when students with ADHD have reports due the next day, they have the energy to work extra-long hours to get their papers in under the wire. In fact, these kids actually work better against a deadline, because their adrenaline (a neurotransmitter) gets to pumping, which helps them to focus.

While Linda doesn't advocate asking kids to stay up late, this is the way many students with AD/HD seem to work best. In crisis mode, they have two things going for them, their high energy and their sudden focus. But this works only for short spurts, like cramming for exams or writing a simple report. It doesn't work for long-term projects with multiple steps and many components.

She advises teachers to give students with attentional disorders a series of shorter deadlines (rather than one final one) to keep their adrenaline levels up. Then, each time something is due each time they come up against a wall they start to function better. Later, in high school, college, and the business world, they will likely continue the pattern, working best under pressure.

Fifth, people with AD/HD are resilient. They have a willingness to keep working to improve, to come back again and again, to take setbacks in stride and keep on going.

Linda's students continually surprise her with their willingness to come back again and again for help. They have experienced far more than their share of failures and difficulties over the years, yet they don't give up. They keep on trying. She thinks such kids must also have experienced just enough success to teach them that failure doesn't have to be permanent. More than most of us, perhaps, they have learned to take setbacks in stride.

She compares working with them to seeking the key that will unlock a door. She'll try a certain strategy or accommodation, hoping it will help them, but it won't. So she'll try something else. But it still won't work. Then she'll take yet another tack which will finally prove the strategy that leads to improvement.

Linda recognizes that the success of this technique owes a lot to her own energy and resilience, but remember, the kids are willing to go along with her. It's vital for parents to understand this. Like their children, they will often get frustrated. But they should never forget that if they keep trying new things, their children will hang in there with them.

So parents and teachers should explore accommodations. They should use a little psychology to figure out what will cut the pressure, make things more manageable, and result in some success. The children will reward them by trying all the harder.

The sixth trait Linda sees is the desire to fit in and be successful. Her students are adolescents, of course, and this is typical of that stage of life. It's a time when people long to be accepted by their peers. They want to be liked. They want to be considered winners, not losers.

AD/HD makes this very hard, because these kids often do things that ward off friendships. They can be impulsive. Overly physical. Emotionally immature. They don't fit in.

But Linda has found that when she works on areas like language skills and body language, trying to teach them how to get along with their peers, they really do try to 'get it. They are willing to work hard to fit in.

She recalls two such kids, Andy and Sara, who were smitten from the moment they met. They quickly became the class 'item, an inseparable pair.

One day, Linda got a call from Andy's mother that Sara had put marks on Andy's neck. Linda had a pretty good idea of what sort of mark the mom meant, but when she saw Andy the next day at school and asked to speak to him privately, she got a big surprise. The marks were rope burns, not anything more intimate.

And she got a second surprise when she consulted the students' counselor. Sara had bruises on her legs. Andy had kicked her.

These kids were crazy about each other, Linda knew, but they obviously had no idea how to show it. So they had resorted to the 'play fighting you might see second or third graders engage in, and both had ended up with bruises.

Linda later called in both mothers, each with her child, and talked about how you can show someone you like them without 'throwing a noose around their neck and dragging them away, as the girl's mom put it.

The two kids wanted to fit in. They wanted to do what was appropriate for children their age. But where most adolescents pick these things up on their own, and quite easily, teens with AD/HD lag behind.

Fortunately, they are eager to listen and learn. Teachers and parents should watch for where they are breaking down and having problems. Then you can teach them how to behave. To help them, you should instruct them and support them. Except in extreme cases, you should never punish them for what they didn't understand.

This task is made easier because kids with AD/HD, perhaps even more than most kids, want to please their parents and teachers. As the anecdotes above have shown, when you tell them how they can improve and ask them to try again, they are receptive. It's easy to forget this, because these kids can be so maddening. So teachers and parents should make a special effort not to lose track of this fact.

Teachers and parents should also take advantage of another good quality these kids display: a wonderful sense of humor, often on the delightfully devilish side. They tease Linda when she forgets a name and exult in the fact that when all of them remember their agenda books on Mondays, she has agreed to shell out her own money to buy them breakfast in the cafeteria. Like most children, they respond positively to playfulness, so she can usually tease them into doing what they should do.

One of her favorite stories about how creative and funny these kids can be dates to the field trip to Pt. Reyes. A boy named Greg went off to get some lunch, returning with a burger. But after a single bite, he screwed up his face. 'This is the worst hamburger I've ever had, he announced.

Before Linda could comment, he darted away. When he reappeared, he was chewing happily on his burger. 'What happened? Linda asked in puzzlement. 'I thought the hamburger was terrible.

Greg grinned at her. 'Well, I told the clerk my teacher looked at my burger and was shocked. I told him you said, Didn't that lady in the restaurant even cook it? I wouldn't eat that if I were you. Make them fix you a new one.' So he gave me a new double hamburger to make up for it, but he said he wanted to talk to you, Ms. Ramer. I think he's a little mad at you for criticizing the food.

Linda admits she took the easy way out and avoided the snack bar for the rest of the day. These kids have a talent for using sly humor to get what they want, and you don't want to be caught in the middle!

In fact, while humor is one of Linda's favorite weapons with these kids, she's learned to be careful in how she employs it. When it comes to children with AD/HD, fun has a way of exploding out of control. The kids may swing into 'class clown mode. They may try to one-up one another. She cautions you to rein these kids in before pandemonium ensues.

Next, people with AD/HD live life with gusto . They have a capacity for huge enjoyment of their experiences and plunge into things with wonderful abandon.

For example, Linda once took the class on a trip to the seashore, thinking they would enjoy walking on the beach, looking for shells, and so on. She never pictured them swimming, because the ocean off Northern California is so cold all year round. But the moment the class arrived, the kids grabbed their backpacks and flew into the restrooms. When they emerged, most were wearing swimsuits. Laughing and chattering, they ran into the water.

Since Linda hadn't imagined they would want to swim, she hadn't suggested they bring suits along. Most had done that on their own, and the rest dove in with their clothes on.

They had a grand time. One boy had never even seen the ocean before; he jumped up and down in the water, grinning from ear to ear. But Linda was terrified. There was no lifeguard, and she couldn't rescue more than one at a time if any of them ran into trouble. She stood on the beach, yelling for them to come out of the water, and finally got them to listen.

In general, when these kids do something, such as play sports or explore a new environment, they give it their all. They don't do things halfway. That's a winning quality until it gets out of hand. Then people can get hurt, including the kids themselves. This is one of those treasures that can lead straight to disaster if it's carried to an extreme.

Finally, these kids are great fun to talk to (one-on-one), and there are no negatives at all about this particular trait. When they get into trouble, Linda will walk around campus with them and talk, or take them back to her room for a quiet chat. They open up to her. Their feelings are right out there for anyone to see. They will tell her their views and try to explain why they did what they did.

Linda's students are not particularly insightful or perceptive about themselves, but they are honest. There is no guile in them during these conversations and little teenage 'attitude, but there is a lot of humor. That makes it easy for Linda to help them do better the next time.

That's the overall message Linda wants to convey, about all of the hidden treasures. Students with attentional disorders often struggle. They may fall short. They may make mistakes. But you should remember the hidden treasures and teach children with AD/HD to use them in a positive way. These traits can be a tremendous asset in helping kids with AD/HD overcome their problems, succeed in school and at work, and lead happier lives.

You can learn more about the Hidden Treasures, and read 'AD/HD Success Stories' about Linda's students and the world in general, in our book.