One of our recent posts was all about looking at ADHD “Symptoms” as “Superpowers” (Thank you ADDitude Magazine for the phrasing). While surfing the internet ocean of information about ADHD we ran across this from Scientific American blogger Scott Barry Kauffman. In it, he asks us to think about “The Creative Gifts of ADHD”.
Recent studies in cognitive neuroscience indicates a link between people with ADHD and creativity. The Link? A difficulty suppressing brain activity in what Kauffman refers to the “Imagination Network“ in a previous article. (This one is all about Neuroscience of Creativity another interesting read that says that the whole “right brain/left brain” concept only scratches the surface.) Seems that the what educational systems often deem a “disability” might actually be, with the right training and focusing techniques, “immensely conducive to creativity”.
If our default position as healthcare provides, educators and parents is to see ADHD as a flaw or a fault that needs to be “fixed”, we maybe, as Kauffman says “letting too many competent and creative kids fall through the cracks.”
We should be cultivating the gifts given to kids with ADHD rather than “curing” them – Time to be giving ADHD a creative rethink.
Read Kauffman’s full article here.
