Any teachers out there with ADD?

I am wondering if any credentialed teachers with ADD can give me some ideas as to how they both managed to get through their credential program and how they manage in the day to day classroom environment.

My story is similar to many I have already read here, which is a comfort of sorts. I am 32 and have been dealing with the effects of ADD for nearly as long as I can remember. Of course, such a thing as ADD "didn't exist" when I went through school, even though I displayed all of the traits, shy of the "hyperactive" part. I have done many self evaluations and am convinced of my condition. I asked my doctor about it only once a long time ago, when I was first becoming aware that I not only had it as a child and never knew, but am still dealing with it. He really wasn't aware of what was needed to make a diagonsis, and so I have not followed up any further with him (suprise, suprise). I have insureance through my wife who is the only one bringing in a decent income, but even with that I can't afford the medication et al. that I need to correct my "faulty wiring".

Currently I am persuing a teaching credential, specializing in High School Social Studies. This past semester of student teaching has been a near disaster, as I've tried to manage my problem on my own, only to do things half way and place myself into a rut, both of which are frustrating my master teacher to no end. And as he has no clue as to my problem, he hasn't exactly been supportive.

I haven't told him my problem because I have nothing, like a doctor's note, to back it up with, and it simply sounds like I'm just making excuses for my less than stellar performance. I didn't inform my last master teacher either, but maybe he suspected my delema because he was always throwing activity books and such my way to help me compensate for lack of ideas. My current master teacher either doesn't have these things to give me (which is likely), or he's keeping them to himself. He has been on my case about SOMETHING ever since I started there, but never seemed to recognize my problem enough to offer me any help, like the last one did.

So, again, I ask the question to any who have gone through this process and survived, how did you manage it and what advice can you give me? I'm pretty sure I will have to repeat this past semester because of this problem, and I can't afford to, among the many other things I can't afford. I'm both lost as to what to do and angry at myself and all around me for having this problem with no real help to manage it.

Any useful advice would be greatly appriciated.

Welcome rich to psychcentral! I have a long time acquaintance who is a teacher, and I don't know if SHE knows it or not, but she is ADD. I think she gets by with it because she is so creative, often an art teacher, and has for the recent past, worked with very young children. (Whom, as we know, attention span is about the same as hers - 5 minutes?) She isn't able to delegate, can't handle a staff, has trouble doing things ahead of time. (LOL She once replied to me, when she had had trouble with a task and I reminded her this task can't be left to the last minute, "But I didn't wait till the last minute, I did it the night before!" She is also a reckless driver, but denies it and laughs at the trooper's warnings. "See? I never get a ticket."

Anyway, I said all that to give you an idea of how to cope with your ADD... can you find areas where you are weak and figure out how to compensate?

You are young, so, yes, you can afford to repeat. Even if it's money you're talking about... because having a disorder requires that we do things that way... which often takes longer and costs more. We just have to do it that way, and that becomes the norm for us.

Please don't be angry... unless you can focus that anger on solutions for you. There is no guilt, shame, nor blame for this.

I suggest you contact the ADA who will have expert advice for you, and let you know just what you should divulge, and what they can and can't do to or against you along the way.

Contact directly the pharmaceutical company that makes the meds you need. They do offer meds free to patients. You have to ask.

We all have deficiencies... we all would like them to stay hidden. You have to learn to compensate for your disorder. Others have to learn to compensate for theirs. (And you're way ahead of many, since some ppl don't even know they have a problem!)

Take care.

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