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Scribe is a student-run publication based in the GTA that covers everything from social issues to culture and lifestyle. This spring, we tell stories from the mindset of a 20-something and the conversations shaping their world.
A Personal Journey...
Media Foundations student Sianna-Lee McKeller had a final assignment due the next day for one of the courses that she was taking and was very passionate about.
She sat down on her study table with her laptop in utter silence, getting ready to crush the assignment, and all a sudden she realized, she had lost that impulse.
She was unable to focus anymore, she did not even know where to begin so she started procrastinating. By this time, she had lost all motivation to even work on the assignment that she was so excited to do.
McKeller’s pattern of behaviour developed as she started her post-secondary education back in 2023.
This is still what her typical work period looks like. She is a student at Humber, who was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at the young age of four.
She says she must divide up and group all her daily tasks to make the most of her time or else the workload seems too much. So much so, that it feels hard to even begin.
McKeller feels It is very hard to exist in a world where others cannot understand the way you think or the way you process things. It’s even harder when you have to explain it to the people you love and try to make sense of it.
She isn’t alone, approximately five to nine per cent of children and three to five per cent of adults are affected by ADHD in Canada according to Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada. ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that can impact a person’s focus, attention level and organization. In other words, it can affect every aspect of their life.
“Focus is a big thing, it’s one of the prime, at least for me, another one is procrastination and motivation itself. They work hand in hand, all three of them where the motivation is very dependent on what is being done,” she explained.
McKeller transferred from the journalism program at Humber Polytechnic to media foundations. She is enjoying the variety of courses offered which include numerous areas of study including graphic design, journalism, film studies, etc.
She says she was taking seven required courses for journalism and the course load felt a little hard to handle when she first started.
Now, with the right paperwork handed in, she can take a reduced course load which allows her to continue her studies at her own pace.
A reduced course load is offered by the institution to accommodate an individual’s personal needs. For a Humber student, the student can submit an e-form through their MyHumber account or ask for assistance at the Accessible Learning Centre.
McKeller was given an individualized education plan (IEP) in high school, which helped teachers accommodate her. She provided the proof of diagnosis to Humber and listed out her struggles. This helped her set up her own accommodations and narrowed down her individual needs.
“ADHD in particular is very different so my family is very much like you know, ‘you can do it, but you struggle with it,’ my mom for example, she’ll know I struggle with something but the fact that I do it anyway is what she focuses on. So, if I say I’m struggling she won’t be able to accommodate because she will be like, ‘you can do it, I have seen you do it, so technically you are fine,’” she says.
McKeller says she believes this approach from her family is not very helpful because they seem to be ignoring the problem, which diminishes the issue.
She says, because she doesn’t feel as comfortable opening up to her family, she feels better doing so with her friends. Therefore, she often turns to them for comfort and it has made her more independent.
Writing inspires McKeller, which is why she was drawn to media studies. Apart from writing, it gives her the option to explore and choose what she likes best. This is something she says helps her focus, brings her “dopamine”.
The Science Behind ADHD
Mary Rourke is an associate professor and director of the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology, at Widener University in Pennsylvania.
Rourke says ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition which means it has to do with how people’s nervous systems are organized, it doesn’t just show up and is something people are rather born with. There are signs of it throughout their development and “lifetime influence plays a big role in this.”
“It doesn’t mean we are always impaired by it, it may be impairing at some times of life, more than the others,”- Mary Rourke
She said they (psychologists) usually look for three clusters of challenges or symptoms when people have ADHD, this includes hyperactivity, which is a lot of exaggerated activity, inattention, which is difficulty with sustained attention or focus, and impulsivity, which is doing things that have not been thought through.
Rourke saysADHD is most of all a challenge with regulating ourselves. She says people with ADHD have an easier time focusing when they are doing something that interests them, contradicting the misconception that they cannot focus at all.
“People with ADHD have a hard time guiding their behaviour, by anticipating the consequences. One is more anchored in the moment and unable to visualize the endpoint connected to a series of steps.”
This is not limited to those three challenges. Other symptoms include bursts of emotions, difficulty regulating themselves in social situations, coordinating their perspective with someone else’s, and so many other factors.
She says one of the hardest things for most people with ADHD, from her experience, is the will to begin a task. It is even harder if it is a big task.
Paul Sandor, is a professor of psychiatry at University of Toronto who specializes in neuropsychiatry, OCD and ADHD, said ADHD and ASD.
Sandor says some individuals with ADHD may show symptoms of autism as well, especially in social situations. This is because of behavioural overlap.
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for people who have ADHD.
Their website states more than two-thirds of individuals with ADHD have at least one other coexisting condition.
These include disruptive behaviour disorders, mood disorders, anxiety, tics and tourette syndrome, learning disorders, sleep disorders and even substance abuse.
Sandor says there is no certain age group that gets diagnosed more than the other, some people get diagnosed early and some later in life. People who might have struggled in school, may now be better at adapting to their condition.
He says the gradual increase in ADHD cases is due to more recognition of the condition.
“Because diagnosis has become more well known, many older students or graduates come to seek diagnosis so they can get treatment and accommodations at school.”
He says many children that are currently diagnose would have been labelled as “bad kids” back in the day because it was not recognized as much. This is more common in boys statistically.
According to National Institute of Health’s statistics, ADHD is three times more prevalent among adolescent males than females. It says it is almost twice more in male adults than females.
Sandor says overdiagnosis is rare and he has never come across anything he thought was inappropriate, but he does mention authors talking about overdiagnosis in professional literature.
“There are some patients who receive the treatment even though they may not need it necessarily, but then there are others who can’t get treatment when they need it,”- Paul Sandor
There are guidelines published by The Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA), which assist medical professionals in diagnosing people with ADHD accurately and effectively.
Sandor said not treating ADHD effectively might lead to major outcomes including substance abuse.
Today, ADHD is receiving more recognition as a diagnosis, and people are becoming more aware that it exists and, therefore, how to diagnose it. Students like Sianna-Lee McKeller and their voices show how important it is for people with ADHD to receive proper treatment and care, standards for every individual should be set differently because they might be doing their best to their ability which might seem very generalized to another individual.
