While the symptoms of attention deficit disorder (ADD) tend to first appear in childhood, they can sometimes extend into adulthood. In our last blog, we introduced Adult ADD and discussed the major hallmarks of the disorder. This week, we’ll address the different ways living with ADD can affect your professional life and job performance.
The three hallmarks of adult ADD are hyperactivity, impulsivity, and distractibility. These basic traits can manifest themselves in ways that greatly impact an individual’s job performance or ability to communicate effectively. Specifically, adult ADD can cause:
-Difficulty maintaining a topic of conversation
-Difficulty making decisions
-Inability to control one’s immediate reaction to a conversation partner
-Verbal or behavioral impulsivity
-Difficulty organizing and expressing one’s thoughts effectively
-Problems with time management; being chronically late
-Extreme impatience; low tolerance for frustration
A speech-language pathologist can provide significant help with the communication deficits that accompany ADD. For example, the speech therapist may provide instruction in conversational skills, including staying on topic when speaking. Listening improvement may also be addressed, in which the individual learns strategies for more attentive listening and better control of their reactions to another person’s speech and ideas. Speech therapy and/or speech training may even include organization strategies, critical in written communication and professional speech.
While there is no cure for ADD, its effects can be managed with professional intervention. Contact us today to find a speech-language pathologist who can help you make the most of your speech and communication.