A 5/17/98 America Online Interview with Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D.

Dr Jaksa: Our guest is Kathleen Nadeau, PhD, author or ADD IN THE WORKPLACE and ADVENTURES IN FAST FORWARD. She is co-editor of ADDvance Magazine. Dr. Nadeau is on the Professional Advisory Board of both CHADD and National ADDA and has a distinguished career as a clinician, speaker, and writer on ADD issues. Please welcome......Dr. Kathleen Nadeau!!

Addvancekn: Hi, thanks for inviting me. I will be happy to answer questions on all sorts of ADD issues, although we have planned to focus on workplace issues primarily Dr Jaksa: Dr. Nadeau, what are some typical pitfalls in the workplace for folks with ADD?

Addvancekn: That's a good place to start, but I also want to emphasize what's good about ADD at work too. The first and biggest pitfall is paperwork. Adults withADD often have big issues with being on time, staying organized, especially around paperwork issues, and finishing projects and assignments on deadline. People with ADD need to find work which really fascinates them, then their ADD strengths can come into play.

Dr Jaksa: Tell us a little about ADA - what safeguards does it provide for ADDers?

Addvancekn: The ADA is a law which protects people with disabilities. People often misunder-stand what it can do for them, especially around ADD issues. I typically recommend using the ADA only as a last resort.

TaylorM: Why as a last resort?

Addvancekn: I've had too many experiences with people announcing their ADD only to end up losing their job, or being demoted, supposedly for "other reasons" than their ADD. There are too many misunderstandings about ADD at this point. We badly need to educate employers about it. The ADA requires employers to make "reasonable accommodations" if you have a disability and are "otherwise qualified to do a job" but the "otherwise qualified" phrase can get very sticky where ADD is concerned.

Dr Jaksa: What would be an example of a "last resort"?

Addvancekn: A "last resort" is if you're about to lose your job anyway. Then often declaring your ADD can give you time, at the least. Employers are loathe to have a lawsuit on their hands, so they usually don't terminate you right away after you've declared a disability. But usually this declaration just buys you time to look for another job.

Dr Jaksa: Dr. Nadeau........if your job is not working out and the stress level gets too high, is sometimes worth it to even try to KEEP the job? Addvancekn: Depends upon the job and what the stress is about. I specialize in helping people to try to analyze what's going on - whether they need a different job in the same field, a different supervisor, or a whole new career path.

Addvancekn: Typically the administrative and supervisory jobs, which require much attention to detail are very tough if you have ADD. Stress is a very important issue - I'm glad you brought it up. We really need to learn how to reduce our life stress in order to function better at work and in our lives in general. Some workplaces are just inherently stressful because they are disorganized, going through downsizing, etc. We need to try to stay away from jobs like those, when possible.

Dr Jaksa: What are some things people with ADD can do to reduce job related stress? For example, if they have a supervisor they cannot get along with?

Addvancekn: That's a tough one! It's critical to find an ADD friendly supervisor. If you aren't fortunate to have one, then it's important to com-municate with your supervisor in a constructive way. Often our ADD patterns look like poor motivation and irresponsibility to a critical supervisor.

Dr Jaksa: Exactly.....disorganization for example has nothing to do with motivation.....but can be mistaken for that.

Addvancekn: We need to communicate that we're motivated and to engage in constructive problem-solving. Don't just say "I have ADD" but offer solutions to problems that are pinpointed by your supervisor. If you have a REALLY bad match between yourself and your supervisor then it's often best to just look for a transfer. Dr Jaksa: What are some "reasonable accommodations" at work and how can a person get them?

Addvancekn: Let me start with the "how can you get them" part of the question. Most accommo-dations can be worked out by ourselves, or can be arranged for without disclosing ADD. What I usually suggest is to state a problem and suggest a reasonable solution. Such as I am really distracted by all of the talking going on around me in my cubicle. I think it would help me if I bring in a white noise machine and/or wear headphones. It's important to be pro-active and to communicate to your supervisor that you are motivated and want to do your best work - so you're looking for solutions. The worst thing we can do is to throw problems into our supervisor's lap and expect them to come up with magic solutions.

Dr Jaksa: Good suggestions.....thank you!

Addvancekn: Reasonable accommodations can include - Time shifting work hours so that you are at work during quiet times; Working part of the time from home; Having more structured supervision, with many short-term deadlines rather than one long-term deadline; Changing job requirements to minimize paperwork; Getting software that assists us in being more organized; Getting help from a professional organizer or attending time management and organization seminars.

Being teamed up with people who are better at attending to the details can be a wonderful accommodation.

Dr Jaksa: Terrific suggestions....... What's a good job for someone with ADD?

Addvancekn: That's a good question, but there's no easy answer! What I say to people is that a good job is one that is very interesting to you. One that calls on your areas of strength and does not call on too many of your weaknesses. It's a job in which people are flexible and encouraging rather than rigid and nit-picking. It's a job that calls for creativity and immediate problem-solving. We're usually good at those things. It's a job that doesn't have too many complicated long term written assignments. But remember, we're not all alike. We all have personalities, interests, and abilities in addition to our ADD - it's really important to look at all of those things in choosing a job.

Dr Jaksa: No indeed, we're not all alike......we all have our strengths and weaknesses, as well as unique interests! I have 2 more questions for Dr. Nadeau.....then we'll take questions from the audience. What about alternatives to a 9 to 5 job? What are the pluses and minuses for someone with ADD?

Addvancekn: We're always on a see-saw between need for flexibility and need for structure. The plus side of non-traditional jobs is flexibility, but the down side is lack of structure. I always try to help people build in structure if they work at home for themselves. Sometimes an ideal combination is two or three part time jobs. That stimulates us, allows us to move from one to the other, but still provides structure. I've worked with some ADDers who thrive working for themselves but they typically have a very organized partner or spouse to provide structure.

Dr Jaksa: And lastly, what kind of evaluation would be helpful to get good career advice for someone with ADD?

Addvancekn: A typical career evaluation is often not very helpful. I have written a questionnaire which is in my book ADD in the Workplace, designed to help career counselors focus on and pinpoint the areas at work which are affected by ADD. A good evaluation looks at 1) how you are affected by ADD at work, 2) whether you have any learning disabilities or learning differences that need to be considered, 3) what your Myers-Briggs personality type is (much research has been done on matching personality type and careers), and 4) what your abilities and interests are. This is a comprehensive evaluation, but I find it works best - it takes ALL of you into consideration!

Dr Jaksa: Thank you.....excellent points. We will now take questions from the audience for Dr Nadeau

Cwebb234: Is elementary school teacher a good profession for ADDers?

Addvancekn: Elementary school teaching calls on both ADD strengths and ADD weaknesses. This is tough - if you have a good principal who appreciates your energy and creativity, and if you can develop good organizational techniques then it can be a terrific career. I know one young woman with ADD who teaches. She's terrific, but she puts in many extra hours organizing and preparing outside of class. Students usually LOVE ADD teachers because they are involved and dynamic - but schools can be very bureaucratic places that don't appreciate the disorganization piece of it.

Dr Jaksa: Teaching can involve lots of paperwork.....very important to keep that under control!

TaylorM: I strong disagree with some of your comments. In the real world supervisor & co-workers would resent an ADD employee who gets special treatment. Same goes for school and teachers.

Addvancekn: What kind of special treatment do you mean?

TaylorM: The ones you mentioned, reasonable accommodations.

Addvancekn: You're right - in some workplace situations there is little flexibility. But I have had a lot of success in helping people find constructive ways to solve problems at work. They're not asking for favors, but looking for ways to be more productive.

Dr Jaksa: Taylor.......accommodations are made for people with all types of disabilities in a work environment...sometimes there is resentment over that, yes, but if the accommodations are necessary they often end up benefitting everyone

TaylorM: So how do we prepare our ADD children to enter the workforce and be successful?

Addvancekn: It's really important for them to understand themselves. I have an adult child with ADD - we have talked for years about many issues. For example, she has chosen a field where she can move around on her job, be very interactive, and work at night - these all suit her much better than an office job - she is a restaurant manager and is great at making the quick decisions that job calls for. But that's not for everyone. We need to help our children know about the huge variety of jobs that exist and what kinds of things that would suit them best.

DSands5000: Can you as a therapist differentiate comorbid problems with ADD....like fibromyalgia, PTSD, etc.

Addvancekn: There are many co-morbid problems and it can sometimes be very difficult to separate what is causing what. But that is exactly what is required to do good work with someone with ADD. We often have a number of issues - it's not an either-or question.

Jennipo: I have just been diagnosed with ADD and am taking Ritalin. I am worried that it will alter my personality and make it apparent to co-workers my condition. Will taking Ritalin be noticeable to others?

Addvancekn: Ritalin will not be noticeable to others. You'll just appear more focused and efficient if it helps you the way it helps so many people. It's not "personality altering" at all - in fact many people think it's not working because they don't feel any different!

Dr Jaksa: The "Focus On ADD/ADHD" chat is now over...our time is up

Dr Jaksa: Dr Nadeau......THANK YOU for being with us tonight!!

Addvancekn: Thanks so much for inviting me.

Ed Note: Kathleen G. Nadeau, Ph.D. is a nationally recognized expert on Attention Deficit Disorder in adults, and the author of several books on adult ADD including ADD In The Workplace: Choices, Changes and Challenges, published by Brunner/Mazel. She is a frequent lecturer and consultant on issues relating to ADD in the workplace. Dr. Nadeau is co-editor of ADDvance Magazine.