Imagine being conscious, but not being able to control yourself; being awake and ready, but never able to focus; embarrassing yourself in front of others because you cannot even sit still. It is a sad reality for many students who suffer from a common mental disorder called Attention-Deficit, Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Approximately 3 to 5 percent of American teens suffer from ADHD and up to 50 percent of those with the condition may never be diagnosed. A common fate of students with this disorder who are not diagnosed is failure and possibly dropping out in college or even high school.

“Some of the most academic people have ADHD,” Special Resource Director Kathy Nutt said. “People make the assumption that a person with ADHD is not smart. However, it just means their brain does not organize things or stay focused as well as others.”

Due to inattentiveness and disorganization, adolescents with ADHD are at a disadvantage in dealing with the stress from today’s high-tech and fast-paced society. Margaret Ann Meyer, M.A., is a practicing psychologist who has worked with FCPS for a span of 25 years. She currently counsels in private practice.

“Intelligence is not the problem with most teens suffering from ADHD,” Meyer said. “It is the inability to stay focused and manage stress, and other sorts of variables variations and situations that disable people with ADHD.”

For people with ADHD school can be a struggle, but there are ways to cope. Around 40 percent of those with ADHD also acquire another form of learning disability that can be addressed through available school services.

“Since the Individuals with Disabilities Act does not recognize students with ADHD, students can qualify for an OHI (other health impaired),” Nutt said. “These students can be placed in smaller classes for more one-on-one instruction. They may have priority seating and distraction free testing.”

There are approximately 19 students with OHIs for ADHD who attend FHS. Until recently senior Alexander Towers had an Individualized Education Plan for his disabilities of ADHD and oppositional defiance disorder (ODD). An IEP is a plan that heeds to the disabilities of an individual after many tests are taken to prove that action is needed. ODD is a disorder in which one will oppose any form of authority in many instances.

“I fidget a lot,” Towers said. “My train of thought will stray off to things that are not important to class. When I had the IEP, I was given extra time on tests, organizational help, and I was allowed to type things on the computer instead of writing by hand. The disability makes it difficult for me to take thoughts from my head and transfer them to paper. However, after a while I was tested again and was found intelligent enough to cope with my disability without a special education plan.”

There are other ways to help cope with ADHD even if one is not recognized for an IEP. Affected students may inform a teacher of one’s disability confidentially and ask to be seated close to the teacher or positive role model. Students should also avoid distracting stimuli by sitting away from air conditioners or highly traveled areas of the classroom. Teachers may help by allowing the student to share note taking, teaching organizational skills such as assembling notebooks, and refraining from negative reinforcement.

“Constant negative reinforcement such as making an example of a student for inattentiveness or hyperactivity can bring severe insecurity about their disability in front of peers.” Meyer said.

A major choice for parents of children with ADHD and people with the condition is whether to use drugs to aid with symptoms.

“The ideal thing would be for people to manage their disability without taking drugs,” Meyer said. “However, it has been proven that they are effective and help with focusing and other factors of ADHD.”

There are many different kinds of drugs to cope with ADHD, most of them stimulants such as Adderall, Riddelin, and Concerta. Strattera is a non-stimulant that helps with the symptoms of ADHD without the “roller-coaster” effect stimulants often exhibit. The non-stimulant approach is also used to reduce the abuse and dependency level that often occur with stimulants.

“I have taken three different kinds of medications,” Towers said. “I took Adderall and the Strattera which made me pretty short tempered. The best one for me was Concerta which stopped my fidgeting. I stopped taking it in eighth grade because I felt I was mature enough to naturally control my symptoms.”

It has not been easy for Towers, who says that he “zones out” four to five times a day. His behavior and physical hyper-activeness have improved as he has matured, a key factor moderating the severity of ADHD in many people.

“The medications helped with the side effects of ADHD,” Towers said. “Since I have been off them I have been able to learn self-control and my maturity has grown. The medications cannot teach you that.”