ADD(Attention Deficit Disorder)- a developmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention (such as distractibility, disorganization, or forgetfulness) or by symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity (such as fidgeting, speaking out of turn, or restlessness). Also referred to as attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADD or ADHD is not caused by an underlying physical or mental disorder.

For me, I don’t think “Attention Deficit Disorder” is a very accurate term for the disorder. It gives people a false sense of what is really going on in the brain.

This is how I try and describe what is going on….

Say you are at a crowded concert and it is almost over and you want to start heading towards an exit. It isn’t so simple when you have to fight a crowd to get out of the venue. You have to push your way through all these other people which can be a monumental struggle. You would symbolize a key thought you are trying to formulate while the other concert goers represent all the other thoughts and static going on in your head at the same time.

An ADD’er tries to push all thoughts out at once while trying to take in a large portion of information at once. The traffic cop who is suppose to direct the flow of thought didn’t make it to work today…or any other day for that matter. It becomes so overwhelming at times that you just want to push everything away and hide from it. So then you may become known as a procrastinator or a day dreamer.

So what happens when you are a programmer who is neuro-divergent?

It is a blessing and a curse. Just like anything else there are pros and cons.

Learning to code for me was definitely an uphill battle. This was especially hard when it came to reading lessons and tech documentation. Reading tends to be a slower process and an ADD’er’s mind tends to wonder leaving the person with gaping holes in knowledge. I would find myself starting to take hand written notes in order to keep myself in active reading.

Remembering certain syntax has its own challenges. This comes back to the brain trying to recall all coding knowledge you have and pulling the exact right piece. For me it came down to repetition. Doing it over and over again until it became like muscle memory. I can scale up a Rails API like no one’s business.

The pros….

An ADD brain is constantly on alert and always scanning for a pattern or something new. Debugging and hunting down typos becomes easier.

You are constantly bombarded with new ideas. The brain has a tendency to go off on tangents and stretches the boundaries that others may not be able to do so easily.

Curiosity is ENDLESS. I cant even begin to tell you of all the technologies and knowledge I want to keep adding. But of course this has to be done in moderation otherwise you get lost in your journey and have to find yourself again and get yourself back on track.

Hyper focus on certain details is another thing. It can be a fine thing when you want to get a UI looking just right. But you can also find yourself spending an entire hour on just one little tiny CSS element until you are absolutely happy with it.

All people with ADD are not the same cookie cutter person. It takes trial and error to find what works for you. But it can be done and be done successfully through trial and error. Just do not get frustrated and give up entirely.