SusanofO
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If it's any consolation, CuriousLord, I am aware of what a powerful, and often explosive combination being gifted, and also having ADD, or Dyslexia, can be for someone, regardless of any other factors which may have been in play for you at the Military Academy.
Not from personal experience, But - I've done a bit of volunteer work with gifted kids, and one thing I noticed, is that they can tend to be very perfectionistic, and sensitive. This is a good thing, I think, btw, more than it's not. Their individuality is to be respected, not reviled, IMO.
It can also have its own set of repercussions for them. You are not alone - I know the realm of the gifted, and highly gifted who may have ADD or Dyslexia can be a path fraught with frustration for some. But it can work out just fine, too, and from what I've read, it very, very often does.
I realize that maybe not all of what you are experiencing is related to having ADD and being a gifted student, and we're all individuals, but - I thought the information I have here (as well as opinions) might be worth passing on for your consideration. Maybe you've heard some akin to them before, but anyway -
Of course all UMs are special, but gifted kids can sometimes simply notice things other kids may not, and sometimes it bothers them, to the point they get ulcers, etc. The flip side also is true, in that when they feel good, or learn something for the sheer joy of it, they really, feel very deeply about whatever it is. I think one thing that gifted state does, is generally just put some in a position to appreciate events, circumstances and what they learn on a truly deep level.
If you want some more insight on this topic, as well as things like gifted kids in our educaation system who cope with things like ADD - just Google (sometime when you have time, if you're interested) the phrase: Education for highly intelligent children, or education for the highly gifted (or just gifted) on your computer. Particularly interesting, along this line is a site called:
Hoagie's Gifted Education page - it is chock full of information on how to help parents cope w/educating a gifted child, an one who has special needs also, due to things like ADD, Dyslexia, etc. It is a real eye-opener.
Also, there is interesting info there (I think anyway) on how to recognize a truly gifted child, and help them cope with, and develop their potential. Also some interesting articles, IMO, about what repercussions they might suffer in adulthood, if particular areas of their life aren't coped with very well by the education system, adults who surround them, or themselves.
**if it is any consolation, I know some highly gifted adults who have ADD, or have Dyslexia. What I know about them, is that most found a way to function within that realm, in a way that sometimes successfully hid their ADD or Dyslexia from view of others, because they knew something was "different" about them (and some felt shame about it), but they also very much knew they also had to find a way to cope.
Sometimes, they also successfully hide the fact they are extra bright, due to other people not "getting" them, etc. And, except for maybe in school, some of the ones I know were quite successful at "dumbing down" for other people, just to feel more like they fit in. They sometimes felt very frustrated, and often misunderstood, by the education system if they attended a school that wasn't particularly "enlightened" to their situation.
Sometimes, I remember thinking, when I did my volunteer stint w/gifted kids: *"Would you ever expect a Chee-tah, for instance, to run slower, just so it wouldn't upset the other animals?"
Sometimes adults will fund handicapped education, but their response to funding gifted education, even for gifted kids w/ADD & Dyslexia is nil. It doesn't somehow seem to cross some admin. minds, for whatever reason, that these kids are just as vulnerable in these areas, as kids who may not be gifted. The response seems to be sometimes, more like:
'Well, those kids don't need the help. Because - they're going to just bloom no matter where they are planted'. Not necessarily true - it's more like they'll feel sucessfully squelched and ignored, and ever more taught to "dumb it down" just to get along and fit in better. I think knowing how to get along w/people is great, and a necessary social skill, but then so is self-development...
I know several highly gifted adults, some who were propelled by their own energies and curiosity, and others who took advantage of educational opportunities given, to get things such as advanced degrees. But as many of them who also didn't necessarily go on to things like extended advanced higher education, despite the fact they may do things like spend the entire night reading about a topic that fascinates them, or tear through five novels or other books a week.
Other people might think they are eccentric on occasion, but- so what? Their individuality needs to be respected, IMO, they can discover the world that dwells within them, and revel in that for their own enjoyment, and-or just to enjoy advancing themselves via education, perhaps.
Good luck, please know that you are indeed not alone in your plight, as far as the combo of ADD w/giftedness.
- Susan
< Message edited by SusanofO -- 4/23/2007 2:48:01 AM >
_____________________________
"Hope is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all". - Emily Dickinson
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