ADHD in STEM

Bringing together & supporting those of us in STEM with ADHD. Sharing tips, education, and the odd meme. Not medical professionals! #ADHDinSTEM 🧠🔬⚙️

[ADHD in STEM @ADHDinSTEM]

Happy #ADHDAwarenessMonth & #ADHDInvasion! We set this up to connect fellow ADHDers in STEM, and to share experiences, resources, and struggles. We hope being open about our experiences will help break down barriers & remove the stigma surrounding ADHD in academia (& elsewhere)

[Josh Weed @The_Weed]

A message I want to share with adults who work with #ADHD kids is: pushing them the way that you push neurotypical kids harms them for life.

Here’s what I mean.

When I start working clinically with an adult who has ADHD, one of the first things we do /1

[ADHD Jesse @adhdjesse]

The phrase “if you cared, you would [remember, notice, be on time, listen, etc]” is so funny because I care so much it hurts but I just can’t change the behavior because that’s not how my brain works.

And by “so funny” I mean “utterly devastating.”

[Brianna Bell ♿️ @briannasbell]

If you make a process so hostile to disabled people that it is not possible for them to achieve a good outcome within it, and they then “choose” to opt out of that process because the outcome is inaccessible, you can’t reasonably say that you provided that service to them.

[Disabled Academic Collective @DisabledAcadem]

FYI it's actually a lot of work to explain when things are inaccessible for me, why that is, and what can be done. It's labor that takes away my time, enthusiasm, and patience. 1/7

[Disabled Academic Collective @DisabledAcadem]

As promised, here is a list of community-compiled resources for disabled students/staff/faculty to distribute at the start of the term. If you want to add anything or edit information, just comment on the doc, DM us, or email us. #AcademicChatter
https://t.co/5gHQvJ6EEE

[Disabled Academic Collective @DisabledAcadem]

Many students and staff with disabilities simply do not apply for accommodations. So when claims are made like "well no one else has ever needed this" or "this seems excessive, another student only needed x" they are way off the mark. 1/5

[ADHD in STEM @ADHDinSTEM]

Getting an adult diagnosis means unofficially getting a dx for half the rest of your family too 😂

[Adelaide @ADHDelaide]

Being the first in your family diagnosed with ADHD is confusing until your realize the pantry is full of food that expired in 2015, the storage room is in need of an archeological excavation, forgotten mugs inside the microwave, and everyone's hot tempered and without a filter.

[Inflow | The ADHD App @get_inflow]

ADHD: I'm so bORED why can't we DO something

Me: Like what

ADHD: Something that doesn't require any effort whatsoever. So nothing, but something.

Me: 🙃

[Danny @ABCsofADHD]

We ADHDers have difficulty understanding and being motivated by future consequences of our actions.

Its a part of time blindness but it's a big issue in itself so I call it consequence blindness.

One aspect of it is that I keep making the same mistake and not learning form it.

[Ableism in Academia @AbleismAcademia]

"Much of what people experience around disability in academia is hidden for fear of stigma and the perception of not being able to ‘keep up’." says @erg42 in her chapter of the @UCLpress book #AbleismInAcademia. Free to download from here: https://t.co/g6eK3EIKlR

[Inflow | The ADHD App @get_inflow]

So much of what we call "adulting" requires executive function — something that many of us with #ADHD struggle with.

In case you need the reminder, having ADHD doesn't make you less of an adult. And struggling with executive function does not make you less mature.

[Emily♡ @ItsEmilyKaty]

If you dropped out of school because you had undiagnosed ADHD, autism, dyslexia etc, you did not fail. The education system failed you.

[ADHD in STEM @ADHDinSTEM]

Excellent thread! Is it any wonder so many of us suffer from imposter syndrome/ extreme self-criticism when we’re constantly subtly made to feel at odds with, or “less than”, others our own age?

[The ADHD Academic @theADHDacademic]

Me: Break it down, break it down, break it down. It's definitely more manageable when you BREAK IT DOWN.

At the same time, me: Oh my god, there's so much work to be done. I can't handle it. I'm going to explode.

I drive myself crazy. #ADHD

[The ADHD Academic @theADHDacademic]

Profs, it is perfectly fine for a student to give you their accommodation letter and not have a discussion about their disability with you. They've had plenty of discussions with the disability office, trust me. They've been vetted. No further discussion required. #HigherEd

[ADHD in STEM @ADHDinSTEM]

@captainbpd Highly relatable! But our ADHD isn’t related to our intelligence. We can be geniuses and still be absolutely floored by a task we can’t bring ourselves to start. When it comes to needing help, it doesn’t matter how well we do, it matters how well we are coping!

[ADHD in STEM @ADHDinSTEM]

A common pattern in well-masked adults seems to be only seeking an ADHD diagnosis when the coping mechanisms hit their expiration date. Then we imagine how much better our lives could have been if we had just got help beforehand. Don’t wait!

[Jessica Allen-Hyttinen 🫁 @JessIsPipetting]

Why get help now? Coping mechanisms work until they don’t. Ignoring things until deadlines & skating by on cramming isn’t viable for my PhD. It involves being present each day, consistent study, & self-motivation. I went from suffering privately to having my work visibly impacted

[Steph 🌈 @thelittlebark]

21 years of thinking "I thrive when I have a tight deadline" in high school, college, home, & work 🤦🏻‍♀️
My work took weeks if I tried to do it early. I'd procrastinate in the daytime. But a piece written at 1am fuelled by sugar? That gave me A grades, better feedback - and burnouts

[ADHD in STEM @ADHDinSTEM]

There’s an underlying accepted belief (not ADHD specific) that as long as you’re doing well in school/at work, it doesn’t matter how much you struggle to achieve it. This is untrue. We all deserve to have access to answers and not live in a constant state of panic ❤️

[ADHD in STEM @ADHDinSTEM]

This is not an easy feat! Adjusting to a new way of living and working consistently through medication and/or therapy can be incredibly tough. The realisation that you could have sought help years ago & avoided all those years of anxiety is also hard