What I Learned from Hyper

Dear Tim,

      One of the issues your book “Hyper” exposed me to was how uneducated people still are about ADHD. Since i grew up in the 21st century, I thought I already had a sense of what ADHD is. However, all I really knew was that it caused kids to act “not normal” because that’s all anyone ever really tells us about the disorder. However, there was a lot I didn’t know. For example, I didn’t know that there were core symptoms to the conditional disorder, such as impulsiveness, inattention and excessive motor activity (pg. 37).

      However, it wasn’t so much your research that struck me, but your anecdotes. One of your stories that really stuck to me was your third grade teacher and how insensitive she was to the subject of ADHD. I know I have to think about the context of the situation; since you grew up in a different time period, people weren’t as aware of your situation and weren’t as understanding. The way your teacher treated you was shocking to me because I feel like there are so many accommodation and programs nowadays for children with disorders such as ADHD that people who are like that are seen as inconsiderate. 

     Although the situation with your teacher happened some time ago, it also shed some light on the fact that there are some people still who have that kind of mindset. After all, if we all knew and understand ADHD, there wouldn’t be a need for books like yours. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are bad people, I think it mainly just means that they aren’t educated on the topic or just don’t understand it. It’s important for researchers like you to present the issue in terms we can all relate to so people like your third grade teacher can understand better and be an assistance to children living with the disorder rather than another obstacle they have to face. 

     Thank you for writing this book and shedding some light on the issue of mental disorders in children. I know there is a still a lot more for people to learn, and I wish you luck as you continue your research and your mission to educate people on this issue.