Mare Noble Pays Attention (ADHD)

Mare Noble had served as an educator, school leader, and yoga instructor in the United States and internationally for more than 25 years before she received her official diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She had been taking her neurodiverse daughter for neurofeedback (NFB) treatment, and in conversations with the NFB practitioner about her background, some signs came to light that piqued her curiosity. Curious, Mare pursued a formal diagnosis. The verdict: High-functioning ADHD.

The diagnosis was a relief to Mare, who had experienced plenty of ADHD cases among her students as a middle school teacher, then leader, though hadn’t pieced together that she, too, might have the condition (as with other neurodivergent conditions, females tend to mask and adapt). Earlier in life, before learning that she has ADHD, she’d been tempted to accept her family-of-origin’s assessment that she was unreliable, based on her propensity to move from place to place for new international school opportunities, seek out novelty (her brain craves it), and avoid boredom at all costs (for Mare, boredom hurts physically). After her diagnosis, she developed new insights into her strengths, and was able to put them to use more effectively. For example, by tapping into her new understanding of what active brains need, Mare could craft more inclusive learning environments and experiences, and better meet the needs of students and their learning. She has put this to good use in her current role as Teaching and Learning Coordinator at the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India.

It’s common to think that ADHD is an inability to pay attention or to focus, yet that is false. The attention that can be exhibited is strong. Many people with ADHD tell us that they are excellent at paying attention and that their attention is wide-ranging: they pay attention to the person speaking from the head of the table, to the papers their colleague is holding, to the way another colleague wrinkles her brow when certain data is mentioned. They also pay attention to the person speaking in the hallway and the bird building a nest outside the meeting room window. This widespread attentiveness can be an invaluable tool in piecing together complex scenarios and building elaborate mindmaps of how organizations and concepts function; many of those with ADHD have spent years, even decades, honing their abilities to find the dazzling mosaics hidden in what neurotypicals might dismiss as random data. Schools benefit when this skill is present in at least one person on the leadership team. At the same time, paying attention to everything is often exhausting, so people with ADHD often benefit from sensory breaks and/or a planned sensory diet.

Focus, on the other hand, is a narrowing of attention, placing all of our cognitive resources on one specific area. Many people with ADHD experience periods of hyperfocus, a state in which anything extraneous (perhaps even food and sleep) is left to the side while someone dives completely into their chosen task. This can be both a strength and a challenge, as it is not always possible to create hyperfocus for a useful task in a convenient time frame. The ability to control hyperfocus is something that many people with ADHD also work to develop; with a judicious hand and the right environment, someone with ADHD might be able to focus or hyperfocus on a complex school task and work wonders. At other times, hyperfocus might present in less useful ways, which can be very frustrating. After a period of hyperfocus ends, it is common for the person to require a period of rest.

As with other neurodivergent conditions, society’s ideas about ADHD tend to come from ways in which the condition manifests in males; say “ADHD” and one’s mind may quickly go to a third-grade boy who is impatient, restless, and very physically active. This hyperactive-impulsive type of ADHD is not as common for females. Instead, they are more likely to exhibit inattentive ADHD, which manifests with challenges in focusing, paying attention to details, staying organized, and remembering things. Girls and women are more prone to masking their symptoms and/or developing workarounds to fit in or get praise. Internalizing ADHD in this way can lead to low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety, for both males and females.

Mare experiences some additional aspects of ADHD. Like many people with ADHD, she feels a compulsion to pursue activities and behaviors that provide novelty, challenge, gratification, or an escape from boredom. This is sometimes referred to as “chasing dopamine,” and is a common feature because, as neurological research has revealed, an ADHD brain is wired to prioritize dopamine rewards. Dopamine, sometimes called the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, is a powerful motivator, and Mare uses this knowledge to shape her working environment and style. 

Oversharing is also commonly used as a coping mechanism by people with ADHD. As Mare has found, oversharing can also lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed and overstimulated. There are some times when she feels her brain is akin to an orchestra in the warm up mode, a cacophonous feeling.  This can be exacerbated when in the classrooms and hallways of a middle school environment (Mare’s typical professional habitat) which is generally not known for order and calm.

Even pre-diagnosis, Mare found ways to manage her ADHD symptoms. She discovered the wonders of yoga and meditation as important tools to clear her mind. In her early years of teaching, she developed robust classroom management techniques to mitigate disruption and extraneous stimuli; her approaches became more nuanced and effective as she learned more about neurodiverse brains and their needs. She has tried different medications, such as Vivance and Ritalin, which helped her “just hear the horns” in the orchestra in her brain. And, she gets out in nature as much as she can.

Importantly, Mare embraces her ADHD as a gift; one to be managed, but a gift all the same. It allows her to get excited about new ideas and possibilities; to see things from a different perspective; to take chances; to experience awe, even in the ordinary.

Schools can effectively support leaders with ADHD, and the myriad of ways in which it manifests for individuals, by fostering environments that accommodate AND celebrate a wide range of neurodiverse strengths and approaches. Engage with these educational leaders by asking how ADHD influences their work and listening closely to their insights and needs. Recognize that while their productivity may come in bursts rather than a steady flow, the results are often enhanced by the creative, hyper-connected processing of their attentive minds. Be prepared, too, for their seemingly unconventional observations to provide precisely the perspective needed in critical moments.