Positively ADD by Cathy A. Corman and Edward Hallowell — Part Six of the Unwrapping the Gift of ADD Series

Guest of the sixth lecture (Tuesday, April 29, 2008) in the Unwrapping the Gift of ADD series was Cathy A. Corman, Ph.D.

Cathy Corman, a former assistant professor of history at Harvard University, with a Ph.D. from Yale’s Program in American Studies, and a mother of triplets all of whom have learning differences and ADD, is a co-author of Positively ADD: Real Success Stories to Inspire Your Dreams, a book for 9 to 12-year-olds which she co-wrote with Dr. Edward M. Hallowell, published in 2006 by the Walker Books for Young Readers.

Positively ADD: Real Success Stories to Inspire Your Dreams profiles seventeen successful adults with ADHD:

(disclaimer: I am not 100% sure that the links I posted are about the same person or just a person with the same name, if you think I posted an incorrect link, or think a different link would be more suitable, please do let me know.)

• Chester James Carville Jr., political strategist
• Scott Eyre, relief pitcher, Chicago Cubs
• Carolyn O’Neal, retired school principal
• David Neeleman, founder, chairman, and CEO, JetBlue Airlines (this link will bring you to a different list of “Successful Adults with LD” assembled by the Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities organization, with David Neeleman’s name is on top)
• Karl V. Euler V, police officer
• Heather Long, graduate student, Rhodes Scholar
• Devin M. Barclay, professional soccer player, Columbus Crew
• Margaret Turano, director, marketing communications, Amicas
• Richard Joseph Zienowicz, MD, FAGS, plastic and reconstructive surgeon
• Sedan Paramanandam Manickam, musician
• Sharon Wohlmuth, photographer
• Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, yogic healer
• Oman Frame, teacher
• Clyde B. Anderson, chairman, Books-A-Million
• Jon Bonnell, chef
• Linda Pinney, entrepreneur, chief business officer, Asteres
• Clarence Page, journalist, Chicago Tribune

As Corman reported, she got the inspiration to write a book about successful people with ADHD during a trip with her family – while on a flight she read an article about a successful person with ADD and after giving the article to her son to read, he started asking “Could I do that?” as if asking “Could I have a good life as well, like this person?”

Corman discovered that there were no books for children about adults thriving with ADD, people who are happy in life, showing that ADHD doesn’t have to hold one back.

The people Corman and Hallowell interviewed for the book recall having lots of trouble in school, being kicked out of class, feeling ashamed and guilty, or flunking college. However, as adults, they have found a way to turn their ADHD into a “gift” – they come to terms with the diagnosis and found their strengths coming from it.

In closing, Corman emphasized that children with ADHD also need to find a passion, find something that’s fun and that they’re good at, just like the people profiled in Positively ADD: Real Success Stories to Inspire Your Dreams.

You can also read what another successful person (an attorney!) with ADD had to say about this show on the discussion about the series carried on the ADD Forums discussion board.