A common misconception about ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is that those with the diagnosis are unable to pay attention to anything. But this is a limited representation and usually not the case.

For example, let’s say someone with ADHD is highly interested in math but not English. English class might become almost painful for the student to sit through. A person could daydream or feel tired as they sit through grammar lessons. BUT when they enter math class, they get excited and intensely focus on math problems. The brain is engaged and focuses well.

Many people living with ADHD can focus and might even hyper-focus on an area of high interest but lack attention to other areas that seem dull/uninteresting to them. They have the ability to attend but this extends mainly to what interests them and their brain, and they might not even realize their lack of attention in other areas.