Doodles | ADHD Information
I know in high school I doodled constantly. I was admonished in some classes by teachers that when I would turn in work they couldn't stand the fact there was so much doodling in the outside of the sheets!
It's so hard to keep still - especially in boring classes when dealing with ADHD. I remember doing almost anything just to not head for the door and be punished.
When there was no pen (typing class for example) I would misbehave by directing sunlight off my watch or other shiny object and almost always getting punished in some manner by the teacher.
Chalk it up to good ol' ADHD!
I was at a conference lecture today. I saw a young guy next to me doodling on his notepad. I am not sure if doodling is a stricktly U.S. phrase, but it means drawing little pictures or designs in the margins of notes or papers (when one should be taking notes and paying attention). I looked at him and it reminded me of myself.
So I am curious if this is a common activity among ADDers, especially during school years?
Chazinmo38544.7974189815I did it during my childhood and through high scool and still today! There are so many of my homework and note assignments with drawings on them! Interesting, my ADHD 8 year old is the doodle king! He is always in trouble for doodling. Should I speak with his teachers to let them know this can actually help him to concentrate? Or do you think it is too much of a distraction?Yes, I too have doodled constantly throughout my life. In school, I found when I doodled I could actually pay attention better. There are doodles all over my school notebooks.
I constantly fiddled with things in school (I still do even though I'm in college now). Sometimes I make bracelets out of masking tape - they actually look pretty nice. When you color them with sharpies you can't even tell they're made of masking tape (almost).
In one class, I got particularly bored with the assignment and started making dinosaurs out of kneaded eraser. I had a Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Spinosaurus, Allosaurus and Apatosaurus . . . then the teacher came over and asked me if I was ADD.
hmm. I wonder why.
I came to this site for my son who is ADHD, but I was diagnosed "hyperkinetic" 33 years ago (before it was ADD/ADHD) and I thought I'd check things out in the "adult" section. "Doodling" grabbed my attention. I've doodled my entire life! I would definitely consider myself a major doodler. LOL! ALWAYS!!! ... and I still do! Only now, I don't get lost in
the drawings, and it actually does what it's supposed
to do - channel some of the fidgetyness. It used to be
that I would start drawing and be able to follow what
was being said, and then always at some point I'd
realise I wasn't paying attention, and usually go back
to drawing. I still did/do this in university,and before i
was on meds, I would actually TRY to pay attention
whenever I realised I wasn't listening but only
drawing. It was like a roller coaster! Whoo!
Now, I still have some of the extra energy even on
meds, but I can channel it by drawing or playing with
something, eating a snack, etc., and be able to
actually listen and take notes the whole time!
yahoo... nerdly goodness!
If there's a pen and paper in front of me, after about 2 minutes of inactivity I'll start doodling. Back in high school I remember drawing war scenes in which a stick figure army advancing from the right margin would challenge another stick figure army coming in from the left margin. Tanks, planes, trucks, stick figure troops - in longer classes these got pretty elaborate! In university, it was mainly small cartoon characters :)
Hi Gypsy,I posted the same topic on another board and you replied there. Oh man, now I am confusing myself! I better stick to one board at a time!
[QUOTE=EastWest]Interesting, my ADHD 8 year old is the doodle king! He is always in trouble for doodling. Should I speak with his teachers to let them know this can actually help him to concentrate? Or do you think it is too much of a distraction?[/QUOTE] I have been there in my school years, I would suggest talking to the teaches and letting them know that drawing helps him pay attention, as long as it's not a distraction to him nor the rest of the class. I should know. *laughs* Hope everything's okay.
Of course, if no one remembers seeing it, I suppose I must have done something to make it *poof!* disappear. Hmmmm....GypsyWomyn38545.4872800926Auntie, I agree doodling is not something specific to AD/HDers; however, I do believe it is something that helps us ADHDers to focus, like on a conversation or lecture, etc. And probably for non-ADHDers, as well. So anything that works, right? 
Thanks, Chaz, for clearing that up for me. Oy!
[quote=The Resistance!]I HAD to delete it Gyps.
Too inflamatory![/quote]
Chaz, I don't know if it's AD/HD-related, but before I ever had a computer, while talking on the phone, I would doodle on any piece of paper available. Now while on the phone, I may instead play a mindless game while listening to my friend(s) talk. Does seem to help me focus on what they're saying. My mother was a doodler, although she was much more creative than I am...she'd draw lovely profiles of women. I don't believe my mother was AD/HD, although that just means that non-adhders doodle, as well.
To me it makes sense that doodling may be a tool to help us focus. And that may be why you, Chaz, and others may have done it while in school. It may just have been one of your tools to assist you in focusing. Any thoughts?
While I was saw a psychologist for an evaluation, he wrote in his report that I was doodling during the evaluation. The only thing I remember doing (and I kept the paper I was writing on) was taking notes, since he was mentioning titles of books, etc. Who knows, perhaps I was doodling as well. Before I left his office, as I folded up the paper to put in my purse, he blurted out "What are you doing with that paper!?" I just told him I took notes on it I'd like to refer to later on. Geesh! Bite my head off!
Chaz...sound familiar?
I HAD to delete it Gyps.
Too inflamatory!
[QUOTE=GypsyWomyn]Chaz...did I not post a reply to your first post in this thread? Do you remember reading it? I sure do, so I haven't the slighted idea where it went to.
Of course, if no one remembers seeing it, I suppose I must have done something to make it *poof!* disappear. Hmmmm....[/QUOTE]I read everything on this board and am actually here to find out ADHD info for my neice but I must say, I'm not ADHD and I am a big doodler. I doodle when I talk on the phone, when I was in school, college, work. Put any kind of paper in front of me and it will be nicely decorated within minutes! Not just an ADHD thing.You know whats weird is I used to doodle, but as an adult no longer do it. Maybe because I have barely enough time to complete my actual work at the office & get no time to stop 8( I don't even do that at home, nor on the phone or anything.