Unable to learn?
I'm a student and I have this weird thing, where I'm at the top of my class in certain subjects, but almost fail at others. Of course, people have different things they're good at. But seriously, I feel like my brain is unable to learn about certain things. Like many aspies, I can get really focused and concentrated on a topic, but only if it has my interest. That means that I manage to get A's in classes that I find interesting. I do my home work, assignments, sometimes even extra work just for sake of learning. You know, for fun.
However, in classes that I find boring and uninteresting, I have absolutely zero concentration. Therefore, I find these classes really difficult. I can barely do my homework or read the books, because my brain can't comprehend it. And again, I have no focus or concentration what-so-ever. I become distracted at everything and very restless. I really try, but when I read something, it either makes no sense to me or goes right through my head. I've felt like this for many years, and I remember thinking that I might have ADD. But I don't think I could have ADD, because I can literally sit the whole day, super focused, doing something that I find interesting. Like writing essays, etc.
I don't know if this is an aspie thing or not, but it's kinda frustrating. My dad just thinks I'm lazy and procrastinating, but I feel like I'm really trying - just not succeeding.
Last edited by lazyflower on 14 Sep 2016, 3:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.
I am exactly like that, I can easily pass classes that I'm interested in but I can barely focus on uninteresting classes. When I'm reading something boring then sometimes I have to read part of it a few times because I have trouble focusing on it enough to properly comprehend it. I can also sit all day focused on something I am interested in.
That being said, I'm diagnosed with ADD and I wouldn't be surprised if you had it too. ADHD makes it harder to sit still, but ADD only messes with someone's attention span. People with ADD often hyper-focus on things that they are interested in (which seems counter-intuitive given the name which is why this common misconception exists), and at the same time it makes it so that it's harder to focus on uninteresting things which is why a lot of people see it as laziness. I also have a brother with ADHD and my mom has ADD, both of them often hyper-focus on things they are interested in too.
I was actually unaware of my ADD diagnosis until a few months ago, and before then my reasoning was much the same as yours. Later I did some research and figured out that it actually fit me very well, when I told my mom she informed me that I already have a diagnosis. I'd say it's definitely worth looking into the possibility that you might have ADD.
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Also known as MarsMatter.
Diagnosed with Asperger's, ADD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in 2004.
In denial that it was a problem until early 2016.
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