The ADHD domino effect

We all have those days (or weeks) when everything seems to go wrong. If you add ADHD into the mix, these often happen more frequently but with lasting effects.

It can be like a set of dominos collapsing. Let's set up an imaginary set of rules. If you are late for school, you need to report to the school office, which is in a different area of the school to your normal registration point. You then are expected to go to your locker and make sure you have everything you need for the morning lessons and carry on with your day. This seems relatively simple. However, this could be a cataolgue of domino collapses for a student with ADHD

Domino One - They arrive at school and are upset that they are late. They are worried that they will get into trouble and that people will be talking about them. They go to the normal place but have missed registration. They get told they need to go to the school office.

Domino Two - They feel even worse that they got another thing wrong by going to the wrong place.

Domino Three - They get lost on the way to the office and become dysregulated and upset.

Domino Four - They finally make it to the office, but there is a long queue. They go to their first class instead, missing out their locker, but they don't have all the things they need, so they get into trouble.

Domino Five - They focus on having been told off again, but to the teacher, they appear to be daydreaming. They then get told off for daydreaming.

Domino Six - They go to the second lesson and still don't have the correct equipment, so get in trouble again.

Domino Seven - A senior teacher arrives in the class looking for them because they haven't been registered. They get told off again for not following the correct procedure as well as friendly "reminder" that they need to be on time.

This pattern can then continue throughout the day, and with each falling domino, the feelings of worthlessness and self loathing increae. This is something that regularly happens to children with ADHD but is often an overlooked ADHD difficulty.