| The Mayo Clinic website says "the exact cause of | | | | S (Steadiness): introverted, people-oriented. Low S |
| ADHD remains a mystery...." No one has yet | | | | descriptors: Mobile, Active, Restless, Variety-Oriented, |
| determined what ADHD actually is, yet proponents | | | | Impatient, Impulsive, Impetuous, Hypertense. (Note: |
| keep telling us it exists - that it's a behavior "disorder" in | | | | these are normal behaviors in the Low S person.) |
| children and adults. The website says "heredity is the | | | | Children and adults with a Low S behavioral style need |
| most common cause of ADHD," but goes on to say | | | | to move around; they get restless when they have to |
| that "studies do not identify specific genes linked to the | | | | sit for long periods. People with a High S factor are the |
| disorder." I'm no scientist, but that's not good enough for | | | | opposite. High S descriptors: Passive, Patient, |
| me to believe it. | | | | Consistent, Deliberate, Steady, Stable. |
| I would like to offer an expert behavior definition and | | | | C (Compliance): introverted, task-oriented. Low C |
| explanation of ADHD "symptoms" that show they are | | | | descriptors: Self-Willed, Stubborn, Unsystematic, |
| actually normal behavior in people with certain behavior | | | | Uninhibited, Arbitrary, Careless with Details. |
| types. In 1928, Harvard psychologist William Moulton | | | | People with a Low C behavioral style tend to bend or |
| Marston first defined the four DISC behavioral styles in | | | | break rules. They are careless with details and tend to |
| his book The Emotions of Normal People. | | | | be disorganized. People with a High C style are the |
| That's NORMAL people. | | | | opposite. They are extremely organized and |
| In my 15 years as a Certified Professional Behavioral | | | | detail-oriented. High C descriptors: Careful, Cautious, |
| Analyst, my colleagues and I have done DISC | | | | Neat, Systematic, Exacting, Accurate. |
| personality testing on hundreds of thousands of people | | | | Normal Behavior |
| using the DISC assessment developed by Target | | | | Since all four of these high and low behavioral styles |
| Training International (TTI), and based on Dr. Marston's | | | | are natural and normal, where did we get the idea that |
| findings. People are either high or low in each | | | | only the High S and C are appropriate behavior? I |
| behavioral style and that determines how they do | | | | suspect it began in a classroom. I am a former public |
| things. | | | | school teacher, so I know teachers like for students to |
| Symptoms - of what? | | | | be quiet and studious in class, complete their |
| According to webmd.com, some of the most common | | | | assignments, sit still, and not speak without raising their |
| symptoms of ADHD are: | | | | hands. This is easy for introverted children with High S |
| An inability to pay attention to details and a | | | | and C, Low D and I behavioral styles - and difficult for |
| tendency to make careless mistakes. (As opposed to | | | | extroverted students with High D and I, Low S and C |
| careful mistakes?) | | | | factors. |
| Being easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli; i.e. noise | | | | Somewhere along the way we labeled children as |
| or events. (I have a problem with the word "irrelevant;" | | | | being abnormal and having a behavior "disorder" if they |
| according to whom?) | | | | didn't fit a particular (quiet, easy to manage) behavioral |
| Disorganized work habits. | | | | pattern. Those children kept that stigma into adulthood |
| Failure to complete tasks. | | | | and now we have people like Howie Mandel claiming |
| Talking excessively. | | | | on the Internet to be "one of the 10 million adults in the |
| Not listening to others. | | | | United States who may have Attention Deficit |
| Not following rules. | | | | Hyperactivity Disorder." (At least he says "may" have.) |
| Fidgeting when seated; getting up frequently to | | | | Many of us who are behavior specialists have a |
| walk or run around. | | | | serious problem with the hypocrisy of telling children |
| Impatience. | | | | not to do drugs to hype themselves up, but to do |
| Frequently interrupting others. | | | | drugs to calm themselves down. It's also a shame that |
| Descriptors | | | | many adults use the excuse that "I have ADHD" in |
| One of the pages in TTI's DISC assessment is entitled, | | | | order not to improve themselves or do things they |
| "Descriptors." These are words that describe a normal | | | | don't want to do. |
| person's DISC behavioral style, according to Dr. | | | | People who have claimed to me to have ADHD say |
| Marston and TTI: | | | | they have trouble focusing on tasks. I ask them if they |
| D (Dominance): extroverted, task-oriented. High D | | | | have trouble focusing when they're doing something |
| descriptors: Demanding, Driving, Strong-Willed, Forceful, | | | | they really enjoy. To a person, they've all said, "No." If |
| Determined, Aggressive, Inquisitive. | | | | they had a chemical, genetic, or otherwise behavior |
| Adults and children with a Core D behavioral style tend | | | | disorder that kept them from focusing, how could they |
| to be impatient, multi-tasker types who are | | | | focus on anything, ever? |
| variety-oriented and get bored with the status quo. | | | | Successful Behaviors |
| They want to move on to another task or project | | | | Some of the most successful people in the world |
| when their current one becomes routine. People with a | | | | have the High D/I, Low S/C behavioral style. For |
| Low D style are the opposite. Low D descriptors: | | | | example (besides Howie Mandel): Donald Trump, |
| Cooperative, Low-Keyed, Cautious, Agreeable, | | | | Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and Julia Roberts. |
| Modest, Unobtrusive. | | | | The same goes for people high in the S/C and low in |
| I (Influencing): extroverted, people-oriented. High I | | | | the D/I styles. For example, Bill Gates, Martha Stewart, |
| descriptors: Effusive, Demonstrative, Enthusiastic, | | | | Steven Covey, and Meryl Streep. |
| Magnetic, Persuasive. | | | | There would be a lot more well-adjusted children and |
| Those with a Core I behavioral style tend to talk | | | | adults in society if parents, educators, physicians, and |
| excessively and be poor listeners, often interrupting | | | | bosses would study DISC behavior, learn how to |
| people. Their strongest psychological need is to | | | | manage and relate to people with different behavior |
| verbalize and socialize with others. Being | | | | types, and allow people of all ages to be who they |
| people-oriented, they can easily become distracted by | | | | really are. |
| other people when working on a task - especially one | | | | How about let's start treating people as equals, |
| they don't find stimulating. People with a Low I style are | | | | beginning in childhood, and stop telling half the population |
| the opposite. Low I descriptors: Reflective, Factual, | | | | there is something wrong with them. Because there's |
| Calculating, Logical, Undemonstrative. | | | | not. |