3: Diagnosing ADHD in Women, Boredom Vital for Creativity

Today we are chatting with Katherine, a 2nd year Ph.D. student in molecular biology at the University of Connecticut with ADHD.

Katherine’s story is somewhat unique in the realm of ADHD, and we begin by talking about the unequal treatment which comes with the underdiagnosing of ADHD in women. This lack of acceptance of girls having ADHD played a significant role in her K-12 education, spurring the guilt and shame associated with several formative memories – especially a poorly-executed attempt at cheating on a Spanish test. Yet, for much of this conversation, these moments serve more as a starting point for a wider discussion about the issues inherent to the standardization of the American education system. We take a hard look at how we are failing to meet neurodiverse students in the middle. It was not until Katherine was able to take part in research as an undergrad that she felt her creativity was appreciated and important. This helped build her confidence as she stepped into graduate school and gave her the courage necessary to advocate for her needs now as a doctoral student. Indeed, as Katherine teaches us, the road may be long, and the system may be unfair for neurodiverse students, but there is a way to leverage moments of frustration with the system into long-term success.

Square Pegs is a series of intimate conversations about navigating life and learning within the neurodiverse community, hosted by Dr. Arash Zaghi, Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Engineering. In each episode, we talk to neurodiverse students and experts in the field of neurodiversity.

Send feedback about Square Pegs to [e-mail] or find us at squarepegspodcast.com.

01:58 Guest intro and motivations for joining us: Katherine, 2nd year Ph.D. student in molecular biology

03:54 The stigma and power dynamics of unequal treatment and diagnosis of ADHD between males and females

07:45 Early childhood memories and lasting impacts on identity

13:10 The impact of parents filling gaps in executive function to shield their neurodiverse children

17:13 Cheating on a 5th grade Spanish test and the consequences of getting caught

20:24 The disconnect between American education focusing on memorization and the real world

25:30 The all-consuming nature of school for the American student

28:36 Boredom, play, and unstructured time are vital for developing creativity

33:25 Middle school and high school: first significant traumas from the accommodation system failing

39:10 We are terrible at teaching STEM in a way that excites students

48:54 The inherent failure of standardized teaching and the diminishing of creativity

52:12 College years and learning to work through the lack of structure

54:20 Undergrad research is extremely transformative

1:00:15 Education 2.0 and thinking outside the classroom for the future of learning

1:04:03 The benefits of purposeful failure

1:18:48 Grad school and navigating the advisor-advisee relationship

1:32:25 Wrap up: Advice to the past self