ADHD & competing

[18hhOlls&Me]

I have inattentive type ADHD and scored 9 out of a possible 9 on the DIV measuring scale, 9 being the worst!
I take Elvanse daily which is NOT meth or anything of the sort, it just helps me be more organised and focused. An actress described it as ‘trying to do your job with an orchestra playing in your head with no conductor’ which is a pretty good description.

one thing I struggle with is memorising the sequence of jumps and number of strides I have counted out in advance. In fact I got 3rd when I should have got 1st in an unaffiliated time trial SJ event because I mixed the order.

should those with an actual medical diagnosis presented as a report from your ADHD Dr mean that they should get the diagram of the course a half hour before anyone else or something like that? I’m not saying it definitely should, but it does make things very difficult. Same for remembering dressage tests. Maybe that’s why I love XC so much ? what’s your opinion?X

 

[Red-1]

I would say that was a reasonable adjustment, as the official term would be. I would write in to BS with it.

TBH, our local centre has a sheaf of course designs near the collecting ring which you could browse through unofficially.

Also, the jumps in BS don't tend to move, they just pilot you round different ways. Would it help you to walk whatever the first course of the day was, and then you wold know the distances and angles, then when 'your' course was posted, you would already be half familiar?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would certainly write to BS, it would give them food for thought. Do they make adjustments for people with obvious physical disabilities in any of their competitions> If so it would be worth talking to them about hidden disability.

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

Yes as I am much better visualising it/several times and even do things like give each a girls name for example in alphabetical order. Seems to work no idea how! Thanks for your understanding and advice, I will look up the relevant pages and send in an enquiry. I have a pdf report on my diagnosis and medication written by a dr who specialises in adhd. I think for this to work those with adhd would need to provide evidence of their condition. I scored 9/9 for inattentive so take 50mg of Elvanse daily. Others mah have milder cases or may score say 5/9 for hyperactive and 1/9 for inattentive subtype so it could be quite complex to rule on!!

 

[Red-1]

Yes as I am much better visualising it/several times and even do things like give each a girls name for example in alphabetical order. Seems to work no idea how! Thanks for your understanding and advice, I will look up the relevant pages and send in an enquiry. I have a pdf report on my diagnosis and medication written by a dr who specialises in adhd. I think for this to work those with adhd would need to provide evidence of their condition. I scored 9/9 for inattentive so take 50mg of Elvanse daily. Others mah have milder cases or may score say 5/9 for hyperactive and 1/9 for inattentive subtype so it could be quite complex to rule on!!

To be honest, sometimes in seeking to make things more accessible to people, it makes it better for everyone. I can't see the disadvantage to publishing the courses at the beginning of the day for BS, for everyone. The course designer will have got them already. I guess they would have to have a rule that the course is not confirmed until the class is set, to cover cases where ground doesn't hold up, but the vast majority are held on surfaces now.

Before I sold my mare, a show jumper took her to some shows. She is so busy all day, she only has time to walk the course once, at the start. TBH, if she has novices there, she just looks at the course and rides the distances with the novices (she has a good eye!) and then adapts for the rest of the day. For a busy pro, knowing the layout of all courses at the start would enable them to get their eye in.

Many people have difficulties learning courses, it would be advantageous to loads of people.

 

[Shay]

My daughter has ADHD and competed to a fair level in BS Juniors. She doesn't compete as an adult - or relatively rarely - but it is through disincliantion rather than her diagnosis.

Every person is different. Every experience of ADHD is unique. I can only offer our experience in case there is something there that will help. You don't say your age but I know from experience that with a relatively young diagnosis in the UK the focus tends to be (or was when we started this journey about 10 years ago) on medication rather than life skills.

There are loads of resources for neurodiverse individuals in the internet and social media (if you are under 16 please ask a trusted adult to help you find safe sites.) It is usually a question of finding a way that hooks for you. Within all that inattention there is also hyperfocussing attention. You just have to hook that bit of your brain in a safe way.

We didn't get any support from BS - or pony club, or BHS. I understand BHS might be improving now but the line was very much if you couldn't focus you had no place being around horses becuase they are dangerous. We had absolutely no truck with any of that and sorted out what DD needed to enable her to do what she wanted and we did it quite well I think! But we did it by reasarching and understanding the condition generally - and particularly looking at adult experiecne even though she was a child. You don't grow out of this - you just learn to cope.

For us a course plan early wouldn't have helped. DD could always memorize reasonably well but in the heat of the moment and that ocrchestral "fog" you mention OP it would all go. We found singing worked. Gives the brain something else to do. (You have to do it under your breath in dressage...) Visaulisation beforehand helped. She would take photos of each fence on her phone on approach when we were course walking - or video the course walk (Not in affilliated - you have to be a bit discrete there...) and look at it back in the lorry. We had a very small clip on camera for her jacket we used from time to time and no-one noticed. When she was really fairly little we used to have model horses and I would draw the jumps so she could take her model horses over them to rehearse the course. I can't remember when that stopped - 10 or 11 I think? Relatively early. Eventually you train the brain to do what you want.

If you can OP we found a supportive sports and lifeskills coach to be really good. They had all the tools we could try and adapt to find the things that work. Never give up. Your difference is a gift. The world does not think like you. Is not creative like you. Is not intiuitive like you. Yes you have to find a way to make your brilliance work in the otherwise limited world. But never let the world limit you!

And did you know that ADHD is often genetic? If you have it there is a more than 50% chance that one of your parents does too? It just wasn't recognised so well, or at all in adults until recently. You are not alone!

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

To be honest, sometimes in seeking to make things more accessible to people, it makes it better for everyone. I can't see the disadvantage to publishing the courses at the beginning of the day for BS, for everyone. The course designer will have got them already. I guess they would have to have a rule that the course is not confirmed until the class is set, to cover cases where ground doesn't hold up, but the vast majority are held on surfaces now.

Before I sold my mare, a show jumper took her to some shows. She is so busy all day, she only has time to walk the course once, at the start. TBH, if she has novices there, she just looks at the course and rides the distances with the novices (she has a good eye!) and then adapts for the rest of the day. For a busy pro, knowing the layout of all courses at the start would enable them to get their eye in.

Many people have difficulties learning courses, it would be advantageous to loads of people.

Totally agree- will help those with ADHD or similar conditions and means a level playing field...I could write to BS and say there is some support for this idea. Only issuing it to those with ADHD could be problematic as I said, as some may not have a diagnosis or a diagnostic report to provide, and it’s bound to cause some to abuse the system or others to say it’s an unfair advantage, especially those who don’t understand how ADHD affects people. This could be especially helpful for younger riders too

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Totally agree- will help those with ADHD or similar conditions and means a level playing field...I could write to BS and say there is some support for this idea. Only issuing it to those with ADHD could be problematic as I said, as some may not have a diagnosis or a diagnostic report to provide, and it’s bound to cause some to abuse the system or others to say it’s an unfair advantage, especially those who don’t understand how ADHD affects people. This could be especially helpful for younger riders too

You could always talk to BS about The Equality Act 2010, all organisations that charge for their services - and some others- have to make 'reasonable adjustments' to enable inclusive participation. No-one says, for instance, that only wheelchair users can use the ramp to get into the local library, there is no reason why every-one couldn't see the course plan at the beginning of the day.

 

[SmallSteps]

Jumped second rounds at SNEC recently and they had all the course plans on the web the day before, along with the start times. Really nicely done

 

[sbloom]

drbarabracohen.com is a fantastic resource for ADHD, she focuses on executive function skills, one of which is working memory. Meds plus EF coaching is a good combo.

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

I wa

My daughter has ADHD and competed to a fair level in BS Juniors. She doesn't compete as an adult - or relatively rarely - but it is through disincliantion rather than her diagnosis.

Every person is different. Every experience of ADHD is unique. I can only offer our experience in case there is something there that will help. You don't say your age but I know from experience that with a relatively young diagnosis in the UK the focus tends to be (or was when we started this journey about 10 years ago) on medication rather than life skills.

There are loads of resources for neurodiverse individuals in the internet and social media (if you are under 16 please ask a trusted adult to help you find safe sites.) It is usually a question of finding a way that hooks for you. Within all that inattention there is also hyperfocussing attention. You just have to hook that bit of your brain in a safe way.

We didn't get any support from BS - or pony club, or BHS. I understand BHS might be improving now but the line was very much if you couldn't focus you had no place being around horses becuase they are dangerous. We had absolutely no truck with any of that and sorted out what DD needed to enable her to do what she wanted and we did it quite well I think! But we did it by reasarching and understanding the condition generally - and particularly looking at adult experiecne even though she was a child. You don't grow out of this - you just learn to cope.

For us a course plan early wouldn't have helped. DD could always memorize reasonably well but in the heat of the moment and that ocrchestral "fog" you mention OP it would all go. We found singing worked. Gives the brain something else to do. (You have to do it under your breath in dressage...) Visaulisation beforehand helped. She would take photos of each fence on her phone on approach when we were course walking - or video the course walk (Not in affilliated - you have to be a bit discrete there...) and look at it back in the lorry. We had a very small clip on camera for her jacket we used from time to time and no-one noticed. When she was really fairly little we used to have model horses and I would draw the jumps so she could take her model horses over them to rehearse the course. I can't remember when that stopped - 10 or 11 I think? Relatively early. Eventually you train the brain to do what you want.

If you can OP we found a supportive sports and lifeskills coach to be really good. They had all the tools we could try and adapt to find the things that work. Never give up. Your difference is a gift. The world does not think like you. Is not creative like you. Is not intiuitive like you. Yes you have to find a way to make your brilliance work in the otherwise limited world. But never let the world limit you!

And did you know that ADHD is often genetic? If you have it there is a more than 50% chance that one of your parents does too? It just wasn't recognised so well, or at all in adults until recently. You are not alone!

thank you and well done to your daughter! All this advice is great and I will pursue this. I was a late diagnosis as I was somehow quite good academically so although I was tested for other things they never pinned it down. People understand ADHD much better now and it seems as if giving all access to the course could be beneficial to pretty much everyone

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

You could always talk to BS about The Equality Act 2010, all organisations that charge for their services - and some others- have to make 'reasonable adjustments' to enable inclusive participation. No-one says, for instance, that only wheelchair users can use the ramp to get into the local library, there is no reason why every-one couldn't see the course plan at the beginning of the day.

Yes good idea- will certainly explore that x

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

drbarabracohen.com is a fantastic resource for ADHD, she focuses on executive function skills, one of which is working memory. Meds plus EF coaching is a good combo.

Wow just checked her out- some great stuff on there. Although my medication is for me life changing particularly in the case of managing money, these techniques are brilliant x

 

[catembi]

I was just thinking about this the other day! I am Aspie and have a very poor short term memory and struggle so badly with learning sj courses and dr tests. I particularly struggled with BS two phase where there is the jump off to learn as well & hardly any time to do it in. With dr tests, I can learn them & learn them & learn them, but it wears off v quickly & I forget again. I know I could have a caller but a) I haven't got a suitable person and b) I would be embarrassed as I worry that the judge would think I haven't bothered to learn my test when in fact I've done nothing BUT learn it for weeks.

Not sure what the answer would be iro sj. I would need something like an earpiece with someone telling me to turn right or left. I struggle even with a 4 jump sequence in lessons. I am not that great at thinking on the spot either (do I kick or pull, etc) & when there is too much going on at once, my brain just jams up. Oh dear, I probably need a different hobby rather than a reasonable adjustment...

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

I was just thinking about this the other day! I am Aspie and have a very poor short term memory and struggle so badly with learning sj courses and dr tests. I particularly struggled with BS two phase where there is the jump off to learn as well & hardly any time to do it in. With dr tests, I can learn them & learn them & learn them, but it wears off v quickly & I forget again. I know I could have a caller but a) I haven't got a suitable person and b) I would be embarrassed as I worry that the judge would think I haven't bothered to learn my test when in fact I've done nothing BUT learn it for weeks.

Not sure what the answer would be iro sj. I would need something like an earpiece with someone telling me to turn right or left. I struggle even with a 4 jump sequence in lessons. I am not that great at thinking on the spot either (do I kick or pull, etc) & when there is too much going on at once, my brain just jams up. Oh dear, I probably need a different hobby rather than a reasonable adjustment...

No don’t give up! I feel there is support for a different way of doing things that will benefit all competitors

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

Wow just checked her out- some great stuff on there. Although my medication is for me life changing particularly in the case of managing money, these techniques are brilliant x

Yes amazing resource!