Your Success Stories!!

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What is your story?  

Email me at DocJillH@gmail. com to be featured here - or to just tell me your story without having it featured here.  

Stories submitted by readers: 

Working with kids:

I saw your post and wanted to share because I'm surprised that I don't hear more often about ADHD success in child care jobs. 

I find that working in preschool and related jobs gives me constant mental stimulation, slow but regular physical movement (good balance of standing, sitting, walking), some outside time, variety, purpose, happiness, challenge. It helps when I have a regular schedule, yet enough change each day or year that I don't get bored. Many of these jobs come to a natural end after a period of time (kids grow up) so I can move on to new workplaces which gives me new things to learn and keeps me motivated. I have also worked as a nanny, ESL teacher, camp counselor, special needs support worker, behaviour interventionist, outdoor preschool leader, babysitter. All great for me.

 I can shine with my ability to multitask, adapt, be flexible and give each student the care they need. I thrive in a busy environment that demands calm (for a limited amount of time before I need to recharge at home). My services are in high demand and I enjoy my work. 

I fail at being on time, yet once had an understanding boss who gave me flexibility within a certain window. Most of my other jobs have a little flexibility, but I still need to work on that issue. I get overwhelmed and messier when my schedule is irregular, too spread out, too much commuting, too much paperwork with scheduling and invoicing all the different jobs and clients. I am constantly finding ways, though slowly, to simplify my schedule, number of clients, commutes, etc. I know I wouldn't want to run a sizeable business as I can't handle the paperwork. I am reliable at work and I work hard, though when things get busy I am tired and disorganized at home. It is a huge feat to get all that in order. I hope to get my home, sleep, self care and social life in priority as well. It's extra hard at home with an ADHD partner (hyperactive type), while I am inattentive type. That's a whole other story.

Going a little deeper, my self led education about ADHD helps my clients in my work as I gain a better understanding of brain types and behavior. Both in preschool and in outside sessions, I work with children with autism and other diagnoses. I have had to improve my own social and other skills as I teach them. I am also more aware of issues to work on with kids in therapy, and I can use my own mistakes as social stories for them!

As I learn more, I can work better with our strengths, at the right times (for myself, my partner, and students). I reflect deeper on why I am the way I am, and what to do about it. I struggle with motivation and I am gaining tools for working with my flow. 

While at work, with kids and supportive, collaborative co-teachers, I am motivated to do my best and I enjoy it.

Success Story - Jill Hosmer Jolley:

Starting with my very first job, I always looked for more effective ways to do things. This is not a behavior always welcomed by 40 year old managers from 18 year old employees, especially in the 80's, so there were certainly roadblocks along the way.

Through jobs in a bookstore, bank, brokerage firm and university, my high level of energy, easy generation of new ideas, hyperfocus on a problem, passionate pursuit of positive outcomes and occasional missteps impacted my career. Managers during the journey were sometimes amazing and sometimes unaware of best practices to capitalize on my strengths.

Ultimately my experiences inspired my research to gather voices of people with ADHD behaviors about what their managers were doing during times when they were feeling great about their work and their managers were also happy with their performance.

On Friday May 25th, 2018, I completed my PhD in Business Administration with a specialization in Management. I will spend the rest of my life focused on activities and projects that reduce unemployment, increase workplace success (and satisfaction) of ADHD, ASD and neurodiverse employees, and validating (or invalidating) research on how managers should manage this special population for organizational success.

Aspie versus Neurotypical

Here is a GREAT YouTube video where a girl with Autism talks about what is great about being an "aspie" versus a "neurotypical"     https://blog.theautismsite.com/why-i-love-being-an-aspie/?utm_source=aut-autaware&utm_medium=social-fb&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=why-i-love-being-an-aspie&origin=aut-autaware_social_fb_link_why-i-love-being-an-aspie