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BobaFloutistyesterday at 10:44 PM1 replyview on HN

>ADHD sometimes comes with hyper focus, which if it manifest in the right way can help you in university.

"Hyperfocus" is a clinical term for focus that is excessive enough to be an impairment. People often conflate it with the term "Special interest" used for Autism, but it's completely different, it refers to the inability to pull focus away from something despite wanting and needing to. It is, definitionally, without benefit. If there's a benefit, it's not hyperfocus.

Which makes sense, if you think about it. ADHD is characterized by poor ability to direct attention. People know about it causing a lack of attention to things that need attention, but it can also cause attention to things that don't need it.


Replies

dathinabyesterday at 11:30 PM

yes I don't mean "special interest"

and I'm aware that people with ADHD don't really have any way to direct it

and that it can easily lead to them neglecting everything from them self, over work to social relationships

so it will help more then it hurts in university

but it still can matter before, even if it's just a parent mistaking a hyper focus on some science topic with a special interest in it and then exposing you to more science related stuff earlier one in life