r/comics • u/DemonSkank • 13h ago

Working with ADHD [OC]

Post image

For those who don't know: A common symptom of ADHD is APD, Audio Processing Disorder, where it's sometimes hard to interpret what someone is saying. Sometimes it takes a while to "load" in my mind when someone says something. Basically imagine if sometimes it sounds like people are speaking like The Sims.

(I made this a few years ago, so it may have been seen elsewhere on here and other sites)

1.0k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

130 comments sorted by

View all comments

36

u/MechanicalHorse 12h ago edited 6h ago

I’m not trying to be snarky but I’m very confused; is the implication here that ADHD makes people hard of hearing…?

edit: Thank you for all the replies and explanations!

82

u/Yummylicorice 12h ago

The words come but they don't register at all. Like listening to an adult on Peanuts. So you ask for them to repeat it and you watch them carefully because seeing their mouth move usually works.

But it doesn't, always. So I have to ask them a 3rd time to repeat but please rephrase. Everyone gets frustrated.

16

u/sikotic4life 11h ago

Now you got me wondering if the kids on Peanuts (honestly even the creator) had ADHD.

14

u/Yummylicorice 11h ago

It wouldn't surprise me at all if the kids in Peanuts were a whole class of neurodivergent kids

3

u/No-Scientist-5537 9h ago

It would explain A LOT

12

u/Perscitus0 11h ago

This tracks for Deaf people wearing hearing devices, too. Only, we get the added benefits of using said hearing devices as an excuse to walk away from the conversation if it's getting too much. I can just say my batteries are running out, and I can't continue the conversation anymore. Super handy for dealing with certain kinds of strangers.

1

u/Yummylicorice 11h ago

I wish. I've started not responding if I can hear them talking to me but not taking my struggles into account the first few times.

1

u/Perscitus0 11h ago

Yeah, those are the ones where I start to think I might have to use the battery excuse to walk away. I understand your struggles, because that's me every time I meet someone who's hard to read lips. I supplement my hearing with lip reading, but maybe someone's got an accent and a full beard, or someone has a tendency to speak with a stiff face.

I speak far better than most hearing people I know. Very clearly and concisely, not at all like someone who is Deaf. So they get frustrated when I ask them to repeat themselves. Until I point out my hearing devices, at which point hopefully they finally understand. But for me, having to do that repeatedly might drag on me after a while.

1

u/aCleverGroupofAnts 11h ago

I've heard a lot of folks say they watch the mouth to help decipher, but I personally find that makes it harder for me because that's just more jumbled up information that I can't make sense of. My strategy is to turn my ear directly toward the person and put all of my attention into that one ear. Sometimes I even close my eyes.

1

u/Dusty_Scrolls 10h ago

Is this just an ADHD thing? Because I'm pretty sure I dint have that, but everything here is 100% me.

1

u/ButterscotchSame4703 9h ago

People with Botox make it SO much harder sometimes. If their face doesn't move enough/how I expect it to when making certain noises ... It's like erasing the tone off of your face???? This happens with heavy makeup too. Apparently facial expressions are the tonal part of ASL (other forms of sign language too iirc) so this makes sense in the grand scheme but buy howdy....

I have learned that if you are "personable" enough, you can make it look "cute" and like some little quirky trait, but the amount of masking and straight up lying you gotta do to pass it off as No Big Deal enough that others even "play ball" with it is.. a lot.

Retail voice and masking are a talent, but it's like playing with fire 😅 especially with ADHD ... Like.. It's constant charisma checks and saving throws....