Jeff Manes: ‘Coach Dan’ helps others cope with ADHD

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Dan Reynolds of Ogden Dunes, Ind., has had ADHD all his life, but wasn’t diagnosed until about 18 months ago. “Since last year, I’ve trained to be an ADHD coach and I’ve formed a support group for adults with ADHD,” he said. | Photo provided

Updated: January 12, 2012 8:06AM

“... Most everybody’s got seed to sow

It ain’t always easy for a weed to grow, oh no

So he don’t hoe the row for no one

Oh for sure he’s always missing

And something is never quite right

Ah, but who would care to listen to you

Kissing his existence good night ... .”

— James Taylor

When Dan Reynolds played Little League baseball, he prayed the opposing pitcher would walk him because he almost always swung and missed when batting.

Reynolds knew back then that something wasn’t quite right, but who would care to listen? About a year-and-a-half ago, at age 60, Reynolds was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He’s had ADHD all his life.

Reynolds lives in Ogden Dunes about a beach ball’s toss from Lake Michigan with his wife, Jeanne. They have raised a son, who is a Chicago firefighter.

***

Lived in Ogden Dunes all your life?

“No, my wife and I were raised in Chicago,” he said.

What neighborhood?

“Beverly; on the South Side. I went to Quigley South High School; it was a preparatory seminary. You went there because you intended to be a priest.”

Dan, give me an insider’s point of view regarding ADHD.

“When I was 11, I joined Little League and spent most of my time in the outfield, chasing the ball and praying to God that I’d get a walk rather than suffering the humiliation of striking out yet again.

“Also, at 11, I joined the Boy Scouts and, 31/2 years later, became an Eagle Scout. Those two events point to one of the many paradoxes surrounding ADHD. We have incredible strengths and, at the same time, incredible weaknesses.”

Kids can be vicious.

“I was the kid who was ridiculed and made fun of. I was never part of the group in the neighborhood.”

How did you do in school?

“I was in the slow reading group, slow to do my work and slow to answer the teacher’s questions. Not only was I slow, I also was sloppy and careless. My desk was a disaster area. I had trouble paying attention. Parent-teacher conferences come along and we learn that we don’t apply ourselves, aren’t motivated and don’t meet our potential.”

You probably started getting the reputation of being lazy.

“Yes, we do. When, in fact, people with ADHD work much harder to accomplish the same things normal people do. We know there is something wrong, but we don’t know what.”

What are some other symptoms?

“We lack attention to details, make careless mistakes and are forgetful. People with ADHD lose things like their keys or wallet or purse a lot and are unable to sustain focus. We appear not to listen and are easily distracted. We’re also restless and can’t sit still. We talk excessively and blurt things out and can’t wait our turn.”

Dan, I have some of those traits. Mom blamed it on chemical imbalances, left-handedness and too much pasta as a child, but that was back in the early ’60s.

“We all exhibit some of those symptoms at times. To have the disorder, it has to be pervasive and you have to have a majority of the symptoms, not just one or two.”

Dan, you’re obviously intelligent.

“ADHD has nothing to do with intelligence. I’ve been assessed several times, and my IQ always has been higher than normal.

“My son had the highest IQ in the school district. I have two grandchildren; both have been assessed and both have been accepted into gifted programs in Chicago public schools. All four of us have ADHD.”

It’s a genetic thing?

“Yes, ADHD is a neurobiological or neurochemical disorder. If you have ADHD, the odds are 77 percent that you got it from a parent. If you are an identical twin, the chances are 92 percent that your twin sibling also has the disorder.”

From whom did you get it, your mother or father?

“I don’t know; I’m adopted.”

Is ADHD curable?

“No, it’s a chronic disorder. It is, however, one of the most treatable neurological disorders that exist.”

Myths about ADHD?

“Some people blame poor parenting, diet or our fast-moving culture. Some people claim it doesn’t exist, and some claim it’s a conspiracy among the pharmaceutical industry and doctors to sell more drugs. Science doesn’t support any of those notions, and all the conspiracy claims have been dismissed by the courts as frivolous.”

High school?

“More of the same; I finished in the bottom third of my class.”

College?

“I flunked out my first semester. My dad stopped paying my tuition, and I returned to enroll in a community college. I spent a lot of time studying in the cafeteria while smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee.”

And?

“All of a sudden, I could focus in class. In three semesters, I completed two years of college with a 3.5 (grade-point average). I was instrumental in forming the first student government and was elected president. I felt vibrant and alive; I was learning. Not only was I part of a group, I was a leader. By accident, I had discovered the primary treatment for ADHD.”

What’s that?

“Stimulants. That was the hippie generation. While most kids were seeking illegal drugs to enhance their experience of normal, I was using legal stimulants to feel normal.”

Tobacco and caffeine.

“You got it. Effective treatment for ADHD is a multimodal approach consisting of medication, education, psychotherapy and coaching. Stimulants are the most effective treatment and work well for about 85 percent of the ADHD population.”

Your working career?

“After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a 3.91 GPA, I went on to have an extremely successful career in developing software.”

Amazing turnaround.

“Then, 13 years ago, almost overnight, my life began to fall apart.”

You quit smoking and drinking coffee.

“When I quit, I was smoking 31/2 packs and drinking six pots of coffee a day. Three years ago, I closed my business. I lost more than $400,000 in out-of-pocket business expenses. A year ago, I came to the realization I had ADHD. My wife had suggested the possibility for years. I started reading a book entitled ‘You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!’ Before I finished the first chapter, I knew what was wrong.

“As I sat in bed that night with tears in my eyes, I understood why I always felt insecure and lacked confidence. Within two months, I was officially diagnosed and started taking medication. Almost overnight, I could sustain focus again.”

What are you doing today?

“Since last year, I’ve trained to be an ADHD coach and I’ve formed a support group for adults with ADHD. I’m also forming a not-for-profit organization called the Northwest Indiana ADHD Network; its mission is to improve the quality of life for people with ADHD and their families.”

***

Dan Reynolds showed me some staggering statistics regarding adults with ADHD as far as divorce rates, job termination, traffic tickets, automobile crashes and the percentage of our prison population that has ADHD.

Reynolds also told me Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein were thought to have had ADHD, and that discount broker Charles Schwab, actors Bill Cosby, Jim Carrey, Whoopie Goldberg and Robin Williams, and former Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan have acknowledged their ADHD.