Topic - ADHD and Empathy. Parents brought him to me because he was hugging the newborn kittens to death. They asked, “Is he going to be a serial killer?”
No, turns out he had Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. He couldn’t judge how tightly he was holding the kitties and was most worried about dropping them.
Parents were concerned about his lack of empathy. The parts of the brain related to empathy aren’t damaged because of ADHD. Those with the disorder don’t see the cues that call for an empathic response and because they are likely to have such poor social skills, they don’t emotionally respond “on target”.
Their “here and now”-orientation may cause them to appear callous to others. They simply forget and move on. “What’s the big deal?” In their mind, it’s about the “next” thing, not the “now” thing.
Finally, people with ADHD want to help, but they just can’t organize their behavior and stick with it long enough to be supportive. ADHD can cause serious social problems.
