ADHD, Autism and Attention to Detail

Thinking about one of the conflicts that can occur, when both are involved

According to the NHS website:

  • One sign of ADHD is carelessness and lack of attention to detail.
  • One sign of autism is noticing small details that others do not.

Maybe it's just me, but there seems to be a bit of a conflict there. Or perhaps it explains the chaos I sometimes feel in my mind.

Much of the work I used to do in electronic design and software development required good attention to detail.

Self-praise isn't something that comes easily to me, but I think I did a pretty good job.

So how did I manage to minimise careless mistakes?

Did the autistic side of me take over, and zoom in on the details? Or did my 'ADHD hyperfocus' come to the rescue?

Perhaps it was a combination of factors, including some techniques that I stumbled across over the years.

Checking PCB Layouts

When I was in my late teens, one of my jobs included checking printed circuit board (PCB) layouts, which someone had drawn and printed using a computer.

Using a highlighter pen, I would mark errors and potential problems. The person then corrected their mistakes and gave me a new print-out. We would keep repeating those steps, until no more mistakes were found.

I happened to notice that I could spot additional mistakes by turning the page on its side, or even upside down. The change of orientation seemed to 'reset' my mind.

Background shows PCB layout. Text says ADHD, lack of attention to detail. Autism, noticing small details.
Image created by the author.

Written Mistakes

When I'm writing, I often make mistakes. But some of them only come to light after publishing, tweeting or emailing. Perhaps the thought of other people seeing my words motivates me to take a proper look at what I've written.

When I finally see the mistakes, I feel embarrassed and shocked that I failed to see them earlier.

To achieve a reasonable quality of work, I have to spend an excessive amount of time checking what I've done. Discovering mistakes causes anxiety, and makes me spend even longer the next time.

Tips

  • Try to take a step back, and imagine you're seeing what you're working on for the very first time.
  • Take a break, or work on something else for a while. Then come back to it.

Checking written work

  • Temporarily change the font typeface and size. (Create a copy if you want to avoid altering the original.)
  • Use your device's speech facility, and have it read the words. Close your eyes and listen carefully for mistakes.

Checking drawings

  • Rotate the page and look at it from different angles.
  • Check it in stages, by covering up all but one area at a time.

* * * * *

I have to admit that I don't always follow my own advice. And it isn't always 100% successful.

But the above tips can help, and I hope they might help you as well.

Thank You

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