Updated January 29, 2013.

Poor Social and Relationship Skills: Due to the distractibility and mental busyness of the ADD adult, it is often difficult for them to see what others around them might need, including their spouses, friends, children, bosses, co-workers. In addition, the impulsivity factor may lead to inappropriate emotional outbursts or behaviors that put off the person's closest allies and deteriorates the level of trust that exists.

In order to improve in their social skills, the ADD adult must learn to stop, take a breath and look around themselves. This will have the dual effect of warding off impulsive and inappropriate responses while also forcing them to ask what the other person might need from them.

Inability to Plan Tasks and Manage Time: ADD adults have a very difficult time understanding work flow, estimating time, and organizing their efforts. In starting a task, it is impossible for them to visualize a plan with sub-tasks, and the amount of effort required at each step. The result is an uneven, disorganized effort which is invariably completed late. The planning calendar described above is the perfect instrument to use for the ADD adult to improve their task planning and time management skills.

Unreliable Short-Term Memory: Due to the overall distractibility of ADD adults, they often have difficulty remembering their immediate thoughts, ideas, and plans. Even as they are formulating their response to a task, conversation, or problem, their mind changes subjects and the plan is gone.

It's not even uncommon for an adult with ADD to forget the task instructions or the details of the problem they were trying to respond to! The planning calendar described above is the perfect instrument to use for capturing thoughts, plans, and ideas.

Continued Reading and Cognitive Disabilities: Learning issues that may co-exisit with ADD, including reading, spelling, and language/mathematical processing issues, do not disappear as we grow to adults. If these are present in the ADD adult, there will be corresponding difficulties in performing job duties, managing personal finances, helping children with homework, conducting personal and business transactions, and staying current on the news and community events. There are many skill-building methods now available that can help improve an ADD adult's performance in the specific area of their learning disability.

Disorganization: Disorganization of an ADD adult's overall life (business, family, finances, etc.) is the logical outcome of all of the factors discussed above. When combining impulsivity, poor social skills, weak time management, continued learning disabilities and distractibility, it's a wonder that adults with ADD function as well as they do. The coping skills discussed above, combined with nutritional or pharmaceutical support, can help ADD adults lead much calmer, more focused and successful lives.

Article by Jeanne Bauer. www.add-adhd-infoplus.com