Tapping the genius behind ADHD

Here's how to tap into the genius behind ADD and ADHD symptoms and unleash the gifted problem solving abilities that come with this condition ...

ADD/ADHD Secret #3:
It has been said that people with ADD/ADHD have, on average, 20% higher IQs than the rest of the population. This is due largely to the amazing problem solving capacity of people with ADD or ADHD wired brains.

Most IQ tests are designed to prefer lateral thinking ability over linear thinking because it is a greater sign of high intelligence. Albert Einstein was primarily a lateral thinker, as was Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, and Leonardo Da Vinci.

Lateral thinking is a problem solving approach where you attempt many different angles in order to find a solution. You think "outside the box" and you discover many new ways of framing problems rather than staying stuck.
People who are highly capable lateral thinkers are great solution finders; inventors, entrepreneurs, pioneers, explorers and artists. Their temperaments tend to be creative, energetic, impulsive and "distractible" because those are the qualities that facilitate great lateral thinking ability. Leonardo Da Vinci epitomized this kind of temperament, so that is why we call people with this temperament, "DaVinci types".

Most people with ADD and ADHD have the DaVinci type temperament and thus excel at lateral thinking ability. Lateral thinking is most effective in certain environments - generally situations where there is little or no established procedure for success - situations where the solution must be discovered as opposed to merely regurgitated.

Most entrepreneurs, inventors and pioneers find themselves in circumstances where strong lateral problem solving ability is a greater asset than any formula one might have memorized. Lateral thinking is creative and difficult to teach anyone who doesn't already have a penchant for it. It is the opposite of linear thinking, which is the kind of thinking encouraged and graded for in most public school systems.

If someone is a DaVinci type (most people with ADD/ADHD are) then they already are natural lateral thinkers. MENSA riddles can be used to further develop and hone this gift. MENSA riddles offer the following therapeutic benefits to someone with ADD/ADHD:

1) Difficult, sometimes baffling, genius caliber MENSA riddles are often compelling enough to capture the attention of someone with AD/HD and evoke their hyper-focus.

2) Good MENSA riddles have satisfying and elegant solutions, which are in and of themselves reward enough for the mental effort required to crack them.

3) MENSA riddles are a great mental workout – similar in effect to physical exercise – because they calm and focus the ADD or ADHD mind by releasing pent up energy.

4) MENSA riddles build self-esteem with each subsequent victory and show the AD/HD-er how brilliant they really are.

5) The mental effort required to do MENSA riddles effectively exercises the DaVinci type mind, making one smarter and smarter. (I have seen IQs boosted by about 35% simply by doing a handful of MENSA riddles every day for a few weeks.)

6) The solution finding ability that doing MENSA riddles develops in your mind makes solving other day-to-day life problems surprisingly easier