Definition:

A disorder that includes difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling impulsivity and hyperactivity. ("ADHD," 2003)

Review

In 2005, Rick Riordan released the first of five books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Lightning Thief, featuring the twelve year old protagonist, Percy, who happens to struggle with both dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, or ADHD. The beginning of the novel nods at the fact that because of these disorders, Percy was often misconstrued as a troublemaker and, therefore, was bumped around from school to school. He used his disabilities as an excuse for why things never went right for him, and allowed them to define who he is. While this may not seem like a very positive perspective to show to young readers, Riordan turns the novel around to reveal that these traits actually benefit him more than they harm him. Because of his status as a demi-god, Percy is supposed to be trained in ancient Greek and be a skilled warrior, and both of his disabilities actually come in handy for these talents. In terms of being a warrior, Riordan spins his ADHD to make Percy quick on his feet and a fast thinker in battle, and his dyslexia is a power that allows him to read ancient Greek.

Riordan wrote Percy this way for the same reason that this book should be encouraged to be read in the classroom. According to an interview in the Guardian, Riordan's son was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia at a young age, so the author used his character as a way for his son to better understand his disability. He hoped to help his son see that they simply mean that he sees the world differently from others, but his disabilities are not necessarily a bad thing (Adams, 2016). The books are meant to set the minds of young readers, like Riordan's son, at ease because they can see that they are not alone and that their disabilities do not have to define who they are.

Though it may pertain to a different disability, in her article "A Case for the Autistic Perspective in Young Adult Literature," Rachel Van Hart advocates for the reevaluation of people with disorders on the autism spectrum. She believes that, in the past, people have not been able to see past the idea that having a disability is a negative characteristic that inhibits an individual's ability to be "normal". She states how the major issue is that the public "ignores the possibility that what is perceived as an ASD [Autism Spectrum Disorder] individual's weaknesses may also function as strengths." She, along with many other parents or siblings, learned this first hand, as she speaks about her brother Patrick's impressive competitive swimming skill because the water dulls the stimuli that so often overwhelms him (Van Hart, 2012, p. 27).

There are many cases of children, similar to Patrick, where outsiders do not seem to understand the full picture of a child having any kind of disorder. They immediately assume that it is a problem that needs to be solved, as opposed to an aspect of that child which makes them who they are. Sometimes it's the disorder itself that can bring about amazing talents in young individuals. For example, a student with Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder, may be overwhelmed by the amount of stimuli and noise that they deal with all day, but that stimulation also causes their processing speed to be far above average. This ability to process the world better, and think more fluently, could allow them to be an amazing artist because they are seeing and experiencing the world differently than the average person. These disorders are not always inherently negative, sometimes they can bring out the best characteristics within someone.