Addressing ADHD and time blindness
UCI Health expert says coping requires nonjudgmental approach
February 07, 2024
IN THE NEWS: A common experience among people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is time blindness. The phenomenon is when sufferers lose the concept of time and the sense of how long it takes for tasks to get done.
UCI Health pediatrician Dr. Geeta Grover has practiced neurodevelopmental medicine for nearly 30 years. In U.S. News & World Report, she describes the prefrontal cortex as the brain’s “manager” that regulates our emotions and impulses and helps us maintain attention, manage our time and complete tasks. To her young patients, she says:
“‘Imagine your brain is like a big orchestra.’ This prefrontal part of your brain is the conductor of the orchestra. It makes sure that everyone is making music together so that we get beautiful sounds.
“One very important thing that I want patients to understand is that time blindness is not laziness. Time blindness is not willful, it's part and parcel of these executive function skills deficits.”
Grover is a board-certified UCI Health physician who specializes in developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the UCI Health Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Her clinical focus includes attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder.
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