Tips for communicating better with people with ADD/SE?

[Bob]

Attention deficit disorder.  SE=Special ed  (Yeah, I'm lumping you in with special ed when you don't pay attention.)

Looking for ideas.  I'm talking but it's not getting through to a certain person.  I need to fix that.

I've had some facepalm situation with this person.  I'm thinking I'm communicating but they're still not getting it.  Then something goes wrong, it becomes my fault, I'm thinking "I freaking told you about...."

I suppose changing the way I present an idea.  Present it in more than one way.  Or visually/kinesthetically instead of verbally or in writing.

I'm running into reoccurring situations where I'm saying, "It's red!  It's red!"  And this person is repeating, "Blue?  Why are you telling me blue?  You're really off dude."   I'm repeating it, spelling it out, showing something red. 

I guess I'm getting ignored.  That's probably part. 

But now there's a pattern where this person is thinking I can't communicate.

I'm seeing this person becoming a bigger idiot each time.


The person has something a little off.  This is an adult.  Kid-like.  Can't always find the right words.  A little over confident -- Will tell everyone how something works, then demonstrate it, and have it flop (because that's not how it works).

Most of the time I wouldn't care.  Communication problem?  Fine, who cares?  I've informed them.  Ball's in their court, their problem.

The clincher -- This person has an influence over my work conditions and salary.  Yes, money.  Cha-ching.    This person is already seeing me as having communication issues which means... no raise or less raise.  That's why it's important.

Shorter speaking.  This person won't have much attention.  This amount of text is way too much for them.  Even emailing anything is really too much.  Plus my emails get ignored now.  Monday I was asked a question, emailed back an answer.  Tuesday, asked the same question, "I sent an email yesterday."  "Oh, you did?  Send it again to me.  I must have missed it."  Wed... Yes, this person asked three days in a row for the same thing.  "I sent the email yesterday."  "No, that was last week.  Send me that email again."   

Shorter speaking.

Have things planned out so it's short and simple.

Stay positive.  This person is starting to drive me nuts though.  But they're in a higher level position, so they're right even when they're wrong.

Provide a short email update for important things.  That way it's in writing.  Follow up somehow with something spoken.

Present an idea to them in a group setting.  I've started doing that and it seems to go over better.  They're probably paying more attention to me in a group setting.  That's probably it.  If I presented the same idea to them individually... There's more chance of them misinterpreting it.... because they're not paying attention.


Better communication is good.  Anything though -- Ideas on how to suck up are good too.  I can make this person a useful experiment.  I can't blow them off though since I work with them.  "You didn't get it.  Tough luck."   I also can't crack the teacher whip and get their attention -- They're an adult and above me jobwise.

Any ideas? 

I'm looking for words I can look up for more information.... Anything...  Teaching strategies I can apply...  Brown nosing 101...  Thing like that.

This text would piss this person off bigtime.  Long worded, rambling, ranting...

[Bob]

I just thought of another example.  Same conversation.  My part involved money though so I wanted to make sure I was doing exactly what I was supposed to.

A coworker is talking about an instrument.  An old one.  How that coworker got it in working conditioning again.  Surprising actually.  I thought the thing was finished.   They've got it more middle-of-life now.  Just about usable.  So that's the conversation.  Then another instrument breaks out of the blue.  The coworker mentions it, disappointed.  That was a really nice instrument.  The ADD person is thinking the older, restored instrument broke. 

Same thing as always -- It's not me, but it is my problem. 

[Bob]

I thought of another example with this person.  They wanted an item.  I told them it was either in x or y place.  That's where I would have put it.  I thought they had it in their office still.  They said they didn't.  I wasn't convinced.  They got annoyed I asked a couple times if they could check their office.  Finally I checked place x and y myself.  It was in place x.  Not right out in front, but there. 

[maul]

I feel your plight.