Famous People with ADHD - Ty Pennington
A couple of months ago, I published an article about famous people who have ADHD. The article outlined how ADHD characteristics helped many celebrities, entrepreneurs, or just highly successful people. This article has been one of my most popular ones. I have decided to start a series of articles about how ADHD has aided celebrities. These articles will build upon the information found in Celebrities and ADHD. In each article, I will look in depth into a famous person and how ADHD affected their life. My first subject is Ty Pennington.
There is no doubt that Ty Pennington is a famous person. Ty Pennington hosts the extremely popular TV Show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Viewers love to watch Ty Pennington’s antics such as running around the construction site with a bullhorn in hand announcing how long they have left. Part of Ty Pennington’s attraction, for viewers, is his hilarious antics.
Ty Pennington’s antics were not always seen as endearing. “By the time Ty Pennington hit elementary school, he was picking up desks and showing off to make the other children laugh, jumping off the roof at home and running into the street, unaware of cars. His teachers thought he was disruptive. His mother worried for his safety.” (Ty Pennington and ADHD, 2009) Given that Ty Pennington was born in 1964, this incident would date to the late sixties or early seventies.
In a 1007 interview with WVEC.com, Ty Pennington recounted one school incident:
“My mom was a child psychologist, and she went to my elementary school and she observed me and in the process of 15 minutes I stripped naked, slapped Johnny on the head, tried to set the class on fire and swung from the blinds,” recalled Ty. “To make a long story short, I had the symptoms of distractibility and impulsivity.” (Ty Pennington talks ADHD, 2007)
Today, medical professionals know that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects, “some three to seven percent of all children”(Ty Pennington talks ADHD, 2007) However, in the late sixties and early seventies (approximately the time Ty Pennington started school) very little was known about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
At this point, little was known about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This fact became very evident when Ty Pennington’s mother sought a diagnosis for his behavior. Ty Pennington’s mother was told that he had “minimal brain dysfunction”. Minimal brain dysfunction is defined as, “A term often used either in connection (or interchangeably) with hyperactivity and/or attention deficit disorder.” (Minimal Brain Dysfunction, n.d.) Minimal brain dysfunction was an early name for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
After this diagnosis, Ty Pennington’s mother made probably the most important decision of his life. “She did not like this label and did not tell her son these words but she did do extensive research on minimal brain dysfunction. She learned about using a token system which rewards children for focusing and staying on task.” (Ty Pennington and ADHD, 2009) The token system rewarding Ty Pennington with extra time doing activities, that he enjoyed, in return for doing his homework, chores, etc. His mother’s decision set Ty down the path of seeing himself as acting differently, rather than having a disability.
Ty Pennington was not diagnosed with ADHD until college. Ty attended college for one year. He did not do too bad. Ty received Bs and Cs, however, Ty found the lack of structure very difficult. He left college after only one year. Many people might have told Ty Pennington that leaving college was not a good idea. After all, everyone knows that you cannot make good money without a college degree.
Ty had a passion for construction. When this passion joined with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Ty Pennington had the tools to achieve a high level of success. A career in TV often comes with a high level of risk. Very few TV shows even make it past their first pilot. Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD) allows Ty to focus on his goal, ignoring the potential failure. ADHD allows Ty to stand out from the crowd. You have to admit that Ty’s bullhorn antics are very memorable.
Ty Pennington is a great example for all of us with ADHD. Success depends more on how we view ADHD then the effect ADHD has on us. ADHD gives us the tools to achieve high levels of success. Our attitude determines how far we go. If we think we are disabled, then we are. If we recognize ADHD’s benefits and see it as the gift it truly is, then we can harness ADHD’s power.
References
- Minimal Brain Dysfunction, eNotes.com Retrieved October 10, 2009 from http://www.enotes.com/gale-psychology-encyclopedia/minimal-brain-dysfunction
- Ty Pennington Talks ADHD, WVEC.com Retrieved October 10, 2009 from http://www.wvec.com/news/health/stories/wvec_medical_091907_ty_adhd.ed815bfd.html
- Ty Pennington – Life With ADHD, Life With ADHD Retrieved October 10, 2009 from http://lifewithadhd.com/famous-people-with-adhd/ty-pennington-life-with-adhd.php