I am very much not ADHD but I have a child that is. Due to that I know what ADHD looks like and yet simultaneously know what it means to be both focused and hig

I am very much not ADHD but I have a child that is. Due to that I know what ADHD looks like and yet simultaneously know what it means to be both focused and highly distracted both in myself and in others. The primary factor of focus, irrespective of neurophysiology, is motivation. When the mind is properly motivated it will achieve strong dedicated focus over a long duration. ADHD persons may require some external auto-redirection mechanism to maintain that focus equivalently over the same duration but that mechanism will be established as a result of properly trained goal seeking behavior. When motivation is low I have noticed that in many cases the behaviors and focus of neurotypical people and ADHD persons becomes more similar, more distract-able. That is massively important because it means that focus is dependent upon the brain’s natural dopamine cycle and that provided a proper motivation and training an ADHD person can, in many cases, be elevated in performance. It also means that when motivation is absent everyone is subject to preferences of increased dopamine receptivity away from the directed activity and requires redirecting. I have learned to become a better programmer by internalizing problems into self-directed conquests in personal hobby applications. I own the given problem and must find given solution through some combination or research and trail/error. Then goal then it to do ambitious things on some personal application that nobody else may use. That sort of unrewarded self-direction is more challenging for an ADHD person to achieve and requires the addition of increased stimulation.