The Many Faces of ADHD - Blake Taylor

Most of the profiles written for The Many Faces of ADHD have been based on personal interviews with the person being profiled. This profile, however, is different. I have never met or spoken with Blake Taylor. But his accomplishment is worth noting and the reviews of his book, "ADHD & Me: What I Learned From Lighting Fires at the Dinner Table" are very complimentary.

Blake Taylor is 18 years old. He is a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley. This past February (2008) his book "ADHD & Me: What I Learned from Lighting Fires at the Dinner Table" was published. It is the story of his life, of living with ADHD. According to an article in the Berkeley News, Blake Taylor "wants to give readers insight into what it's like day-to-day to have ADHD, and to combat the stereotype that the widespread neuro-developmental disorder is really just an excuse for unruly behavior or the result of bad parenting." Taylor believes that ADHD is a gift.

Blake Taylor shares his story of growing up with ADHD. He was diagnosed at the age of 5. Although there are many books available on the medical aspect of ADHD, there are not as many available on the human side of ADHD. He talks about the medication he takes, how it helps him to function and what it is like to live with ADHD.

Blake is the youngest person to write his own autobiography about living with ADHD. The idea for the book actually began when he began writing essays for admission into a private high school. These essays were about challenges he had faced in his life. From those essays, the book emerged. Another article about Blake appeared in the Roanoke Times. According to this article, Blake stated, ""I wanted to help a lot of other young folks and teens, advise them on what worked for me."

Blake is an inspiration to students dealing with ADHD in their lives. He attends Berkeley, takes honor classes as well as classes in music, speaks French, volunteers his time to helping Greyhound dogs, and is active in sports.

The book is available on Amazon.com