Unlocking ADHD volunteer Lee Kai Ming, 28, takes us through his ADHD journey, from struggling in primary school to becoming an accomplished adult keen to help others to find success despite his condition.
Background: Getting Diagnosed with ADHD
Since my childhood, I have undergone many treatments for various conditions.
At the age of 3, I was referred to KKH for therapy for a speech delay.
When I was 4-5 years old, the doctor performed some tests and discovered that I had a motor planning issue.
During Primary 1, my Chinese teacher said that I needed to be reminded to do a task but after 10 minutes, I would forget entirely.
My father brought me to a private clinic after hearing this, that was when I found out that I had ADHD.
A year later, I was diagnosed with a mild absence seizure, which was the root cause of my attention issues.
After my diagnosis, I accepted the way I am and tried my best to live with my condition – after all, life had to continue no matter what.
A Challenging Beginning: Primary School
I was often bullied in Primary School and had a challenging time fitting in.
The more I reacted, the more they would bully me, so I stopped reacting to them.
During Primary 3, my exam results were poor so I decided to seek treatment for my ADHD. The doctor then prescribed me Ritalin.
After taking it for a year, I saw the best improvement in my grades. However, the side effects of Ritalin caused me to lose weight so I was advised to take it only during the exam period.
With the help of extra time accommodations, and a 1-year break during Primary 5, I managed to get a PSLE score of 184 to move on to secondary education.
Finding My Passion: Secondary School
When I entered Secondary School, I did badly and failed all my subjects at first. My father then taught me a trick, to focus on one subject at a time when I was revising for my subjects.
I discovered that focusing on math and science, my favourite subjects, helped my other subjects’ grades improve.
This method helped me greatly such that I managed to do well enough for my N level exams and I was promoted to Seconday 5 to take the O levels.
However, I did badly for my O levels and got a score of 27 points. With no options except to study nursing in Polytechnic, I decided to take the ITE route.
Since I was young, I had an interest in IT-related tasks, so I decided to pursue my passion with a Higher Nitec in Information Technology.
A Second Chance in ITE
ITE placed a strong emphasis on practical sessions in IT, which I enjoyed more than theoretical knowledge.
After learning strategies to take notes better, and finding ways to fit in with the other students, I managed to get a GPA of 4.45 which allowed me to get into the Polytechnic course that I wanted.
I decided to serve in the army before going back to study in Polytechnic.
Embracing My Potential During NS
My stint in NS helped me gain leadership skills. I awarded the best soldier of the month as I was performing outstandingly in my unit.
I was even offered the position of Corporal (1st class) but I rejected the offer.
On the day of my ORD, my CTO even wrote me a letter of appreciation and gave me a gift for my two years of service.
Chasing My Dreams in Polytechnic
After enrolling into Polytechnic, I was confident of my own abilities. I assumed that I would no longer need extra time.
This assumption was soon proven wrong during my examinations. I ended up having to get a doctor’s memo certifying my ADHD, so I could seek approval for accommodations.
Despite this setback, I soon bounced back and decided to take up photography, buying a Nikon DSLR.
My persistence and newfound skills led me to become an orientation group leader too.
In my final year, I was asked by my course manager to try and apply for an internship with JP Morgan.
To my surprise, not only did I manage to pass the interview, but I also received the best internship allowance among my classmates.
During my 3 months of internship, I impressed my supervisors enough to gain an extension for 3 more months. I even qualified for their apprenticeship program until Covid-19 hit.
My effort and passion towards this internship helped me to ace the graded component of my course. I graduated with a GPA score of 3.40, something previously thought impossible.
Now, I have a Diploma in Information Technology – and I am currently working as a Helpdesk Agent.
Reflecting On My ADHD Journey: No Regrets
While taking the longer path might sound unconventional, I enjoyed every second of it.
It has helped me to build the leadership skills I needed to succeed, and given me the confidence to chase my dreams.
Being optimistic also helped tide me through the challenges I faced and I came out stronger for it.
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For more personal stories about ADHD journey in Singapore please click here.
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