Shari B. Kaplan, LCSWIntegrative Mental Health

ADHD and Processing Problems Explained #mentalhealthawareness

21 May 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief educational video, licensed clinical social worker Shari B. Kaplan explains that ADHD stems from a breakdown in the brain’s ability to identify, organize, and sequence sensory information from the eyes, ears, and other senses. She emphasizes that when one sensory processing area fails to coordinate with the others, the result is an attention‑deficit disorder. Kaplan suggests clinicians should ask patients diagnosed with ADHD what specific processing problems they experience, highlighting the importance of understanding sensory integration deficits as a core mechanism behind ADHD symptoms.

Chapters

I often have patients come to me and tell me that they've been diagnosed with ADHD. And when they tell me that, I ask them what type of processing problem do they have? And their mind just goes blank. So here's the deal with attention deficit disorder. What happens is information comes in through your eyes, your ears, your senses, and your brain has to identify it. Organize it and sequence it at the same time for you to understand what I am saying and for you to then have an accurate perception of what I'm saying. However, when you have one area that's not functioning or coordinating with the other senses, you're going to have attention deficit disorder. I hope that's helpful.