Damon Manley is an ADHD coach with a community of over 100,000 followers on Instagram. A resident of South Carolina, he is an early riser (6 am or earlier), excited to get a head start and make the most of each day. In the past few years, he has graduated college, launched his coaching business, got married, and is now expecting a baby with his beautiful wife. 

However, life was not always easy for Damon. 

ADHD is One of the Most Common Disorders

Imagine the frustration of having to re-read pages in a book three or four times in order to be able to understand what’s written. This is a daily struggle for many children with this learning disorder. 

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders affecting children and many adults. It is often identified in school because it is considered a learning challenge, although there are an increasing number of cases where it is diagnosed later in life. Symptoms include inattentiveness and inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Therefore it can be very challenging for both students in the classroom and adults in the workplace. 

“Ever Since I Was a Kid, I Struggled With Anxiety, a Lack of Confidence, and Low Self-Esteem.”

Growing up, Damon didn’t know he had ADHD and struggled with anxiety and a lack of confidence, and low self-esteem. 

Damon also had additional challenges specific to reading, such as reading fatigue, frequent distractions, and struggling with his working memory. He never understood why reading was so hard for him.  Imagine the frustration of having to re-read pages in a book three or four times in order to be able to understand what’s written. This was a daily struggle for Damon and many other children with reading challenges and learning challenges.

Indeed, ADHD has been a significant obstacle in reaching his goals. “ADHDers struggle with sustaining new habits for many reasons.” He may get bored after the initial excitement wears off, forget that he wants to do something, or find it harder to get started than he anticipated. 

The turning point for Damon was when he was 25. He was finally diagnosed with ADHD, which helped him better understand his difficulties. 

Winning ADHD With Technology 

Life can be deceiving on social media, yet Damon speaks openly about his struggles with ADHD in his videos. 

One of the things Damon struggled with the most for a long time was being consistent about reading every day Whether it was a personal growth book or even a book about his faith,  reading was always a struggle. 

Damon used to need to have an audio version and a physical copy of each book he read. This made it especially difficult for him to sustain his dream of reading a book a month. 

Through another ADHD creator, Damon discovered OrCam Technologies with their AI smart devices meant to empower people with reading and learning challenges. 

Damon has been using OrCam’s tech for a year and OrCam Learn for just over 4 months, and it has become a staple in his morning routine. “I use it every day to read at least 10 pages in a book, do my daily devotion and bible study, and help catch up on unread emails.” 

With the help of the OrCam Learn device, Damon has become a better reader because OrCam Learn provides feedback on his fluency and his reading comprehension. Today, Damon is able to consistently achieve his goal of reading at least one book per month!

A Long Journey Shared On Dr. Phil

Damon is an ADHD coach and works with clients from around the world. Understanding his challenges helped Damon understand others from his community who have ADHD or reading challenges. 

Damon finds joy and purpose in helping other ADHDers “win” with their brains through personalized programs that focus on consciousness, positive thinking, and healthy structure. He believes in the work he does and is always trying to improve himself and do better and grow. 

His motto is to stack small wins and engaging habits to get our brains powered up – a must for neurodivergent individuals. 

Learn and Thrive With Confidence 

OrCam Learn was designed for students and individuals who struggle with any kind of reading or learning challenges, including dyslexia. The device is a smart education tool and learning companion that can read any printed or digital text; test the student’s comprehension by instantly generating questions; and enhance reading fluency. OrCam Learn comes with a companion app that provides in-depth feedback and reports in real time. 

OrCam Learn empowers students to gain confidence and independence. Using the innovative, handheld device, students can read and learn more effectively. 

Learn all you need to know about our OrCam Learn.