Nabil Abdulrashid was diagnosed with ADHD as a child growing up in Nigeria. Now a London-based comedian, Nabil credits his ADHD brain as an advantage in his comedy career. He’s quick-witted, both stifled and driven by inertia, tumbling into funny thoughts and scenarios as he speaks. He doesn’t even write down any of his material — it’s stuck in his head and just flows.  

Nabil’s teachers in Nigeria thought he wouldn’t amount to much. They didn’t even want him in their classes. He got into fights and turned to sports to channel his energy. When he moved to the U.K. as a teen, he got into trouble there, too. As an immigrant, he was othered, and the rigid school structure didn’t work with his ADHD. He fell into the wrong crowd and eventually ended up in jail, where he discovered his comedic talents.  

Listen in to hear Nabil’s “aha” moment and how he channeled his ADHD into a successful comedy career. To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.

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Related resources

• Understanding hyperactivity
• ADHD in boys
• Why some kids clown around in class

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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