When I was younger and got an ADHD diagnosis they kept trying to sit me in the front of the room so that I could pay attention better. It always made everything so much worse and as a child I could never articulate why. Turns out some things that were going on at home had already given me mild PTSD by the time I entered middle school. What was actually most distracting to me was the feeling of people behind me and not being able to see the door. When I was in college and could pick my own seating arrangements sitting in the back of the room away from everyone and where I could see the door made a huuuge difference.
Was just reflecting on this and wanted to share.
I ended up getting reevaluated for some reason in high school back in the '90s, by a complete pompous asshole. So, according to this dude, not preferring to sit at the front of a classroom is proof positive that it cannot possibly be ADHD. I must just be lazy and manipulative. (That second part was a new one, at least. Trying to dodge accountability? Idek.)
That was it, that was the entire rationale stated for why ADHD was supposedly no longer an issue in my life. I am not joking. Thankfully my parents thought he sounded full of it too, and did arrange for a more comprehensive educational reevaluation through a university center. Where my own seating preferences never came up, incidentally.
Yeah, I also had PTSD and actual (partly documented) reason not to trust some people behind me at that school. Turns out I’m also on the autistic spectrum. I still have not magically grown out of either thing, 30+ years later. Funny how that works.
That little anecdote aside, I do get the idea that this is probably one of those longterm received wisdom things. Just because it’s a go-to suggestion, doesn’t mean that this strategy is going to work best for everyone. Useful point to bring up, OP.