Five sentence summary One of the most common accommodations for folks with ADHD is sharing materials in advance. It allows us to reduce problems we experience due to focusing and trouble with executive functions. We are less likely to be thrown off if we can organize our notes and make any adjustments our brains need in advance of the talk or assignment. I know you finish your lecture materials at the last minute, but that is only an ableist excuse. Based entirely on my own experience, one of the most common accommodations for folks with ADHD is having lecture slides shared in advance. I'm willing to guess it is a common accommodation for many disabilities actually because there is so much room for accessibility when folks can modify the materials themselves to fit their own needs. Yet, this straightforward accommodation that can remove so many barriers for disabled learners is also one of the ones professors dislike and misunderstand the most. Let me be clear: Refusing to share slides and materials before class is ableist and hurts your ADHD learners. To be fair, this is a refusal that harms students without disabilities, but ADHD and other disabled learners are particularly at a disadvantage when we can't learn at our own pace and use our own strategies. Why ADHD folks need materials in advance We have problems with focusing and executive functions, like monitoring our progress, setting goals, and planning. For someone without ADHD, it's easier to ignore impulse reactions and think things through. For ADHD folks, our brains struggle and we follow those impulses, and we may lose our way, despite our best intentions. This is why it's crucial to give us the tools and time we need to organize our thoughts, notes, and space. Having the slides, questions, or other materials in advance allows us to organize on our own time. We can break things down. Whereas organizing in the moment, while a person is speaking or while we need to keep track of directions as they're being given, that's a lot harder for our minds to handle.
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Five sentence summary
There are many things instructors do without thinking that do not go over well for brains that have trouble organizing themselves and staying on track. Inconsistent instructions, inconsistent deadlines, multipart questions, sneaking in important steps or bits of information without clear signals and so forth all exacerbate our inability to focus and manage our energy. You create hell for your ADHD learners when you add additional disorganization and obscurity into our lives.
Seemingly little things can cause absolute havoc for folks with inattention and hyperactivity problems. Our brains skip ahead and miss a step. We're thinking about the ten million things we need to do tonight as instructions are being relayed.
1. Directions for assignments in multiple places. Do not give half of the instructions in-person, some instructions written on assignment, and then some more instructions written on the submission page. ADHD learners will miss some. They'll do the whole assignment, submit it at the last minute, and then see that there was this one line on the submission page that was really important but they forgot. 2. Having things due on random days. For example, if class meets on Mondays and Wednesdays, have things due on Mondays and Wednesdays and at the same time every time. Don't have essay rough drafts due at 5pm and weekly homework assignments due at midnight. It's much easier for us to remember deadlines if they're built on top of other related items we need to remember. If we have a meeting with you every Thursday at noon, there's a decent chance we're already thinking about that meeting throughout the day, so have the weekly report due Thursday as well. If there is a holiday or something that adjusts the schedule for the week, give lots of reminders and plenty of advanced notice, and don't be surprised if we function on autopilot and submit on the day it was originally due. 3. Being inconsistent about your reminders and communications. Don’t remind students every week that lab is due tomorrow but fail to send out reminders about homework assignments. 4. Insist on “neurotypical” standards of focusing. Let people knit, draw, fidget, walk around, etc. As long as we're not distracting others, what does it matter? Kitting, drawing and other activities allow our brains to work better and are barely noticeable by others. No, you don't need to allow folks to pace the back of the room the entire meeting, but you could schedule in time specifically for movement or when movement wouldn't be as distracting (work in groups, ask your neighbors how they solved this problem, etc.) Five sentence summary Universal Design for Learning or UDL is a pedagogy or strategy in which there are multiple options for engaging with the topic, multiple options for representing the information, and multiple options for expressing knowledge. ADHD brains often do very well in educational settings that use UDL because we can follow our passions and make choices that work for us. The flexibility included in UDL increases the likelihood that we can challenge ourselves, embrace novelty when we need it, and cater our learning so that topics are relevant and interesting. While we may need help organizing and setting goals, thoughtful scaffolding and check-ins make this manageable. If overwhelmed with choices and flexibility, both can be scaled back to help the individual. What is UDL? Universal Design for Learning or UDL is a framework based on the idea that purposefully including multiple modes of representation, participation, and options for expressing knowledge increases accessibility. UDL is NOT meant to be a substitute for accommodations, but using UDL can definitely reduce the need for accommodations. The graphic organizer from CAST below provides more information. Disclaimer: I do not consider UDL to be the be-all end-all of inclusive teaching. UDL may or may not purposefully prioritize disabled students and it may be implemented without regard for equity and justice, trauma-informed teaching, etc. There are multiple interpretations of UDL and ways to implement it.
That disclaimer aside, UDL can do a lot and I think it's a good starting point for ADHD-friendly teaching. By providing learners with options and allowing them to choose what works best for them, many ADHD folks (and other disabled individuals) will benefit. |
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AuthorThere's a reason theADHDAcademic is an anonymous account and there's a reason why this website will remain anonymous. That said, there are some basics it might be helpful to know about me: DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional or a lawyer of any kind. All text, graphics, and content on this website are for educational purposes only. Any and all content should not be substituted for medical or legal advice. Although I strive to provide the most accurate, current, and scientifically sound information, content should never be substituted for professional advice. Always consult a medical and/or legal professional before making any decisions. Links are provided only for reference and do not necessarily imply endorsement.
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