Five sentence summary Learning environments are often not created with ADHD learners in mind; struggles with working memory, regulating attention, and executive functions create different challenges for us. Making your syllabus (and other key course materials) as concise and clear as possible goes a long way. UDL can work really well for ADHD learners, you'll want to provide materials in advance, and review your assessment policies to ensure they're not ableist. Large projects should be assessed to determine if they can be broken into chunks and scaffolded for more guidance. If you're rethinking your syllabus, designing a course or workshop for the first time, or just want to look over your course materials before the semester starts to check for ableism, this post is for you.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has a lot of heterogeneity within it, so what works for one student may not work for another. It's also a disorder or neurotype that most folks misunderstand, including the very folks in your institution who are supposed to act as experts and who gatekeep disability accommodations. So how does one even begin to design a course that is accessible for ADHD folks? Let's start by identifying the potential barriers folks with ADHD face.
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Five sentence summary It is not at all uncommon to present ADHD folks with choices and/or flexibility and have it overwhelm them. Demonstrate the decision making process to teach learners how to think through the different choices and their possible outcomes. Limit the number of choices given and include a "design your own" option to allow for more freedom for those who need it. Build in check in throughout the learning experience to detect problems early on, give learners opportunities for reflection, and determine if students have the appropriate resources and support to achieve their goals. Choices are often a disabled person's best friend exactly because we choose what works for us. For ADHD folks, there's less of a chance we will feel pigeonholed into something we will inevitably become bored with. Flexibility allows for creativity, innovation, personalization, and endless opportunities, but all of that freedom can overwhelm. Sometimes ADHDers need fewer choices and less flexibility. Choices and flexibility require us to identify goals, prioritize outputs, make a timeline, and identify steps needed to achieve success and these are executive functioning skills. How do we ensure choices and flexibility lead to success? By giving guidance, having a healthy balance of choices (not too many but not too few), and by scaffolding and checking in throughout the process. Guide them through the decisions Don't assume folks understand the nuanced differences between their options. Those students who are outside of their typical realm of study may be particularly lost and need more time to consider their options. Demonstrate how you would make a decision. Outline how the different options could affect their experience: this choice requires a lot of writing, the second option will mean you learn more about forests, this choice will likely require a lot of effort initially but less towards the end, etc.
For the ADHD learner that has no idea which option to work with, they may want you to give recommendations. "If you're low on energy and time right now, you may want to stick a familiar option and write a traditional paper." You could offer to meet individually with students, discuss their strengths and weaknesses, and then guide them towards an option. For larger classes, you could create some sort of Google form or flowchart that guides them through a similar, reflective process. 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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