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. Strike a balance in the number of choices It's one thing to give folks samples of past projects to source for ideas and another to list ten options for final projects. Give a handful of options plus a "design your own" choice. By giving a "design your own" option, you allow students that need may need familiarity to select a paper or presentation while simultaneously leaving room for those who want to follow their own path. Everyone wins and students are less likely to get overwhelmed. A "design your own" choice may seem a little scary, but it really shouldn't be. For starters, you can require students explain how they will meet learning goals, go through some sort of review by their peers, submit drafts, etc. You don't have to set them free and hope for the best. In my experience, the learners that choose to do something really out of the box are passionate and will work hard to make sure they meet the goals. Or, they are the ones tired and exhausted who just want to submit a term paper because that's what they're comfortable with. You could also indicate a default option, an option that you think will work pretty well for most students. Then give everyone the opportunity to adjust this default option as needed, provided they communicate with you. Check in, solicit feedback, and scaffold Providing multiple ways for learners to check in, with instructors and with each other, allows learners to identify problems they didn't realize existed, express any concerns, and remedy issues. These check ins should be time for reflection during which learners evaluate their progress, if their goals have changed, the effectiveness of the tools and resources available to them, etc. Provide check ins often. The more opportunities for checking in you give, the more likely you are to prevent problems. Check ins serve the instructor too. They allow you to determine if the choices available are appropriate, if learners are overwhelmed, if they're reaching their goals, and if they have the right amount of support. Yes, you can provide multiple check ins even if your class size is larger. A check in at the start of the course may look entirely different than one before a project proposal is due or when the course is wrapping up. You could have a simple conversation as a group at the end of lecture, you could ask learners to give you an exit ticket, have them fill out a Google form, or sign-up for a thorough discussion one-on-one. Whether they are structured, individual, short, anonymous, informal, check ins should occur often and be purposeful. Scaffolding, in which you thoughtfully remove layers of support as the learners progress and become comfortable with the material, can be an important component that keeps learners from feeling overwhelmed. Scaffolding helps learners realize what they enjoy, what they dislike, what they want to do more of, and what they want to avoid, and this can help them make more informed choices. If they spend 15 minutes programming for one module and despise it, they know better than to choose the final project option that requires extensive programming. As they work through the learning experience, breaking down subjects or goals into manageable units sets the stage for learners to make more informed choices. Note that the quality of information you gain about your course or the learning experience will depend on the relationship you have with learners. If you haven't created opportunities for trust into your course, students won't feel comfortable speaking candidly with you. Make it clear you're willing to reduce flexibility as neededThere will never be a One-Size-Fits-All approach to learning. Be forthright with learners and tell them you're willing to impose more structure if they need it. If a student knows they won't get assignments done without deadlines, you can assign them deadlines if they desire. Flexibility is key, and sometimes that means being flexible enough to implements some limits and help creative, impulsive minds reign things in. Key points:
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