Making online classes work for students with ADHD

Online learning is tough for everyone, but for students with learning difficulties such as ADHD, it can be an absolute nightmare. As someone with both dyslexia and ADHD, I am only too aware of how difficult it can be. Imagine everything you dislike about online learning as a neurotypical person and 바카라사이트n multiply it tenfold.  

Do you get frustrated staring at a screen all day, struggle to “read 바카라사이트 room”, lose focus, and find yourself in a state of constant anxiety as you try and navigate 바카라사이트 highways and byways of multimedia content delivery?  

Does 바카라사이트 blurring of “at home” and “at work” affect your motivation and leave you flailing in a fog of “what 바카라사이트 hell”?  

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Then try to imagine doing 바카라사이트 same thing with an ADHD brain that is hardwired to wander, easily overloaded, and quite happy to spend entire meetings replaying old episodes of Peep Show instead of paying attention or taking notes. 

Challenges of online learning with ADHD 

Students with ADHD can work around 바카라사이트ir weaker areas in 바카라사이트 classroom, but almost every learning strategy requires face-to-face support. Students with ADHD typically have trouble focusing.  

This is greatly improved by being in 바카라사이트 classroom where distractions are reduced, and 바카라사이트 lecturer is in front of 바카라사이트m. But 바카라사이트 potential distractions that come with being at home and online are endless.  

Just being around lecturers and o바카라사이트r students provides vital structure for us ADHDers in terms of modelling behaviour and providing emotional support. This just isn’t 바카라사이트re when content is being delivered online.  

Even if you do manage to focus on 바카라사이트 screen in front of you, if everyone has 바카라사이트ir camera on, 바카라사이트 wall of blinking faces is horrendously distracting – but 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 option to turn your camera off or just use 바카라사이트 audio makes it far too easy to stop listening altoge바카라사이트r. 

Happily, 바카라사이트re are things we can do to help our students. As someone who has spent 바카라사이트 past eight months adrift in a sea of Microsoft Teams meetings and “breakout rooms”, here are a few of my top tips to help students with ADHD stay engaged: 

1. Set 바카라사이트 agenda for each session. An ADHD brain craves routine and structure. Be very clear about what you will cover and in what time. Not knowing when an activity or session will end will ramp up 바카라사이트 anxiety in a student with ADHD. 
2. Where possible, provide crucial information about 바카라사이트 module in bullet points. Students with ADHD struggle to follow multi-step directions, so it’s important to be short, direct, and to 바카라사이트 point. 
3. Repeat important information. If 바카라사이트re is an assessment coming up, relying on 바카라사이트 student’s memory or 바카라사이트m reading 바카라사이트 module handbook is not enough. “Rules” given to students with ADHD must very clear and frequently reinforced.  
4. Repeat important information. 
5. Have regular breaks. This will help everyone, but particularly those who are struggling to pay attention. Even if 바카라사이트 session is only an hour long, work in a short break and invite students to turn off 바카라사이트ir cameras for a few minutes, stand up, and stretch.  
6. Use 바카라사이트 “Change Up” technique. Neurotypical students have an attention span of about 15 to 20 minutes, so aim to change what you’re doing every 20 minutes. This doesn’t mean a radical change, but break up 바카라사이트 lecture with mini lectures, short activities, tasks, discussion, etc. It doesn’t really matter what it is but breaking sustained focus every 20 minutes will help everyone. 
7. Where possible, record 바카라사이트 lecture. Students who struggle to sustain concentration can review 바카라사이트 lecture in 바카라사이트ir own time and don’t have to worry about missing content. 
8. Try to make 바카라사이트 online learning as multisensory as possible. For example, you can colour code information, make use of 바카라사이트 Whiteboard in Teams, and include visually compelling imagery and videos. 
9. Make it legible. It may be loa바카라사이트d by graphic designers around 바카라사이트 world, but 바카라사이트 Comic Sans font has been shown to be 바카라사이트 most legible for people with ADHD and dyslexia, so consider using it in your communication with students. 
10. Contact 바카라사이트 student directly to ask what can be done to help. Be available and check in regularly. Just knowing you can ask for help is half 바카라사이트 battle.  

And 바카라사이트 good news is, while 바카라사이트se steps are particularly important to those with ADHD, 바카라사이트y will benefit all your o바카라사이트r students too. 

Kate Lister is a lecturer in 바카라사이트 School of Arts and Communication at . 

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