how to start an essay with adhd

How to Tackle an Essay (an ADHD-friendly Guide)

6 steps and tips.

Most of the college students I work with have one major assignment type that gets them stuck like no other: the dreaded essay. It has become associated with late nights, requesting extensions (and extensions on extensions), feelings of failure, and lots of time lost staring at a screen. This becomes immensely more stressful when there is a thesis or capstone project that stands between you and graduation.

The good news?

An essay doesn’t have to be the brick wall of doom that it once was. Here are some strategies to break down that wall and construct an essay you feel good about submitting.

Step 1:  Remember you’re beginning an essay, not finishing one.

Without realizing it, you might be putting pressure on yourself to have polished ideas flow from your brain onto the paper. There’s a reason schools typically bring up having an outline and a rough draft! Thoughts are rarely organized immediately (even with your neurotypical peers, despite what they may say). Expecting yourself to deliver a publishing-worthy award winner on your first go isn’t realistic. It’s allowed to look messy and unorganized in the beginning! There can be unfinished thoughts, and maybe even arguments you aren’t sure if you want to include. When in doubt, write it down.

Step 2: Review the rubric

Make sure you have a clear understanding of what the assignment is asking you to include and to focus on. If you don’t have an understanding of it, it’s better to find out in advance rather than the night before the assignment is due. The rubric is your anchor and serves as a good guide to know “when you can be done.” If you hit all the marks on the rubric, you’re looking at a good grade.

I highly recommend coming back to the rubric multiple times during the creative process, as it can help you get back on track if you’ve veered off in your writing to something unrelated to the prompt. It can serve as a reminder that it’s time to move onto a different topic - if you’ve hit the full marks for one area, it’s better to go work on another section and return to polish the first section up later. Challenge the perfectionism!

Step 3: Divide and conquer

Writing an essay is not just writing an essay. It typically involves reading through materials, finding sources, creating an argument, editing your work, creating citations, etc. These are all separate tasks that ask our brain to do different things. Instead of switching back and forth (which can be exhausting) try clumping similar tasks together.

For example:

Prepping: Picking a topic, finding resources related to topic, creating an outline

Gathering: reading through materials, placing information into the outline

Assembling: expanding on ideas in the outline, creating an introduction and conclusion

Finishing: Make final edits, review for spelling errors and grammar, create a title page and reference page, if needed.

Step 4: Chunk it up

Now we’re going to divide the work EVEN MORE because it’s also not realistic to expect yourself to assemble the paper all in one sitting. (Well, maybe it is realistic if you’re approaching the deadline, but we want to avoid the feelings of panic if we can.) If you haven’t heard of chunking before, it’s breaking down projects into smaller, more approachable tasks.

This serves multiple functions, but the main two we are focusing on here is:

• it can make it easier to start the task;
• it helps you create a timeline for how long it will take you to finish.

If you chunk it into groups and realize you don’t have enough time if you go at that pace, you’ll know how quickly you’ll need to work to accomplish it in time.

Here are some examples of how the above categories could be chunked up for a standard essay. Make sure you customize chunking to your own preferences and assignment criteria!

Days 1 - 3 : Prep work

• ‍ Day 1: Pick a topic & find two resources related to it
• Day 2: Find three more resources related to the topic
• Day 3: Create an outline

Days 4 & 5 : Gather

• ‍ Day 4: Read through Resource 1 & 2 and put information into the outline
• Day 5: Read through Resource 3 & 4 and put information into the outline

Days 6 - 8 : Assemble

• ‍ Day 6: Create full sentences and expand on Idea 1 and 2
• Day 7: Create full sentences and expand on Idea 3 and write an introduction
• Day 8: Read through all ideas and expand further or make sentence transitions smoother if need be. Write the conclusion

Day 9: Finish

• ‍ Day 9: Review work for errors and create a citation page

Hey, we just created an outline about how to make an outline - how meta!

Feel like even that is too overwhelming? Break it down until it feels like you can get started. Of course, you might not have that many days to complete an assignment, but you can do steps or chunks of the day instead (this morning I’ll do x, this afternoon I’ll do y) to accommodate the tighter timeline. For example:

Day 1: Pick a topic

Day 2: Find one resource related to it

Day 3: Find a second resource related to it

Step 5: Efficiently use your resources

There’s nothing worse than stockpiling 30 resources and having 100 pages of notes that can go into an essay. How can you possibly synthesize all of that information with the time given for this class essay? (You can’t.)

Rather than reading “Article A” and pulling all the information you want to use into an “Article A Information Page,” try to be intentional with the information as you go. If you find information that’s relevant to Topic 1 in your paper, put the information there on your outline with (article a) next to it. It doesn’t have to be a full citation, you can do that later, but we don’t want to forget where this information came from; otherwise, that becomes a whole mess.

By putting the information into the outline as you go, you save yourself the step of re-reading all the information you collected and trying to organize it later on.

*Note: If you don’t have topics or arguments created yet, group together similar ideas and you can later sort out which groups you want to move forward with.

Step 6: Do Some Self-Checks

It can be useful to use the Pomodoro method when writing to make sure you’re taking an adequate number of breaks. If you feel like the 25 min work / 5 min break routine breaks you out of your flow, try switching it up to 45 min work / 15 min break. During the breaks, it can be useful to go through some questions to make sure you stay productive:

• How long have I been writing/reading this paragraph?
• Does what I just wrote stay on topic?
• Have I continued the "write now, edit later" mentality to avoid getting stuck while writing the first draft?
• Am I starting to get frustrated or stuck somewhere? Would it benefit me to step away from the paper and give myself time to think rather than forcing it?
• Do I need to pick my energy back up? Should I use this time to get a snack, get some water, stretch it out, or listen to music?

General Tips:

• If you are having a difficult time trying to narrow down a topic, utilize office hours or reach out to your TA/professor to get clarification. Rather than pulling your hair out over what to write about, they might be able to give you some guidance that speeds up the process.
• You can also use (and SHOULD use) office hours for check-ins related to the paper, tell your teacher in advance you’re bringing your rough draft to office hours on Thursday to encourage accountability to get each step done. Not only can you give yourself extra pressure - your teacher can make sure you’re on the right track for the assignment itself.
• For help with citations, there are websites like Easybib.com that can help! Always double check the citation before including it in your paper to make sure the formatting and information is correct.
• If you’re getting stuck at the “actually writing it” phase, using speech-to-text tools can help you start by transcribing your spoken words to paper.
• Many universities have tutoring centers and/or writing centers. If you’re struggling, schedule a time to meet with a tutor. Even if writing itself isn’t tough, having a few tutoring sessions scheduled can help with accountability - knowing you need to have worked on it before the tutoring session is like having mini deadlines. Yay, accountability!

Of course, if writing just isn’t your jam, you may also struggle with motivation . Whatever the challenge is, this semester can be different. Reach out early if you need help - to your professor, a tutor, an ADHD coach , or even a friend or study group. You have a whole team in your corner. You’ve got this, champ!

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Writing Strategies for Students With ADHD

Here are six challenges and solutions, based on task simplicity and clear instruction, for helping students with ADHD develop their essay-writing skills.

Too often, students with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) get labeled as "problem students." They often get shuffled into special education programs even if they show no signs of developmental disability. Though these students' brains do work differently, studies prove that it doesn't preclude them from being highly intelligent. That means teachers should pay special attention to help students with ADHD discover their potential and deal with the challenges they face in their learning process.

As essay writing is both the most common and the most complicated assignment for students, writing instruction for students with ADHD requires special efforts. Each step of writing process may present certain difficulties for these young people. Here are some practical solutions for teachers to encourage, motivate, and focus their students on writing process.

1. Difficulty Concentrating on Assignment

Research proves that ADHD doesn’t result in less intelligence, but rather in difficulties controlling emotions, staying motivated, and organizing the thoughts. So a teacher's first task is teaching students focus enough on a writing assignment.

Solution: Give clear, concise instructions.

When assigning an essay or other writing project, be specific and clear about what you expect. Don't leave a lot of room for interpretation. Instead of the assignment "Write about a joyous moment," include instructions in your writing prompt, such as:

• Think about the last time you felt happy and joyful.
• Describe the reasons for your happiness.
• What exactly made you feel joy?
• What can that feeling be compared to?

Make sure every student knows that he or she should come to you directly with any questions. Plan to take extra time reviewing the instructions with students one to one, writing down short instructions along the way.

2. Difficulty Organizing Thoughts on Paper

Several studies have found that students with ADHD struggle with organizing their thoughts and mental recall. These students can often speak well and explain their thoughts orally, but not in writing.

Solution: Get them organized from the start.

Start each project with a simple note system. Give students the freedom to take their own notes and review them together if possible. Have students pay special attention to filing these notes in a large binder, folder, or other method for making storage and retrieval simple.

To help students understand how to organize their written thoughts, teach them mind mapping . A semantic mind map for an essay may include major nouns, verbs, and adjectives, as well as phrases to use in writing each paragraph. Some introductory and transition sentences will also come in handy. Another step after mind mapping is advanced outlining . Begin and end the initial outline with the words "Intro" and "Conclusion" as placeholders. Then have students expand that outline on their own.

3. Difficulty With Sustained Work on a Single Task

ADHD can make it difficult for students to focus on long-term goals, leading to poor attention and concentration when the task requires work for an extended period of time.

Solution: Create small, manageable milestones.

Since accomplishing a five-page essay takes a lot of time, you can chop it into smaller, easier-to-manage pieces that can be worked on in rotation. Each piece may be checked separately if time allows. Treating every issue and section as an independent task will prevent students from feeling overwhelmed as they work toward a larger goal.

4. Difficulty in Meeting Deadlines

Deadlines are the things that discourage students with ADHD, as they work on assignments more slowly than their classmates, are often distracted, and tend to procrastinate.

Solution: Allow for procrastination.

It may sound ridiculous, but build procrastination into the writing process by breaking up the work and allowing for extra research, brainstorming, and other activities which diversify students' work while still focusing on the end result.

5. Spelling Issues

Students with ADHD often have difficulties with writing, especially in terms of spelling. The most common issues are reversing or omitting letters, words, or phrases. Students may spell the same word differently within the same essay. That's why lots of attention should be paid to spelling.

Solution: Encourage spell checkers, dictionaries, and thesaurus.

There are plenty of writing apps and tools available to check spelling and grammar. As a teacher, you can introduce several apps and let students choose which ones work better for writing essays. When checking the submitted papers and grading the work, highlight the spelling mistakes so that students can pay special attention to the misspelled words and remember the correct variant.

6. Final Editing Issues

Students with ADHD may experience problems during the final editing of their work since, by this time, they will have read and reviewed it several times and may not be paying attention to mistakes.

Solution: Teach them to review their writing step by step.

Take an essay template as an example and show students how to revise it. Go through the editing process slowly, explaining the "why" behind certain changes, especially when it comes to grammatical issues. Assign students the task of revising each other's essays so that when they revise their own final draft, they'll know what to pay attention to and what common mistakes to look for.

Addressing the challenges unique to students with ADHD will help these students find ways to handle their condition effectively and even use it to their advantage. Their unique perspective can be channeled into creative writing, finding new solutions to problems, and most of all, finding, reaching, and even exceeding their goals and fulfilling their full potential.

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Harnessing ADHD for Successful Essay Writing: A Guide to 7 Effective Techniques

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Did you know that some of the most celebrated authors, such as George Bernard Shaw and Seth Godin, have also dealt with the challenges of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

If you have ADHD, you might worry about writing a well-structured essay, be unsure about where to begin, or even worry about overlooking important details while editing. Hang in there – with the right strategies, you can write a great essay while staying calm and focused.

Why is it so hard to write essays with ADHD?

People with ADHD often face challenges in maintaining focus on tasks that demand extended periods of attention. They find it difficult to effectively organize and structure their ideas, and they tend to have a greater tendency to procrastinate. As writing involves multiple tasks, it can overwhelm students with ADHD, resulting in mental fatigue and decreased efficiency.

We reached out to Matt, one of our expert writers who have ADHD, to bring you these seven effective techniques that will help you focus while writing essays, despite ADHD.

1. Establish a structured writing routine

While creating a structured routine is common advice for anyone who has trouble writing, it is particularly vital for college students with ADHD.

When you designate specific times for writing and consistently stick to it, your mind tends to get accustomed to the writing process during these dedicated hours, making it easier for you to focus and write your essays. It starts associating certain times with writing sessions.

So, find the time you feel most alert and productive, and dedicate it to writing. Consider factors like your energy levels, environmental conditions, and personal preferences. For some, it could be early morning, for others, it could be around midnight when everyone’s asleep.

Remember : establishing a routine just a week before your deadline is not enough. To make it effective, it’s important to implement and practice the routine early on so it becomes a habit over time.

Do people with ADHD make good writers?

Yes! They have the ability to think creatively and bring a fresh perspective to their writing. Additionally, their intuition and sensitivity enable them to convey complex emotions effectively. While writing abilities vary from person to person, there is no reason to believe those with ADHD can’t be good writers.

2. Organize your research notes

How often do you waste time locating specific information you thought you came across while doing research? Failure to track sources, mixing up research findings, and difficulty in finding information while drafting are all consequences of poor research organization skills.

What you need is a structured note-taking system.

This is crucial for maintaining focus because it can be challenging for ADHD students to keep track of information. An organized system ensures your research is well-organized, accurate, and readily accessible when you get down to writing your essay.

Here are some practical ways to organize your research notes :

• Use note-taking apps to document information;
• Sort your research material based on subtopics, arguments, or even by the order in which they will appear in your essay;
• Summarize key points while doing research;
• Highlight important information or quotes that you might need to refer to or use;
• Create an annotated bibliography as you write.

Investing a few extra hours in organizing your notes during the research stage will prove to be a lifesaver when you begin drafting your essay.

3. Create an outline

Do you find yourself muddled with racing thoughts, not knowing how or where to begin? You tell yourself, “I’ll come to it later” but you keep putting the writing process off until you can’t anymore, and what follows is a rushed job.

This is the story of many students who experience ADHD.

The most effective way to avoid such a situation is to start the essay writing process by creating an outline. An essay outline serves as a roadmap that helps you organize your thoughts, structure your ideas, and maintain focus while writing.

When you create an outline, you’re able to see the ‘big picture’ which is the first step to writing a well-structured essay. This is the basic outline of any essay:

a. Introduction

• Thesis statement
• Topic sentence
• Supporting evidence

c. Conclusion

• Closing thoughts

Tailor this to your topic, add your ideas as bullet points, and there you go – you have an outline!

If you need help creating an outline or writing an essay from scratch, consider taking help from a writing service for students like Writers Per Hour .

We assign the most suitable writer for your assignment, guaranteeing a high-quality, well-researched essay that meets your expectations and is delivered on time.

4. Set mini goals

One of the techniques that transformed essay writing for Matt was setting mini-goals.

He sets targets to complete each paragraph within a specific timeframe. “Every time I achieve these mini goals, I feel a sense of accomplishment which motivates me to work on the next section,” he says.

A simple but highly effective technique well-suited for ADHD college students.

Once you have the outline ready, divide the essay into smaller, manageable chunks. For instance, the first milestone could be to finish the introduction in five hours, followed by the first paragraph of the body in 2 hours, and so on.

Every milestone you meet is proof of steady progress, leaving you with a sense of satisfaction and renewed motivation to tackle the next one with more determination.

However, be realistic about your goals. Don’t try to take on too much that may lead to frustration and burnout.

5. Implement the Pomodoro technique

Expanding upon the previous point, the Pomodoro technique is a great way to stay focused on writing essays.

This technique breaks the writing process into manageable intervals. Let’s say you decide to work on an essay section for 25 minutes. During that time, you will have to focus entirely on the essay and immerse yourself in the writing process.

After 25 minutes, you can take a break of 5 minutes after which you will get back to 25 minutes of intense work. Once you’re done with 4 such Pomodoros (25 minutes of concentration), you can take an extended break of 15-30 minutes.

By working in such concentrated bursts, you’ll be able to harness your ADHD tendencies and make significant process in your essay. Moreover, there are lesser chances of stress and burnout because you’re giving yourself enough time to rest in between.

Are people with ADHD slow writers?

People with ADHD may not necessarily be slow writers, but they tend to face certain challenges such as focusing difficulties, impulsive tendencies, and overthinking that might impact the speed of their writing process.

6. Minimize distractions

Studies suggest that people with ADHD are easily distracted, which is why you need to take extra efforts to keep distractions at bay while writing essays. Even minor interruptions can divert your attention and disrupt your writing flow.

Measures to minimize distractions to maintain focus while writing essays

• Find a dedicated space to write – this can be your room, a quiet corner in your house, your college library, or anywhere else you think you can concentrate properly;
• Consider using noise-canceling headphones;
• Put your phone in ‘do not disturb mode or keep it away when you’re writing;
• Use focus apps such as Freedom and Cold Turkey to prevent you from browsing social media platforms and other websites that are not relevant to your essay;
• Ask your family, friends, and roommates not to disturb you during this time.

7. Keep an editing checklist

As someone with ADHD, editing can be tough because you may find it hard to focus on the small details and concentrate. On the other hand, you may become so absorbed in one part of your essay that you might overlook other important elements.

The solution is to have an editing checklist you can use while writing essays. Use it to be consistent in your writing, review the important details and manage your time effectively.

Elements you can include in your editing checklist

• Overall structure of the essay;
• Logical representation of ideas and arguments;
• Grammar, spelling, and punctuation;
• Check for wordiness and confusing sentences;
• Sufficient evidence and examples to support your arguments;
• Adherence to citation and formatting guidelines.

Alternatively, you can also hire a college paper editing service for expert help.

Key takeaway

It’s also a good idea to join communities and connect with others who struggle with ADHD. This is a good way to share coping strategies and learn from each other.

We agree it’s not easy having ADHD and having to write an essay while adhering to strict deadlines. However, don’t let self-doubt come in the way.

With practice and the right strategies, you will be able to approach your essays in a structured and organized manner – and enjoy the writing process.

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ADHD College Students: Use This Strategy To Write Papers

ADHD College Students : Here at ADHD Collective, we love highlighting the experiences and perspectives of like-minded people with ADHD. Izzy Walker started attending the weekly coworking sessions we launched in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began.  She showed up week after week and put in the hard work as she neared the semester’s end at University. When she accepted my invitation to share what she learned with our readers, I was thrilled, and I know you will be too. Please share Izzy’s helpful tips in your social circles, if you know a college student with ADHD who could benefit.

ADHD and College

Making it to university was a milestone I often thought I would never make. However, my experience was gloomy. Everything was disproportionately difficult, lectures were a confusing din, and every assignment was a mammoth struggle.

I changed university naively thinking it would be different somewhere else. It wasn’t. But it was there at my new university that my story of hope began, as one friend saw the immense struggle I was having and suggested that it could be ADHD.

This conversation was a catalyst for change, and set the ball rolling for me in my journey. It led to a heck of a lot of personal research, but also a meeting with an Educational Psychologist who after a series of testing gave me the diagnosis of ADHD and Dyspraxia .

When I read these words I felt an odd, overwhelming sense of relief. I wasn’t dumb, lazy, incapable, or ‘just not cut out to study’.

School reports year after year would echo the words, ‘distracted and distracting’, ‘capable but often off-task’, and ‘constantly questioning’. On paper I was doing well, the product of my work was good, so no flags had been raised, but deep down behind closed doors I was not doing well, the process was far from good. This has been the case throughout the whole of my education, and I just put it down to my capability.

Since diagnosis I have finished my 1 st assignment, and then my 2 nd , and then my 3 rd , and I am now looking onwards to my final year before being a qualified teacher. This time with hope and acceptance of who I am and who I can be with the right strategies and support in place.

Here are some that I have found the most game-changing when working on projects/assignments:

Give Yourself a New Deadline

I set myself a deadline a few days (at least) before the actual one. I have a real tendency to be scrambling right to the last minute and this helps avoid a lot of stress.

The whole point of this was to prevent a lot of unnecessary scrambling and stress. This also gave me time to edit (more on that later).

As much as you can, it’s helpful to treat this earlier date as your actual deadline. One way I did this was only scheduling this earlier date on the calendar so it felt more real.

By finishing 5-6 days early, it offered me a  window of time for editing and getting it ready to turn in. It also gave time to improve the paper should I have any middle of the night revelations…which I so often do!

Break Your Paper Down into Smaller Pieces

When I was presented with a 5,000 word assignment I felt immediately overwhelmed. I broke the assignment down into sections and assigned a word count to each one.

when I considered what my paper actually entailed, it didn’t seem so bad. Here's what the requirements consisted of:

• Introduction - 1 section
• Argument FOR - 3 sections
• Argument AGAINST - 3 sections
• Conclusion - 1 Section
• Total length of the paper had to be 5,000 words.

It may seem very overly meticulous, but by spending 30 minutes doing this prevented what could have been HOURS of cutting back word count in the editing stages, and could also run the risk of having no clear structure.

I am a waffler, so without this structure, I would probably have gone WAY over the word limit anyway.

I also went one step further by writing a title for each of the points (on my plan only) and any key things I wanted/needed to mention.

For example, in an assignment on why outdoor learning should be a part of the primary curriculum, my points would be titled ‘educational benefits’, ‘health benefits’ and ‘social benefits’.

The contrary points could be titled ‘behavioural issues’, ‘lack of funding’, and ‘lack of training’. By breaking it down into bite size chunks I felt it was much more manageable.

Focus on One Section a Day

After breaking it down, I dedicated a day to each of the sections. For example, intro – Monday, section 1 – Tuesday, etc.

From my experience, I have found that having a specific measurable target makes it almost like a game. I found it very motivating watching the word count for that section going down as I typed.

By scheduling the sections out and putting them in my calendar, it allowed me to know when this assignment could realistically be finished by, rather than taking a guess and hoping for the best.

When I woke up, I was thinking, 'I have to write 650 words today!’ rather than ‘oh my goodness 5,000 words!?

I would recommend doing this step as soon as you get the assignment and the deadline date…even if you do nothing else towards it, so that you know when you must start.

Set a Mid-Way Checkpoint

it will save you a LOT of time in the editing stages if you do a little editing as you go along. 

With the word count on this particular assignment being so big, I thought it would be wise to set a mid-way checkpoint to read through everything so far and make changes as necessary. 

Normally, this would be done at the end but I knew I would have lost all interest and motivation by this point…so it would be better to save myself such a huge job. This also filled me with confidence because when I was writing the second half of the assignment and needed the extra boost, I knew that the first half was to a good standard.

Do Something Every Day (No Matter How Small)

I’m not going to lie, not everyday was as straightforward as ‘write one section a day’. 

Some days I was crippled by demotivation, lethargy and not wanting to do ANYTHING. 

The key times I noticed this was if I had worked too hard the previous day or if I had hit a difficult part. Believe me, working TOO hard is a THING. 

My biggest piece of advice is…know your limits! 

I’m no ADHD scientist, but I find my brain must be working harder because of the increased effort I am investing to even stand a chance of being able to concentrate. 

Whilst I may feel just about fine at the time, the next day it takes its toll…big time…and maybe the work I did in my ‘overtime’ wasn’t even of the best quality anyway. 

"If you just aren’t feeling it, do just one sentence, or find just one piece of theory. Just do one something ..."

This is another reason why my structured plan was really useful because it prevented me from unnecessarily going overboard…and meant that there was no real reason to anyway as I was already on track to finish on time. 

If it’s the latter reason, that I’ve hit a difficult part, then there is nothing worse than putting it off another day because this ‘mental wall’ will just get HIGHER. 

What did I find useful? If you just aren’t feeling it…do just ONE sentence, or find just ONE piece of theory you just use. Just do ONE something…so then you can feel at least partially accomplished and it’s not a blank section for when you do get back to it. 

Best case scenario…that ONE something, could roll into TWO or THREE or FOUR somethings…and before you know it that section is done. Often it is just starting that is the difficult bit. 

But worse case scenario…you tried and you can give it another shot tomorrow when your brain is a bit fresher. Productive days happen, utilise these and ride the waves…as do unproductive days…don’t allow the guilt to creep in.

Declutter Your Workspace

I even went to the extreme of removing the pen pot off the desk…in front of me all I had was paper, 1 pen, my lamp, and my laptop.

Minimalism has been a saviour for me during this time of discovering what works for me and what doesn’t. I’ve come to the conclusion that reducing physical clutter consequently reduces mental clutter. I also found the inverse to be true too, clearing my physical space gave me mental clarity.

Whilst this is a visible practice in much of my life, it is especially apparent with my workspace . You’d be amazed what I can get distracted by when writing an assignment…even something as small and monotonous as a pen pot!

Firstly…I would recommend to ALWAYS have a work station with a proper chair when you are writing an assignment and never work from your bed. You must set yourself up for success.

Secondly, I have only the bare essentials in front of me…a pen, a lamp, paper, and my laptop. By keeping it minimal it also means it is easily portable if you want to ‘hot seat’ in your own house if you get bored of that scenery!

Use ADHD Coworking Sessions (and the Pomodoro Technique)

At the start of lockdown I stumbled upon a weekly coworking group ran by Adam from ADHD Collective. I can honestly put down a lot of my success to this…it was amazing!

Firstly, I felt so understood because the group was aimed at people with ADHD. This meant that everyone could share their experiences and not feel judged, but instead find themselves in a supportive community where they could also ask advice.

Each session was 2 hours long and attracted between 4 and 12 people, depending on the week.

It would start with each person sharing (with specifics) what task they wanted to achieve within the next 25 minute block.

By being specific it allowed for a strong element of accountability because at the end of the block, Adam, the ADHD coach and group host would check your progress and whether you had achieved what you wanted to achieve.

Working in 25 minute blocks is often referred to as the Pomodoro Technique . Whilst everyone else in the group is sharing their progress, it gives your brain the opportunity for a short break before starting the next block.

By having short bursts of activity I was able to concentrate and thus achieve more than I would have done if I tried to work for hours without breaks.

Additionally, having the accountability was an incentive for me because it was motivation and almost turned it into a game to try and get the activity finished in time.

I hope these college writing tips give you several options that might help you with your ADHD experience.

Now over to you!

Share the tools, strategies, and tips in the comments below that have helped you in your own journey with ADHD and college writing!

Izzy Walker

Izzy Walker is a trainee teacher in her final year at University in Newcastle, UK. When not studying, she can be found on spontaneous adventures, and meeting new people! To follow her as she navigates through the adventures of ADHD, student life, and teacher...find her on Instagram at @if.walker

Thank you so much.

I am an over 50 returning student trying to finish my undergraduate degree. I never knew I had ADHD until I started taking classes that required retention, organizing, and WRITING. At times, I even wondered if I lacked the skills to even finish. I, at times, self sabotage myself of success because of my struggles. I truly appreciate you sharing your experience. I’ve become desperate and will try anything at this point. I’m just glad to know that others understand my journey. Thank you for sharing.

Thanks for this! In addition to these, I also find it really helpful to keep a “Random thoughts” notepad near me to jot down unrelated urges as I have them. Things like “refill water bottle” or “text Casey back” will still be there in 25 minutes, and knowing in advance that thoughts like ‘this will only take a second’ are lies makes them easier to put on the back burner.

Wow. Thank you, so much, Izzy. I developed ADHD only 3 years ago from a medication. I also decided to go back to college as a mom of 3 boys and the mental exhaustion and burnout is no joke. Papers have been the most challenging and this is the single most helpful tool I’ve found yet. I could feel the relief wash over me as I read through your guide. I feel inspired to tackle my papers in a new way now.

Hi, I am a mid-career student here going back for an MA part-time, while also working. I’ve never been formally diagnosed, but I tick all the boxes and I know now it is why I struggled with papers in college the first time around and why I developed so many systems to be organized in my work life. Was feeling a little burned out today while writing an academic paper and was looking for advice. I was amazed to see that your system is very similar to what I’ve been doing for myself to get through paper-writing! It’s reinforcing in a very good way. Thank you for sharing this. Best of luck to everyone with finding the solutions and tricks that work for them.

Hi Espy, appreciate the comment. Very cool to hear your intuitive system is similar (nice intuition!). If an additional accountability/community component would ever be useful, you’re always invited to our Wednesday ADHD Coworking Sessions. They’re free and we do them every Wednesday (you can sign up for upcoming sessions here: https://adhdcollective.com/adhd-coworking-session-online/ ). Would love to have you, Espy!

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How to Manage the Challenges of Writing with ADHD

If you experience ADHD, there are tools available to help you express your creative ideas in writing.

People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be easily distracted, lack focus, and experience short-term memory, making writing a challenge. Approaching a writing task may require patience to find strategies and routines that best support you.

It can be difficult to organize your thoughts on paper, but you can take baby steps toward completion.

Resources can help you learn how to manage your symptoms and overcome any challenges you may be facing.

Writing challenges with ADHD

The signs and symptoms of ADHD center around inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. So, when presented with a writing task, the following symptoms may hinder your progress:

• difficulty organizing tasks
• difficulty sustaining attention
• inattention to details
• procrastination
• easily distracted by unrelated thoughts or stimuli

Studies show that students with ADHD exhibit a deficiency in written expression tasks that require organization and attention to detail.

For example, a study focused on middle-school students found approximately 1 in 5 had a writing impairment. The same impairment was also found in reading and math, as these areas also require focus and organization.

A 2017 study suggests that ADHD may affect writing performance due to working memory and attention deficits. Similar studies also show a direct relationship between ADHD and handwriting weakness.

But individuals with ADHD don’t lack creative ideas. Research published in 2020 suggests that ADHD may be associated with increased creativity, but further research is needed to support this information.

How to combat challenges with writing

If you’re experiencing difficulty writing, many strategies can help you organize your ideas on paper or electronically.

Note system

Consider a writing topic that you’re interested in. You can then brainstorm using individual small sticky notes to jot down your ideas and thoughts.

This system will allow you to categorize your messages into similar themes. If you’d like, transfer your notes from brainstorming into an outline to further organize your writing.

It can be overwhelming if you try to tackle everything at once. Consider focusing on the first paragraph only.

You can write a few sentences and see how it goes. Then, reapproach the task adding more sentences each time until you reach your desired stopping point.

Use a graphic organizer

A graphic organizer, such as a Venn diagram or a concept map, can help with memory recall and organizational skills.

Using a graphic organizer may allow you to categorize important topics and help break down your writing into manageable steps.

The composition of a paragraph has many layers. It can be helpful to organize your creative ideas visually.

Write in a journal

Writing in a daily journal can be a great way to coordinate your thoughts and practice writing. In addition, reflecting on your ideas for the day may help get you in the swing of writing.

Use speech-recognition software

Instead of using a keyboard to get thoughts to paper, you may find it easier to dictate them.

For example, using a speech-to-text software program can allow you to speak the sentences that then appear on your computer screen. Then, once your thoughts are on paper, you can construct the flow and align similar ideas.

Word-prediction software

Word-prediction software, such as Grammarly, is excellent for spell-checking, finding the right words, and sentence structures. Think of it as a personal writing assistant that ensures you use the correct punctuation and grammar.

Authors with ADHD

You can be successful as a writer no matter how small or big the task. Just a take a look at these famous writers diagnosed with ADHD:

• Agatha Christie was a world-famous novelist of numerous stories like “Murder on the Orient Express.”
• Dev Pilkey is a wildly successful children’s book writer of “Captain Underpants” and “Dog Man.”
• Jules Verne was a famous French novelist who wrote “A Journey to the Center of the Earth.”
• George Bernard Shaw was a well-known playwright and Nobel prize winner.

Their achievements and notoriety are proof that you can overcome the challenges of ADHD. The obstacles ahead shouldn’t stop you from achieving your dreams of working as a successful writer if that’s your goal.

Managing your ADHD isn’t always easy. But, even though specific tasks may be more challenging for you, like overcoming procrastination and being organized , they aren’t impossible.

Consider taking your time when getting started and doing more research to discover tools that work best for you. If you aren’t sure where to start, you may find comfort in a trusted friend or loved one to help you get your ideas on paper.

A mental health professional can also provide support and determine various approaches to help you overcome writing challenges. You’re not alone.

Last medically reviewed on January 10, 2022

5 sources collapsed

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and teens: What you need to know. (2021). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-in-children-and-teens-what-you-need-to-know#part_9998
• Berninger V, et al. (2016). Relationships of attention and executive functions to oral language, reading, and writing skills and systems in middle childhood and early adolescence. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4938801/
• Hoogman M, et al. (2020). Creativity and ADHD: A review of behavioral studies, the effect of psychostimulants and neural underpinnings. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763420305935?via%3Dihub
• Moliter S, et al. (2017). The written expression abilities of adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5134244/
• Rodríguez C, et al. (2017). Effects of ADHD on writing composition product and process in school-age students. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1087054717707048

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ADHD and Writing: Challenges and Strategies

Writing with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) poses a challenge to both children and adults living with the disorder. Many with ADHD struggle with dysgraphia , a learning disorder that makes writing difficult on several levels. Problems range from the physical act of writing to organizing essays. After discussing ADHD and creativity in my last post, I wanted to go into more depth about why writing with ADHD can be so hard and what we can do about it.

Writing with ADHD and Dysgraphia

ADHD and writing are often complicated by dysgraphia, a disorder with symptoms such as illegible writing or incomplete words. As a child, I loved to draw. However, whenever art classes graded on the ability to trace, color within the lines, or wield scissors, I fell short. Another nightmarish task required writing essays in pen—without whiteout. Though writing was one of my strong points, I found it virtually impossible to write even a paragraph in pen without making a single mistake.

Thanks to computers, good penmanship no longer has the significance it once did. This is fortunate for the many with ADHD and/or dysgraphia who have bad handwriting . They sometimes struggle with fine motor skills, spatial judgment, and the ability to recall shapes and letters of words on command.

Writing, ADHD, and Working Memory

Poor working memory also plagues many ADHDers and makes it hard to remember specific vocabulary and grammatical rules. Working memory involves storing, prioritizing, and utilizing information; so, even though I have a decent vocabulary, I often struggle to find the right word at the right time.

Problems with working memory also result in disorganized and unfocused writing, for one has to have the ability to prioritize and follow a train of thought in order to clearly communicate with a reader. People with ADHD tend to possess stronger verbal skills, but, even in discussions, we tend to ramble and go off on tangents ( ADHD Challenges: Mind Going Blank? ).

Having an excess of ideas also muddies the planning process. Too much structure can feel limiting and stifling, but too little structure might result in paralysis due to an infinite number of possible writing topics. I spend a lot of time determining what information needs to be left out and what points are of highest priority.

Impulsivity and boredom also hamper many an ADHDer when it comes to writing. Editing and proofreading are essential but sometimes tedious parts of the writing process. When it is finally time to edit, someone with ADHD probably wants to move on to something new. This results in poor attention to detail, which in turn results in careless mistakes and a draft that is never fully polished.

Video with ADHD Writing Strategies

Do not lose hope. People with ADHD have a lot to give when it comes to writing, and there are ways to make it easier. When I started taking my ADHD medication , I was better at organizing information and actually able to complete projects. The right medications can also reduce anxiety and make it easier to get started. In the video below, I talk about other steps you can take to make the process of writing with ADHD easier.

• HealthyPlace. Laurie Dupar. ADHD Challenges: Mind Going Blank?
• ADDitude. Chris Zeigler Dendy. How to Remove Hurdles to Writing for Students with ADHD .
• Advanced Education Services, Las Cruces (New Mexico) Public Schools. Niki Mott. Teaching Writing to Students Who Are Gifted and ADHD .
• Goins, Writer. Ryan McRae. The ADHD Guide to Building a Writing Habit .
• Verywell Mind. Keath Low. Writing Problems Common for Students With ADHD .

APA Reference Matteson, N. (2018, April 17). ADHD and Writing: Challenges and Strategies, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, April 16 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/livingwithadultadhd/2018/04/adhd-and-writing-challenges-and-strategies

Author: Noelle Matteson

Find Noelle on Twitter , Facebook  and her blog .

Hi, I to have given up on my masters in Social Policy, the mantra 'if I read your work I have to read everyone elses' I do have a degree in Social Welfare Law and I have a complaint going in. You are right about positive regard and how it is ignored. They fail to follow their own University Policy.

I have given up my masters course because the lecturers do not understand that writing about my structure on my assignment paper is not going to get any better without help. They spout about grey areas but, the Equality Act 2010 is quite clear, looking at 'positive regard'. I wonder if the lecturers are using the grey area as an excuse.

Leave a reply

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“How My Wild, Creative Craft Was Made More Wonderful with Structure.”

“going to a tutor allowed me to break through the cycle of adhd-related shame and disappointment that kept me back from other writing projects. now, i have the rest of my career to practice what i just learned and to learn what i have yet to practice.”.

The following is a personal essay, and not a medical recommendation endorsed by ADDitude. For more information about ADHD treatment, speak with your physician.

I sat in my car, waiting for my son’s tutoring session to end, eager to hear feedback on his Great Gatsby essay (which I came across while rummaging through his backpack the previous evening, unbeknownst to him). I wanted to see if the tutor’s edits were ones I had as well. More than that, I wanted confirmation that I — a professional writer for 30 years — knew what I was doing.

My son and I both have ADHD . He started working with this tutor to help him improve his writing skills and reading comprehension. I struggle with writing as well because of difficulties with focus and organization — even while medicated with stimulants .

Working to improve my writing skills at 51 years old is an admirable endeavor, I think. But why should I have to sneak around my son’s room like a criminal to mooch off his tutor’s lessons? Why covet my son’s tutor? Why not get one myself?

Admitting I wanted a tutor is embarrassing. I started out writing as a fluke, as an “editor” of a non-profit housing organization’s newsletter. Panicked over my new fancy title, and wishing I hadn’t overplayed my writing abilities, I took crash courses in journalism and creative writing through my local university. Equipped with good reporters’ tools — namely, curiosity and audacity — I learned to write news and feature stories.

But writing, even simply news stories, takes me forever. I write the lede, get distracted , and lose focus. When I try to pick up where I left off, my mind goes blank and I panic, furiously writing whatever comes to my head about the topic until suddenly, almost miraculously, the information swirling in my brain materializes into a well written, organized, polished story.

[ Click to Read: Writing My Way to a Happier Me ]

My process is hectic and haphazard, driven by panic rather than technique or structure. I try organizing my thoughts using outlines, webs, and charts — but nothing works.

Determined to get over my insecurities and really improve this time, I begin asking around for tutors who work with adults. But psychologists, teachers, school administrators — everybody is confused by my question. A tutor, at my age? Did I mean a life coach? An editor? A consultant? Facilitator? A highly regarded psychologist gives me someone’s name.

The tutor sounds flaky over the phone. She tells me that changing my writing process would change my life. “You’ll never think the same again,” she assures me.

She can only help me if I let her “get into” my head, she says. “We should get together sooner rather than later to see if we’re going to get along,” she adds. “Bring stories you’re working on.”

We plan to meet at a diner on a Wednesday morning. I won’t have trouble finding her, she says. “I have a lot of hair.”

[ Read: Manage Your Distractions ]

I hang up wondering if I should cancel.

I arrive at the nearly-empty diner on time and set up my laptop. A woman with long wavy hair and bright red lipstick traipses in, a fur hat covering her ears and fur boots, looking as if she were meeting a friend in Alaska, rather than a client at a Washington D.C. diner in the fall.

“You must be Marcela,” she says, squeezing my hand, a burst of sweet perfume settling between us.

“Let me tell you what I do.” Her fingers rub against her temples, as if nursing a migraine. She takes out a pencil and a pad and writes in big letters: F-E-A-R.

“I help people overcome their fear,” she pronounces, “because fear is the major obstacle to change.”

She resembles a TedX speaker giving a powerpoint presentation, but instead of standing before a large audience, she is sitting next to a jukebox, talking to me.

I wonder if I can just end the session, give her the check, and leave. But if I want a shot at something better, I must believe that this disheveled, eccentric woman can help me.

She lowers her voice and reaches out her hand. “Show me what you’ve got.”

I give her what started out as an essay about my experience trying to get out of paying hefty fines for overdue books to my local library. The essay evolved into a hodgepodge of funny stories – getting bad legal advice from baseball moms, misplacing book returns in the donation pile, and dodging surly librarians who would gladly throw violators into the slammer.

I worry about her reaction, but every so often she lets out a loud, throaty laugh. Or she stops to underline a sentence and mutter, “This is an excellent point.”

She moves closer as she finishes and says, “Do you know how difficult it is to write a funny story like this one?”

I nod. Her words strike my fragile ego. But then she begins to draft an outline, and I immediately object. “Outlines don’t work for me,” I blurt. “I can’t organize anything that way.”

She pauses, perplexed. “Tell me the story about the library.”

I stammer at first, having told the story dozens of times to friends and attempted to write it dozens more. But my voice steadies, and I tell the story I want to write. I picture the events leading up to the confrontation with the librarian, describing the scenes with vivid imagery, humor and irony. The story I tell is actually well organized and evenly paced.

The tutor sees the lightning bolt in my eyes, and begins drafting out my story in a storyboard. Together, we fill in the panels, stick figure style, to depict the sequence of scenes. It is exhilarating to lay out one thought after another, without fear that the whole structure might tumble down if my mind drifted, if I lost focus , or struggled with organizing my thoughts. Together, we build a story, one thought at a time. Later, I return home and use the story board concept to lay out another piece.

The next time we meet, I pull out a copy of the “Corporate Relocation Survey 2009,” which highlights challenges faced by employees who must relocate for their jobs. The report has caused me much agony, as I struggled to figure out whether to start my coverage describing the problem, summarizing the conclusion, or presenting the findings. My tutor groans over the selection.

“Take out a piece of paper,” she orders. “Write 10 questions you have about the report.” “I haven’t read it yet,” I say, confused by her suggestion.

“What questions will this report answer for me?” she asks, drawing a question mark that takes up the entire page.

I grow impatient. And then, a light bulb goes off. “What’s it about?” I write down that question. “Who does the survey affect? Why would anybody care?” The questions come faster than I can write them down. Surprisingly, I know more about the topic than I realized.

She then asks me to identify the questions that strike me as most interesting and to dig through the report for answers. Eagerly, I thumb through the pages. I am on a mission to find something specific, insightful, and spectacular — an item that will reveal what’s at stake over a problem that, seconds before, readers had no idea existed.

In this way, I find my lead.

I ended up having just five sessions with my tutor. But in that short time, she identified inefficiencies in my writing process and provided solutions to fix bad habits.

When I told my son I had been seeing a tutor, he looked up from his Game Boy and laughed.

“You going back to school or something?”

Is that notion so strange? Going to a tutor allowed me to break through the cycle of ADHD-related shame and disappointment that kept me back from other writing projects. Now, I have the rest of my career to practice what I just learned and to learn what I have yet to practice.

How to Become a Better Writer: Next Steps

• Read: ADHD and the Epidemic of Shame
• Read: “I Don’t Need to Be Fixed!” Epiphanies of Self-Acceptance from Adults with ADHD
• Download: Focus Your ADHD Brain With 5 Helpful Hacks

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ADHD and Graduate Writing

What this handout is about.

This handout outlines how ADHD can contribute to hitting the wall in graduate school. It describes common executive function challenges that grad students with ADHD might experience, along with tips, strategies, and resources for navigating the writing demands of grad school with ADHD.

Challenges for graduate students with ADHD

Many graduate students hit the wall (lose focus, productivity, and direction) when they reach the proposal, thesis, or dissertation phase—when they have a lot of unstructured time and when their external accountability system is gone. Previously successful strategies aren’t working for them anymore, and they aren’t making satisfactory progress on their research.

In many ways, hitting the wall is a normal part of the grad school experience, but ADHD, whether diagnosed or undiagnosed, can amplify the challenges of graduate school because success depends heavily on executive functioning. ADHD expert Russell Barkley explains that people with ADHD have difficulty with some dimensions of executive function, including working memory, motivation, planning, and problem solving. For grad students, those difficulties may emerge as these kinds of challenges:

• Being forgetful and having difficulty keeping things organized.
• Not remembering anything they’ve read in the last few hours or the last few minutes.
• Not remembering anything they’ve written or the argument they’ve been developing.
• Finding it hard to determine a research topic because all topics are appealing.
• Easily generating lots of new ideas but having difficulty organizing them.
• Being praised for creativity but struggling with coherence in writing, often not noticing logical leaps in their own writing.
• Having difficulty breaking larger projects into smaller chunks and/or accurately estimating the time required for each task.
• Difficulty imposing structure on large blocks of time and finishing anything without externally set deadlines.
• Spending an inordinate amount of time (like 5 hours) developing the perfect plan for accomplishing tasks (like 3 hours of reading).
• Having trouble switching tasks—working for hours on one thing (like refining one sentence), often with no awareness of time passing.
• Conversely, having trouble focusing on a single task–being easily distracted by external or internal competitors for their attention.
• Being extremely sensitive to or upset by criticism, even when it’s meant to be constructive.
• Struggling with advisor communications, especially when the advisors don’t have a strict structure, e.g., establishing priorities, setting clear timelines, enforcing deadlines, providing timely feedback, etc.

If you experience these challenges in a way that is persistent and problematic, check out our ADHD resources page and consider talking to our ADHD specialists at the Learning Center to talk through how you can regain or maintain focus and productivity.

Strategies for graduate students with ADHD

Writing a thesis or dissertation is a long, complex process. The list below contains a variety of strategies that have been helpful to grad students with ADHD. Experiment with the suggestions below to find what works best for you.

Reading and researching

Screen reading software allows you to see and hear the words simultaneously. You can control the pace of reading to match your focus. If it’s easier to focus while you’re physically active, try using a screen reader so you can listen to journal articles while you take a walk or a run or while you knit or doodle–or whatever movement helps you focus. Find more information about screen readers and everything they can do on the ARS Technology page .

Citation management systems can help you keep your sources organized. Most systems enable you to enter notes, add tags, save pdfs, and search. Some allow you to annotate pdfs, export to other platforms, or collaborate on projects. See the UNC Health Sciences Library comparison of citation managers to learn more about options and support.

Synthesis matrix is a fancy way of saying “spreadsheet,” but it’s a spreadsheet that helps you keep your notes organized. Set the spreadsheet up with a column for the full citations and additional columns for themes, like “research question,” “subjects,” “theoretical perspective,” or anything that you could productively document. The synthesis matrix allows you to look at all of the notes on a single theme across multiple publications, making it easier for you to analyze and synthesize. It saves you the trouble of shuffling through lots of highlighted articles or random pieces of paper with scribbled notes. See these example matrices on Autism , Culturally Responsive Pedagogy , and Translingualism .

Topic selection

Concept maps (also called mind maps) represent information visually through diagrams, flowcharts, timelines, etc. They can help you document ideas and see relationships you might be interested in pursuing. See examples on the Learning Center’s Concept Map handout . Search the internet for “concept-mapping software” or “mind-mapping software” to see your many choices.

Advisor meetings can help you reign in all of the interesting possibilities and focus on a viable, manageable project. Try to narrow the topics down to 3-5 and discuss them with your advisor. Be ready to explain why each interests you and how you would see the project developing. Work with your advisor to set goals and a check-in schedule to help you stay on track. They can also help you sort what needs to be considered now and what’s beyond the scope of the dissertation—tempting though it may be to include everything possible.

Eat the elephant one bite at a time. Break the dissertation project down into bite-sized pieces so you don’t get overwhelmed by the enormity of the whole project. The pieces can be parts of the text (e.g., the introduction) or the process (e.g., brainstorming or formatting tables). Enlist your advisor, other grad students, or anyone you think might help you figure out manageable chunks to work on, discuss reasonable times for completion, and help you set up accountability systems.

Tame perfectionism and separate the processes . Writers with ADHD will often try to perfect a single sentence before moving on to the next one, to the point that it’s debilitating. Start with drafting for ideas, knowing that you’re going to write a lot of sentences that will change later. Allow the ideas to flow, then set aside times to revise for ideas and to polish the prose.

List questions you could answer as a way of brainstorming and organizing information.

Make a slideshow of your key points for each section, chapter, or the entire dissertation. Hit the highlights without getting mired in the details as you draft the big picture.

Give a presentation to an imaginary (or real) audience to help you flesh out your ideas and try to articulate them coherently. The presentation can be planned or spontaneous as a brainstorming strategy. Give your presentation out loud and use dictation software to capture your thoughts.

Use dictation software to transcribe your speech into words on a screen. If your brain moves faster than your fingers can type, or if you constantly backspace over imperfectly written sentences, dictation software can capture the thoughts as they come to you and preserve all of your phrasings. You can review, organize, and revise later. Any device with a microphone (like your phone) will do the trick. See various speech to text tools on the ARS Technology page .

Turn off the monitor and force yourself to write for five, ten, twenty minutes, or however long it takes to dump your brain onto the screen. If you can’t see the words, you can’t scrutinize and delete them prematurely.

Use the Pomodoro technique . Set a timer for 25 minutes, write as much as you can during that time, take a five-minute break, and then do it again. After four 25-minute segments, take a longer break. The timer puts a helpful limit on the writing session that can motivate you to produce. It also keeps you aware of the passage of time, helping you stay focused and keeping your time more structured.

Sprints or marathons? Some people find it helpful to break down the writing process into smaller tasks and work on a number of tasks in smaller sprints. However, some people with ADHD find managing a number of tasks overwhelming, so for them, a “marathon write” may be a good idea. A marathon write doesn’t have to mean last-minute writing. Try to plan ahead, stock up on food for as many days as you plan to write, and think about how you’ll care for yourself during the long stretch of writing.

Minimize distractions . Turn off the internet, find a suitable place (quiet, ambient noise, etc.), minimize disruptions from other people (family, office mates, etc.), and use noise-canceling headphones or earplugs if they help. If you catch your thoughts wandering, write down whatever is distracting and you can attend to it later when you finish.

Seek feedback for clarity . Mind-wandering is a big asset for people with ADHD as it boosts creativity. Expansive, big-picture thinking is also an asset because it allows you to imagine complex systems. However, these things can also make graduate students with ADHD struggle with maintaining logical coherence. When you ask for feedback, specify logical coherence as a concern so your reader has a focus. If you’d like to look at your logic before you seek feedback, see our 2-minute video on reverse outlining .

Seek feedback for community . Talking to people about your ideas for writing will help you stay connected at a time when it’s easy to fade into a dark hole. Check out this handout on getting feedback .

Time management and accountability

Enlist your advisor . Graduate students with ADHD might worry about the perception that they’re “gaming the system” if they disclose their ADHD. Or they might struggle with an advisor with a more hands-off mentoring style. It will be helpful to be explicit about your neurodiversity and your potential need for a structure. Ask your advisor to clarify the expectations specifically (even quantify them), and work with them to come up with a clear timeline and a regular check-in schedule.

Enlist other mentors . Your advisor may be less understanding and/or may not be able to provide enough structure, or you may think it’s a good idea to have more than one person on your structure team. Look for other mentors on your faculty (inside or outside of your committee), and talk to senior grad students about their strategies.

Pay attention to your body rhythms . When do you feel most creative? Most focused? Most energetic? Or the least creative, focused, energetic? What activities could you engage in during those times? How can you do them consistently?

Think about task vs. time . It can be difficult to estimate how long a task is going to take, so think about setting a time limit for working on something. Set a timer, work for that amount of time, and change tasks when the time is over.

Tame hyperfocus . If you have trouble switching tasks, ask a friend or colleague to “interrupt” you, or figure out a system you can use to interrupt yourself. For example, when you find yourself trying to fix a sentence for 30 minutes, you can call a friend for a brief conversation about another topic. People with ADHD often find this helps them to look at the work from a more objective perspective when they return to it.

Set SMART goals . Check out the handout on setting SMART goals to help you set up a regular research and writing routine.

Set up a reward system . Tie your research or writing goal to an enjoyable reward. Note that it can also be pre-ward – something you do beforehand that will help you feel refreshed and motivated to work.

Find accountability buddies . These can be people you update on your progress or people you meet with to get work done together. Oftentimes, the simple presence of other people is able to motivate and keep us focused. This “body-doubling” strategy is particularly helpful for people with ADHD. Look for events like the Dissertation Boot Camp or IME Writing Wednesdays .

Find virtual accountability partners . There are a number of online platforms to connect you with virtual work partners. See this article on strategies and things to consider.

Use productivity and focus apps . Check out some recommendations among the Learning Center’s ADHD/LD Resources . To find the best options for you, try Googling “Apps for focus and productivity” to find reviews of timers and other focus apps.

Learn more about accountability . See the Learning Center’s Accountability Strategies page for great information and resources.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Barkley, R. (2022, July 11). What is executive function? 7 deficits tied to ADHD . ADDitude: Inside the ADHD Mind. https://www.additudemag.com/7-executive-function-deficits-linked-to-adhd/

Hallowell, E. and Ratey, J. (2021). ADHD 2.0: New science and essential strategies for thriving with distraction—from childhood through adulthood . Random House Books.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Writing Problems Common for Students With ADHD

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• ADHD and Writing Skills
• Common Challenges
• Helpful Writing Strategies

Children with ADHD are more likely to develop writing problems than children without ADHD, regardless of gender. Among both boys and girls with ADHD who also have a reading disability, however, girls have an even higher chance of developing a written language disorder, creating even more challenges for girls in the classroom.

At a Glance

ADHD is a form of neurodivergence that can make writing more challenging for some students. ADHD traits can affect a student's ability to concentrate, meet deadlines, stay on task, and stay organized, impacting their writing skills. Keep reading to learn more about how ADHD can affect children's writing skills—and how appropriate accommodations and support can help these students succeed.

ADHD Can Impact Skills Important for Writing

The technique of expressing oneself through writing is quite a complex, multi-step process. It requires integrating several skills, including:

• Planning, analyzing, and organizing thoughts
• Prioritizing and sequencing information
• Remembering and implementing correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar rules
• Fine motor coordination

As students age and move into high school and college , the expectations around writing become even more demanding. Essays and reports that require students to communicate what they know on paper factor more prominently into the curriculum.

It is no wonder that writing can create such anxiety in students with ADHD. Simply starting the process and getting ideas and thoughts out of their head in an organized manner and down on paper can feel like an uphill battle.

This can create problems for students with ADHD since research has found that writing abilities longitudinally predict the academic outcomes of kids with this form of neurodivergence .

Signs of Writing Problems in Kids With ADHD

Some of the signs that a student might be struggling with their writing due to ADHD characteristics include:

• Taking longer than their classmates to complete their work
• Producing less written work—shorter reports, less "discussion" on discussion questions, and fewer sentences on each test question—as compared to their peers without ADHD
• Struggling to turn in written assignments by the required deadline
• Making spelling errors due to rushing through the writing process or not being able to stay on task
• Failing to proofread and edit assignments before turning them in

ADHD Challenges That May Lead to Writing Difficulties

Why is it so tough for students with ADHD to produce well-crafted, thoughtful, carefully edited writing? Here are nine of the top reasons:

• Keeping ideas in mind long enough to remember what one wants to say
• Maintaining focus on the "train of thought" so the flow of the writing does not veer off course
• Keeping in mind the big picture of what you want to communicate while manipulating the ideas, details, and wording
• With the time and frustration it can take to complete work, there is often no time (or energy) remaining to check over the details, edit assignments, and make corrections.
• Students with ADHD generally have problems with focus and attention to detail, making it likely that they will make errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
• If a child is impulsive, they may also rush through schoolwork. As a result, papers are often filled with "careless" mistakes.
• The whole proofreading and editing process can be quite tedious, so if students attempt to review work, they may easily lose interest and focus.
• Challenges with fine motor coordination can complicate writing ability further. Many students with ADHD struggle with fine motor coordination, resulting in slower, messier penmanship that can be very difficult to read.
• Simply sustaining the attention and mental energy required for writing can be a struggle for someone with ADHD.

Research indicates that it is less the overt behavioral traits (like restlessness and impulsivity) that influence writing problems in kids with ADHD. Instead, it is typically struggles with executive functions (such as working memory, cognitive flexibility, and attentional control) that play the most significant role in causing writing problems for kids with ADHD.

Writing Strategies for Kids With ADHD

Students with ADHD can work on strategies to improve writing skills that address common learning problems that can interfere with written language expression. Appropriate accommodations and support can help students with ADHD manage the challenges that might affect their writing abilities. Some strategies that can help include:

Giving Clear Instructions

Students with ADHD benefit from having concise instructions that clearly outline the steps to follow in an assignment. Breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks can also help.

Help With Organization

Organizational strategies like outlining can help. Some people may find index cards breaking down writing tasks into small steps helpful, but students with ADHD often get bogged down if they have to deal with many smaller tasks. In such instances, setting a timer and devoting a specific block of time to writing can be a great way to make progress on writing tasks without getting overwhelmed.

Provide Extra Time

Because students with ADHD may take longer with writing assignments, providing extra time to complete these tasks can be a helpful accommodation that helps ensure academic sucess. This can give kids the time they need to produce quality work and finish their assignments.

Extra time, clear instructions, and help with organization can help kids with ADHD managing writing assignments more easily. However, it is important to remember that each kid is different. Experimenting with different methods and supports can help each child figure out what works best for them.

Keep in Mind

It is important to remember that while students with ADHD might struggle with writing skills, having the right accommodations and support can help them succeed in academic settings. Finding ways to support kids in overcoming their writing challenges can help them manage their ADHD effectively, foster more positive academic self-esteem, and strengthen their writing skills.

Molitor SJ, Langberg JM, Evans SW. The written expression abilities of adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder .  Res Dev Disabil . 2016;51-52:49-59. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2016.01.005

Molitor SJ, Langberg JM, Bourchtein E, Eddy LD, Dvorsky MR, Evans SW. Writing abilities longitudinally predict academic outcomes of adolescents with ADHD .  Sch Psychol Q . 2016;31(3):393-404. doi:10.1037/spq0000143

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ADHD in the classroom: Helping children succeed in school .

Mokobane M, Pillay BJ, Meyer A. Fine motor deficits and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in primary school children . S Afr J Psychiatr . 2019;25:1232. doi:10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v25i0.1232

Soto EF, Irwin LN, Chan ESM, Spiegel JA, Kofler MJ. Executive functions and writing skills in children with and without ADHD .  Neuropsychology . 2021;35(8):792-808. doi:10.1037/neu0000769

By Keath Low  Keath Low, MA, is a therapist and clinical scientist with the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina. She specializes in treatment of ADD/ADHD.

• Writing Help for ADHD Students

Updated 2024.

Typically, students with ADHD produce a wealth of ideas about an essay writing topic. Yet over 60% of students with ADHD struggle to get their ideas down on paper.

For most students with ADHD, writing assignments are torturous.

Because students with ADHD often have trouble separating dominant (main) ideas from less dominant (subordinate) ideas, even starting a writing assignment can be an arduous and anxiety filled experience.

But none of these difficulties needs to keep your ADHD child from writing successfully in school. Use the eight strategies below to help your child write more easily and successfully.

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Last updated March 22, 2024

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Blog > Common App , Essay Advice , Personal Statement > How to Write a College Essay About ADHD

How to Write a College Essay About ADHD

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University Admissions

Key Takeaway

ADHD and ADD are becoming more prevalent, more frequently diagnosed, and better understood.

The exact number of college students with ADHD is unclear with estimates ranging wildly from just 2% to 16% or higher.

Regardless of the raw numbers, an ADHD diagnosis feels very personal, and it is not surprising that many students consider writing a college essay about ADHD.

If you are thinking about writing about ADHD, consider these three approaches. From our experience in admissions offices, we’ve found them to be the most successful.

First, a Note on the Additional Information Section

Before we get into the three approaches, I want to note that your Common App personal statement isn’t the only place you can communicate information about your experiences to admissions officers.

You can also use the additional information section.

The additional information section is less formal than your personal statement. It doesn’t have to be in essay format, and what you write there will simply give your admissions officers context. In other words, admissions officers won’t be evaluating what you write in the additional information section in the same way they’ll evaluate your personal statement.

You might opt to put information about your ADHD (or any other health or mental health situations) in the additional information section so that admissions officers are still aware of your experiences but you still have the flexibility to write your personal statement on whatever topic you choose.

Three Ways to Write Your College Essay About ADHD

If you feel like the additional information section isn’t your best bet and you’d prefer to write about ADHD in your personal statement or a supplemental essay, you might find one of the following approaches helpful.

1) Using ADHD to understand your trends in high school and looking optimistically towards college

This approach takes the reader on a journey from struggle and confusion in earlier years, through a diagnosis and the subsequent fallout, to the present with more wisdom and better grades, and then ends on a note about the future and what college will hold.

If you were diagnosed somewhere between 8th and 10th grade, this approach might work well for you. It can help you contextualize a dip in grades at the beginning of high school and emphasize that your upward grade trend is here to stay.

The last part—looking optimistically towards college—is an important component of this approach because you want to signal to admissions officers that you’ve learned to manage the challenges you’ve faced in the past and are excited about the future.

I will warn you: there is a possible downside to this approach. Because it’s a clear way to communicate grade blips in your application, it is one of the most common ways to write a college essay about ADHD. Common doesn’t mean it’s bad or off-limits, but it does mean that your essay will have to work harder to stand out.

2) ADHD as a positive

Many students with ADHD tell us about the benefits of their diagnosis. If you have ADHD, you can probably relate.

Students tend to name strengths like quick, creative problem-solving, compassion and empathy, a vivid imagination, or a keen ability to observe details that others usually miss. Those are all great traits for college (and beyond).

If you identify a strength of your ADHD, your essay could focus less on the journey through the diagnosis and more on what your brain does really well. You can let an admissions officer into your world by leading them through your thought processes or through a particular instance of innovation.

Doing so will reveal to admissions officers something that makes you unique, and you’ll be able to write seamlessly about a core strength that’s important to you. Of course, taking this approach will also help your readers naturally infer why you would do great in college.

3) ADHD helps me empathize with others

Students with ADHD often report feeling more empathetic to others around them. They know what it is like to struggle and can be the first to step up to help others.

If this rings true to you, you might consider taking this approach in your personal statement.

If so, we recommend connecting it to at least one extracurricular or academic achievement to ground your writing in what admissions officers are looking for.

A con to this approach is that many people have more severe challenges than ADHD, so take care to read the room and not overstate your challenge.

Key Takeaways + An Example

If ADHD is a significant part of your story and you’re considering writing your personal statement about it, consider one of these approaches. They’ll help you frame the topic in a way admissions officers will respond to, and you’ll be able to talk about an important part of your life while emphasizing your strengths.

And if you want to read an example of a college essay about ADHD, check out one of our example personal statements, The Old iPhone .

As you go, remember that your job throughout your application is to craft a cohesive narrative —and your personal statement is the anchor of that narrative. How you approach it matters.

Liked that? Try this next.

The Incredible Power of a Cohesive College Application

How A Selective Admissions Office Reads 50k Applications In A Season

12 Common App Essay Examples (Graded by Former Admissions Officers)

How to Write a Personal Statement for Colleges

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• How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples

How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.

The main goals of an introduction are to:

• Catch your reader’s attention.
• Give background on your topic.
• Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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Table of contents

Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.

Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.

Examples: Writing a good hook

Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.

• Braille was an extremely important invention.
• The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly  why the topic is important.

• The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
• The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.

Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.

• Mary Shelley’s  Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.

Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.

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Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:

• Historical, geographical, or social context
• An outline of the debate you’re addressing
• A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
• Definitions of key terms

The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.

How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:

Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.

This is the most important part of your introduction. A  good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.

The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

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As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.

To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .

You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.

Checklist: Essay introduction

My first sentence is engaging and relevant.

I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.

I have defined any important terms.

My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.

Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.

You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.

• Argumentative
• Literary analysis

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
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• False cause fallacy
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Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

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McCombes, S. (2023, July 23). How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 16, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/introduction/

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ADHD is my superpower: A personal essay

A Story About a Kid

In 1989, I was 7 years old and just starting first grade. Early in the school year, my teacher arranged a meeting with my parents and stated that she thought that I might be “slow” because I wasn’t performing in class to the same level as the other kids. She even volunteered to my parents that perhaps a “special” class would be better for me at a different school.

Thankfully, my parents rejected the idea that I was “slow” out of hand, as they knew me at home as a bright, talkative, friendly, and curious kid — taking apart our VHS machines and putting them back together, filming and writing short films that I’d shoot with neighborhood kids, messing around with our new Apple IIgs computer!

The school, however, wanted me to see a psychiatrist and have IQ tests done to figure out what was going on. To this day, I remember going to the office and meeting with the team — and I even remember having a blast doing the IQ tests. I remember I solved the block test so fast that the clinician was caught off guard and I had to tell them that I was done — but I also remember them trying to have me repeat numbers back backwards and I could barely do it!

Being Labeled

The prognosis was that I was high intelligence and had attention-deficit disorder (ADD). They removed the hyperactive part because I wasn’t having the type of behavioral problems like running around the classroom (I’ll cover later why I now proudly identify as hyperactive). A week later, my pediatrician started me on Ritalin and I was told several things that really honestly messed me up.

I was told that I had a “learning disability” — which, to 7-year-old me, didn’t make any sense since I LOVED learning! I was told that I would take my tests in a special room so that I’d have fewer distractions. So, the other kids would watch me walk out of the classroom and ask why I left the room when tests were happening — and they, too, were informed that I had a learning disability.

As you can imagine, kids aren’t really lining up to be friends with the “disabled” kid, nor did they hold back on playground taunts around the issue.

These were very early days, long before attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was well known, and long before people had really figured out how to talk to kids with neurodiversities . And as a society, we didn’t really have a concept that someone who has a non-typical brain can be highly functional — it was a time when we didn’t know that the world’s richest man was on the autism spectrum !

Growing Past a Label

I chugged my way through elementary school, then high school, then college — getting consistent B’s and C’s. What strikes me, looking back nearly 30 years later, is just how markedly inconsistent my performance was! In highly interactive environments, or, ironically, the classes that were the most demanding, I did very well! In the classes that moved the slowest or required the most amount of repetition, I floundered.

Like, I got a good grade in the AP Biology course with a TON of memorization, but it was so demanding and the topics were so varied and fast-paced that it kept me engaged! On the opposite spectrum, being in basic algebra the teacher would explain the same simple concept over and over, with rote problem practice was torturously hard to stay focused because the work was so simple.

And that’s where we get to the part explaining why I think of my ADHD as a superpower, and why if you have it, or your kids have it, or your spouse has it… the key to dealing with it is understanding how to harness the way our brains work.

Learning to Thrive with ADHD

Disclaimer : What follows is NOT medical advice, nor is it necessarily 100% accurate. This is my personal experience and how I’ve come to understand my brain via working with my therapist and talking with other people with ADHD.

A Warp Speed Brain

To have ADHD means that your brain is an engine that’s constantly running at high speed. It basically never stops wanting to process information at a high rate. The “attention” part is just an observable set of behaviors when an ADHD person is understimulated. This is also part of why I now openly associate as hyperactive — my brain is hyperactive! It’s constantly on warp speed and won’t go any other speed.

For instance, one of the hardest things for me to do is fill out a paper check. It’s simple, it’s obvious, there is nothing to solve, it just needs to be filled out. By the time I have started writing the first stroke of the first character, my mind is thinking about things that I need to think about. I’m considering what to have for dinner, then I’m thinking about a movie I want to see, then I come up with an email to send — all in a second. 

I have to haullll myself out of my alternate universe and back to the task at hand and, like a person hanging on the leash of a horse that’s bolting, I’m struggling to just write out the name of the person who I’m writing the check to! This is why ADHD people tend to have terrible handwriting, we’re not able to just only think about moving the pen, we’re in 1,000 different universes.

On the other hand, this entire blog post was written in less than an hour and all in one sitting. I’m having to think through a thousand aspects all at once. My dialog: “Is this too personal? Maybe you should put a warning about this being a personal discussion? Maybe I shouldn’t share this? Oh, the next section should be about working. Should I keep writing more of these?”

And because there is so much to think through and consider for a public leader like myself to write such a personal post, it’s highly engaging! My engine can run at full speed. I haven’t stood up for the entire hour, and I haven’t engaged in other nervous habits I have like picking things up — I haven’t done any of it! 

This is what’s called hyperfocus, and it’s the part of ADHD that can make us potentially far more productive than our peers. I’ve almost arranged my whole life around making sure that I can get myself into hyperfocus as reliably as possible.

Harnessing What My Brain Is Built For

Slow-moving meetings are very difficult for me, but chatting in 20 different chat rooms at the same time on 20 different subjects is very easy for me — so you’ll much more likely see me in chat rooms than scheduling additional meetings. Knowing what my brain is built for helps me organize my schedule, work, and commitments that I sign up for to make sure that I can be as productive as possible.

If you haven’t seen the movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” and you are ADHD or love someone who is, you should immediately go watch it! The first time I saw it, I loved it, but I had no idea that one of its writers was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult , and decided to write a sci-fi movie about an ADHD person! The moment I read that it was about having ADHD my heart exploded. It resonated so much with me and it all made sense.

Practically, the only real action in the movie is a woman who needs to file her taxes. Now, don’t get me wrong — it’s a universe-tripping adventure that is incredibly exciting, but if you even take a step back and look at it, really, she was just trying to do her taxes.

But, she has a superpower of being able to travel into universes and be… everywhere all at once. Which is exactly how it feels to be in my mind — my brain is zooming around the universe and it’s visiting different thoughts and ideas and emotions. And if you can learn how to wield that as a power, albeit one that requires careful handling, you can do things that most people would never be able to do!

Co-workers have often positively noted that I see solutions that others miss and I’m able to find a course of action that takes account of multiple possibilities when the future is uncertain (I call it being quantum brained). Those two attributes have led me to create groundbreaking new technologies and build large teams with great open cultures and help solve problems and think strategically. 

It took me until I was 39 to realize that ADHD isn’t something that I had to overcome to have the career I’ve had — it’s been my superpower .

Published Jul 15, 2022

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162 ADHD Essay Topics & Examples

Looking for ADHD topics to write about? ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a very common condition nowadays. It is definitely worth analyzing.

🔝 Top 10 ADHD Research Topics

🏆 best adhd essay examples, 💡 most interesting adhd topics to write about, 🎓 exciting adhd essay topics, 🔥 hot adhd topics to write about, 👍 adhd research paper topics, ❓ research questions about adhd.

In your ADHD essay, you might want to focus on the causes or symptoms of this condition. Another idea is to concentrate on the treatments for ADHD in children and adults. Whether you are looking for an ADHD topic for an argumentative essay, a research paper, or a dissertation, our article will be helpful. We’ve collected top ADHD essay examples, research paper titles, and essay topics on ADHD.

• ADHD and its subtypes
• The most common symptoms of ADHD
• The causes of ADHD: genetics, environment, or both?
• ADHD and the changes in brain structures
• ADHD and motivation
• Treating ADHD: the new trends
• Behavioral therapy as ADHD treatment
• Natural remedies for ADHD
• ADD vs. ADHD: is there a difference?
• Living with ADHD: the main challenges
• Learning Disabilities: Differentiating ADHD and EBD As for the most appropriate setting, it is possible to seat the child near the teacher. It is possible to provide instructions with the help of visual aids.
• Everything You Need to Know About ADHD The frontal hemisphere of the brain is concerned with coordination and a delay in development in this part of the brain can lead to such kind of disorder.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD / ADHD) Some critics maintain that the condition is a work of fiction by the psychiatric and pharmacists who have taken advantage of distraught families’ attempts to comprehend the behaviour of their children to dramatise the condition.
• Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Real? In fact, the existence of the condition, its treatment and diagnosis, have been considered controversial topics since the condition was first suggested in the medical, psychology and education.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Signs and Strategies Determining the presence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a child and addressing the disorder is often a rather intricate process because of the vagueness that surrounds the issue.
• ADHD and Its Effects on the Development of a Child In particular, this research study’s focus is the investigation of the impact of household chaos on the development and behavior of children with ADHD.
• The History of ADHD Treatment: Drug Addiction Disorders Therefore, the gathered data would be classified by year, treatment type, and gender to better comprehend the statistical distribution of the prevalence of drug addiction.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Recommended Therapy The condition affects the motivational functioning and abnormal cognitive and behavioural components of the brain. Dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex contributed to a lack of alertness and shortened attention in the brain’s short-term memory.
• Rhetorical Modes Anthology on Attention Deficit Disorder It clearly outlines the origin and early symptoms of the disorder and the scientist who discovered attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Summary & Validity: This article describes the causes of hyperactivity disorder and the potential factors […]
• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a Young Girl The particular objective was to assist Katie in becoming more focused and capable of finishing her chores. The patient received the same amount of IR Ritalin and was required to continue taking it for an […]
• Similarities and Differences: SPD, ADHD, and ASD The three disorders, Sensory Processing Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder, are often confused with each other due to the connections and similarities that exist.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Awareness According to Sayal et al, ADHD is common in young boys as it is easier to identify the problem. The disorder is well-known, and there is no struggle to identify the problem.
• Assessing the Personality Profile With ADHD Characteristics On the contrary, the study was able to understand significant changes in the emotional states and mood of the children when the observations and the tests ended.
• Aspects of ADHD Patients Well-Being This goal can be achieved through the help of mental health and behavioral counselors to enhance behavioral modification and the ability to cope with challenges calmly and healthily.
• ADHD and Problems With Sleep This is because of the activity of a person in the middle of the day and the condition around them. The downside of the study is that the study group included 52 adults with ADHD […]
• The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment It has been estimated that when medicine and therapy are applied as treatment together, the outcomes for children with ADHD are excellent.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Organization’s Mission Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is an organization that is determined to handle individuals affected by ADHD. The organization was founded in 1987 following the rampant frustration and isolation that parents experienced due to […]
• Case Conceptualization: Abuse-Mediated ADHD Patient The case provides insight into the underlying causes of James’s educational problems and the drug abuse of his parents. The case makes it evident that the assumption from the first case conceptualization about James’s ADHD […]
• Change: Dealing With Patients With ADHD In the current workplace, the most appropriate change would be the increase in the awareness of nurses regarding the methods of dealing with patients with ADHD.
• Dealing With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Although my experience is not dramatic, it clearly shows how untreated ADHD leads to isolation and almost depression. However, the question arises of what is the norm, how to define and measure it.
• Parents’ Perception of Attending an ADHD Clinic The main principles of the clinic’s specialists should be an objective diagnosis of the neurological status of the child and the characteristics of his/her behavior, the selection of drug treatment only on the basis of […]
• ADHD: Mental Disorder Based on Symptoms The DSM-5 raised the age limit from 6 to 12 for qualifying the disorder in children and now requires five instead of six inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms.
• Understanding Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Thus, the smaller sizes of the reviewed brain structures associated with ADHD result in problems with attention, memory, and controlling movement and emotional responses.
• Effective Therapies for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder The problem at hand is that there is a need to determine which of the therapies administered is effective in the management of ADHD.
• Participants of “ADHD Outside the Laboratory” Study The participants in the testing group and those in the control group were matched for age within 6 months, for IQ within 15 points and finally for performance on the tasks of the study.
• Variables in “ADHD Outside the Laboratory” Study The other variables are the videogames, matching exercise and the zoo navigation exercise used to test the performance of the boys.
• Different Types of Diets and Children’s ADHD Treatment The last factor is a trigger that can lead to the development of a child’s genes’ reaction. Thus, diet is one of the factors that can help prevent the development of ADHD.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children The consistent utilization of effective praises and social rewards indeed results in the behavioral orientation of the child following the treatment goals.
• Reward and Error Processing in ADHD: Looking Into the Neurophysiological and the Behavioral Measures The study was mainly concerned with looking into the neurophysiological and to some extent the behavioral measures utilized in self regulation particularly in children suffering from attention – deficit hyperactivity disorder and those who are […]
• Vyvanse – ADD and ADHD Medicine Company Analysis It is produced by Shire and New River Pharmaceuticals in its inactive form which has to undergo digestion in the stomach and through the first-pass metabolic effect in the liver into L-lysine, an amino acid […]
• Dealing With the Disruptive Behaviors of ADHD and Asperger Syndrome Students While teaching in a class that has students with ADHD and Asperger syndrome, the teacher should ensure that they give instructions that are simple and easy to follow.
• Behavioral Parenting Training to Treat Children With ADHD These facts considered, it is possible to state that the seriousness of ADHD accounts for the necessity of the use of behavioral parental training as the treatment of the disorder.
• Current Issues in Psychopharmacology: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder This is the area that is charged with the responsibility for vision control as well as a regulation of one’s brain’s ability to go to aresynchronize’ and go to rest.
• Cognitive Psychology and Attention Deficit Disorder On top of the difficulties in regulating alertness and attention, many individuals with ADD complain of inabilities to sustain effort for duties.
• ADHD Symptoms in Children However, there are some concerns in identifying the children with ADHD.described in a report that support should be initiated from the parents in, recognizing the problem and seeking the help of the educational professionals.2.
• Adult and Paediatric Psychology: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder To allow children to exercise their full life potential, and not have any depression-caused impairment in the social, academic, behavioral, and emotional field, it is vital to reveal this disorder as early in life, as […]
• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Biological Testing The research, leading to the discovery of the Biological testing for ADHD was conducted in Thessaloniki, Greece with 65 children volunteering for the research. There is a large difference in the eye movement of a […]
• Issues in the Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children Concept theories concerning the nature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder influence treatment, the approach to the education of children with ADHD, and the social perception of this disease.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Care Controversy The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy, in terms of symptoms and function, and safety of “once-daily dose-optimized GXR compared with placebo in the treatment of children and adolescents aged 6 17 […]
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Interventions The authors examine a wide range of past studies that reported on the effects of peer inclusion interventions and present the overall results, showing why further research on peer inclusion interventions for children with ADHD […]
• Sociodemographic and Cultural Factors of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Children at this age have particular difficulties in retaining and concentrating attention and in controlling behavior, and this stage is sensitive to the development of these abilities. The general problem is the increase in prevalence […]
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in a Child A child counselor works with children to help them become mentally and emotionally stable. The case that is examined in this essay is a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drug-Free Therapy The proposed study aims to create awareness of the importance of interventions with ADHD among parents refusing to use medication. The misperceptions about ADHD diagnosis and limited use of behavioral modification strategies may be due […]
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Psychosocial Interventions The mentioned components and specifically the effects of the condition on a child and his family would be the biggest challenge in the case of Derrick.
• The Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD Cortese et al.state that cognitive behavioral therapy is overall a practical approach to the treatment of the condition, which would be the primary intervention in this case.
• The Attention Deficit Hypersensitivity Disorder in Education Since ADHD is a topic of a condition that has the potential to cripple the abilities of a person, I have become attached to it much.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Comorbidities Due to the effects that ADHD has on patients’ relationships with their family members and friends, the development of comorbid health problems becomes highly possible.
• Medicating Kids to Treat ADHD The traditional view is that the drugs for the disorder are some of the safest in the psychiatric practice, while the dangers posed by untreated ADHD include failure in studies, inability to construct social connections, […]
• Cognitive Therapy for Attention Deficit Disorder The counselor is thus expected to assist the self-reflection and guide it in the direction that promises the most favorable outcome as well as raise the client’s awareness of the effect and, by extension, enhance […]
• “Stress” Video and “A Natural Fix for ADHD” Article There certainly are some deeper reasons for people to get stressed, and the video documentary “Stress: Portrait of a Killer” and the article “A Natural Fix for A.D.H.D”.by Dr.
• Attention Deficit Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment The patient lives with her parents and 12-year-old brother in a middle-class neighborhood. Her father has a small business, and her mother works part-time in a daycare center.
• Bright Not Broken: Gifted Kids, ADHD, and Autism It is possible to state that the book provides rather a high-quality review of the issues about the identification, education, and upbringing of the 2e children.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder: Case Review On the other hand, Mansour’s was observed to have difficulties in the simple tasks that he was requested to perform. Mansour’s appears to be in the 3rd phase of growth.
• Treatment of Children With ADHD Because of the lack of sufficient evidence concerning the effects of various treatment methods for ADHD, as well as the recent Ritalin scandal, the idea of treating children with ADHD with the help of stimulant […]
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Medicalization This paper discusses the phenomenon of medicalization of ADHD, along with the medicalization of other aspects perceived as deviant or atypical, it will also review the clash of scientific ideas and cultural assumptions where medicalization […]
• Medication and Its Role in the ADHD Treatment Similar inferences can be inferred from the findings of the research conducted by Reid, Trout and Schartz that revealed that medication is the most appropriate treatment of the symptoms associated with ADHD.
• Children With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder The purpose of the present research is to understand the correlation between the self-esteem of children with ADHD and the use of medication and the disorder’s characteristics.
• Psychology: Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder It is important to pay attention to the development of proper self-esteem in children as it can negatively affect their development and performance in the future.
• Natural Remedies for ADHD The key peculiarity of ADHD is that a patient displays several of these symptoms, and they are observed quite regularly. Thus, one can say that proper diet can be effective for the treatment of attention […]
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Children With ADHD The study revealed that the skills acquired by the children in the sessions were relevant in the long term since the children’s behaviors were modeled entirely.
• Is Attention Deficit Disorder a Real Disorder? When Medicine Faces Controversial Issues In addition, it is necessary to mention that some of the symptoms which the children in the case study displayed could to be considered as the ones of ADHD.
• Foods That Effect Children With ADHD/ ADD Therefore, it is the duty of parents to identify specific foods and food additives that lead to hyperactivity in their children.
• Toby Diagnosed: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder The symptoms of the disorder are usually similar to those of other disorder and this increases the risks of misdiagnosing it or missing it all together.
• Identifying, Assessing and Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder For these criteria to be effective in diagnosing a child with ADHD, the following symptoms have to be present so that the child can be labelled as having ADHD; the child has to have had […]
• ADHD Should Be Viewed as a Cognitive Disorder The manifestation of the disorder and the difficulties that they cause, as posited by the American Psychiatric Association, are typically more pronounced when a person is involved in some piece of work such as studying […]
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Influence on the Adolescents’ Behavior That is why the investigation was developed to prove or disprove such hypotheses as the dependence of higher rates of anxiety of adolescents with ADHD on their diagnosis, the dependence of ODD and CD in […]
• Stroop Reaction Time on Adults With ADHD The model was used to investigate the effectiveness of processes used in testing interference control and task-set management in adults with ADHD disorder.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Causes Family studies, relationship studies of adopted children, twin studies and molecular research have all confirmed that, ADHD is a genetic disorder.
• Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD The diagnosis of ADHD has drawn a lot of attention from scientific and academic circles as some scholars argue that there are high levels of over diagnosis of the disorder.
• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder As it would be observed, some of the symptoms associated with the disorder for children would differ from those of adults suffering from the same condition in a number of ways.
• Working Memory in Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Whereas many studies have indicated the possibility of the beneficial effects of WM training on people with ADHD, critics have dismissed them on the basis of flawed research design and interpretation.
• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: The Basic Information in a Nutshell In the case with adults, however, the definition of the disorder will be quite different from the one which is provided for a child ADHD.
• How ADHD Develops Into Adult ADD The development of dominance is vital in processing sensations and information, storage and the subsequent use of the information. As they become teenagers, there is a change in the symptoms of ADHD.
• Medical Condition of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder A combination of impulsive and inattentive types is referred to as a full blown ADHD condition. To manage this condition, an array of medical, behavioral, counseling, and lifestyle modification is the best combination.
• Effects of Medication on Education as Related to ADHD In addition, as Rabiner argues, because of the hyperactivity and impulsivity reducing effect of ADHD drugs, most ADHD suffers are nowadays able to learn in an indistinguishable class setting, because of the reduced instances of […]
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment Generally the results indicate that children with ADHD had a difficult time in evaluating time concepts and they seemed to be impaired in orientation of time.
• The Ritalin Fact Book: Stimulants Use in the ADHD Treatment Facts presented by each side of the critical issue The yes side of the critical issue makes it clear that the drugs being used to control ADHD are harmful as they affect the normal growth […]
• Behavior Modification in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Introduction The objective of the article is to offer a description of the process of behavior modification for a child diagnosed with ADHD.
• What Is ADHD and How Does It Affect Kids
• The Benefits of Physical Activities in Combating the Symptoms of ADHD in Students
• The Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity as Intervention for Children with ADHD
• What Are the Effects of ADHD in the Classroom
• Are Children Being Diagnosed with ADHD too Hastily
• The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on ADHD
• Understanding ADHD, Its Effects, Symptoms, and Approach to Children with ADHD
• ADHD Stimulant Medication Abuse and Misuse Among U.S. Teens
• Severity of ADHD and Anxiety Rise if Both Develop
• The Best Approach to Dealing with Attention Deficit/Herpactivity Disorder or ADHD in Children
• An Analysis of the Potential Causes and Treatment Methods for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Young Children
• The Best Way to Deal with Your Child Who Struggles with ADHD
• Response Inhibition in Children with ADHD
• Behavioral and Pharmacological Treatment of Children with ADHD
• Symptoms And Symptoms Of ADHD, Depression, And Anxiety
• Bioethics in Intervention in the Deficit Attention Hyperkinetic Disorder (ADHD)
• The Effects of Children’s ADHD on Parents’ Relationship Dissolution and Labor Supply
• The Effects of Pharmacological Treatment of ADHD on Children’s Health
• The Educational Implications Of ADHD On School Aged Children
• Differences in Perception in Children with ADHD
• The Effects Of ADHD On Children And Education System Child
• Students With ADD/ADHD and Class Placement
• The Advantage and Disadvantage of Using Psychostimulants in the Treatment of ADHD
• How to Increase Medication Compliance in Children with ADHD
• Effective Teaching Strategies for Students with ADHD
• Scientists Probe ADHD Treatment for Long Term Management of the Disease
• Should Stimulants Be Prescribed for ADHD Children
• The Rise of ADHD and the an Analysis of the Drugs Prescribed for Treatment
• The Correlation Between Smoking During Pregnancy And ADHD
• Exploring Interventions Improving Workplace Behavior In Adults With ADHD
• The Promise of Music and Art in Treating ADHD
• The Struggle Of ADHD Medication And Over Diagnosis
• The Problems of Detecting ADHD in Children
• The Harmful Effects of ADHD Medication in Children
• The Symptoms and Treatment of ADHD in Children and Teenagers
• The Impact of Adult ADD/ADHD on Education
• The Experience of Having the ADHD Disorder
• The Young Children And Children With ADHD, And Thinking Skills
• The Use of Ritalin in Treating ADD and ADHD
• The Ethics Of Giving Children ADHD Medication
• The Importance of Correctly Diagnosing ADHD in Children
• The Rise in ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment within the United States of America
• The World of ADHD Children
• The Use of Drug Therapies for Children with ADHD
• What Are the Effects of ADHD in the Classroom?
• Does ADHD Affect Essay Writing?
• What Are the Three Main Symptoms of ADHD?
• How Does ADHD Medication Affect the Brain?
• What Can ADHD Lead To?
• Is ADHD Legitimate Medical Diagnosis or Socially Constructed Disorder?
• How Does Art Help Children With ADHD?
• What Are the Four Types of ADHD?
• Can Sports Affect Impulse Control in Children With ADHD?
• What Age Does ADHD Peak?
• How Can You Tell if an Adult Has ADHD?
• Should Antihypertensive Drugs Be Used for Curing ADHD?
• How Does ADHD Affect Cognitive Development?
• Is Adult ADHD a Risk Factor for Dementia or Phenotypic Mimic?
• How Are People With ADHD Seen in Society?
• Can Additional Training Help Close the ADHD Gender Gap?
• How Does School Systems Deal With ADHD?
• Are Children With Low Working Memory and Children With ADHD Same or Different?
• How Does ADHD Affect School Performance?
• Should Children With ADHD Be Medicated?
• How Does Society View Children With ADHD?
• What Do Researches Tell Us About Students With ADHD in the Chilean Context?
• Why Should Teachers Understand ADHD?
• Does DD/ADHD Exist?
• What Are Some Challenges of ADHD?
• Why Is ADHD an Important Topic to Discuss?
• Is ADHD Born or Developed?
• Can ADHD Cause Lack of Emotion?
• Does ADHD Affect Females?
• Is ADHD on the Autism Spectrum?
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South East Bay Pediatric Medical Group | Fremont, CA

Request an Appointment: (510) 792-4373

2191 mowry ave. #600c, fremont ca 94538, mon-fri: 8:45 am – 5pm, sat/sun/holiday: call at 8 am for appointment, an introduction to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd).

Almost all children have times when their behavior veers out of control. They may speed about in constant motion, make noise nonstop, refuse to wait their turn, and crash into everything around them. At other times they may drift as if in a daydream, failing to pay attention or finish what they start.

However, for some children, these kinds of behaviors are more than an occasional problem. Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have behavior problems that are so frequent and/or severe that they interfere with their ability to live normal lives. These children often have trouble getting along with siblings and other children at school, at home, and in other settings. Those who have trouble paying attention usually have trouble learning. Some have an impulsive nature and this may put them in actual physical danger. Because children with ADHD have difficulty controlling their behavior, they may be labeled as “bad kids” or “space cadets.” Left untreated, more severe forms of ADHD can lead to serious, lifelong problems such as poor grades in school, run-ins with the law, failed relationships, substance abuse and the inability to keep a job.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is a condition of the brain that makes it difficult for children to control their behavior. It is one of the most common chronic conditions of childhood. It affects 4% to 12% of school-aged children. About 3 times more boys than girls are diagnosed with ADHD.

What are the symptoms of ADHD?

ADHD includes 3 behavior symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. A child with inattention symptoms may have the following behaviors:

• Has a hard time paying attention, daydreams
• Does not seem to listen
• Is easily distracted from work or play
• Does not seem to care about details, makes careless mistakes
• Does not follow through on instructions or finish tasks
• Is disorganized
• Loses a lot of important things
• Forgets things
• Does not want to do things that require ongoing mental effort

A child with hyperactivity symptoms may have the following behaviors:

• Is in constant motion, as if “driven by a motor”
• Cannot stay seated
• Squirms and fidgets
• Talks too much
• Runs, jumps, and climbs when this is not permitted
• Cannot play quietly (video games do not count)

A child with impulsivity symptoms may have the following behaviors:

• Acts and speaks without thinking
• May run into the street without looking for traffic first
• Has trouble taking turns
• Cannot wait for things
• Calls out answers before the question is complete
• Interrupts others

What is the difference between ADD vs. ADHD?

ADD stands for Attention Deficit Disorder. This is an old term that is now officially called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Inattentive Type. More on this will discussed below.

Are there different types of ADHD?

Children with ADHD may have one or more of the 3 main symptoms categories listed above. The symptoms usually are classified as the following types of ADHD:

• Inattentive type (formerly known as attention-deficit disorder [ADD])—Children with this form of ADHD are not overly active. Because they do not disrupt the classroom or other activities, their symptoms may not be noticed. Among girls with ADHD, this form is most common.
• Hyperactive/Impulsive type—Children with this type of ADHD show both hyperactive and impulsive behavior, but can pay attention.
• Combined Inattentive/Hyperactive/Impulsive type—Children with this type of ADHD show all 3 symptoms. This is the most common type of ADHD.

How can I tell if my child has ADHD?

Remember, it is normal for all children to show some of these symptoms from time to time. Your child may be reacting to stress at school or home. She may be bored or going through a difficult stage of life. It does not mean he or she has ADHD. Sometimes a teacher is the first to notice inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity and bring these symptoms to the parents’ attention. Sometimes questions from your pediatrician can raise the issue. Parents also may have concerns such as behavior problems at school, poor grades, difficulty finishing homework and so on. If your child is 6 years of age or older and has shown symptoms of ADHD on a regular basis for more than 6 months, discuss this with your pediatrician.

What causes ADHD?

ADHD is one of the most studied conditions of childhood but the cause of ADHD is still not clear at this time. The most popular current theory of ADHD is that ADHD represents a disorder of “executive function.” This implies dysfunction in the prefrontal lobes so that the child lacks the ability for behavioral inhibition or self-regulation of such executive functions as nonverbal working memory, speech internalization, affect, emotion, motivation, and arousal. It is believed that children with ADHD lack the right balance of neurotransmitters, which are specific chemicals in their brains, that help them to focus and inhibit impulses.

Research to date has shown the following:

• ADHD is a biological disorder, not just “bad behavior.” In a child with ADHD, the brain’s ability to properly use important chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) is impaired.
• A lower level of activity in the parts of the brain that control attention and activity level may be associated with ADHD.
• ADHD appears to run in families. Sometimes a parent is diagnosed with ADHD at the same time as the child.
• Environmental toxins can play a role in the development of ADHD, but that is extremely rare.
• Very severe head injuries may cause ADHD in rare cases.

There is no significant evidence that ADHD is caused by the following:

• Eating too much sugar
• Food additives
• Immunizations

Your pediatrician will determine whether your child has ADHD using standard guidelines developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Unfortunately, there is no single test that can tell whether your child has ADHD. The diagnosis process requires several steps and involves gathering a lot of information from multiple sources. You, your child, your child’s school, and other caregivers should be involved in assessing your child’s behavior.

Generally, if your child has ADHD:

• Some symptoms will occur in more than one setting, such as home, school, and social events
• The symptoms significantly impair your child’s ability to function in some of the activities of daily life, such as schoolwork and relationships with family and friends
• They will start before your child reaches 7 years of age
• They will continue for more than six months
• They will make it difficult for your child to function at school, at home, and/or in social settings

In addition to looking at your child’s behavior, your pediatrician will do a physical examination. A full medical history will be needed to put your child’s behavior in context and screen for other conditions that may affect your child’s behavior.

One of the challenges in diagnosing ADHD is that many disorders can look a lot like ADHD – including depression, anxiety, visual and hearing difficulties, seizures, learning disorders and even improper sleep quality. These conditions can show the same type of symptoms as ADHD. For example if your child has sleep apnea, a condition that involves disordered breathing during sleep, he may show signs of inattention and inability to focus that can sometimes be similar to a child with ADHD. Another example is a child that may have a learning disability. He/she may not pay attention in class due to inability to process that information and therefore be labeled with “inattention”. The same child may also be frustrated because he can’t process the material being taught in the classroom and therefore disturbs the classroom and acts as if he/she is “hyperactive.” In the case of this child with a learning disability, all the effort needs to be focused on the actual underlying problem, which again is the learning disability, and not on immediately trying to treat ADHD. Similarly, in our child with sleep apnea, parents need to address the sleeping problem first and not rush to place their child on medication for ADHD. As you will read below, it is possible to have ADHD with other conditions, so children who do have sleep apnea or learning disabilities MAY ALSO have ADHD and may eventually require treatment for both conditions.

The diagnosis of ADHD takes time, and the evaluation process usually takes at least 2-3 visits before the diagnosis can be made. Occasionally the process can take longer if referrals to psychologists or psychiatrists are warranted. Blood tests may or may not be indicated, and this will be discussed during your visit.

Coexisting conditions

• Oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder —Up to 35% of children with ADHD also have oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder. Children with oppositional defiant disorder tend to lose their temper easily and annoy people on purpose and are defiant and hostile toward authority figures. Children with conduct disorder break rules, destroy property, and violate the rights of other people. Children with coexisting conduct disorder are at much higher risk for getting into trouble with the law than children who have only ADHD. Studies show that this type of coexisting condition is more common among children with the primarily hyperactive/impulsive and combination types of ADHD. Your pediatrician may recommend counseling for your child if she has this condition.
• Mood disorders/depression —About 18% of children with ADHD also have mood disorders such as depression. There is frequently a family history of these types of disorders. Coexisting mood disorders may put children at higher risk for suicide, especially during the teenage years. These disorders are more common among children with inattentive and combined types of ADHD. Children with mood disorders or depression often require a different type of medication than those normally used to treat ADHD.
• Anxiety disorders —These affect about 25% of children with ADHD. Children with anxiety disorders have extreme feelings of fear, worry, or panic that make it difficult to function. These disorders can produce physical symptoms such as racing pulse, sweating, diarrhea, and nausea. Counseling and/or medication may be needed to treat these coexisting conditions.
• Learning disabilities —Learning disabilities are conditions that make it difficult for a child to master specific skills such as reading or math. ADHD is not a learning disability. However, ADHD can make it hard for a child to do well in school. Diagnosing learning disabilities requires evaluations such as IQ and academic achievement tests.
• Target outcomes for behavior
• Follow-up activities
• Education about ADHD
• Team work among doctors, parents, teachers, caregivers, other healthcare professionals, and the child

Behavior therapy

• Parent training
• Individual and family counseling

Treatment for ADHD uses the same principles that are used to treat other chronic conditions like asthma or diabetes. Long-term planning is needed because these conditions continue or recur for a long time. Families must manage them on an ongoing basis. In the case of ADHD, schools and other caregivers must also be involved in managing the condition. Educating the people involved with your child about ADHD is a key part of treating your child. As a parent, you will need to learn about ADHD. Read about the condition and talk to people who understand it. This will help you manage the ways ADHD affects your child and your family on a day-to-day basis. It will also help your child learn to help himself.

For most children, stimulant medications are a safe and effective way to relieve ADHD symptoms. As glasses help people focus their eyes to see, these medications help children with ADHD focus their thoughts better and ignore distractions. This makes them more able to pay attention and control their behavior. Stimulants may be used alone or combined with behavior therapy. Studies show that about 80% of children with ADHD who are treated with stimulants improve a great deal.

Different types of stimulants are available, in both short-acting (immediate-release) and long-acting forms. Short- acting forms usually are taken every 4 hours when the medication is needed. Long-acting medications usually are taken once in the morning. Children who use long-acting forms of stimulants can avoid taking medication at school or after school.

It may take some time to find the best medication, dosage, and schedule for your child. Your child may need to try different types of stimulants. Some children respond to one type of stimulant but not another. The amount of medication (dosage) that your child needs also may need to be adjusted. Realize that the dosage of the medicine is not based solely on your child weight. Our goal is for your child to be on the dose that is helping her to maximize her potential with the least amount of side effects.

The medication schedule also may be adjusted depending on the target outcome. For example, if the goal is to get relief from symptoms at school, your child may take the medication only on school days and none during weekends, summer time, and vacations if desired. Your child will have close follow up initially and once the optimal medication and dosage is found she will be seen every 2-3 months to monitor progress and possible side effects.

What side effects can stimulants cause?

Side effects occur sometimes. These tend to happen early in treatment and are usually mild and short-lived. The most common side effects include the following:

Decreased appetite/weight loss.

• Sleep problems
• Stomachaches

Some less common side effects include the following:

• Jitteriness
• Social withdrawal
• Rebound effect (increased activity or a bad mood as the medication wears off)
• Transient tics

Very rare side effects include the following:

• Increase in blood pressure or heart rate
• Growth delay

Most side effects can be relieved using one of the following strategies:

• Changing the medication dosage
• Adjusting the schedule of medication
• Using a different stimulant

There are many forms of behavior therapy, but all have a common goal— to change the child’s physical and social environments to help the child improve his behavior. Under this approach, parents, teachers, and other caregivers learn better ways to work with and relate to the child with ADHD. You will learn how to set and enforce rules, help your child understand what he needs to do, use discipline effectively, and encourage good behavior. Your child will learn better ways to control his behavior as a result.

Behavior therapy has 3 basic principles:

• Set specific goals. Set clear goals for your child such as staying focused on homework for a certain time or sharing toys with friends.
• Provide rewards and consequences. Give your child a specified reward (positive reinforcement) when she shows the desired behavior. Give your child a consequence (unwanted result or punishment) when she fails to meet a goal.
• Keep using the rewards and consequences. Using the rewards and consequences consistently for a long time will shape your child’s behavior in a positive way.

Behavior therapy recognizes the limits that having ADHD puts on a child. It focuses on how the important people and places in the child’s life can adapt to encourage good behavior and discourage unwanted behavior. It is different from play therapy or other therapies that focus mainly on the child and his emotions. Specific behavior therapy techniques that can be effective with children with ADHD include:

• Positive reinforcement: Parents provide rewards or privileges in response to desired behavior. For example, your child completes an assignment and he is permitted to play on the computer.
• Time-out: one removes access to desired activity because of unwanted behavior. For example, your child hits a sibling and, as a result, must sit for 5 minutes in the corner of the room.
• Response cost: Parents withdraw rewards or privileges because of unwanted behavior. For example, your child loses free-time privileges for not completing homework.
• Token economy: Combining reward and consequence. The child earns rewards and privileges when performing desired behaviors. He loses the rewards and privileges as a result of unwanted behavior. For example, you child can earn stars for completing assignments and loses stars for getting out of seat. Then, he cashes in the sum of her stars at the end of the week for a prize.

Tips for helping your child control his behavior

• Keep your child on a daily schedule . Try to keep the time that your child wakes up, eats, bathes, leaves for school, and goes to sleep the same each day.
• Cut down on distractions . Loud music, computer games, and television can be over-stimulating to your child. Make it a rule to keep the TV or music off during mealtime and while your child is doing homework. Whenever possible, avoid taking your child to places that may be too stimulating, like busy shopping malls.
• Organize your house . If your child has specific and logical places to keep his schoolwork, toys, and clothes, he is less likely to lose them. Save a spot near the front door for his school backpack so he can grab it on the way out the door.
• Reward positive behavior . Offer kind words, hugs, or small prizes for reaching goals in a timely manner or good behavior. Praise and reward your child’s efforts to pay attention.
• Set small, reachable goals . Aim for slow progress rather than instant results. Be sure that your child understands that he can take small steps toward learning to control himself.
• Help your child stay “on task.” Use charts and checklists to track progress with homework or chores. Keep instructions brief. Offer frequent, friendly reminders.
• Limit choices . Help your child learn to make good decisions by giving your child only 2 or 3 options at a time.
• Find activities at which your child can succeed. All children need to experience success to feel good about themselves and boost their self-confidence.
• Use calm discipline. Use consequences such as time-out, removing the child from the situation, or distraction. Sometimes it is best to simply ignore the behavior. Physical punishment, such as spanking or slapping, is not helpful. Discuss your child’s behavior with him when both of you are calm.

How can I help my child control her behavior?

Taking care of yourself also will help your child. Being the parent of a child with ADHD can be tiring and trying. It can test the limits of even the best parents. Parent training and support groups made up of other families who are dealing with ADHD can be a great source of help. Learn stress-management techniques to help you respond calmly to your child. Seek counseling if you feel overwhelmed or hopeless.

Ask us to help you find parent training, counseling, and support groups in your community. Under the resources section we will leave the link of a few handouts published by the NICHQ (National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality) including:

• How to Establish a School-Home Daily Report Card

Unproven treatments

You may have heard media reports or seen advertisements for “miracle cures” for ADHD. Carefully research any such claims. Consider whether the source of the information is valid. At this time, there is no scientifically proven cure for this condition. The following methods have not been proven to work in scientific studies:

• Optometric vision training (asserts that faulty eye movement and sensitivities cause the behavior problems)
• Megavitamins and mineral supplements
• Anti–motion-sickness medication (to treat the inner ear)
• Treatment for candida yeast infection
• EEG biofeedback (training to increase brain-wave activity)
• Applied kinesiology (realigning bones in the skull)

Always tell your pediatrician about any alternative therapies, supplements, or medications that your child is using. These may interact with prescribed medications and harm your child.

Frequently asked questions

Will my child outgrow adhd.

ADHD continues into adulthood in most cases. However, by developing their strengths, structuring their environments, and using medication when needed, adults with ADHD can lead very productive lives. In some careers, having a high-energy behavior pattern can be an asset.

Are stimulant medications “gateway drugs” leading to illegal drug or alcohol abuse?

People with ADHD are naturally impulsive and tend to take risks. But those with ADHD who are taking stimulants are actually at lower risk of using other drugs. Children and teenagers who have ADHD and also have coexisting conditions may be at high risk for drug and alcohol abuse, regardless of the medication used.

Are children getting high on stimulant medications?

There is no evidence that children are getting high on stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD. These drugs also do not sedate or tranquilize children and have no addictive properties. Stimulants are classified as Schedule II drugs by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. There are recent reports of abuse of this class of medication, especially by college students who trying to obtain an edge during exam times to stay up and study more. 
If your child is on medication, it is always best to supervise the use of the medication closely.

Why do so many children have ADHD?

The number of children who are being treated for ADHD has risen. It is not clear whether more children have ADHD or more children are being diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD is now one of the most common and most studied conditions of childhood. Because of more awareness and better ways of diagnosing and treating this disorder, more children are being helped.

• AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• About Our Kids (from NYU Child Study Center)
• Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)

Adapted directly from

• American Academy of Pediatrics
• The Zukerman Parker Handbook of Development and Behavioral Pediatrics for Primary care

How to Start an Essay: 7 Tips for a Knockout Essay Introduction

Sometimes, the most difficult part of writing an essay is getting started. You might have an outline already and know what you want to write, but struggle to find the right words to get it going. Don’t worry; you aren’t the first person to grapple with starting an essay, and you certainly won’t be the last. 

Writing an essay isn’t the same as writing a book. Or writing a poem. Or writing a scientific research paper. Essay writing is a unique process that involves clear sequencing, backing up your positions with quality sources, and engaging language. But it’s also got one important thing in common with every other type of writing: You need to hook your reader’s attention within the first few sentences. 

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Intriguing ways to start an essay

There are many different ways to write an essay introduction. Each has its benefits and potential drawbacks, and each is best suited for certain kinds of essays . Although these essay introductions use different rhetorical devices and prime the reader in different ways, they all achieve the same goal: hooking the reader and enticing them to keep reading.

To “hook” a reader simply means to capture their attention and make them want to continue reading your work. An essay introduction that successfully hooks readers in one essay won’t necessarily hook readers in another essay, which is why it’s so important for you to understand why different types of essay openings are effective. 

Take a look at these common ways to start an essay:

Share a shocking or amusing fact

One way to start your essay is with a shocking, unexpected, or amusing fact about the topic you’re covering. This grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to read further, expecting explanation, context, and/or elaboration on the fact you presented. 

Check out these essay introduction examples that use relevant, engaging facts to capture the reader’s attention:

“More than half of Iceland’s population believe that elves exist or that they possibly can exist. Although this might sound strange to foreigners, many of us have similar beliefs that would sound just as strange to those outside our cultures.”

“Undergraduate students involved in federal work-study programs earn an average of just $1,794 per year. That’s just slightly more than the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in our city.”

Relevance is key here. Make sure the fact you choose directly relates to the topic you’re covering in your essay. Otherwise, it will feel random, confusing, or at best, shoehorned into the essay. In any case, it will undermine your essay as a whole by making it seem like you don’t have a full grasp on your topic. 

If you’re writing an expository or persuasive essay , including a shocking or amusing fact in your introduction can be a great way to pique your reader’s curiosity. The fact you present can be one that supports the position you argue in the essay or it can be part of the body of data your expository essay explains. 

Ask a question

By asking a question in your essay opening, you’re directly inviting the reader to interact with your work. They don’t get to be a passive consumer; they’re now part of the conversation. This can be a very engaging way to start an essay. 

Take a look at these examples of essay openings that use questions to hook readers:

“How many times have you been late to class because you couldn’t find parking? You’re not alone—our campus is in desperate need of a new parking deck.”

“How frequently do you shop at fast fashion retailers? These retailers include H&M, Zara, Uniqlo and other brands that specialize in inexpensive clothing meant for short-term use.” 

Asking a question is an effective choice for a persuasive essay because it asks the reader to insert themselves into the topic or even pick a side. While it can also work in other kinds of essays, it really shines in any essay that directly addresses the reader and puts them in a position to reflect on what you’re asking. 

Dramatize a scene

Another effective way to write an essay introduction is to dramatize a scene related to your essay. Generally, this approach is best used with creative essays, like personal statements and literary essays. Here are a few examples of essay introductions that immerse readers in the action through dramatized scenes:

“The rain pounded against the roof, loudly drowning out any conversations we attempted to have. I’d promised them I’d play the latest song I wrote for guitar, but Mother Earth prevented any concert from happening that night.”

“Imagine you’ve just gotten off an airplane. You’re hot, you’re tired, you’re uncomfortable, and suddenly, you’re under arrest.”

Beyond creative essays, this kind of opening can work when you’re using emotional appeal to underscore your position in a persuasive essay. It’s also a great tool for a dramatic essay, and could be just the first of multiple dramatized scenes throughout the piece. 

Kick it off with a quote

When you’re wondering how to write an essay introduction, remember that you can always borrow wisdom from other writers. This is a powerful way to kick off any kind of essay. Take a look at these examples:

“‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past.’ —William Faulkner. In his novel Requiem for a Nun , our changing perspective of the past is a primary theme.”

“‘It always seems impossible until it’s done.’ —Nelson Mandela. Before I joined the military, boot camp seemed impossible. But now, it’s done.”

Just as in choosing a fact or statistic to open your essay, any quote you choose needs to be relevant to your essay’s topic . If your reader has to perform a web search for your quote to figure out how it relates to the rest of your essay, it’s not relevant enough to use. Go with another quote that your text can easily explain. 

State your thesis directly

The most straightforward kind of essay introduction is one where you simply state your thesis. Take a look at these examples:

“Fraternity culture is dangerous and contrary to campus values. Banning it is in the campus community’s best interest.”

“We can’t afford to ignore the evidence any longer; we need climate action now.”

How to write an essay introduction

Pick the right tone for your essay.

You probably shouldn’t use a funny quote to start a persuasive essay on a serious subject. Similarly, a statistic that can evoke strong emotions in the reader might not be the right choice for an expository essay because it could potentially be construed as your attempt to argue for a certain viewpoint, rather than state facts. 

Read your essay’s first paragraph aloud and listen to your writing’s tone. Does the opening line’s tone match the rest of the paragraph, or is there a noticeable tone shift from the first line or two to the rest? In many cases, you can hear whether your tone is appropriate for your essay. Beyond listening for the right tone, use Grammarly’s tone detector to ensure that your essay introduction—as well as the rest of your essay—maintains the right tone for the subject you’re covering.   

When you’re stuck, work backwards

Starting an essay can be difficult. If you find yourself so caught up on how to write an essay introduction that you’re staring at a blank screen as the clock ticks closer to your deadline, skip the introduction and move onto your essay’s body paragraphs . Once you have some text on the page, it can be easier to go back and write an introduction that leads into that content. 

You may even want to start from the very end of your essay. If you know where your essay is going, but not necessarily how it will get there, write your conclusion first. Then, write the paragraph that comes right before your conclusion. Next, write the paragraph before that, working your way backwards until you’re in your introduction paragraph. By then, writing an effective essay introduction should be easy because you already have the content you need to introduce. 

Polish your essays until they shine

Got a draft of a great essay? Awesome! But don’t hit “submit” just yet—you’re only halfway to the finish line. Make sure you’re always submitting your best work by using Grammarly to catch misspelled words, grammar mistakes, and places where you can swap in different words to improve your writing’s clarity.