Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, commonly referred to as ADHD is a neuro-developmental disorder that affects both children and adults. This tends to have an impact on an individual's learning experience.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be a deceiving name. Kids with ADHD don’t have a deficit of attention but rather a hard time directing their attention to things that don’t feel rewarding, like homework.
How does this work? Let's look into the science of this:
ADHD causes a person's brain to release lower levels of dopamine. This chemical helps you stay motivated and on task. With less dopamine in reserve, your brain may flutter from distraction to distraction, trying to find something neutrally rewarding to engage with. To boost dopamine levels, people with ADHD have to do tasks they find interesting, challenging or new.
In simpler terms, they need help staying motivated because the chemical that does that is low.
Common Misconceptions:
Despite the name, not all kids with ADHD are hyperactive. ADHD presents itself in different ways.
Kids with ADHD can't focus on anything for a long time.
A clinical psychologist, Caroline Mendel, dispels this myth. Children will concentrate and stay focused if it’s a preferred activity. They will be able to direct their attention to the task.
The issue is directing their attention to things that are not particularly rewarding for them. Many of them hyper-focus and pay intense attention to things that are interesting to them. This is why they might not be able to put down a video game but struggle to engage with math homework.
Kids grow out of ADHD.
ADHD can change over time but it does not disappear. Adults might not get up from their seats but they may feel internally uncomfortable, jittery or restless.
Only boys have ADHD.
Twice as many boys are diagnosed with ADHD as girls, but that’s in part because fewer girls are hyperactive. Isn’t it so interesting to see the intersection of learning difficulties and gender? Not only boys have ADHD but they are more likely to exhibit the more recognised symptoms. Girls are more like to exhibit inattentive presentation.
ADHD is caused by poor parenting.
Your child's hyperactivity and impulsivity are not a result of your parenting. You're doing great.
Kids who take stimulant medication are at higher risk.
So my pharmacy degree does not waste, I feel drawn to express this point extensively. I understand the fear of putting your child on what is seemingly a ‘lifelong medication’ but there are many studies that prove it does not lead to substance abuse later in life. The medication will not change your child’s personality. If your child begins to get moody or sedated using this medication, it probably means they are getting the wrong dose or the wrong medication for their needs. It is not a one-size-fits-all regiment.
P.S: It's important to be aware that exhibiting one or multiple of these signs doesn't necessarily mean you, your child or your student has ADHD. Whether or not you have ADHD, we enjoy providing learning tips for anyone experiencing any of the symptoms we mention. additionally, children are naturally active, may occasionally get in trouble, become easily distracted, and sometimes, that's simply part of being a child. Let kids be kids.
Story, Story? ( I hope you said "Story!")
T, 22
Atinuke is a young professional who has ADHD. I asked her to share her experience with learning in Nigeria for secondary school and in the UK for A-levels and University.
How did you know you had ADHD?
I’ve always known I found it more difficult than others to stay focused on things, both in school and in my personal life. My mum was the first person to bring to my attention that I might have ADHD. It was in my first year of university and I was studying for my exams at home, but I kept on taking breaks and finding other things to do instead of sitting down and studying. She just found it odd how I was acting, especially for someone who had exams in a couple of months. I’m sure she meant it jokingly, but she just asked me "Why can’t you just sit down and do your work, do you have ADHD or something?” And that just made something in my head click. I looked up the symptoms of ADHD and everything applied to me. It became more prevalent in University. I remember sharing this discovery with my friends and none of them were shocked. They all said it made sense. One of my friends even said, “Oh, I always assumed you had ADHD, how are you just realising?” I am still trying to get all my documents for my official diagnosis.
Did your Teachers in school support you?
My teachers did not make life easier. I’ve always been academically “smart,” so they all just said I was lazy. At every parent-teacher conference, they all had the same thing to say: “T is very smart BUT she’s easily distracted and a distraction to her classmates”.
How did this affect you?
The thing is, ADHD makes it hard to get things done. You know what you have to do and why you need to do it, you know it’s important, but you just can’t. It's like your brain just refuses. Your brain can’t make you motivated. It’s like you're stuck.
It was harder to adjust when I went to university. It’s because I’ve grown accustomed to being “bullied” into being productive and doing work. In secondary school, you’re forced to do work. In class, you have dedicated time to do work, and when you don’t, there's a form of punishment. Most time there’s nothing else to do but work, so you just do it. In university it was different, it’s hard to have that discipline with ADHD. No advice helps, you just can’t. My ADHD worsened my anxiety because you know what you have to do, but you just can’t do it. You’re aware of time passing and the deadlines inching closer, so the fear is there, but the motivation just isn’t.
However, for me, it was easy to stay focused and on top of things I liked in school. I love maths, (obsessed really), so I was always on top of that. It didn't even feel like work most time, just something I enjoyed doing. I’m a STEM student so a lot of the subjects I’ve done have involved maths. Imaginable, they were a breeze. With other subjects, I struggled a lot more.
What helped make learning easier for you?
Something that really helped me to learn was understanding the foundation of everything. I did not trust my memory enough so I relied on the fact that if I knew the reason behind it- I could make sense of it. I don’t know if that's an ADHD thing, or just because I generally approach things I don’t understand like a maths equation.
Here's what I did:
Get the syllabus at the beginning of the year and break it down. Write down the objectives for each topic and then write everything I need to know to reach the objective. Then I started explaining each of them. I had a lot of notes. I’d have multiple binders for one subject. I’d also annotate those notes and colour-code things. Once I was able to understand and answer all the objectives, I would do lots of practice questions. I also wrote down all my steps. Every single step. Each question would have red writing on the side explaining how I got to the answer
How did you try to stay motivated?
To keep me motivated, I had to find something to scare myself into getting work done. Knowing myself, I had to remove distractions. This meant disconnecting from everything, especially social media. I deleted apps off my phone and only kept essentials, for me that was WhatsApp & iMessage for basic communication. Sometimes I’d lock my phone in my flatmate's room or ask her to hide it for hours. I’d bully myself into concentrating. I did this by changing my surroundings. I could never study in the same place for too long because I’d just start finding it hard to concentrate. I can’t fully explain it but yeah.
How do you stay on top of things outside of school and academics?
I won’t say I’m on top of things, but I cope. I like leaving my things in visible places because if I don't see them I forget they exist. This means sometimes things can get messy, but it works for me. I hate texting people as well because I just forget to reply. Like genuinely. I’ll see the notification and then something will pop into my head and I forget about the message. It sounds silly when you explain to people but that’s just what happens. That's why I prefer calls. I love calls, that’s the only way I keep in touch with people.
ADHD, I’ve come to realise, affects your object permanence. It's literally out of sight out of mind for me. And it happens a lot with several things. Explaining this to someone who doesn’t have it is hard, but it’s how my brain has always worked.
I also set a lot of alarms because another symptom is time blindness. When I need to get ready to go anywhere, I set an allocated time to get my hair done, my makeup done, and to pick an outfit. I even allocate time for errors i.e. my makeup becoming messy and me needing to correct something. For example, if I don’t like my outfit and need to change. If I don't do this, I lose track of time. I hate being late so I’d rather do all of this than be rushing and stressed. This is why now, I am always the first to be ready and the first to get to places.
What's your biggest Tip for a child with ADHD?
Growing up, many ADHD ‘tips’ were ineffective for me. My tips are for the parents/ guardians and teachers. You have to create a strong support system for them. Keep them accountable and guide them.
If I had to say something to the students, I’d say: Work with people a lot. Working with friends and seeing them get things done made me feel like I had to do something. I did not want to fall behind. Having shame helped me.
If you could explain what your mind looks like, what would you say?
You know when a woman is holding about 15 different things in one hand? She has her phone, keys, lipgloss, wallet and cup all in one hand. That’s my brain. So many things in it but I’m still holding it together.
Anything else you want to say?
Do things you like. It's always easier to do things you like. As a Nigerian, you’ll most likely find yourself in a place where your parents influence what you do. But try to have a genuine interest in the things you’re doing. My mum always said that I’m excellent at the things I enjoy, but it's like ‘I don’t even try’ for the things I don’t. For subjects I wasn’t interested in, I did just enough to pass. However, once I got to a point where I was doing things I enjoyed, it wasn’t hard for me to stay motivated. Also, sometimes you might not do well, and you just have to go with it. Pat yourself on the back because at least you got through it.
Learning Tips
Create a distraction-free study environment. This may involve finding a quiet place to study, turning off unnecessary electronics, or using noise-cancelling headphones.
Create a consistent daily schedule with designated times for studying, breaks, and other activities. A structured routine can help you stay on track.
Utilise visual tools like calendars, to-do lists, and charts to help students organise tasks and deadlines. Colour coding can be especially helpful.
Just like Tinu mentioned, allocate extra time to get tasks done.
Encourage active learning methods such as taking notes, asking questions, and discussing topics with peers. Active engagement can enhance retention.
Break down assignments and tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. This makes them less overwhelming and more achievable.
Set an alarm on your phone and give the alarm a name! This will help you remember what each alarm is meant for.
Regular physical activity is encouraged as it can help improve focus and concentration for individuals with ADHD. Pick a sport and put it in your routine.
For those students taking medication, ensure that they take it as prescribed and at the recommended times. Again, there is no shame in taking medication for ADHD. For some people, it might be life-changing.
You will encounter difficulties. Reach out to friends or family you can trust, when this happens. Having a group of people that can help keep you focused is essential.
Always ask yourself "Why?". This will help you identify the reason behind what you have to study. Understanding the foundation will always help you remember your key points.
Get your syllabus for the year and write down the objectives for each topic. Create questions surrounding the objectives and explain them. Say the explanation to yourself over and over again.
See You Soon!
Beautiful write up. It actually described me. Hmmm. The tips are also on point