why ADHD

[ADHD_student]

I know ADHD is not a learning disability, but today I found out why. It is because ADHD does not affect a specific subject, but it does, I know I have it. But it affects how you learn specific subjects, but it is not a learning disability, so you can't get help, because it affects a different subject in different people. how do you learn with ADHD in a subject you are not interested in when ADHD makes you forget all you learn? So still why is ADHD, not a learning disability because it affects different subjects in everybody, that is why.

[Peerandparent]

It's hard. That being said, there are things that can make it less hard.

1) Keep your bucket filled. Find things that can provide some stimulation without taking your attention away from the task. Instrumental music, fidgets (be mindful that it's the right type of fidget to fit the situation), doodling (especially if you can doodle about the subject matter)

2) Find or make a study group. I found it especially helpful if they needed help with the material, because teaching helped cement the material for me as well. Having a study group means you can talk about the material, and have some social stimulus to keep you engaged.

3) Find a way to like the material, or to see the importance of it. I had a math course in university that was hell for me because I couldn't see why it would be useful for a software developer. Much later I learned its importance, and wished I'd figured it out earlier. That being said, the professor sucked at explaining the practical application of the material.

4) Find out if the material is optional, or if there's another way you can learn it.

5) Take it in small doses. With that hellish math course, I would spend 5-10min on that subject, then switch to a different subject, then circle back for another 5-10min. Totally inefficient, but it got done, when I don't think it would have if I had tried muscling through it.

6) Get help. Explain the situation to the teacher, and see if they can help you see the material's value. Find a good tutor. Ask someone to be your body double.

7) accept that you likely will underperform in this subject. That doesn't mean you should do your best to find ways of improving. What it does mean is making sure you take ownership of the problem and find ways to make sure those results don't interfere with your academic goals.