ADHD Accommodations

Excerpts taken from the “Making Sense of ADHD" Series, written by Tina Schneider, Ph.D. 

Anticipated Release: Spring 2025. 

Sensory Learning Styles

1. Auditory 

2. Visual

3. Kinesthetic (Hands-on)

4. Taste/Smell

5. Interactive (Can be a combination of Sensory Learning Styles)

Accommodation: Bionic Reading®

Primary Input: Visual

Availability: Application (iOS, App Android App, Web App, Extension Google Chrome App)

Cost: Free and paid versions available Bionic Reading® (bionic-reading.com)

What is it? As stated on their website: "Bionic Reading® revises texts so that the most concise parts of words are highlighted. This guides the eye over the text and the brain remembers previously learned words more quickly."

Accommodation: Thinking Putty® and Land of Dough® 

Primary Input: Visual, Kinesthetic, Smell, Interactive 

Availability: CrazyAarons.com, Amazon and most local retailers (Target, Meijer, etc.)

Cost: Prices vary based on product ($4 and up)

What is it?  As stated on their website "Thinking Putty® and Land of Dough® pack a powerful sensory experience. Bright colors, calming scents, tactile exploration, and squishing noises are a few of the sensations these compounds contribute to fidget play." 

Accommodation: Time Timer® 

Primary Input: Auditory, Visual

Availability: TimeTimer.com, Amazon and most local retailers

Cost: Prices vary based on version of timer ($10 and up)

What is it? Time management tool to aid in visualizing the passage of time. 

Accommodation: Pomodoro Timer

Primary Input: Auditory, Visual

Availability: Works on Desktops and Mobile Browsers

Cost: Free via Pomodoro Timer

What is it? Customizable timer to help you focus on tasks. 

Accommodation: Walking Breaks 

Primary Input: Kinesthetic

Walking breaks can be most helpful for people who identify as feeling internally restless, people who seem to have difficulties sitting still for an extended time, when they are observed to move around more often, even with other accommodations in place, when there is frustration or feelings of being overwhelmed with a task, and when the person seems to be losing focus on a task (no longer seems productive.)

Accommodation: Fidgeting 

Primary Input: Visual, Kinesthetic; however, some fidgets incorporate Auditory input and Smell (i.e.: Fidget Cubes, Scentsory Thinking Putty, and Smencils)

What it is? Fidgeting can be most helpful for people to facilitate learning when an individual identifies they learn best through Kinesthetic input (hands-on,) when people identify as feeling internally restless, when people seem to have difficulties sitting still for an extended time, for people who may bite their nails/pick at their skin, and when the material being learned cannot be associated with a hands-on task.