Speaker 1: As a student, I've never been able to truly thrive in the typical classroom environment. Because I have ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, school has always been pretty tough for me, particularly sitting in desks for long periods of time, focusing during lengthy and boring instruction, being quiet while taking notes, and taking tests in a certain amount of time. When it came time to prepare for tests, I used to spend hours trying to teach myself the material, but it just wasn't making sense. I remember this one biology exam. I studied for hours and hours, longer than I had ever done before. When I sat down to take the test, everything I had worked so hard to understand went out the window. I'd look at a question, but couldn't decide between two answers when I knew I had studied the concept the night before. I didn't understand how I could study so much, yet remember nothing. When I got my grade back, I was so disappointed because all the hard work I put in to keep my A in the class was for nothing. When I told my teacher how frustrated and upset I was with myself about how I did, she told me she didn't think I studied hard enough. I was crushed. It wasn't until later when I realized it wasn't my fault. Because of my ADHD, my brain learns and processes information differently than the rest of my classmates. I was being taught information in ways best suited for them, not in ways that helped me process the material. According to Sandra Reif, a well-known educator and speaker on ADHD, students with ADHD have around a 30% developmental delay of executive functions, which significantly impacts their learning. The typical school setting and teaching methods are catered to neurotypical students. We are expected to be good at paying attention, managing our time well, staying organized, and retaining our learning, but I find those things to be incredibly difficult, and most people with ADHD do too. Therefore, students with ADHD need strategies and support to help them succeed in the classroom. Because students with ADHD struggle in the classroom and have a hard time with the learning process, we need teachers who are willing to take the time to work with us to help us succeed. We need to be surrounded by adults who are educated on ADHD to try and understand us and the way our brains work. Teachers should be taught to recognize the symptoms and characteristics of ADHD so they can identify the students who need help. One way schools and parents can help students with ADHD is by providing them with organizational tools. When I was in seventh grade, I always seemed to lose track of my notes and binders. If you opened my locker, ten things probably would have fallen out at once. It looked more like a dumpster than a locker. I lost my English notebook so many times, it became an ongoing joke of when I would lose it next. It got to the point where I was on my third notebook, and my teacher took it and wrote my name everywhere. On the top, the bottom, the front, the back, and on the side. He even wrote in the cover, if found, please return to my classroom because this will eventually be lost. There are many tools and strategies to help students with organization, such as homework folders and binders. It helps to use an accordion folder to color code papers based on classes so they have a specific and clear spot to be kept. Making sure students have a specific spot at home to consistently keep backpacks and binders makes sure that they are maintaining an organized system at home as well. Regularly cleaning out folders, binders, and backpacks is also essential for students with ADHD to stay organized and prevent overwhelming messiness. One of the most difficult parts of ADHD is working memory weakness. Working memory is what allows you to keep a train of thought or finish a task. The working memory ability of a student with ADHD can be several years behind their classmates. Poor working memory can result in losing and misplacing items, poor note-taking skills, rereading parts of a text multiple times because they forgot what they've just read, struggling to follow instructions with multiple steps, and losing train of thought mid-sentence. Ways teachers can help students with working memory include written instructions and reminders, highlighting important information in color, as well as to-do lists and schedules. Mnemonics, such as acronyms, are also a great way to help students with ADHD retain important information. I've always found it difficult to sit still for long periods of time, and in most classes we don't have much variety of instruction and movement. For students who become restless and fidgety during class, movement, both big and small, can greatly improve their concentration and ability to learn. Instead of sitting in regular chairs, studies have shown that using seating that allows for movement, such as wobble stools and standing desks, can help concentration in students with ADHD. In my history class, we have yoga balls to sit on, and I find it much easier to focus and engage in the lessons when I can move around. I'm no longer distracting myself by being fidgety, which allows me to be more involved in class. Other than movement in your individual space, movement among activities throughout the room, such as stations and small group activities, helps too. Using fidget toys is another great way to help a student sit still and focus. When I was in 7th grade, my teacher noticed that I could not sit still. Without interrupting the class or making a big deal out of it, he handed me something small to play with, which helped me focus and pay attention to the lesson. Students with ADHD are kinesthetic learners, meaning they learn best through experiencing, which is why project-based learning works so well for them. Studies have shown that students in project-based learning classes have significantly outperformed those in traditional classes. I learn best through hands-on activities, such as labs, because I'm able to interact with what I'm learning about. I'm able to actually see, touch, and manipulate an object, as opposed to seeing it on a piece of paper or a screen. Students with ADHD benefit greatly from having a detailed and personalized 504 plan. A 504 plan is a legally binding document and blueprint designed to give students with disabilities the support they need to succeed in the classroom through personalized academic accommodations. Some examples of personalized academic accommodations are extra time on tests, quiet testing environments, guided notes, preferential seating, small group learning, and many, many more. Earlier this year, I got a 504 plan because I was struggling to finish my tests on time. On my English exam last year, we were given 20 minutes to read and analyze a short passage. My teacher told me we'd probably have enough time to read it two or three times. However, when the timer went off, I was still reading and everyone else was done. That's when I knew I needed help. After a long process of paperwork and meetings, I now qualify for services and receive extra time on my tests. I also have the option to take my tests in a quiet room if I need help focusing. Since being able to have extra time, I've noticed a significant improvement in my performance with testing. It hasn't been my ability to understand the concept or work a math problem, rather it's the time it takes for me to comprehend what a question is asking me to answer. To be clear, giving accommodations to students with ADHD doesn't give them an advantage over others. It evens the playing field. ADHD isn't always what it's made out to be. It comes with many more struggles than most people know. But strategies like the ones I mentioned today can truly help positively impact their educational experience, and dare I say, help them thrive, not just survive. Thank you.