ADHD
                                     Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder                                          Please check back regularly for updates as we continue to develop this resource
This page looks at adjustments and strategies that can assist healthcare professionals with ADHD.
Effects / difficulties
- Poor attention (or hyper focus on stimulating tasks) or attention to detail
- Hyperactivity or restlessness
- Poor time management/ Prioritisation
- Impulsiveness
- Overworking, difficulty relaxing
- Forgetfulness
- Excessive talking
(Katzman et al., 2017)
Strengths
- Can hyperfocus on tasks and be extremely productive
- Can be very creative and entrepreneurial
- Can view things from a different perspective
- Problem solving skills
- Empathy
- Energetic
- Enthusiastic
- Hard working
- Interested in new things
- Sensitive
Students
- Extra time in exams
- Separate room for exams
- Rest breaks in exams
- Digital reminders
- Mentor
- Study skills support especially around prioritisation and time management
- Movement breaks in long meetings/sessions
- Longer library loans
Students should expect that their university and placement providers provide reasonable adjustments. Further support can also be accessed through Disabled Students Allowance.
Employees & placement
- Support around prioritisation and time management
- Movement breaks in long meetings/sessions
- Note taking, use of customised handover sheets
- Visual prompts and use of alarms as reminders
- Labelled homes for key equipment
- Larger or dual computer screens so that more is visible at once; to reduce memory burden
- Reflection time especially during appraisals
- Flexibility around start and finish times eg. starting within 15 minutes of contracted start time
- Some swapping or delegation of non-core aspects of the role which are difficult to complete (this may also help another staff member who, for example, needs more time sitting due to a health issue and so can swap medication runs for paperwork)
- increased check-ins, supervision
Employers should make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. These may be subsidised by the government scheme which provides non medical help (including coaching, transport) as well as equipment, based on a workplace assessment.
Reasonable adjustments should also be provided during recruitment processes.
See the Peer Support Service's Health Ability Passport guide for more information on reasonable adjustments.
- Support to prioritise/plan at the beginning of a shift
- May need to fidget/doodle
- May be prone to procrastination and work better to deadlines
