Books don’t typically compete with the fast pace, easy excitement, and instant gratification of TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube — especially for ADHD brains that crave stimulation. Many teens who struggle with print, whether because of dyslexia or another learning difference, would rather scrub the bathroom than crack open a work of literature. That’s where audiobooks fit in.

Far from the dry “books on tape” of yesteryear, new audiobooks come to life with high production values, celebrity narrators, and often a multi-person cast of voice talent. Readers have noticed the improvement, and they are riding the audio wave in record numbers: the most recent report from the Audio Publishers Association shows that sales have increased by double digits each year for 10 straight years. Among the most popular genres are fantasy, science fiction, and mystery — all hugely popular with a teen audience. What’s more, audiobooks can bolster reading skills, according to recent research, including a study published in Journal of Neuroscience, which found that the brain responded the same way to content, whether read or heard. Long story short: audiobooks are worth a look — or, rather, a listen.

So, we’ve compiled a list of 10 terrific audiobooks that will rivet young adult readers. Spanning fantasy, historical fiction, dystopian lit, love stories, and murder mysteries, every book on our list features voice actors who powerfully conjure the story, drawing in even the most resistant teen.

As I quietly reflected on how to achieve that, I jotted down a list of essential presentation components: statistics on learning differences, findings from peer-reviewed journals (naturally), quotes from psychologists — anything I thought would make an impact on this group of teachers. Still, for all their compassionate intentions, it was possible they would forget my words by Monday morning.

Then I realized what was missing: the human element. To put yourself in someone else’s shoes is a powerful way to appreciate (or try to appreciate) the lived experience of others. That’s what I wanted the teachers to do.

On the day of the training, I asked the teachers to try some exercises to better understand the top challenges facing their students with learning differences. I still use these and other simulations for educators today.

Simulations for Educators: Activities to Understand Students with ADHD and LDs

To Simulate Difficulty with Focus

For this activity, I have teachers read a short text on a screen and try to retain key points (like names, dates, and places) without taking notes and while loud, distracting noises (traffic, children playing, birds tweeting, and so on) play. The text also disappears off and on the screen during the activity, interrupted by intermittent thought bubbles that display questions like, “I wonder if it’s going to rain later” and “Did I remember to switch off the gas?”

[Get This Free Download: What Every Teacher Should Know About ADHD]

Without warning, the text abruptly disappears from the screen, replaced by a series of questions about the text. The teachers then have a few minutes to answer those questions.

To Simulate Sensory Overload

I ask teachers to take a short quiz in this activity, but the quiz isn’t the main point. The purpose is to gauge how they feel in their environment as they’re taking the quiz and as multiple environmental changes are taking place, unbeknownst to them. These changes are meant to provoke strong sensory responses similar to those experienced by students with sensory processing challenges.

Before starting the quiz, I have teachers sit uncomfortably close to one another (within reason). I also bring in a few extra lamps. During the quiz, I turn up the heating, turn on the extra lamps, keep blinds wide open if there is bright sunlight, type loudly on my keyboard, and shuffle papers. I also start a ticking countdown timer or coordinate ahead of time with the room next door to have them make lots of noise during the quiz.

To Simulate Auditory Processing Difficulties

In this listening exercise, teachers have to write as I read aloud from a passage. (I choose an intermediate-level text). However, embedded into every sentence is a completely made-up, nonsense word. As I read, I do not stop to explain or spell this word. I continue to read as if I’ve said nothing unusual, ignoring the looks of confusion and other reactions from the audience.

[Read: What Is Auditory Processing Disorder? Symptoms, Comorbidities, and Exercises]

To Simulate Visual Strain

Many students with dyslexia experience visual perception issues that affect reading. (Though visual strain is also common in dysgraphia and other learning differences.) Black text against white backgrounds tend to cause most visual strain, even causing letters to appear blurry, distorted, and at different line heights. This is somewhat straightforward to simulate. I have teachers read blurry black text printed on a white sheet of paper, and I ask them to compare that to the experience of reading the same text, but printed in blue and on cream-colored paper. The latter, of course, reduces visual strain.

Put Yourself in Their Shoes: Helping Neurodivergent Students Succeed

Ultimately, a neurotypical person can never truly understand the neurodivergent experience. But, without fail, there is always a tangible shift in the room following these exercises. I know that I’ve hit the mark when I hear “wows” and see heads nodding — or shaking. Teachers will share that the activities made them feel “stupid,” “frustrated,” “uncomfortable,” and “ashamed.” They are instantly curious and eager to know what they can do to avoid making their neurodivergent students feel this way. They want to know how to become inclusive educators who can help all students succeed. They want to enact real change.

Simulations for Educators: Next Steps

• Free Download: The Teacher’s Guide to Common Learning Challenges
• Read: “How Teachers Can Initiate and Promote Inclusive Education”
• Read: 7 Surprising Ways ADHD Shows Up in the Classroom

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Tell any reluctant reader that it’s time to tackle summer reading and you’ll endure groans, moans, and major eye rolls. Though it’s sold as “fun and stimulating,” summer reading is anything but for many readers with ADHD and learning differences. For these kids, who dread cracking open a hardcover, audiobooks may be the secret to unlocking summer growth.

Audiobooks can build and bolster reading skills for a wide range of kids, a fact supported by research. A recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience mapped the brains of participants while they listened to content vs. read it in print, and it found the brain responded the same way to the content, regardless of its format.

For kids with dyslexia who struggle to decode books with grade-level content, audiobooks offer the ability to access more sophisticated (and often more engaging) writing, which strengthens reading abilities and nurtures an interest in books. For some kids with ADHD who find sitting still and attending to the page tedious, an audiobook can provide just the right kind of stimulation and motivation.

Not all audiobooks are created equal, though. So, we’ve amassed a list of 10 amazing middle grade audiobooks that combine attention-grabbing voice talent with attention-keeping story lines and characters. While the books span genres — from fantasy to historical fiction and everything in between — what they all have in common is engaging writing and narration that will pull reluctant readers right in and keep them hooked.

The game has many versions and names, including “Who Am I?” and Guess the Famous Person. We simply know it as the Tape Game. It’s sort of like HedBanz, but also a bit like Twenty Questions. Players ask one another yes/no questions to try to guess the identity of the mystery person whose name has been taped to their foreheads.

Not only is this game easy to engage in, but the only supplies needed are painter’s tape and a permanent marker. (For better contrast, a neon color tape and black marker would be best.) Read on to learn how to play — and why this game is perfect for neurodivergent minds.

How to Play the “Who Am I?” Game (aka the Tape Game)

1. Put a piece of painter’s tape (about three inches long) on each player’s forehead.
2. On the tape, write the name of a famous person or character that the tape wearer would be able to guess. Think well-known celebrity, actor, athlete, movie character, politician, historical figure, etc.
3. Everyone stands or sits in a circle. The tape-wearer can only ask yes/no questions to try to guess the name on their forehead. If the answer to the question posed is yes, the tape-wearer gets to ask another question. If the answer is no, the next player takes a turn either asking questions or guessing the identity on their forehead.
4. Players can rip their tape off (triumphantly) when they’ve guessed the correct answer.

[Read: The Best Board Games for Kids with ADHD]Here’s an example of the Tape Game in real time:

Tape wearer #1, who doesn’t know that the name Lizzo is written on his head: Am I female?
Audience: Yes.
Tape wearer #1: Am I an actress?
Audience: No.

Tape wearer #2, who doesn’t know that the name Bernie Sanders is written on his head: Am I alive?
Audience: Yes.
Tape wearer #2: Am I a politician?
Audience: Yes.
Tape wearer #2: Am I liberal?
Audience: Yes.
Tape wearer #2: Am I Joe Biden?
Audience: No.

Tape wearer #1: Am I a singer?
Audience: Yes.
Tape wearer #1: Am I Taylor Swift?
Audience: No.

Tape wearer #2: Am I Bernie Sanders?
Audience: Yes!
[She rips off the tape and enjoys watching others flail with their guesses.]

[Read: 15 Clever Gift Ideas for Kids with ADHD]

Tape wearer #1: Do I play an instrument?
Audience: Yes.
Tape wearer #1: Am I Lizzo?
Audience: Yes!
[Off goes the tape!]

What is particularly funny are the facial expressions, inadvertent comments, and minor disputes that arise when answering questions. The audience or players might disagree on fundamental details like age, nationality, or supernatural powers, which causes confusion in the person trying to guess the name Baby Yoda or soccer legend Pelé on their head.

Why The “Who Am I?” Game is Great for Kids with ADHD and Learning Differences

For My ADHD Students

This game promotes concentration, awareness, language processing, working memory, and self-regulation.

• Players must carefully attend to other players’ responses to their questions. They need to notice, for example, if there’s a hesitation before a response, which offers important insight into the secret character. (This happened to me when I had E.T. on my head and I asked if my person was male).
• Players have to remember all the clues they’ve collected and organize their thinking to accommodate new information. (Wait, now I’m hearing that I’m not a human!)
• Players have to stop themselves from blurting out other players’ secret identities or giving unnecessary hints — unlike my friend who couldn’t help herself and pantomimed pointy ears when my husband’s character was Spock.

For My Autistic Students

This game taps into perspective-taking and gestalt principles.

• Assigning an identity to a player isn’t about selecting an obscure person. (It’s no fun that way.) The fun is in selecting someone in their purview – which requires some thought about the player’s background, age, and other factors. I probably wouldn’t write down Nelson Mandela for an 8-year old or Eminem for an 80-year old.
• Players have to think “big picture” — not the shades of nuance and myriad exceptions — when answering yes/no questions from other players. Yes, Oprah has technically been paid to write, but she is not primarily known to be a writer. So, if someone with Oprah on their forehead asks, “Am I a writer?” I need to know that a “yes” answer would lead that guesser down a very different path.

For My Language-Disordered Students

This game is great for semantic categorization skills and lexical development.

• Players start their yes/no questions with broad categories like gender, race, and profession to further narrow their categories. (Don’t start off by listing all the most handsome actors, like my husband did: “Am I Brad Pitt? George Clooney? Idris Elba?”)
• Players develop important vocabulary so they can ask if they are fictional or nonfictional, an athlete, or infamous. The teacher or game leader can target morphosyntactic skills such as verb conjugations (“Does she…?” not “Do she…?”), subject-verb inversions (“Am I…? not “I am…?”), modal verbs (“can, do, would, could”), etc. For similar but different reasons, this would be great for English language learners as well.

Another great feature of this game is its adaptability to accommodate a range of abilities. Taping images or stickers to the forehead (instead of simply writing over the tape) is a suitable option for players who are non-readers or for students with significant cognitive and/or communication delays. If the guesser has an image of a dolphin on their forehead, for example, other players will have a visual reference to help guide their responses.

For all the older people like me, the game seems to highlight memory issues to a comedic level. Some of us forget all the information by the time our turn resumes. Personally, I draw a blank on the name of every celebrity known to humankind. Many of us do not know the icons that kids assume we do, such as the Minecraft character Enderman that was never correctly guessed by an older woman (ahem, me). For these reasons, I believe this game could be made much more pleasant and less humiliating by offering all manner of gestures, sound effects, rhyming words, quotes, lifelines, phone-a-friends, and multiple-choice answers. I’ll work on a revision of the rules pronto!

Games for Kids with ADHD and LD: Next Steps

• Free Download: Bonding Activity Ideas for ADHD Families
• Read: The Attention Games — Catching Focus Through Fun
• Read: Games and Activities That Sharpen Executive Functions

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ADHD and dyslexia commonly appear together and are highly treatable. Ultimately, the way in which you talk to your child about these conditions will depend on their age. But for all ages, you’ll want to nurture strengths, instill a growth mindset, and show unconditional love and support.

Talking with Younger Kids

• Explain what dyslexia and ADHD mean. Emphasize that everyone’s brain is different. For example, some people have a passion for art, others for nature and the outdoors. Young children are likely already aware of their reading challenges and other areas where they struggle, so it’s best to focus on neurodiversity and inherent differences. Let them know that dyslexia won’t prevent them from being terrific at school and at activities outside of school.
• Lead with your child’s strengths. Support their interests and notice where they shine. Are they great with pets? Maybe they’re a wonderful sibling? Ask them what they enjoy; their answers might surprise you.

[Watch: When Dyslexia and ADHD Overlap]

Talking with Tweens and Teens

• Be honest. I’m not afraid to tell my patients at this age that co-occurring dyslexia and ADHD means they’ll have to work a bit harder than their peers. Explain that they might have trouble reading or copying teachers’ instructions from the board. They might need to accept extra tutoring or classroom supports. Honesty about these challenges will validate your child’s experiences and reduce shame.
• Be optimistic. Help your child understand that dyslexia is not a sign of lower intelligence. Assure your child that you and their teachers will work to support them and help them succeed.
• Maintain perspective. Remind your child that there is more to them than ADHD and dyslexia. They are not defined by these conditions, but by who they are as individuals. Involve them in activities they’ll enjoy, such as Scouts, sports, or volunteering, to offset the pressures of school.
• Boost self-esteem. Encourage your teen to join a support group that helps connect them to peers with shared experiences. Your child will be able to talk openly about their challenges with others who simply get it, and this will do wonders for their self-confidence.

[ADDitude Directory: Find a Specialist Near You]

Ways to Encourage Reading

• Listen to audiobooks and have your child read along with them.
• Identify books your child might like, such as graphic novels or books about topics that interest them.
• Read a book together and take turns reading out loud.
• Use spell-check or online dictionaries to help with homework if permitted.
• Use apps that make decoding words into a game.

Talking About Dyslexia: Next Steps

• Download: Signs of Dyslexia at Every Age
  
• Read: The Best Way to Explain Learning Disabilities to Your Child
• Read: Famous People with Dyslexia, Dyscalculia & Other Learning Differences

Cheryl Chase, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist in Independence, Ohio. She specializes in the diagnostic and neuropsychological assessment of certain conditions affecting children, adolescents, and young adults.

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It’s hard to know the prevalence of twice-exceptionality, but a report from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) estimates that 6% of U.S. students receiving special education services are also academically gifted.¹ Patience, persistence, and advocacy are key to improved outcomes for this largely underserved school population.

If your child is twice exceptional, did you first notice their strengths or their weaknesses? We asked ADDitude readers this and more: Did the school system acknowledge and support all the aspects of your child’s learning profile? How does this affect their academic performance and friendships? Scroll down to the Comments section and add to the conversation.

“We recognized the gifted attributes first, which ‘hid’ the ADHD until fifth grade. Teachers have high expectations, but they often do not consider [my daughter’s] ADHD when she forgets something or needs reminders because she performs well. She is still doing well, and they have a great resource department. She has a small group of friends who have ADHD too, and who are also doing extremely well in school.” — An ADDitude Reader

“My 12-year-old son has ADHD, developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and is gifted. The DCD was diagnosed first. The ADHD diagnosis came much later. Because he is bright, an introvert, and not hyperactive or impulsive, he flew under the radar. He does very well in math and reading, but just average on written tasks, which he finds harder because of his motor difficulties and his struggle to make decisions about what to write! He has always had friends but is shy. He finds it hard to initiate social interaction.” — Emily, Australia

 [eBook: Signs & Symptoms of Learning Disabilities]

“We had our daughter tested for ADHD after her brother’s diagnosis. We always felt she wasn’t reaching her full potential at school. They came back with a diagnosis of ADHD and giftedness. I think the diagnosis improved her self-esteem and helped her better understand how she learns, but she experiences a big social and academic disconnect. At school, she hangs out with kids on the fringe but takes AP courses. Her classmates are always surprised that she’s smart because they don’t perceive her that way. She feels that many of her teachers don’t, either. She’s a really bright kid who acts impulsively. Luckily, medication and therapy are helping her make better decisions and focus on her future.” — An ADDitude Reader

“Both of my children are 2e and I couldn’t be prouder of that fact! It’s difficult to distinguish which I noticed first, as both were very bright little people who never stopped moving. The ADHD diagnoses came first and helped push toward a 504 Plan. Once they were old enough for thorough testing and evaluation, high intelligence and specific learning disabilities (SLD) were indicated. Before that, though, there were areas of concern that the school consistently dismissed as typical for the age (which was not the case). Once the documentation showed otherwise, the IEP process began for the SLD need, but all ADHD supports were stopped. It wasn’t totally understood by the teachers involved why an IEP was necessary. Their “low” is average and average is what they were aiming for, but it wasn’t allowing the children to reach their potential. With administrative support at a new school, supports to address their attention and focus were added back in and things have been positive overall.” — Rebecca

“I have three gifted children. They’re all amazing, but two of them are 2e. My oldest was recognized as academically gifted in some subject areas, but the inattentive ADHD wasn’t until much later. I was diagnosed first and it became obvious to us that she had it too. It took three years of work and ‘second opinions’ to get a diagnosis at age 17, with only 5 months left of her school life… My youngest 2e child has been recognized by adults as gifted since he was a toddler. Individual teachers would recognize it, but… we had to pay for an external evaluation to get a diagnosis: first of severe dysgraphia, then combined ADHD. The school now acknowledges the diagnoses and provides minimal support for the dysgraphia during assessments only… I am extremely proud of my middle child, but I look at what she has been able to achieve at school and in the community and wonder what the other two could have done, or could be doing, if they received the support they needed.” — Lisa, Australia

“From the time he was 2 or 3 years old, my son’s incredibly bright mind was obvious to me as a parent. Unfortunately, his keen intelligence left me questioning my parenting when he couldn’t do simple things like stay close to me in the grocery store or listen when he was told not to touch something… He thrived academically but had a lot of trouble adapting to all the rules in a classroom. That’s when we knew something wasn’t lining up. He was diagnosed with ADHD in first grade. His psychological evaluation confirmed his high intelligence, but also revealed a rather low processing speed. Suddenly everything made sense, and I cut myself some slack as a parent. There is no perfect place in school for a 2e child, but he is currently thriving in advanced classes with a 504 plan in place. He has healthy friendships with other bright kids, many of whom are a year older than him.” — An ADDitude Reader, Michigan

[Read: Slow Processing Speed — Signs & Solutions for a Misunderstood Deficit]

“Both of my kids are 2e. In the oldest, IQ masked ADHD (without hyperactivity). We didn’t get a diagnosis until things fell apart in sixth grade. It was hard for my child to cope with always being ‘the professor’ who had no trouble in school to suddenly being the kid who couldn’t find homework or keep up with busy work. In my youngest child, ADHD masked her IQ, so school wouldn’t allow her in the gifted program despite testing from a psychologist. The psychologist didn’t want to ‘label’ my child as ADHD until they were in the correct academic setting, so we wasted a lot of time begging for help and cooperation while my child suffered. Now they are both getting what they need and doing well, but it’s sadly always a gamble: Will they get a teacher next year who doesn’t get them and their strengths or needs? Thankfully, both kids have good friends that got them through their difficult times. I wish teachers would be more knowledgeable and aware of 2e kids so it wouldn’t be such a big ordeal.” — An ADDitude Reader

“A few of [my daughter’s] recent teachers don’t understand her ADHD. She has been in gifted or honors classes since middle school and is now a sophomore… They don’t understand how hard it is for her to stay focused long enough to complete her assignments, which are longer in advanced classes. They don’t know how that goes into getting [assignments] done — taking medication in the morning and afternoon at the right time, being able to fall asleep so she can function the next day… Listening to music on her phone with earbuds helps her focus, but that isn’t usually allowed in school. Sending a text to her dad or I about something important before she forgets gets her in trouble. I think she’ll do better in college, where she can control her course load and have more autonomy to take care of her needs. One advantage of her being 2e is that she has a better understanding of her ADHD and how to manage it. This helps her advocate for herself better.” — Kim, California

“My 16-year-old son is 2e. His IQ is over 130, but he also has ADHD… We recognized his 2e diagnosis in second grade. Although he had read most of the books in the Harry Potter series by age 7, his teacher (in a dual language immersion school) said that she did not think he needed any accelerated or differential teaching. He has had particular issues with teachers who were not trained in the U.S. (Latin America and Europe) and his current high school supports are completely teacher dependent. His private college prep school refuses to give him any accommodations around decreasing homework or allowing additional time on assignments due to slow processing speed (he only receives extra time for tests)… Although transferring schools would probably benefit him, he is adamant to stay at this school. He has had substantial issues with friendships. He currently does not have many good, long-term relationships after starting high school and floats from group to group. He has a lot of social anxiety and difficulty ‘reading’ both his peers and school teachers or administrators.”

2e Students and ADHD: Next Steps

• Free Download: Fight for Your Child’s Rights at School
• Read: Encourage Success, Overcome Struggles
• Replay: The 2e Playbook for Nurturing Gifted Students with ADHD
• Read: Twice-Exceptional and Thriving — At Last

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Sources

¹Baird, L. L. (2022, April 20). How to support your twice-exceptional child. U.S. News & World Report. https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/how-to-support-your-twice-exceptional-child

For many reasons – from the condition’s not-so-accurate name to its frequent co-occurrence with other conditions – NVLD is widely misunderstood, overlooked, and misdiagnosed. At the same time, NVLD is thought to affect up to 3% of children and teens.¹

NVLD’s symptoms are expansive, affecting students in ways that most teachers may not realize. Nonetheless, children with NVLD need interventions that target all areas affected by the condition.

NVLD: Features and Challenges

To support students with NVLD, teachers must first understand what NVLD is and isn’t, and how the condition might manifest.

NVLD is a proposed neurodevelopmental disorder (meaning it’s not an official diagnosis). It was named as such to distinguish it from language-based verbal learning problems, like dyslexia. Children with NVLD are not nonverbal; in fact, they may have average to strong verbal skills. If anything, a more appropriate name for this condition would be “developmental visual-spatial learning disorder.”

[Could Your Child Have NVLD? Take This Self-Test]

NVLD’s visual-spatial reasoning deficits have been linked with disturbances in the functioning of neural circuits that support visual-spatial processing. These visual-spatial deficits are associated with the following difficulties:

Understanding Part/Whole Relationships

A child with NVLD may…

• …avoid puzzles, LEGOs, and other activities that depend on arranging small pieces into larger parts.
• …have trouble with math concepts, like greater than/less than, fractions, etc.
• …struggle to identify the main idea of the story they’ve read (though they can recount details).
• …show difficulty grasping cause and effect.

Manipulating Objects in Space

Fine- and gross-motor skills deficits are common in NVLD. This can make tying shoes, using scissors, holding a pencil, using utensils, and even balancing the body difficult.

[Read: What Does Nonverbal Learning Disorder Look Like in Children?]

Thinking of objects and position in abstract is also a challenge. Students with NVLD may have difficulty thinking of and identifying geometric shapes and following two-dimensional maps.

Learning Sequences and Patterns

Math is often a difficult subject for students with NVLD as they struggle to learn procedures, like long division, and apply concepts to multi-step problems.

Other Challenges

NVLD is also sometimes associated with difficulties and challenges with the following:

• inattention and executive function
• novel problem-solving (difficulty thinking outside the box)
• sensory processing
• pragmatic language (i.e., the social aspects of language like tone, sarcasm, nuance)
• peer relationships and interactions

In addition, the following conditions commonly co-occur with NVLD:

• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• anxiety
• developmental coordination disorder

NVLD: Strategies for Teachers

1. Provide Explicit Instruction

Because of possible pragmatic language weaknesses, students with NVLD may have trouble with inference. In these cases, they need clear instruction to understand what is expected of them. Explicit instruction also supports attention and executive functioning in students with ADHD and NVLD.

• Discuss in detail information conveyed in content with high visual-spatial processing demands, like charts, graphs, and other diagrams.
• Tell students exactly what to attend to across all academic tasks. “Check for addition and subtraction errors” is more explicit than, “Double check your work.” For proofreading essays, tell students to ensure that their sentences start with capital letters and end with periods, that they’ve used a comma before introducing quoted material, etc. Checklists work well to help guide a student’s attention, but must not be overly hard to track from a visual-spatial perspective.
• Provide explicit study guides detailing the types of problems that will appear on a test, along with sample problems and answers. For an upcoming history test, for example, students should know that they’ll have to write essays, interpret pictures, and provide short answers.

2. Reinforce Parts to Whole Relationships

Take a Whole-Parts-Whole Approach

As students with NVLD may miss the big picture, which can affect learning in virtually all subjects, they need help connecting information they’ve learned to larger concepts. Do not assume that students will be able to draw connections on their own, or that links are obvious.

• When teaching essay writing, for example, reinforce that the topic sentence is the “whole” of a paragraph, that it needs “parts” (supporting evidence) underneath it, and that a concluding sentence must refer again to the whole. Provide model paragraphs and essays and have students practice identifying key components.
• Graphic depictions of these relationships are unlikely to be as helpful for students with NVLD as they are for typically developing students or those with other disorders that do not involve visual-spatial processing problems such as ADHD or language disorder.

Practice in Multiple Directions

Students with NVLD often need practice accessing information from multiple angles to further reinforce how things relate. When reviewing vocabulary words for a quiz, present students with the word and ask them to provide a definition, and vice versa. In foreign language classes, ask students to translate a word to their native language and back.

Develop Metacognition

Students with NVLD may not always know which skills and information to retrieve from their mental toolbox to answer a question, even if they have demonstrated proficiency in that skill already. Training metacognition, an executive function that involves reflecting on one’s own thoughts, can help.

Encourage students to ask themselves questions like, “What do I notice about this problem?” and “What kind of problem is it?” while doing homework or taking a test. That way, they’ll be able to figure out which skills they must call on to successfully tackle future work.

Make the Intangible Tangible

Especially for math and geography, use manipulatives like Cuisenaire rods, 3D models, and globes when teaching visual-spatial concepts to help students understand how things relate to one another.

3. Focus on Strengths

Provide accommodations and modifications as needed to reduce demands on the skills that students with NVLD struggle with the most. (Students, of course, should undergo a comprehensive evaluation to demonstrate that they qualify for supports.)

• Craft questions that test the student’s knowledge, not their disability. Avoid questions that rely too much on spatial working memory, visual-spatial skills, and fine- or gross-motor skills. Refrain from framing homework and test questions in novel ways, e.g., those not seen and practiced previously.
• Provide testing in a separate location to minimize distractions.
• Allow students more time on all tests and assignments. (To recall and apply concepts, double check their own work, make up for distractions, etc.)
• Given motor deficits, allow students to type answers and assignments whenever possible, or dictate responses using speech-to-text software.

NVLD in School: Next Steps

• Free Download: What Learning Disabilities Look Like in the Classroom
• Read: The Best Way to Explain Learning Disabilities to Your Child
• Read: “I’m a Teacher with Nonverbal Learning Disorder. I’m Exactly Who I Needed As a Child.”

The content for this article was derived, in part, from the ADDitude ADHD Experts webinar titled, “Could It Be Nonverbal Learning Disorder? An Overlooked LD in Kids with ADHD” [Video Replay & Podcast #173],” with Amy Margolis, Ph.D., which was broadcast on January 26, 2017.

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Sources

¹Margolis, A. E., Broitman, J., Davis, J. M., Alexander, L., Hamilton, A. et al (2020). Estimated Prevalence of Nonverbal Learning Disability Among North American Children and Adolescents. JAMA Network Open, 3(4), e202551. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2551

I was luckier than most, blessed with an early diagnosis of inattentive ADHD in the First Grade after my parents and teachers voiced major concerns about my distractibility and impulsivity. My diagnosis was an important starting point, but it was no silver bullet. If anything, it felt like my “problematic” behaviors were simply assigned a different name.

The Reality of Being a Black Girl with ADHD

Even with a diagnosis, I never felt like teachers, coaches, and other adults in my life fully understood me. (Except for my supportive parents — something so many go without.) Many of my teachers made no attempts to hide their biases, and often saw me as an impulsive, misbehaving student rather than one struggling with symptoms of a condition.

Day in and day out, I wasn’t given the space to fully explore my identity and understand myself, ADHD and all. Instead, society dished out shame, accused me of being lazy, and provided no support for a neurodivergent mind like mine.

This is, unfortunately, an all-too-common reality for young Black girls with ADHD in this country – especially those who go undiagnosed.

[Read: Why ADHD Is Different for People of Color]

ADHD doesn’t discriminate by gender or race. Yet boys are more likely than girls to receive a formal diagnosis of ADHD, and white children are more likely than Black children to receive an ADHD diagnosis. These gaps stem from the antiquated, gendered, and racist stereotypes that surround perceptions of ADHD. As a result, Black girls and women experience disproportionate delays in symptom identification and treatment, which can cause a host of other issues, like anxiety and low self-esteem.

Finding a Sense of Belonging

Though I had my diagnosis, I lacked a sense of community for many, many years. I needed peers and allies who truly understood me and saw my ADHD for the superpower it can be, rather than a deficit or disability.

I finally found this all-important, life-changing sense of belonging during my junior year at Radford University, after begrudgingly following my mom’s advice to join a club. I joined Eye to Eye, a community built by and for people who learn differently, like me. I couldn’t believe that such a community existed. My self-confidence and self-love blossomed. By my senior year, I was in charge of the university’s entire chapter, serving as a mentor to younger students with learning differences.

A Movement Underway

After graduating from college, I joined Eye to Eye’s team, where I’ve dedicated my professional career to bringing after-school mentorship programs — and a sense of community and acceptance — to young people who are just like me.

[Read: 5 Truths About the Beauty of Neurodiversity That I Had to Live to Learn]

Eye to Eye and other peer-to-peer mentorship programs are part of a turning tide – a widescale movement that highlights neurodiversity and acceptance of all people. Recently, Eye to Eye organized a conference at the University of Denver, where hundreds of neurodiverse youth discussed their lived experiences, the state of education for people with learning differences, and future directions for policymakers.

The signs of progress are widespread. Political leaders like New York City Mayor Eric Adams and California Governor Gavin Newsom have leaned into their experiences as people who learn differently and unveiled plans to better support neurodiverse youth in their states. Artists like Beyoncé and Lizzo have adjusted their art in the name of inclusivity and respect. And social media platforms such as LinkedIn have altered their features to celebrate the benefits neurodiverse employees bring to the workplace.

I am so proud to be a part of the team at the helm of this movement. More importantly, these signs of change give me so much hope that young, Black, neurodivergent girls today won’t have to go through what I did just to discover their amazing selves.

Neurodiversity Movement: Next Steps

• Read: Stop Fighting Your Child’s Neurodiversity
• Read: “Here’s What Happened When I Revealed My ADHD on LinkedIn”
• Read: “Happily Neurodivergent — at Last”

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Welcome to ADDitude’s self-guided master class designed to explain and solve the Top 10 learning hurdles facing students with ADHD and other learning differences.

This course, featuring instructional videos from the world’s foremost experts in neurodivergent education, will guide parents and educators through a full syllabus of 51 webinar replays, 72 essential articles, 33 expert Q&As, 39 downloadable resources to share, 17 self-tests, 33 expert Q&As, 15 supplemental videos, and more.

Each lesson revolves around a common challenge for neurodivergent students:

• Learning Hurdle #1: ADHD Misinformation (How to educate educators on ADHD and recognize early signs of ADHD in the classroom)
• Learning Hurdle #2: ADHD Accommodations (How to advocate for your child, secure an effective IEP or 504 Plan, and ensure it’s being followed)
• Learning Hurdle #3: Distractibility and Inattention (How to help students hear and follow directions without losing focus or interest)
• Learning Hurdle #4: Weak Executive Functions (How to bolster executive function skills commonly impacted by ADHD, including working memory, prioritization, and time management)
• Learning Hurdle #5: Behavior Challenges (How to address and prevent the classroom behaviors that interfere with learning such as interrupting, hitting, and fidgeting)
• Learning Hurdle #6: Homework Problems (How to help students accurately log, prioritize, complete, and hand in assignments on time)
• Learning Hurdle #7: Learning Differences (How to best serve and teach students who have dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory processing, dyspraxia, and other learning differences)
• Learning Hurdle #8: Social Struggles (How to teach social and emotional-regulation skills so that kids can make and keep friends more easily)
• Learning Hurdle #9: School Collaboration (How to facilitate and participate in parent-teacher-student cooperation and communication, particularly around accommodations)
• Learning Hurdle #10: Motivation and Resilience (How to build internal and external motivation to encourage resilience in students when they face school challenges)

NOTE: This resource is for personal use only.

2e is a term used to describe “twice-exceptional” students who are academically gifted and also living with ADHD or another diagnosis like autism or learning differences. 2e students are undeniably bright, but often plagued by inconsistent performance at school due to other interfering symptoms. These students seldom receive special-education services, or they are considered “lazy” because they excel in some areas yet appear to lack the motivation to excel in others. The secret to unlocking greatness in a 2e student is recognizing their areas of giftedness by making work more challenging, while simultaneously identifying their areas of greatest need and inserting helpful accommodations and supports accordingly. Understandably, this can be difficult for parents or teachers.

In this webinar you will learn:

• How Lisa Dieker and her 2e son identified his greatest skills as well as the challenges that stood in his path
• Techniques, ideas, and approaches that teachers can use to help students identified as 2e to strive and thrive in the classroom
• How to ensure future pathways to college and careers among gifted students while effectively addressing areas of challenge
• How parents can partner with educators to ensure success from preschool to college

Watch the Video Replay

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Click the play button below to listen to this episode directly in your browser, click the symbol to download to listen later, or open in your podcasts app: Apple Podcasts; Google Podcasts; Stitcher; Spotify; Amazon Music; iHeartRADIO.

More on 2e Students and ADHD

• Download: Overcoming Common Learning Challenges
• Read: Unlocking the Potential of Gifted Kids with ADHD
• Read: “Twice Exceptional Is a Cruel Double-Edged Sword”

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on September 27, 2022, watched the video replay, or listened to the podcast, you may purchase a certificate of attendance option (cost: $10). Note: ADDitude does not offer CEU credits. Click here to purchase the certificate of attendance option »

Meet the Expert Speaker

Dr. Lisa Dieker is a Pegasus Professor and Lockheed Martin Eminent Scholar in the College of Community Innovation and Education at University of Central Florida (UCF). She serves as the director of the UCF/Lockheed Martin Mathematics and Science Academy, program coordinator for the Ph.D. program in special education, and co-director of the UCF Center for Research in Education Simulation Technology. Her research focuses on harnessing the power of teachers working across disciplines in inclusive settings in teacher education, special education, and simulation. She is leading work in creating artificial intelligence agents to support students with disabilities in inclusive settings. She holds three patents in simulation and education.

Joshua Dieker is beginning a new position in a management role for Trek Bikes in Leesburg, Virginia. Prior to this, he was the customer experience manager at Summit Ropes in Sterling, Virginia. He is an avid sportsman and enjoys biking, rock climbing, and camping. Joshua received a bachelor’s degree in recreation and management from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 2018. In college, he competed as a gymnast and was a four-time NCAA qualifier, Collegiate All-American, and Academic-All American athlete. He also was the Florida state all around gymnastic champion and won a medal at the Junior Olympics. He is diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, dyslexia, and dysgraphia. He just completed a term serving as an ambassador for the Tourette Syndrome Association.

Webinar Sponsor

The sponsor of this ADDitude webinar is…

Brain Balance is an integrative cognitive development program designed to help kids with ADHD, Learning Differences, Anxiety & beyond. An exploratory study with Harvard’s McLean Hospital found the Brain Balance Program to be as effective as low-dose stimulant medication in alleviating ADHD symptoms in children. Visit brainbalance.com to learn more about Brain Balance today.

ADDitude thanks our sponsors for supporting our webinars. Sponsorship has no influence on speaker selection or webinar content.

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Some middle school students with ADHD will benefit from assistance in understanding teachers’ directions and juggling multiple assignments. Here are ADHD-friendly strategies for parents:

Middle School Strategies: Planning Ahead

• Request a meeting with your student’s teachers prior to the new school year and have your child accompany you. Your child may feel embarrassed to tag along, but it is important to stress that kicking off a successful year means meeting his teachers face to face.
• At this pre-planning meeting, be positive about your child’s strengths. Have your student chime in with additions and clarifications. Inform each teacher about how your child responds best and where she may need assistance.
• Get an idea about the types of assignments in the syllabus, how much time students get to complete them, how late work is penalized, and how the assignments are graded.
• Ask how the teacher communicates homework assignments to students and parents—does she post on a website, for example?

[Free Download: Explaining ADHD to Teachers]

Middle School Strategies: Managing Assignments

• Keep a visual calendar or chart at home, where you and your student note assignments and due dates.
• Establish a system in which your child does homework for 15 minutes (depending on his attention span), then engages in a preferred activity (ideally not a video game) for five minutes, and then back to homework. When the homework load is heavy, have him do the easiest tasks first and praise him after each task.
• Encourage your child to work ahead on longer-term assignments. Break them into small steps and set a deadline for each step. Show her how to do a portion of the assignment. Praise your child for working ahead of schedule.
• If your child goes off task, don’t nag. Instead, say, “How can I help you?” or “It looks like you’re stuck on number 1. How about going on to number 2, and I will help you with number 1?”
• Sometimes, finding a study buddy helps.

Overall, parents should be supportive and appreciate the changes that come with middle school. Use praise to reinforce good work habits and effort. Providing assurance along the way is critical for students’ success.

ADHD in Middle School: Next Steps

• Read: Help Kids Get Their Middle School Mojo
• Download: 10 Middle School Success Strategies
• Listen: The Middle School Survival Guide for Students with ADHD

Beverly Holden Johns is an author and learning and behavior consultant. She has more than 30 years’ experience in public schools working with students with learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders.

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These scenarios can be daunting and anxiety-provoking—and very similar to the Herculean task of following a teacher’s complex verbal instructions when you have ADHD, dyslexia, or other learning challenges.

To help all of your students successfully follow your directions, use these proven teacher strategies.

Follow Directions for Written Assignments

With independent work tasks, directions should be presented with as much visual clarity as possible to make it easy for students to decipher the main components.

For elementary school students:

• Use a larger 14-point font size.
• Highlight key words and phrases in bold and italics. This helps students focus on the most important components of the task.

[Download: 11 Focus Fixes for the Classroom]

For middle school students:

• Number each step of the assignment. This lets students see how many components are involved in the task, and can help them to plan ahead for how to complete the task.
• Offer a worksheet or an organized answer sheet, with workspace allotted for each numbered step. This sets up students to begin working immediately.

For high school students:

• Give students a checklist or chart that they can use to cross off the sub-steps as they complete them. This teaches kids to track their progress, which is an important skill for college-bound students.
• Include concrete expectations in assignment directions. For example, how many words or paragraphs are expected in an essay? This can be easily adjusted for students who may be at different points in their writing progress.

[Read: How to Remove Hurdles to Writing for Students with ADHD]

Follow Directions for Classroom Projects and Tasks

Understanding and following verbal directions requires several executive functions skills–shifting and sustaining focus, selecting what’s important, and engaging working memory, among others.

For elementary school students:

• Teachers should model for students their thinking about how to start the task: “Let’s see, I need to research Emperor Penguins. What are some good websites I should explore? First, I’ll make a list…”
• Break down multi-step tasks into individual ones. This makes it easier for students to comprehend.
• Include visual cues to remind them of the tasks. Draw a quick image on the white board as a non-verbal reminder that they can reference.

For middle school students:

• Use “first,” “second,” “next,” “last” language to help them order and conceptualize directions that include multiple components.
• Have students repeat back the steps to help them encode the directions into their working memory.

For high school students:

• Instruct students to close their laptops and put away their phones before you give them directions.
• Use the steps outlined in the middle school section above for additional help.

So, the next time you’re about to give directions, recall the frustration and lost hours you experienced putting together that do-it-yourself office desk, and try to save your students from the same fate.

Follow Directions with ADHD: Next Steps

• Download: A Teachers’ Guide to Executive Dysfunction in Students with ADHD
  
• Read: 12 Ways to Make Instructions Sink In
  
• Read: Following Instructions: Communicating with Teachers in High School
  

Ezra Werb, M.Ed., is an educational therapist and author of Teach for Attention! A Tool Belt of Strategies for Engaging Students with Attention Challenges. (#CommissionsEarned)

#CommissionsEarned As an Amazon Associate, ADDitude earns a commission from qualifying purchases made by ADDitude readers on the affiliate links we share. However, all products linked in the ADDitude Store have been independently selected by our editors and/or recommended by our readers. Prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Practical Strategies for Teachers and Parents

This free learning resource includes the following articles:
– 5 Surprising Ways ADHD Shows Up in the Classroom: These behaviors and challenges associated with ADHD are commonly misunderstood at school

– How to Build a Better IEP: Make sure goals are specific, quantifiable, and clearly defined. Here’s how.

– Directions for ADHD Brains: A teacher’s guide to giving instructions that students with ADHD can follow.

– The Power of Service: Trust a child with ADHD to help in the classroom, and watch self-esteem rise.

– 4 Ways to Win Over Your Teachers: Students with ADHD shine brightest when teachers are in their corner.

How Learning Disorders Breed Shame

We, as parents, know all too well the stress, anxiety, and physical and emotional symptoms associated with learning challenges. We understand the frustration of trying to turn around woeful school engagement in our kids and their educators, too. When my children are denied the accommodations they need, this quickly leads to anger, battles about going to school, and self-talk that includes “stupid” and “I know I have to try harder.”

I have seen how difficult it is to enlighten school district personnel and explain that a student’s poor behavior and negative self-talk are the direct result of not receiving the accommodations that are appropriate and necessary for academic success. When I asked for support and a 504 Plan, school administrators said to me: “Suzy knows what she needs to do.” As if my daughter chooses not to do it. As if any child chooses ADHD, dyslexia, or any other learning challenges.

[Download: What Learning Disabilities Look Like in the Classroom]

In another 504 Plan meeting, I asked the teacher if my child, who had just received a good grade for an assignment, had used any accommodations. The teacher’s response: “No, she did not cheat.” How can my child feel good about using the services she needs if this is the prevailing opinion of her teacher?

It’s a devastating blow when teachers and administrators fail to provide adequate assessments and resources — whether due to budget issues, staffing shortages, ignorance about ADHD, or the pandemic — to support a child’s academic success. As parents, we watch as these interactions project shame and blame onto our children, who suffer through years of negative experiences in school. More awareness and an investment in teacher training would go a long way toward improving academic success in students with learning differences.

The Social-Emotional Impact of Learning Disorders

After living through three academic years impacted by the pandemic, all parents understand the heartbreak of witnessing their students’ social-emotional struggles, learning loss, and mental health conflicts. Let this experience be a window through which parents and educators gain insight into the too-often unmet needs of kids with learning differences.

Most students with learning challenges have long struggled with the emotional and social toll resulting not from the disability directly, but from a school system that limits or creates barriers to accessing the full suite of accommodations kids need to engage fully in learning. We must all speak up to help our local educators and policy makers see this important connection.

Learning Disorders and ADHD: Next Steps

• Download: IEP vs 504 – What’s the Difference?
• Watch: Securing Accommodations – Working With Your Child’s School
• Read: When Learning Differences Are Embraced, Not Shunned

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.