What is one useful piece of technology that might help with productivity and learning issues associated with ADHD?
To help individuals with ADHD manage productivity and learning issues, we asked CEOs and successful business owners dealing with ADHD this question for their best advice. From utilizing noise canceling headphones to trying a time timer, there are several recommendations that may help manage ADHD-related productivity and learning issues.
Here are thirteen pieces of technology for coping with productivity and learning issues:
- Noise Canceling Headphones
- Voice Recognition
- Wizcom Tech Pen
- Wunderlist
- Xmind To Create Mind Maps
- Dragon Speech Recognition
- Meditation Apps
- Remember the Milk App
- A Pomodoro Timer
- Isolator
- WordQ
- Any.do
- Time Timer
Noise Canceling Headphones
One of the main factors that hinder someone with ADHD’s productivity is auditory distractions. If your work from home or in-office workspace is impossible to focus in, consider investing in high quality, noise canceling headphones. With these distractions out of the way, you can see both your focus and effort over time increase when these auditory distractions decrease.
Brandon Brown, Grin
Voice Recognition
One useful piece of technology that might help with productivity/learning issues associated with ADHD is a laptop or tablet with a voice recognition feature. This feature allows the user to control the device with their voice, rather than using their hands. This way, they can stay focused on their work or lesson without being distracted by having to use their hands.
Matthew Ramirez, Paraphrase
Wizcom Tech Pen
This device, in my opinion, is worth having for productivity/learning challenges connected with ADHD. This high-tech instrument can be a valuable resource for readers who need assistance with difficult words or terminology. This scanner, approximately the size of a marker, allows readers to “highlight” a word in a printed text in order to hear its pronunciation and description. (A headphone jack is provided for use in the classroom.) We recommend the pen to readers who only require aid with a word or two per sentence because the scanning motion is rather distracting to the reading experience.
Gerrid Smith, Joy Organics
Wunderlist
This gadget, in my opinion, is worth having for productivity/learning challenges connected with ADHD. Wunderlist is a simple and effective way to organize all types of lists. The main reason to utilize Wunderlist, though, is its capacity to collaborate. Users can create group lists, assign tasks to different members of the group, and even instruct the program to send email reminders. The organizer can see which outsourced activities have been marked complete, and a chat feature allows group members to fluidly discuss their work as well. Parents of teenagers can use Wunderlist to provide the nudge that many children require without having to nag, and the app’s ability to attach files to tasks can help coordinate group projects.
Edward Mellett, Wikijob
Xmind To Create Mind Maps
XMind has useful mind maps that make visualizing your to-do list easy for those working with productivity issues. If you are a visual learner, in particular, who wants to map out several arms of a business project, this app helps bridge imagination and productivity. My favorite go-to tool of XMind is creating color-coordinated maps at different levels of our company’s organization to present business goals to our staff. For example, we recently started a project focused on investigating what new product designs would drive better leads which our marketing team, product design team, and lead development teams collaborated on. Having software that makes communicating those goals streamlined helps me and our management team get everyone on the same page.
Dylan Trussell, Culprit Underwear
Dragon Speech Recognition
There’s no one size-fits-all solution to helping productivity for those with ADHD, but some individuals may find dictation is better than typing. They may be able to focus better when speaking than they are in relative silence. Dragon Speech Recognition software from Nuance is highly-reputed and learns your speaking style the more you use it. You can actually get a lot more words on the page no matter the kind of content by using this software.
James Diel, Textel
Meditation Apps
Meditation apps like Stop, Breathe, Think provide guided meditations that can really help someone struggling with excitability — a common attention deficit hyperactivity symptom. ADHD can put a person’s brain on overdrive, so taking a time out to recoup can lead to maximum productivity later. It would be interesting for a disabilities study program to quantify the results for ADHD patients who give meditation a shot. I hope there is some day more research in this area.
Stephanie Venn-Watson, fatty15
Remember the Milk App
The app that has helped me manage my ADHD the most is “Remember the milk.” I was proudly making long lists and then losing said lists. This app is based on a list concept, but it’s reminders and style are very ADHD-friendly. Features I really like are the “sub task” and “attach files.” Everything is in one place, unlike those paper lists I mentioned.
I have it synced with Microsoft Outlook and other programs, so everything is like a well-oiled memory machine for me.
Jennifer Pieniazek, Resume Now
A Pomodoro Timer
A big part of the struggle with ADHD productivity revolves around distraction. Pomodoro timers are free apps which give you 20 minutes to work, five minutes to take a break, and then repeat, with a 15 minute break every four sessions. When you know how long you have to stay focused, you’re less likely to get distracted, and looking forward to doing something fun during your break is a great motivator.
Jeffrey Gabriel, Saw.com
Isolator
Isolator is an assistive technology that makes it possible to focus on your work. It provides the perfect tool for those suffering from ADD/ADHD as it allows them to concentrate and not be distracted by other things around them.
Jar Kuznecov, Water Softeners Hub
WordQ
WordQ is a sort of assistive technology that assists people by anticipating the words they wish to write and improving their written expressions and vocabulary. For example, this assistive technology WordQ may be integrated with apps such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Outlook, Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, Google Docs, and others, allowing students and those who want grammatical assistance to use WordQ on other platforms without worrying about their spelling. In addition, students with ADD/ADHD can efficiently utilize WordQ software to complete their projects and assignments.
Sudipta Gupta, WebTopic
Any.do
This tool, in my opinion, is worth having for productivity/learning challenges connected with ADHD. Sometimes simplicity is beautiful, and it doesn’t get much simpler than Any.do. Any.do is the ideal answer for managing a busy life for individuals who get lost in options and details. Create a to-do list and set the app to send reminders. That’s all. The Cal version (also free) combines iCal and the Any.do task list because it’s sometimes simpler to plan out an agenda while looking at a calendar.
Jamie Opalchuk, HostPapa
Time Timer
This device, in my opinion, is worth having for productivity/learning challenges connected with ADHD. Time Timer is a lifesaver for individuals who lose track of time or become too engrossed in their work. The timer’s style — a red field within the clock face shrinks as time passes — is simple enough for even young toddlers to understand. The Time Timer is fantastic for reducing fights between parents and children. When the limit is reached, there is no way to argue that a few more minutes of Minecraft are justified. Older pupils and adults can use the timer to keep breaks from lasting twice as long as they should or to avoid spending 20 minutes writing an email that should take five minutes.
Kenny Kline, BarBend
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