College students with ADHD have a tough time. Only 5% graduate (McLaughlin, 2019). What can we do? Technology can help. Check out my reviews of 18 free mobile apps. My teens, young adults, and adults chimed in too.
You need to ask yourself why things are so tough for “our kids” with ADHD once they get in college. They’re the lowest-performing category of disabilities. On the other end, they have the highest rates of drug and alcohol use. Again, why?
- Must self-advocate (greater responsibilities)
- Different regulatory criteria (no IEPs)
- Academic rigor (more work, less time)
- Stress (lack of structure)
- More distractions (academic, personal, social/romantic)
Technology in the classroom is the norm…sometimes. The trick for college students with ADHD is to have them included as legal accommodations. You’ll have to work for it.
My students have been able to use these apps in community college, college, and university. Yes, even grad school. Assistive technology is any device, software, or tool that facilitates learning. In addition to academics, it might boost skills and confidence.
What could be better? Knowledge is empowerment. Check out this ls list of the latest and greatest.
Focus
- NeuroNation – I love the concentration component of this animated app. The speaker’s voice is calming too. The kids don’t fight me on it.
Information
- Evernote – It’s the flagship data management and organization app for professionals. I use it every day, but it was hard to learn. Searches documents, PDFs and more.
- Pocket – I recommend this to my non-techies. Lower tech than Evernote, but it’s a good segway to more complex apps. Especially good for videos.
Habit Development
- Loop Habit Tracker – It’s great because you enter your personalized habits. Even better, you can set reminders. I use it 24/7. So do all of my kids.
- Fabulous Daily Motivation – Okay, my girls love the flying fairies. Everyone likes the music. They forget that they`re learning habits too.
Calendar
- Google Calendar – Color-coding is great. I have to formally teach them how to use it efficiently and effectively.
- Simple Calendar – It’s easier to use than Google Calendar. Downside? It doesn’t sync with Google Calendar.
Writing
- Grammarly Keyboard – It’s good, but will never replace English teachers and editors.
Math
- Photomath – Take a picture of the problem. Get the answer. Watch your handwriting!
- MathMan – Play Pac Man and learn math? Great for my community college kids who need to learn their math facts.
Documents
- Google Docs – Everyone knows this one. Be careful of “lost” documents. Teach naming and folder strategies.
- Microsoft Word – An oldie, but a goodie. There`s better integration with Adobe (PDFs).
Stress
- Antistress, Relaxing, Anxiety & Stress – Okay. I have a hard sell at colleges. Just cute games. My kids love it. Count me out!
- Two Dots – So relaxing…I fall asleep.
- Gmail – Yeah…10,000K email messages? I do Inbox Zero. Evernote helps.
- myMail – Syncs with Gmail, AOL. Hotmail, Yahoo. Some just like this better.
Reading
- Google Assistant – It’s designed to help people with disabilities. Set her up. Let her run.
- @Voice Aloud Reader – You can read or listen (eBook, HTML, TXT, DOC, PDF…). Brief usage on free version.
QUESTION: How would you get your college to allow these accommodations? Comment below.
Copyright © 2021 by Edna Brown. All Rights Reserved.
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