Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that includes both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive behavior. It’s commonly diagnosed in primary school-aged children, and can cause significant disruptions to their education, including in their math studies.
This article aims to provide an overview of how exactly ADHD affects a person’s math skills and what accommodations and treatments might be available.
1: What is ADHD?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder categorized as neurodevelopmental. It usually presents itself in childhood, but can continue into adulthood.
Its defining symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Inattention can manifest itself as difficulty focusing, sluggish thinking, and an inability to finish tasks. Hyperactivity describes the kind of behavior commonly seen in ADHD-diagnosed children — restless energy, an inability to stay still, talking excessively.
Impulsivity describes the kind of behavior that arises without conscious deliberation, such as blurting out answers or taking risks without thinking.
2: How Does ADHD Affect Math?
ADHD can have a direct impact on a person’s math learning and performance, especially given the complexity of the subject. People with ADHD typically total lower scores on standardized tests and struggle to remember facts and formulas, partly due to their short attention spans and difficulty focusing.
Additionally, math concepts require a certain level of mental organization or structure, and ADHD can limit the executive functions required to accomplish this. Concentration and problem-solving can be difficult for someone with ADHD, as well as the mental stamina to focus for extended periods of time.
3: Symptoms of Math-related ADHD
People with ADHD-affected math skills may exhibit a variety of symptoms, from simple forgetfulness to significant difficulty problem-solving. Poor listening skills, difficulty following directions and staying with a task, and frequent fidgeting are all examples of symptoms that can impede math learning.
People with math-related ADHD may experience difficulty understanding math concepts, particularly because many of them involve abstract thinking and multiple steps. As math typically requires a student to utilize both short-term memory and long-term memory to recall facts and formulas, this can be a challenge as well. Because math qualifies as a “low‑interest” subject, children with ADHD can be particularly bored with it and so lose motivation to do well in the subject.
4: Complications from ADHD-affected Math
Since math is a part of all levels of educational study, struggling with this subject can lead to greater academic trouble for students with ADHD. Low grades can lead to loss of confidence, which can cause students to give up on their studies or, worse, lead to potentially severe consequences. Additionally, poor math performance can discourage students from pursuing college, where math-intensive specializations are sometimes more difficult to achieve.
Such decisions can affect achievement in other areas and even have financial implications.
5: Treatments and Accommodations for Math with ADHD
There are a few ways in which students and parents can adapt study sessions to accommodate a person with ADHD. Shortening study sessions, for instance, may help, as people with ADHD can become quickly frustrated or worn out with intense focus. For individual topics, like fractions or geometry, breaking down the concepts into more manageable chunks can be beneficial for a student with ADHD.
Adding visual elements, like diagrams or colors, can also help enhance the understanding of a math concept. Studies have also suggested that pairing math lessons with physical activities, like playing math-related sports or organizing educational field trips, can be extremely helpful as well.
6: Medications to Ease Math-related Symptoms of ADHD
Medications are sometimes prescribed to ease the symptoms of ADHD, including those related to math. Common medications prescribed include stimulants, such as Adderall and Concerta, which act as central nervous system stimulants within the body.
While they don’t necessarily cure ADHD, they may help with focus, impulse control, and even the ability to concentrate and stay organized. There are also non-stimulants available, such as Strattera and Intuniv, which target other brain chemicals and can be effective for people with ADHD-affected math skills.
7: Professional Support for Math with ADHD
Getting help from teachers, counselors, and other professionals can be extremely beneficial for someone struggling with ADHD. For instance, teachers and counselors can assess the student’s academic performance and decide how to best proceed with tutoring and accommodations.
For complex concepts, finding a tutor can be hugely helpful; math tutors can often tailor their lessons for the student’s individual needs. It’s also wise to seek out a psychologist or psychiatrist who is familiar with ADHD so they can create a plan and prescribe appropriate medications, if needed.
8: Emotional Support for Math with ADHD
Difficulty with math can be very upsetting and cause feelings of sadness and/or frustration. Seeking emotional support and encouragement can be really valuable for someone with ADHD. Family, friends, and veterinarians can all provide the empathy and understanding needed to cope with the effects of ADHD.
If needed, finding a therapist or counselor can also be helpful. Talking to them can be quite beneficial in addressing feelings of worry and confusion and discovering ways to express them.
9: Self-care Strategies for Math with ADHD
When managing ADHD-affected math skills, it’s important to take good care of oneself. Physical exercise, for instance, can be hugely beneficial for someone with ADHD by producing endorphins and other hormones that help reduce hyperactivity and improve focus. Additionally, setting goals, both short- and long-term, can be stimulating and provide clear objectives to work on.
Keeping a packed and organized schedule, with daily reminders of tasks, can also be beneficial. Taking breaks from studying, relaxing activities like yoga or video games, and positive self-talk can all be important self-care strategies.
10: Parental Support for Math with ADHD
Parental support is absolutely essential for children struggling with math-related ADHD. Being involved in the child’s education and staying in contact with teachers and counselors can help monitor their progress and spot when they need more help in certain areas. There’s a great deal that can be done to help kids with ADHD: ensuring they have the proper nutrition, sufficient sleep, and regular physical activity, for instance.
Parents should also keep track of their child’s daily study habits to see what helps and what doesn’t. Additionally, it’s very important to keep encouraging and motivating them, as this can counteract any negative self-talk that may arise from difficulty with math.
11: Social Support for Math with ADHD
Families and friends can offer social support to someone with math-related ADHD, such as through studying together, helping review lessons learned in class, or working on practice exams. Additionally, social activities can be hugely beneficial for someone with ADHD in general, such as watching movies, playing sports, or going out with friends.
Having someone to talk to can be extremely relieving and comforting, especially if they understand the struggles one faces with ADHD. Additionally, joining a support group can be amazingly beneficial and promote a sense of community in which members can connect with likeminded people.
12: The Benefits of Seeking Help for Math with ADHD
Seeking help for math-related ADHD can be incredibly beneficial for students. For starters, many professionals familiar with ADHD can offer advice on how to best manage it.
Getting relief from the symptoms can make all the difference in the world and dramatically improve math performance. Additionally, having to accommodate someone’s ADHD can actually change their opinion of math; the tailored approach can give them a sense of ownership over their learning and even make them feel more capable of understanding the subject. And in the long-term, getting help can give students the ability to achieve better grades, which can have tremendous positive benefits on their future.
13: Conclusion
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can have a dramatic toll on math learning and performance, whether through inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive behavior or the simple struggle for understanding. That’s why it’s absolutely essential for someone with math-related ADHD to get professional help, from educators, psychologists, and psychiatrists.
With the right accommodations and treatments, from medications to self-care strategies, students can manage their symptoms and come out ahead in their math studies. Conclusion: While ADHD can have a tough effect on someone’s math capabilities, there is hope available. With the right kind of tailored help, from medication to social support from peers, people with math-related ADHD can manage their symptoms and learn the subject better, boosting their academic performance and their confidence in the process.