Understanding Self-Accommodation for ADHD: A Guide for Advocates and Educators
Plus 3 questions to help kids learn self-accommodation
What is Self-Accommodation?
Self-accommodation is an essential strategy that often goes unnoticed but can greatly empower ADHD people. It involves adapting one's environment, behaviors, and social interactions to better suit one's specific needs.
Just like assistive technologies aid those with physical disabilities, self-accommodation helps ADHD individuals navigate life more effectively in a world that isn’t designed for them.
Challenges in Teaching Self-Accommodation
Despite its benefits, very few ADHD people know how to do this.
Teaching self-accommodation should start with ADHD children.
We need to set an example for children to learn the skill of self-accommodation by first being open to accommodating ADHD children, showing them they belong and deserve support in the world. We don’t do this. I’ve witnessed this firsthand as I’ve sat in IEP and 504 meetings where I regularly had to fight for educational accommodations for ADHD children.
Why? Current challenges include:
Lack of Awareness: Many educators and parents don't understand what accommodation means or why adhd children deserve it. Instead, they often push children to "try harder" or “stop being lazy” without considering individual needs and differences.
Systemic Resistance: Schools often have strict rules that don't allow for personalized adjustments needed for ADHD children despite legal mandates.
Misconceptions: There's a widespread lack of understanding about the support neurodivergent children require, leading to later issues like trauma, anxiety, depression, and masking behavior.
This needs to change.
Why Teach Accommodation and Self-Accommodation to ADHD Children?
Introducing accommodation AND self-accommodation early in life is crucial because they:
Prevents Trauma: Without proper accommodations, children face unnecessary challenges that can lead to trauma and encourage hiding their true selves.
Reduces Pressure: Children are often pressured to try harder as if their brains are the same. When this doesn’t work, they conclude they are to blame. This approach is harmful to ADHD children.
Promotes Healthy Development: Teaching self-accommodation nurtures self-worth and independence, allowing ADHD children to succeed and be happy as adults.
Teaching Self-Accommodation to Children: Starting Early for Lifelong Benefits
By teaching children to recognize and express their needs early on, we help them develop healthy coping strategies for life.
How to Begin
To teach self-accommodation effectively, ask children:
"What could make this task easier for you?"
"What would make you feel more comfortable right now?"
"How are you feeling, and what do you need?"
Adults must then be flexible and provide the necessary accommodations for children to succeed.
The Role of Advocates and Educators
Advocates and educators play a crucial role in:
Educating: Spreading awareness about accommodation and its benefits for ADHD children.
Supporting: Helping implement these strategies effectively.
Modeling: Demonstrating accommodation for children and self-accommodation as a valid approach to supporting ADHD people.
Self-accommodation is vital for ADHD people, and teaching children they deserve accommodations from an early age is critical.
Embracing and promoting this approach creates a more inclusive and understanding society, allowing everyone to thrive uniquely.
Thanks for reading this newsletter. I hope it was informative about the topics of accommodation and self-accommodation for ADHD children and adults.
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This is great! I would love to witness young children and teens know themselves enough to articulate what they need. Often the demands of school and adults gets in their head and takes over their understanding of their own voice. For children to have enough strength to self-advocate we need to give them a lot of room to know themselves!