When your teenager is about to start college, we often talk about what they’ll need to do to function living on their own and managing school and life. But we also need to focus – and understand – how their ADHD may affect not only their transition to adulthood, but also how they may be learning in school.
In the future, we’ll specifically address some challenges with things like larger class sizes. But today, let’s talk about what might be helpful if your child is enrolling in online school.
Online school can be especially challenging for students with ADHD. Without the structure of a physical classroom, distractions multiply, focus wavers, and motivation can plummet. But with the right strategies, virtual learning can become more manageable – and even successful.
The Problem With Online Learning and ADHD
Students with ADHD thrive on external structure: clear schedules, physical reminders, and face-to-face accountability. Online school strips many of these away, leaving them to battle:
- Increased distractions (phones, games, social media just a click away).
- Time blindness (no bells or class changes to signal transitions).
- Task initiation struggles (no teacher physically present to prompt engagement).
The result? Assignments pile up, deadlines slip by, and frustration grows. As many parents of ADHD teens know, things start to go wrong they can snowball, and many students with ADHD find that, once they begin to struggle, it can quickly become overwhelming and lead to burnout and high emotional reactivity.
How to Make Online School Work for ADHD Brains
Success in virtual learning isn’t about trying harder. It’s about working smarter. Consider the following tips and ideas.
Recreate Classroom Structure at Home
Teach your teen how to set up a space that provides some of the support that they’d find at school, but in the comfort of their home. For example:
- Designate a workspace (not the bed or couch) to signal “school mode.”
- Follow a strict schedule (same start/end times as in-person school).
- Use timers (Pomodoro technique: 25 minutes work, 5-minute break).
Mimicking a school environment may trick the brain into “focus mode.” It reduces unnecessary distractions and helps provide some structure.
Outsmart Distractions
Every student, including those without ADHD, can be easily distracted in today’s high tech, high stress world. Get ahead of it by considering:
- Website blockers (Freedom, Cold Turkey) to lock distracting sites during school hours.
- Noise-canceling headphones (white noise or instrumental music if silence feels stifling).
- Body doubling (study alongside a friend via Zoom for accountability).
We can’t stop all distractions, but every distraction we do stop is another distraction that a person with ADHD does not have to struggle with.
Advocate for Accommodations
Many online schools offer ADHD support programs. Use them. Teach your teenager not to be shy about their ADHD and executive function issues and to ask about any programs that they have, such as:
- Extended deadlines for assignments.
- Permission to record lectures for replay.
- Alternative assignment formats (oral vs. written responses).
Your child can say something like: “I have ADHD, which makes online learning harder. Here’s what would help.” If they feel shy about asking for or using this extra help remind them that this help exists because it *works* and because it was designed to support students with ADHD in a way that truly benefits them.
The Bigger Picture
ADHD doesn’t disappear in virtual school, and in many situations, it can get worse – but the right strategies can bridge the gap. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s progress, and that’s something that is possible when you consider the above tips for navigating online college.
Struggling with online learning? Small tweaks can make a big difference. Reach out for personalized strategies.