A great many useful tips are shared at our bi-monthly Knowing Me, Knowing You online support group meetings for women who have – or suspect that they may have – ADHD. To make sure that these jems are available to as many women as possible, we have created an A-Z library in this space for these and other women (and girls); they will be updated regularly. I would like to take this opportunity to say how grateful we are for the generosity of the women who join us from across the globe at these sessions; their willingness to help their peers is key to the success of our venture.
One of the tips shared at a few of our meetings was “Bullet Journalling” – some people find it a wonderful resource. As everyone is different, it is best you go on the website and read about it to see if it would be something for you.
Description on website: Think of it as a next-level diary for not only writing but also drawing. Instead of blank, lined pages, a bullet journal (or BuJo, for short) contains sections to log daily to-dos, keep a monthly or weekly calendar, jot down notes, track both physiological and mental health, and record both short- and long-term goals.
From that description, it seems to be quite flexible, which usually suits people who have ADHD. By that I mean, that you can – to a certain extent – decide yourself how best to make Bullet Journalling work for you.
Link to website: https://bulletjournal.com/
One of the tips shared at a few of our meetings was “Bullet Journalling” – some people find it a wonderful resource. As everyone is different, it is best you go on the website and read about it to see if it would be something for you.
Description on website: Think of it as a next-level diary for not only writing but also drawing. Instead of blank, lined pages, a bullet journal (or BuJo, for short) contains sections to log daily to-dos, keep a monthly or weekly calendar, jot down notes, track both physiological and mental health, and record both short- and long-term goals.
From that description, it seems to be quite flexible, which usually suits people who have ADHD. By that I mean, that you can – to a certain extent – decide yourself how best to make Bullet Journalling work for you.
Link to website: https://bulletjournal.com/
Some of you have tried out Innox Notes and Whiteboard and find them very user-friendly. T
INNOX notes are made of polypropylene film at the InnoTools Oy factory in Turku, Finland. There is a special coating on the surface to provide a long-lasting electrical charge, which means that you can write on the notes with different pens, pencils and markers. It is also dry-erasable! These static notes stick to almost all flat surfaces, metal, glass, cork, brick, leather and even stone. The good news is that they can be removed easily without leaving stains on the surface.
They are different to regular Post-It notes as they are ideal for visualizing ideas and projects. What’s not to liThe INNOX Notepads are available on Amazon.com and also on Amazon sites in France, Germany, etc. While you are at it, you could also look for INNOX Whiteboards, also available on Amazon websites! See how easy it is to use: https://youtu.be/pVUT-6YHkLs
Read all about the materials used, etc. on: www.innox.notes.fi
To help you get more productive and give yourself a sense of achievement, why not use either (or both) of these fantastic electronic aids to use as your Body Double:
ALEXA: This Amazon product speaks to you – you can change the voice (male/female). You just have to remember to programme it for each task that you plan to do, especially if you have to research something that might lead you into a “rabbit hole” – the wrong type of hyperfocus! (Alexa, please set the alarm for 20 minutes….1 hour….etc.). After a while, when Alexa gets used to your requests, s/he/it will take the initiative and remind you about something you have not asked for a while; very entertaining!
GOOGLE HOME: – is also very good for this – loud voice – comes in various formations, one with wifi booster plus 2 neat little round fixtures for different rooms. Requests begin with “Hey Google”
Bullet Journalling
One of the tips shared at a few of our meetings was “Bullet Journalling” – some people find it a wonderful resource. As everyone is different, it is best you go on the website and read about it to see if it would be something for you.
Description on website: Think of it as a next-level diary for not only writing but also drawing. Instead of blank, lined pages, a bullet journal (or BuJo, for short) contains sections to log daily to-dos, keep a monthly or weekly calendar, jot down notes, track both physiological and mental health, and record both short- and long-term goals.
From that description, it seems to be quite flexible, which usually suits people who have ADHD. By that I mean, that you can – to a certain extent – decide yourself how best to make Bullet Journalling work for you.
Link to website: https://bulletjournal.com/
Some of you have tried out Innox Notes and Whiteboard and find them very user-friendly. T
INNOX notes are made of polypropylene film at the InnoTools Oy factory in Turku, Finland. There is a special coating on the surface to provide a long-lasting electrical charge, which means that you can write on the notes with different pens, pencils and markers. It is also dry-erasable! These static notes stick to almost all flat surfaces, metal, glass, cork, brick, leather and even stone. The good news is that they can be removed easily without leaving stains on the surface.
They are different to regular Post-It notes as they are ideal for visualizing ideas and projects. What’s not to liThe INNOX Notepads are available on Amazon.com and also on Amazon sites in France, Germany, etc. While you are at it, you could also look for INNOX Whiteboards, also available on Amazon websites! See how easy it is to use: https://youtu.be/pVUT-6YHkLs
Read all about the materials used, etc. on: www.innox.notes.fi
Reminders for Changing Tasks and Stopping Inefficient Hyperfocus
To help you get more productive and give yourself a sense of achievement, why not use either (or both) of these fantastic electronic aids to use as your Body Double:
ALEXA: This Amazon product speaks to you – you can change the voice (male/female). You just have to remember to programme it for each task that you plan to do, especially if you have to research something that might lead you into a “rabbit hole” – the wrong type of hyperfocus! (Alexa, please set the alarm for 20 minutes….1 hour….etc.). After a while, when Alexa gets used to your requests, s/he/it will take the initiative and remind you about something you have not asked for a while; very entertaining!
GOOGLE HOME: – is also very good for this – loud voice – comes in various formations, one with wifi booster plus 2 neat little round fixtures for different rooms. Requests begin with “Hey Google”
Text to Speech
An audio text reader is useful if you have a lot of reading to do for your studies or for work. Originally created as a solution for Speechify’s founder’s dyslexia, Speechify is an audio text reader APP that now helps many adults who have dyslexia, ADHD, low vision acuity and anxiety, as well as many other reading difficulties master their lives. It is described as an “…intelligent text-to-speech audio reader that turns reading material into interactive audiobooks so that you can save time, retain more information, and stay focused.” If you like to multi-task, this is the APP for you; this audio text reader can read books, documents and articles while you cook, work out, etc.
You can choose the voice you feel most comfortable with and the reading speed that suits you best. You do not have to get the premium version because what is offered on the basic Speechify APP is enough. You can scan physical books with your device camera, import Internet articles straight from your mobile browser and it integrates with iCloud, Google Drive and Dropbox. Check it out on: https://speechify.com/
Speech to Text
Although people who have ADHD usually have a plethora of great ideas, which they can talk about intelligently, many of them have great difficulty getting their ideas down on paper; organizing their thoughts while writing seems to be a difficulty shared by most ADHDers, even the most gifted. Yet, they need to be able to do this at university and at work.
Speech-to-Text computer programmes have been available for many years to help dyslexic adults achieve in the workplace. Recently, we have been hearing more about Speech-to-Text APPs that are readily available on iPhones, iPADs …, and other devices, which students can download to bridge the gap in their skill base and help them with their academic writing. These are usually not as sophisticated as the computer programmes I mentioned earlier, but some of us have been researching what is readily available to see which one suits us better.
The following have been found to be the most user-friendly, many being free:
Speech Texter (Free)
You can download your file as text or as a Word document – and you can print it. All you need is Google Chrome and to be connected to the Internet. (Note_3, January 29, 2019)
Google Docs Voice to Text (Free)
Apple Dictation (Free)
Choose Apple (icon), select Menu and then System Preferences, click at this point on Keyboard, and finally click Dictation.
Although it is built into MAC, you need to turn it on and enable it (Just say “Turn on Dictation”). The “Help” file includes instructionss for punctuation, characters and formatting. It will type wherever you place your cursor so it is great for word processers. It also adapts to your accent!
DRAGON Professional Individual
Dragon is probably the most well-known name in speech to text software. Dragon Professional Individual was designed specifically for business and professional writing. It syncs with the mobile app, Dragon Anywhere. It does dictation and transcription. It has Deep Learning so it can adapt to your voice and environment. It’s customizable and includes voice commands, editing, and it’s compatible with lots of applications. It works with Windows 7-10, but there are versions of Dragon available for Mac. There’s also a home version available for half the price.
DRAGON NaturallySpeaking
(This product has been tried and tested by staff at The Dyslexia Association, UK as a suitable speech-to-text product for people who have dyslexia, ADHD, etc.)
Dragon NaturallySpeaking is speech recognition software which allows the user to not only dictate into documents, but also control the computer with their voice. This is ideal for someone with dyslexia who may have difficulty with spelling or is better at communicating verbally or for someone who has physical difficulties and is unable to use a keyboard / mouse.
Another great feature of Dragon is that it can be linked to a dictaphone and transcribe your voice notes into a document on your PC.
Most users of Dragon require some training in how to use it effectively.
If you are using Dragon on a PC, you will also require a compatible headset & microphone. A list of compatible devices is available on Nuance’s website; however they regularly recommend the Plantronics DSP 400 folding headset or the Jabra Evolve 80 headset which has a closed-cup headphone design for people who find distractability an issue.
