Same Same But Different: Understanding Overwhelm in Students with ADHD

Have you ever felt the weight of expectations, obligations, and responsibilities pressing down on your chest like a heavy stone, making it hard to breathe and think clearly? You might recognize these sensations as overwhelm, a feeling or state most of us encounter from time to time. While it's common, it might surprise you to learn that we don't all experience it in the same way. In particular, individuals with ADHD have a unique relationship with overwhelm. As educators, understanding these differences is crucial for effectively supporting your students. Recognizing how ADHD influences the experience of overwhelm can significantly impact your approach and the strategies you use to help your students thrive.

For students with ADHD, the experience of overwhelm can be particularly intense and frequent due to unique challenges in brain function and behavior. Research indicates that individuals with ADHD often have differences in their brain’s executive function processes and neurotransmitter activity. These differences impact their ability to manage attention, motivation, and emotional regulation, which are crucial for handling stress and completing tasks effectively.

Studies have shown that individuals with ADHD have altered dopamine signaling, which is essential for regulating attention and executive function. These physiological differences can make it much harder for students with ADHD to manage stress and tasks, leading to frequent overwhelm (Diamond, 2013). Let's explore some of the ways that overwhelm manifests differently for these students.

Students with ADHD often have heightened sensitivity to sensory inputs such as noise, light, and movement. This increased sensitivity can lead to quicker and more intense feelings of overstimulation and overwhelm, as their brains may struggle to process excessive sensory information. In contrast, neurotypical students typically have a higher threshold for sensory input and may find it easier to filter out distractions, thus reducing their likelihood of experiencing sensory-related overwhelm.

Strategies for Teachers:

• Create a quiet, distraction-free zone in the classroom.
• Allow the use of noise-canceling headphones or earplugs during independent work.
• Be mindful of lighting and seating arrangements to minimize sensory overload.

Emotion regulation is another area where students with ADHD may encounter challenges. They might experience intense emotions more frequently and find it more difficult to manage these emotions, which can contribute to a heightened sense of overwhelm. Situations that might cause mild stress for neurotypical students could result in significant emotional upheaval for students with ADHD. In contrast, neurotypical students typically demonstrate stronger emotional regulation skills, enabling them to maintain a steadier emotional state even under stress.

Strategies for Teachers:

• Teach and practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises.
• Encourage the use of emotion regulation tools, like stress balls or fidget toys.
• Teach and model healthy emotional expression and provide opportunities for students to regulate as needed.  

Managing tasks can be particularly difficult for students with ADHD, often leading to feelings of overwhelm. It is common to struggle with starting tasks, maintaining focus, and completing them. This can result in a backlog of incomplete assignments and the pressure of looming deadlines. Students without ADHD may have an easier time with task management due to different brain function processes, allowing them to prioritize and complete tasks more systematically, which can help reduce the chances of feeling overwhelmed.

Strategies for Teachers:

• Help students set realistic goals and deadlines.
• Use checklists to track progress on assignments.
• Offer regular feedback and positive reinforcement.

Thought processing can exhibit notable differences between students with ADHD and their neurotypical peers. Those with ADHD frequently encounter rapid, racing thoughts and struggle with filtering out irrelevant information. This challenge can hinder their ability to concentrate on the task at hand, resulting in feelings of being overwhelmed by their own thoughts. In contrast, neurotypical students typically experience a more linear thought process and demonstrate better control over the flow of information in their minds, aiding them in managing potential overwhelm more effectively.

Strategies for Teachers:

• Encourage the use of thought organization tools, such as mind maps or outlines.
• Teach techniques for focusing thoughts, like deep breathing or short breaks.
• Provide clear and concise instructions to minimize confusion.

Students with ADHD may possess fewer effective coping mechanisms for handling stress and overwhelm. They might resort to avoidance behaviors or become easily distracted, potentially exacerbating the issue. In contrast, neurotypical students typically have a broader range of coping mechanisms at their disposal and can utilize them more efficiently to manage stress and mitigate overwhelm.

Strategies for Teachers:

• Teach and model effective coping strategies.
• Encourage regular physical activity to reduce stress.
• Provide opportunities for students to reflect on and discuss their coping strategies.

One of the key distinctions between students with ADHD and their neurotypical peers lies in executive function. Executive functions encompass cognitive processes such as planning, organizing, prioritizing, and task completion. Students with ADHD frequently encounter difficulties in these domains, which can impede their ability to manage responsibilities efficiently. Consequently, they may experience a buildup of tasks and responsibilities that contributes to overwhelming feelings and significant stress. In contrast, neurotypical students typically exhibit stronger executive functioning skills, allowing them to handle tasks and stressors more adeptly and recover from feelings of overwhelm more promptly.

Strategies for Teachers:

• Break down assignments into smaller, manageable steps.
• Provide clear, step-by-step instructions and visual aids.
• Encourage the use of planners or organizational apps.

Educators have a powerful opportunity to enhance the learning experience for all students by integrating Executive Functioning skills into their teaching strategies, such as those offered by BrainTracks. By understanding common areas of struggle, teachers can effectively select tools and techniques that improve their teaching efficacy and student outcomes. This proactive approach not only benefits students' academic performance but also cultivates greater confidence in their abilities. Importantly, education on executive functioning extends beyond those with an ADHD diagnosis, fostering a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment for all learners.

Educators can enhance the learning experience for all students by integrating Executive Functioning skills into their teaching strategies, such as those offered by BrainTracks. Recognizing common areas of struggle allows teachers to select effective tools and techniques, boosting their teaching efficacy and improving student outcomes. As a result, students gain confidence in their abilities. Education on executive functioning benefits everyone, not just those with an ADHD diagnosis, fostering a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment. 

Understanding the unique ways in which students with ADHD experience overwhelm is essential for teachers aiming to create a supportive and inclusive classroom environment. By recognizing these differences and implementing targeted strategies, you can help your students with ADHD manage their feelings of overwhelm more effectively, leading to a more positive and productive educational experience. Your efforts can make a significant difference in their academic success and overall well-being. By breaking down assignments, creating sensory-friendly spaces, teaching emotional regulation, guiding task management, organizing thought processes, and fostering effective coping mechanisms, you enable your students to navigate challenges more confidently. Remember, your awareness and proactive support are key to creating an equitable and nurturing learning environment for all.

Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135-168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750