anyone??

Or there is no solution to this curse?

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@Mr_ADD,

I don't think there is necessarily a "fix" to the issue of note-taking being a greater challenge for an ADD/ADHD student. A couple work-arounds that come to mind right away are to type your notes and/or record your lectures. For some, the visual stimulation and interaction of using a laptop to take notes will help to stay on track, especially if handwriting is a problem. You have to be able to type pretty quickly though or you will easily fall behind.

Another option is to record your lectures with a small pocket recorder. This will ensure you don't miss a thing -- all you have to do is go back and listen and jot down notes in your own environment and at your own pace. You can even purchase software that would dictate the lecture for you from the recording. It's a good idea to get the professor's permission to record though. You'll get the best recording with the gadget out in the open on your work surface.

There is also a process called Mind Mapping that makes note-taking more visual. You can read more about it on the ADDitudeMag website here: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/764.html: "How ADHD Students Use Mind Mapping at School"

I hope these ideas help!

Penny W., ADDitudemag.com & ADDConnect.com Community Moderator

ADHD Momma to Luke, age 7

creator of the Website {a mom's view of ADHD} @ http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com

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I would recommend that you take notes for the purpose of engaging your brain in the lecture. However, I would still request a note-taker as an accommodation so that you know you have a good-set when you need to study.

Some more thoughts of accommodations are in my blog... http://askdreric-schoolpsychologist.blogspot.com/2010/02/processing-deficits-and-accommodations.html

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At what grade does become very important to take notes? My daughter's in 7th grade, and her handwriting is well, not good (terrible). There's also the problem of staying focused and working at a somewhat slower pace than her peers. She catches on really fast, but tends to work and write really slowly. She's doing okay so far this year, she's not complaining that the "teacher went too fast" (that's how she perceives herself going too slow, of course). With her handwriting, ONLY she can make any sense of most of these notes she takes! I've tried to show her mind-mapping at home, going over handouts with a highlighter, underlining key words, etc. I don't know how much she's really using this stuff on her own, yet, and I'm not really sure as to when to expect it to become super-important, but my thinking is that's probably right around the corner. Anyone out there remember when your kid really NEEDED to start taking useful, significant notes?

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I found out about this product when I was at BestBuy. It's a smart pen from a company called Livescribe. The pen has a digital recorder built in at the top of it so you can record the lectures in your class. Also, you can purchase both notebooks and planners that can help you put your items in order. If you have a computer, that makes organization easier. Give it a shot and good luck.

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When I attended community college, my first year, there was class offered in time management. It also actually covered a lot of study skills and strategies, too. Do you know if there's a class offered in just being a better student? It might be worth taking one at night, at a nearby community college just to learn new techniques, and improve general study habits & organization. I like the recording pen, but with any recording, the issue's probably going to be all the time that it takes to listen to the lecture, all over again. It might be a good backup, but it might get really tedious to rely on it. I know for me, no matter how obvious some of the stuff covered in the time management class was, actually taking a class for that kind of stuff got me in the habit of really using things like day planners, etc. Taking a class for improving studying skills provided a level of support that just reading a book about it didn't do. Those skills absolutely translate to a business environment, to just about any job you can imagine. Everyone wants an organized employee that doesn't ask the same question over and over again (because he/she wrote down the details in the latest meeting). I think you are absolutely right to want to improve that, although having some kind of backup is a smart move, too.

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If you use a recorder, make sure it is one with a counter or time-stamp that is visible.

My issue is as follows: If you could not keep up, or you were inattentive the first time in live-action... what is going to help you keep up or understand on an audio-recording alone? Mixed with... who has time to listen to an entire lecture over? (Unless you have a long commute in the car.)

With a counter or time-stamp, you can note when you know you were paying attention and the times that you were confused. (You could mark when you were not paying attention, but you would have to be paying attention to note the time that you weren't paying attention... not happening.)

If you kept little notes and time check-ins, you could be more strategic and re-listen only to the parts where you really need to (or a little before).

This seems like a better use of time and technology. And it will work with verbal classes, it won't help so much for say, geometry or chemistry.

http://askdreric-schoolpsychologist.blogspot.com/

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