The Most Popular ADHD Products of 2020
WFH stress. Sleeplessness. Endless game nights. Uneven productivity. The most popular ADHD products of 2020 addressed these challenges, and also offered invaluable insights to caregivers and adults working to better understand their powerful, unorthodox brains. Here are the items purchased by the most ADDitude readers last year.
Acupressure Mat
$28.13
We hold stress and tension in our bodies. Adults with ADHD who are “always on the go” often sacrifice self-care in order to get things done and meet everyone else’s expectations. Lying on this mat for 10-30 minutes per day naturally reduces the muscle pain and tension and headaches that often plague us. The “bed of needles” stimulates nerves and improves blood circulation for increased energy — particularly helpful for those of us working remotely in uncomfortable chairs.
Barlean’s Omega Pals Fish Oil
$10.51
Nine times more absorbable than regular fish oil, Barlean’s Omega Pals Fish Oil, Chirpin’ Slurpin’ Lemonade has the taste and texture of a smoothie plus 540 mg of omega-3s per 1.5-teaspoon serving. One ADDitude taste tester said, “Hmm, yummy. I could drink it all up.”
- 3x the absorption of Omega-3s than regular fish oil or softgels
- The fish oil kids actually ask for & NO fish burps!
- Non-GMO, Gluten Free; no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners; no added sugar
- 540mg of EPA/DHA per serving
- Made with ultra-purified fish oil: no mercury or other heavy metals
Don't Go Bananas Game
$15.99
This game, based on the ABCD model of cognitive behavioral therapy, helps kids identify emotional triggers and explore ways to change negative thought patterns. Players (ages 6 to 12) answer questions about 5 strong emotions (anger, sadness, worry, fear, and jealously) as they play cards. More thought-provoking questions can be added for tougher gameplay.
Olly Sleep Gummies
$14.24
Most adults with ADHD experience difficulty falling asleep and/or waking up, restless sleep, or intrusive sleep. Throw a pandemic and a presidential election into the mix, and good sleep is more precious and rare than ever these days. These gummy supplements may help. Containing melatonin, L-Theanine, and botanicals like chamomile and lemon balm, they help boost your natural sleep hormone — a sweet alternative to chemical sleep aides.
"The Explosive Child"
$17.87
What’s an explosive child? A child who responds to routine problems with extreme frustration — crying, screaming, swearing, kicking, hitting, biting, spitting, destroying property, and worse. A child whose frequent, severe outbursts leave his or her parents feeling frustrated, scared, worried, and desperate for help. Most of these parents have tried everything — reasoning, explaining, punishing, sticker charts, therapy, medication — but to no avail. They can’t figure out why their child acts the way he or she does; they wonder why the strategies that work for other kids don’t work for theirs; and they don’t know what to do instead.
Dr. Ross Greene, a distinguished clinician and pioneer in the treatment of kids with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges, has worked with thousands of explosive children, and he has good news: these kids aren’t attention-seeking, manipulative, or unmotivated, and their parents aren’t passive, permissive pushovers. Rather, explosive kids are lacking some crucial skills in the domains of flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance, and problem solving, and they require a different approach to parenting.
Throughout this compassionate, insightful, and practical book, Dr. Greene provides a new conceptual framework for understanding their difficulties, based on research in the neurosciences. He explains why traditional parenting and treatment often don’t work with these children, and he describes what to do instead. Instead of relying on rewarding and punishing, Dr. Greene’s Collaborative Problem Solving model promotes working with explosive children to solve the problems that precipitate explosive episodes, and teaching these kids the skills they lack.
Brain Flakes
$16.99
Brain Flakes are interlocking plastic disks (free of BPA, lead, heavy metals and phthalates) that children (ages 3 and older) can use to make creative original designs and structures. Brain Flakes develop spatial intelligence and thinking, and they are accessible to children with varying levels of motor skills. More than 500 interconnecting disks easily click together, providing a straightforward task for children with inattentive ADHD who reject detailed directions.
Panda Planner
$19.97
Panda Planner claims to help you "rewire your brain happiness" by organizing every aspect of your life — building mini-routines, developing a habit of positivity, and cultivating a growth mindset. Is that all? Whew!
It follows a simple undated layout and comes only in three-month increments. Every day gets two full pages, but you get 6 or 12 monthly pages, depending on the model, to see you through to the rest of the year.
Panda Planner focuses on developing happiness and productivity, while other planners, like the Passion Planner, focus on organization and reflection. One reader told us, “Writing on paper is helpful, and I find the layout easy to use. Most importantly, though, the areas for reflection, positivity, and improvements needed for the following day are what sets it apart from other paper planners.”
Telestrations Board Game
$29.99
Telestrations is like Pictionary meets the old-fashioned ‘telephone’ game — a highly engaging family game for up to 8 players. Each player starts with an erasable sketch book, dry-erase marker, and word card. A timer gets turned and everyone draws their secret word, then passes their book to the player on their left. Each player guesses the word associated with the first player’s drawing, passes again, and an image is drawn for the guessed word. Processing speed, vocabulary, and time management are all tested in this fast-moving and hilarious game.
Multi-Device Charging Station
$38.24
A byproduct of working remotely is increased time on multiple electronic devices. Lagging working memory means routinely searching your home for lost phones that are also losing their charge. This charging station gives you a singular spot for all of your devices to charge simultaneously. It also eliminates the dilemma of a family member unplugging your device before it’s charged in order to charge their own.
"Driven to Distraction"
$12.59
If there ever was an "ADHD bible," it would be Driven to Distraction (#CommissionsEarned), the comprehensive tome by Ned Hallowell and John Ratey covering diagnosis, treatment, and living well with attention deficit. First published in 1994, Driven to Distraction was updated and revised in 2011, making it a modern resource for understanding ADHD at any age. Read it, share it, and talk it about with everyone touched by your ADHD. “After finishing it, I finally understood how my child’s brain is wired and how I can help him,” says Laurie, an ADDitude reader.
Buy This Book on Amazon. (#CommissionsEarned)
NOTE: Please note that all names, models, prices, links, and specifications were accurate and items were in stock at the time of this article's last update on November 15, 2022.
#CommissionsEarned As an Amazon Associate, ADDitude earns a commission from qualifying purchases made by ADDitude readers on the affiliate links we share. However, all products linked in the ADDitude Store have been independently selected by our editors and/or recommended by our readers. Prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication
