What Makes a Community ADHD-Friendly?

If you have ADHD (or suspect you do), you’ve certainly been in some very UNfriendly business spaces. Long slide presentations, one-size-fits-all systems, constant criticism, and even facilitators who deny ADHD even exists. If you’ve been a facilitator, you may have been frustrated when people in your group haven’t been able to get results with your process or stick with it to the end.

When spaces aren’t inclusive or consciously designed, no one wins.

Will we get it right 100% of the time? Almost certainly not because everyone has different needs and tendencies. But we can try, and we can constantly improve. We can ask for feedback, and we can do our own research. We can be open to experimenting and meeting people where they’re at.

As I was creating The Happy Squirrel Collective, making it ADHD-friendly was top of mind. I wanted this business space to stand out and be a beacon for people who were sick of struggling in other communities.

So I had to ask myself: what makes a community ADHD-friendly?

Here’s the list I came up with based on my conversations with people, working with clients with ADHD, and lots of research:

• Accepting that ADHD is real which means it requires a different approach and accommodations to make members feel welcome and set them up for success

• No external expectations around what the members “should” be doing. Members decide what is most important for themselves.

• Firm facilitation to hold the topics and conversations on track and to make sure everyone has a chance to be heard

• Lots of clear communication including consistent reminders about upcoming calls and what’s been going on in the community

• Relevant topics to help members take action on what’s keeping them stuck

• Coaching-focused not teaching-focused so members can discover what works for them instead of being told what to do. Using introspection instead of instruction to gain insights.

• No one-size-fits-all approach because everyone has different styles, strengths, and motivations

• Dynamic calls with interaction, sharing, breakout rooms, listening, and getting work done on the call instead of leaving with homework

• Summaries of all meetings and of the activity in the community each week so nothing gets missed

• Solution-focused approach that’s action-oriented so people have the space they need to get support without spending too much time dwelling on the problem

• Prioritizing accountability and getting things done instead of more new ideas and new projects that go unfinished

• A distraction-free platform with a dedicated focus so members aren’t pulled away from the task at hand by ads or other shiny objects

• Other people who have similar experiences who can share what worked for them and come to conversations with a similar understanding of the challenges and joys of running a business with ADHD

• Focus on strengths rather than always dwelling on fixing weaknesses, but acknowledging there are weaker areas to compensate for sometimes

• Having fun instead of taking business so seriously all the time

• Celebrating the wins, big and small, because positive encouragement and cheerleading are a huge part of success

It’s a long list, right?! And I’m always learning so I’m sure there are things I’ve missed and things that I will add to The Happy Squirrel Collective as time goes on. It’s a dynamic space that will always be improving.

And there are a few things I know would help, but that I’m still working on like:

• Making content available in multiple formats like audio and video
• Writing more concisely
• Using subheadings and bullet points more often

My hope is that by talking about this openly instead of just doing it behind-the-scenes you will think about the work you do and the space you hold for people a little bit differently. I also hope this becomes a conversation where people will share what works for them so we can all start to work more intentionally.

The Happy Squirrel Collective is an ADHD-friendly online community for business owners who want to get shit done their own way. Click here to learn more and to join.

Next Steps:

• Spend a few minutes reflecting on what would have made your experiences with other businesses more accessible and welcoming
• Assess your services and business to see if there are opportunities to make it more accessible
• Consider implementing 1-2 of the ideas in this article and experiment to see what happens

Photo by RDNE Stock project