The Pandemic and Online Learning for Individuals with ADHD

    Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (also known as ADHD) is a condition that affects an individual's ability to focus and shift their attention between various subjects, among other things. With the COVID-19 pandemic still happening in full swing, all instruction had to be moved online in order to promote social distancing. The sudden switch to online instruction proved as a challenge for students everywhere, from elementary-age children to college students, and the severity of the problems faced was exasperated if the individual had ADHD. To illustrate, students with ADHD "reported higher levels of loneliness and more negative experiences with distance learning than their peers" (Laslo-Roth et al., 2020).

    As mentioned before, individuals with ADHD have problems with being able to focus and shift their attention. This was illustrated in Dr. Kwasa's paper titled "Top-down attention modulates auditory-evoked neural responses in neurotypical, but not ADHD, young adults," in which they tested "both the ability to sustain attentional focus on a single 'target' stream and the ability to monitor the target but flexibly switch attention to an unpredictable 'interrupter' stream from another direction if and when it appeared." They found that those with ADHD had weaker volitional control of attention processes than their neurotypical counterparts and that they "have a weaker top-down attentional modulation of neural responses to interrupting sounds than neurotypical listeners do" (Kwasa et al., 2021). These findings are applicable to online learning, in which recorded lectures, as well as ones on Zoom, make up the bulk of the content. 

    For those with ADHD, online learning was one of the most common problems associated with the arrival of the pandemic. A sample of self-reports detailing problems experienced in the pandemic showed that 41.5% struggled with social isolation, 20.3% had difficulties engaging in online learning, and 21.3% struggled with boredom (Sibley et al, 2021). This could be because "online learning environments heighten demands for self-regulated learning by eliminating structured school routines" (Sibley et al., 2021). Similarly, during the pandemic, adolescents with ADHD appear to experience greater problems with remote learning than peers due to difficulties concentration, trouble maintaining a structured, academic routine, and poor access to school accommodation (Becker et al., 2020). Not only that, the symptoms of ADHD are intensified with stress which only makes things worse in the stressful and anxiety-inducing time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mood and conduct problems may be clinical sequelae when individuals with ADHD experience high stress levels (Hartman et al., 2019). This contributes to education-related impairments among students with ADHD.

    In conclusion, students with ADHD are more greatly affected by the hardships of the pandemic and by online learning, due to the various aspects of how ADHD affects attention, mood, and impulsivity. Furthermore, the findings from Dr. Kwasa's paper about top-down attention between neurotypical and individuals with ADHD support this hypothesis.

Works Cited

Becker, Stephen P., et al. “Remote Learning during COVID-19: Examining School Practices, Service Continuation, and Difficulties for Adolescents with and without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.” Journal of Adolescent Health, Elsevier, 14 Oct. 2020.

Hartman, Catharina A., et al. “Stress Exposure and the Course of ADHD from Childhood to Young Adulthood: Comorbid Severe Emotion Dysregulation or Mood and Anxiety Problems.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 1 Nov. 2019.

Kwasa, Jasmine, et al. “Top-down Attention Modulates Neural Responses in Neurotypical, but Not ADHD, Young Adults.” 12 Feb. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.11.430824

Laslo-Roth, Roni, et al. “Loneliness Experience during Distance Learning among College Students with ADHD: The Mediating Role of Perceived Support and Hope.” Taylor & Francis, 28 Dec. 2020.

Sibley, Margaret H, et al. “Top Problems of Adolescents and Young Adults with ADHD during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Psychiatric Research, Pergamon, 14 Feb. 2021.