9 ADHD Workplace Accommodations for Real Teachers

Welcome to the ADHD workplace accommodations list you’ve been searching for but could never quite find.

You know the one.

Not the “You need a planner” list. Not the “tell your HR rep everything about your brain” list.

This is the real list. For nd teachers.

With any combination of ADHD. Autism. Sensory sensitivity. Executive dysfunction.

And not enough caffeine in the world. At least for me.

It’s written for the neurodivergent educator who’s running on fumes.

You're burned out on masking, and done pretending that staff meetings don’t feel like sensory punishment.

You are not broken. You don’t need to mask harder.

But you do deserve accommodations that actually work.

(Even when your school can’t hand you a unicorn budget and a full-time professional organizer.)

Let’s get into it.

General Principles (aka Start Here, Friend)

Know your strengths.

You’re not just creative.

You’re out there teaching dozens of humans while navigating transitions like it's nothing.

That’s not a soft skill. That’s wizardry.

Watch for burnout signs. Skipping lunch, staying after hours, forgetting what sunlight is?

Classic teacher martyrdom. Not a badge of honor.

Normalize your differences. Share what you’re learning safely.

You don’t need to go full disclosure with admin.

Start with people who get it, or even just a sticky note that says “brain fog does not equal failure.”

Focus Support Strategies

• Private workspace… or close enough.
  • A closet. An unused office.

• Your car with a granola bar and an audiobook.
  • Wherever you can exhale without five people yelling “Miss, MISS?”

• Noise blockers.
  • Loop earplugs.
  • Over-ear headphones.
    
• A speaker playing low ambient sounds that say “do not talk to me.”
  • Try pairing with a fake spreadsheet for best results.

• Uninterrupted time.
  • Protect your prep like it's endangered.
    
• Close the door.
  • Set a 15-minute timer. Put up a sign that says you’re in a meeting.

• To-do systems that work for you. Not just a planner. A system.
  
  • Apps like Tiimo, Post-it walls, dry-erase everything, whatever helps your brain offload the swirl.

• Written instructions. If you forget everything from that 7am meeting, that’s not a character flaw.
  
  • Ask for notes. Use speech-to-text. Your memory is not a filing cabinet.

Time Management Tools

• Visual timers are your best friend. Visual, pulsing, beeping, you name it.
  
  • Use one for everything from lesson transitions to remembering to eat.

• Prioritize like a pro. Everything feels urgent with ADHD.
  
  • Try sticky-note sorting, urgent, important, or “eh, sometime?”
    
  • Ask a teammate to help triage if your brain’s in a spin cycle.
    
    (Or ask your favorite ADHD prioritization AI tool!)

• White noise machines. Background noise helps drown out hallway chaos.
  
  • Bonus, it signals “I’m doing deep work” without needing to explain.

• Calendars, plural. Wall, phone, desk, you know.
  
  • (Just make sure they all say the same thing!)

• Apps. Tiimo, Notion, Google Keep, whatever works best for you right now.
  
  • You’re not too forgetful; you’re living in a system that wasn’t built for you.

Sensory Supports That Aren’t Just for the Kids

Noise fatigue is real. Fire alarms, pep rallies, loud colleagues. (Oh, my!)

• Keep hearing protection handy. Normalize it like hand sanitizer.

• Lighting matters. Fluorescent lights are an attack on the senses.

• Try screen filters, soft lamps, or blue-light glasses.
  
  • Or request fire-safe light covers if you're feeling bold.

• Touch tools. Fidgets aren’t just for students.
  
  • Rings, textured pens, even compression socks can calm your system.
    
  • Bonus if you get your own teacher wobble stool.

• Visual clutter.
  
  • That bulletin board chaos is a lot. What can you get rid of for now?

Emotional Support

• Ask for emotional clarity, not just tasks.
  
  • “What is the priority?” is a valid question.
    
  • Especially when 12 things feel equally on fire.

• Say no. Not to everything. But to more than you are now.
  
  • You don’t owe anyone your evenings, your lunch, or your sanity.

• ADHD is not a lack of knowledge. You know what to do.
  
  • The challenge is starting. And finishing.
  • And not spiraling somewhere in between.
  • That’s not moral failure, that’s wiring.

Find your people. Other neurodivergent educators exist.

Online, in your school, in your past. You’ll feel less like a unicorn when you connect.

Key Takeaways

You don’t have to justify your brain to deserve support.

You don’t have to burn out just because that’s how it’s always been.

And you definitely don’t need to feel guilty for needing accommodations that help you function, not flourish, not thrive, just function.

Small changes. Real talk. That’s what we’re doing here.

If this list helped you feel seen, heard, or vaguely amused, stick around.

You’re not too much. You’re too important to keep running on empty.