I Wrote the Curriculum, But It Wasn’t Written for Me (At First)
I’ve got ADHD. I also design leadership development programmes. You’d think that means the content I write is naturally ADHD-friendly — but the truth is, it wasnt’t. Not at first.
The original version of our programme? Too long. Too dense. Too many words, not enough structure. I could barely get through it myself.
So we changed it.
Neurodivergence isn't a problem.
Over time, we rebuilt the programme to actually work for brains like mine.
We shortened the content.
Made instructions clearer.
Used repetition on purpose.
Added visual cues.
And baked in flexibility wherever we could.
This wasn’t a ‘fix me’ story.
From day one, my ADHD wasn’t hidden, and it wasn’t treated like a liability.
My boss encouraged me to design my days around my energy, creativity, and focus patterns. That made a difference.
So now? The programme is better. For everyone.
It’s not just shorter. It’s sharper. Simpler. Designed with neurodivergent learners in mind — by someone who knows what that actually means.
It turns out that designing for ADHD makes learning easier for all learners.
P.S. Yes, I wrote this blog the same way: short paras, no fluff, easy to digest — and kudos to FTL for helping me realise it’s not just OK to be who I am, it’s actually an advantage.
(No, I don’t have a gun to my head. They really are that cool.)
