As we mark ADHD Awareness Month, it’s vital to reflect on strategies, tools and skills that can support individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in their daily lives. One such skill that can make a significant difference is touch-typing. Touch typing, the ability to type without looking at the keyboard, can simultaneously reduce anxiety and promote confidence by enhancing focus, productivity, and efficiency - three key areas that can be challenging for individuals with ADHD.

Distractions and difficulty in organizing thoughts can make completing tasks feel overwhelming. Touch typing offers a structured approach to writing, where muscle- memory/automaticity takes over, reducing the cognitive effort required to locate individual keys. This frees up mental space, allowing more attention to be focused on the written content rather than the mechanics of typing. For individuals with ADHD, minimising these minor distractions can improve overall focus.

Many individuals with ADHD struggle with impulse control and racing thoughts, often thinking faster than they can write or type. Touch-typing allows for faster typing, helping individuals capture their thoughts and put them into words more efficiently while reducing the frustration of lost ideas. For those with ADHD, maintaining momentum is crucial in preventing distractions. Additionally, the tactile sensation of typing on a keyboard can provide sensory input that helps some individuals with ADHD stay grounded. This feedback loop can act as a form of stimming’ or self-regulation, improving concentration.

In educational and work environments, touch-typing can be especially empowering. For students, typing assignments and papers becomes a quicker, more organized process, leaving them with more time to focus on understanding the subject matter. In professional settings, the ability to type fluently can increase productivity and enable individuals to keep pace with their colleagues. In both scenarios, confidence and self-esteem are increased tenfold.

Following feedback from assessors, the KAZ course has been thoughtfully adapted to cater to learners with ADHD, amongst other challenges. Its specialised features and the inclusion of word lists, specially chosen to include commonly transposed letters, have had a positive impact on learners learning the skill. 

As we celebrate ADHD Awareness Month, let’s highlight touch typing as a simple yet powerful tool that can enhance the lives of those with ADHD, helping them overcome challenges and unlock their full potential.