ADHD Workplace Accommodation Ideas

You’ve accepted that work would be way better if you had some supports…

But what should those look like? And how do you talk to your boss about it?

Asking for accommodations at work can be tricky because not everyone who needs support has a formal diagnosis, and not everyone who has a diagnosis feels comfortable sharing. That’s just the reality of some workplaces. If you either lack a formal diagnosis or a supportive workplace, here are a few ideas about how to approach conversations around accommodations.

  1. Make this about working better and more effectively

    Frame this conversation around your desire to succeed at work and contribute. These are ideas that can help your work productivity and output. (Of course I am more concerned about your mental and emotional health, and I personally believe these will help there! But when talking to your boss, frame it around work effectiveness.)

  2. Approach it as an experiment

    Pick one of the following ideas and ask your boss if you can try it out for a week. See how it goes. After this one thing has starting working, add another “support experiment”.

  3. Note your progress

    Be honest with yourself! Does this particular support actually help? If not, try a different accommodation. There are ways to get what you need, but you have to ask for it.

The following accommodations are categorized by ADHD/executive functioning symptom. There are a lot of ideas here! To start, click a symptom that feels most frustrating for you, and see if any of the accommodations listed would be helpful.