Hear all the News at the 2021 Virtual Conference on ADHD
How Virtual Conferences ARE and ARE NOT ADHD-Friendly!
Earlier this month the annual International Conference on ADHD was held virtually, once again, due to the pandemic. While I miss the connection that comes from attending in person, I had some thoughts I wanted to share on how an online conference IS and IS NOT ADHD-Friendly.
A virtual conference IS ADHD-Friendly because…
- There is no need for commute/reservations/travel plans (resulting in lower cost, too!)
- There are limited distractions during/between sessions
- Moving around while listening is possible
- It is possible to spread out notes/laptop and supplies so relevant materials can be seen while attending each session
- It is possible to print handouts and write on them during the live sessions
- Recordings of sessions are available for 2 weeks at no additional cost!
A virtual conference IS NOT ADHD-friendly because…
- It is not possible to connect with other participants as easily
- It is not possible to see/find friends between sessions
- There is nobody with whom to process information after a long day of informative sessions
- Tech challenges can trigger frustration
- Digital fatigue is already a factor, and an online conference only adds to that
What did I miss? If you attended this year’s conference, what did you notice that was or wasn’t ADHD-friendly?
At the present time, next year’s conference is slated to be held IN PERSON in DALLAS, TEXAS!
While I will miss some of the conveniences of a virtual conference, I am looking forward to experiencing the many ways an in-person conference is indeed more ADHD Friendly.
I hope to see everyone in Dallas in 2022!!
“Today’s Executive Function challenges left unaddressed
will be tomorrow’s career challenges.”
Conference quote from Chris Zeigler Dendy