Making Dungeons and Dragons Inclusive for those with ADHD?
By Tylar Kerstetter and Haley Cole
Even though the month of October is wrapping up this week, we still have a week to celebrate Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Awareness Month! Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders diagnosed in children, but can continue on into adolescence and adulthood. Those with ADHD experience difficulty staying focused, behavioral problems, and hyperactivity (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd). These challenges can make it hard for those with ADHD to participate in our game programs.
When playing Dungeons and Dragons, we can look at Ginny Di for inspiration. Ginny Di, a content creator and professional Dungeon Master, has stated that she has ADHD. She has made two great videos: one on how to be a dungeon master with ADHD (https://youtu.be/zRw04TqbvEI?si=0LehmQ0-OVzgsTQt), and one on the struggles of ADHD (https://youtu.be/xEYtpUHCGq8?si=Aimu_kj78gCG1qVa).
If your patron with ADHD is struggling with being a player, Ginny Di has some tips that we can use to help them out! In her video on players, she talks about focus, being overwhelmed, and the importance of session 0.
Sitting in one spot and paying attention for hours is hard, especially for those with ADHD. This is why it is so important to help them focus, whether they are currently engaged in the situation or not. Fidgeting has shown to be helpful for those with ADHD, (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1394096) which can be done through non-distracting activities or using quiet fidget toys. Some of our favorites are pipe cleaners, nice cubes, spike rings, doodling, taking notes, or crocheting. We want to make sure that they are comfortable as well, as it is hard for anyone to focus when they are uncomfortable.
There are also ways that we can make the game easier and less overwhelming or intimidating to those with ADHD. We can provide rules cards or custom character sheets that highlight their abilities. Provide a flowchart or index cards with what their options are during combat. Maps, minis, initiative cards, and condition markers can also help fight the forgetfulness that many with ADHD suffer from. D&D is complicated and even neurotypical people can forget that they’re supposed to be rolling at advantage, so these tools typically wind up helping everyone at the table. It may be the case that digital tools, such as character sheets that handle the modifiers, might be a better fit for them than a paper sheet. When we help them in making their characters, having a conversation about the differences in classes and how they play is important since some may be overwhelmed and others may be bored. We want to make sure they have fun, and not feel stressed.
The final point to mention today is the importance of session 0. Open communication with your players is key to critical success, especially because everyone will have different needs. Talk to your players and find out if they need any accommodations both inside or outside the game. Some with ADHD may experience time blindness, so consider having a flexible start time, shorter sessions, and breaks if needed. If a player might forget their materials, offer to hold onto them to alleviate that burden. Try providing detailed recaps to help remind players what is going on. Consider how you can remove distractions from a room, or maybe don’t play music during the sessions. Ask them if they wish to be called by their name instead of their character’s name when it is their turn. Allow there to be multiple options to resolve problems, such as puzzles, which can be hard for those with ADHD. Maybe their character can solve it? By discussing how best we can help our patrons up front will allow for a better experience for all of our players.
In conclusion, we can easily make Dungeons and Dragons more inclusive to those with ADHD with just a few tweaks. TTRPGs can be beneficial and fun for those with ADHD, but we should try to make our games as accessible as possible to all of our patrons.