Teaching in Higher Ed An Educator’s Guide to ADHD with Karen Costa
Jan 22, 2026
Karen Costa, a faculty development facilitator and author of "An Educator’s Guide to ADHD," discusses reshaping views on ADHD in education. She emphasizes that students with ADHD are assets, not burdens, and critiques the problematic romanticization of ADHD as a superpower. Karen shares methods for creating supportive learning environments, like high expectations paired with flexibility, and highlights the importance of strong instructor presence in online settings. She also offers practical tools like checklists and external memory aids to aid students' success.
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High Support, Structure, And Challenge
- Hold high expectations while offering strong supports and clear structure for students with ADHD.
- Use flexible structure and tap students' interests to make challenge meaningful and achievable.
Rethink What Paying Attention Looks Like
- Our cultural view of attention (sit still, eyes on teacher) is rooted in ableist norms and productivity culture.
- ADHD learners often use stims and open-focus attention, which are valid ways to stay present and learn.
The Open-Windowed House Metaphor
- Karen describes working best at a kitchen desk by an open window, hearing birds and nature, not in a quiet windowless office.
- She uses the 'open-windowed house' to show both the creativity and the challenges of ADHD openness.
