Study Skills for Neurodivergent Students

Chunk information: Break down tasks into smaller, manageable chunks with clear deadlines and timelines. Visualise progress with charts or checklists.

Use timers and schedules: Set clear time limits for study sessions and breaks to avoid overwhelm or hyperfocus. Use apps or alarms to stay on track.

Create dedicated study spaces: Minimise distractions with clutter-free, quiet environments. Use different spaces for different subjects to create separation.

Organise materials: Use colour-coding, mind maps, or visual organisers to categorise notes and textbooks. Consider digital organisational tools like Evernote or Trello.

Many of the tools and apps below are available free from DSA.

Visual Planning & Chunking:

• Trello: Visualise tasks and manage workflow with boards, lists, and cards, ideal for breaking down large projects into smaller, manageable steps.
• Milanote: Digital corkboard for organising ideas, notes, and to-dos with visual appeal, helping to clarify priorities and connections.
• Miro: Collaborative mind mapping tool with diverse layouts and features, perfect for visually planning projects, outlining tasks, and organising research findings.

Time Management & Scheduling:

• Focus Keeper: Pomodoro timer app with customisable intervals and break notifications, promoting focused work sprints and time management.
• Forest: Focus app that uses a virtual tree-growing mechanic, where distractions lead to losing your "forest," creating a sense of accountability and promoting time management.
• My Study Life: Organise classes, schedules, and assignments, set reminders, and track progress towards goals, providing structure and reducing feeling overwhelmed.
• Todoist: Task management app with robust features like recurring tasks, projects, and priority levels, ensuring tasks are organised and deadlines are met.

Digital Organisation & Note-taking:

• Evernote: Capture notes, organise research, and access information across multiple devices, creating a centralised hub for storing and recalling information.
• Notion: Flexible note-taking and project management app with customisable features and databases, allowing for structured organisation of notes, projects, and tasks.
• Bear: User-friendly note-taking app with tags, Markdown support, and focus mode for distraction-free writing, enhancing organisation and clarity.
• OneNote: Built-in note-taking app with flexible organisation, audio recording, and collaboration features, allowing for structured note-taking and project management.

Mindfulness & Focus Aids:

• Freedom: Blocks distracting websites and apps on all your devices, promoting digital detox and focused work within a structured environment.
• Cold Turkey Blocker: Powerful website and app blocker with scheduling options, perfect for blocking specific distractions at set times for increased focus and structure.
• Headspace: Guided meditation app with various courses and exercises to reduce stress and improve focus, promoting a calmer and more structured approach to tasks.
• Calm: Offers guided meditations, sleep stories, and breathing exercises to manage stress and anxiety, allowing for a more structured and focused mental state.

Assistive Technology:

• Balabolka: Text-to-speech tool that can read from several document formats and export to many audio formats.
• Read&Write: Integrates with various platforms, offering text-to-speech, grammar checking, and dyslexia-friendly fonts, improving reading comprehension and promoting structured note-taking.
• Immersive Reader: Built-in tool in Microsoft Edge and OneNote, providing dyslexia-friendly reading features and focus options, supporting structured learning for neurodivergent individuals.