From the last publication with title “Having ADHD is like watching TV while someone indecisive holds the remote”, I would highlight the following excerpts:
“(…) but that extra time wasn’t enough to make up for the time I lost being distracted — by unrelated thoughts or by anything that caught my attention in the room: a pen falling on the floor, sunlight coming through the window, or professors chatting in the back. (…)”
“(…) I had, and still have, a lot of difficulty focusing during an exam, and it’s even harder when I try to study, especially outside exam season.
However, if I’m working on a project that captivates me, I can be so focused that I even forget to eat; but no matter how hard I try, I can’t choose the target of that concentration. (…)”
The person who writes this message is a student with ADHD . (the full mesage is available in this link)
As a teacher, it occurs to me to share the following:
When we receive students who require some type of accommodation, the student arrives with only one label: SEN (Specific Educational Needs).
We, as teachers, neither know nor understand the reason. The colleagues of these students neither know nor understand.
Each student with specific educational needs will need particular accommodations that will help hin/her overcome the period of study at university.
No momento em que o/a estudante entrar na sua atividade profissional e começar a fazer o que o/a cativa, terá oportunidade de ser excepcional.
The moment the student enters his/her professional activity and begins to do what captivates him/her, he/she will have the opportunity to be exceptional.
Two examples in the context of PHDA:
“(…) Neeleman’s personal life isn’t the same success story. “My wife can’t always figure out what the heck I’m thinking, and my kids want me to focus on just one thing with them. I find it difficult. It’s hard for me to do the mundane things in life. I have an easier time planning a 20-aircraft fleet than I do paying the light bill. (…)”
David Neeleman
Founder, JetBlue Airways (link to source)


“(…) The same hyperfocus that once made classrooms difficult became his lifeline. ADHD can sometimes mean distraction, but it can also mean the ability to lock onto a problem with unshakable intensity, especially when the stakes are high.
“When I’m able to work, my mind is like a river,” says Lindsay. “Swimming upstream is a challenge but paying attention to what motivates me or interests me is effortless, and I can bring hours and hours and hours of intense focus to get things done.”
In Lindsay’s case, hyperfocus and persistence produced a medical breakthrough. What looked like a disorder was actually the engine of survival and innovation. (…)
(…) The Takeaway for Leaders: encourage ADHD strengths
For educators, employers, and innovators, the lesson is clear: stop pathologizing difference and start cultivating it. ADHD strengths bring unique tools to the table. As Adrian put it: “Architecture becomes innovation when you connect unrelated ideas and trust those leaps.” Or as Lindsay proved, hyperfocus can literally save lives. Organizations that embrace neurodiverse thinking will unlock new levels of problem solving. (…)”
ADHD Strengths: How Brains Wired Differently Spark Innovation
Forbes, Sep 09, 2025 (link to source)
As announced on this page, in addition to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), we will soon cover Reading and Writing Learning Disorder (usually called Dyslexia) and the Autism Spectrum Disorder (AEP).

Neurodiversity is a very important topic for all of us in the context of engineering and education. In the context of education, I would like to highlight, on this page, the links to “Universal Design for Learning” (UDL).

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the colleagues who dedicate their time to this initiative. In fact, their effort is carried out beyond their daily activities.

Porto e FEUP, January 2026
João José Pinto Ferreira