How a Board Game about ADHD Fired Up a Student with ADHD

We've started our annual board game project in my Game Design and Visual Effects class at New Tech.  This year we are collaborating with the Psychology students to create board games that educate about mental health disorders.  We are partnering with local mental health organizations and hope to use the games to help educate the public and those who have been diagnosed to better understand these issues:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Body Dysmorphic Disorder
• PTSD
• ADHD
• Bi-Polar Disorder
• Schizophrenia

Students were allowed to choose the disorder that they wanted to work with and it's no surprise that those with certain issues wanted to be the Subject Matter Experts for their team.  This blog is about one such student who lives every day with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  

E. started out having a hard time finding his place in the project.  He struggled with the 3D modeling tutorials I provided for students to learn Maya.  But one day he came in with a fidget and asked if he could try to model the fidget.  "Sure! Let's see what you can do!" He set out to make his fidget, working off something he had prototyped at home with a piece of a ruler.  He had cut a hole in the ruler the size of a ball bearing from one of his old skateboards and could turn the ruler slice around and around in his hand.  As a student with ADHD, having a fidget can be beneficial to helping with focus in class.  This is also true for those who have Sensory Integration Dysfunction.

The Switch Went On!

 For the next week E. spent every moment he could in front of the computer and the 3D printer making iteration after iteration.  Every step along the way, he would show other teachers and students what he was up to.  Frankly, it just had that cool factor to it, a weight and feel that was so satisfying.  He started collected pre-orders from staff and students alike and got some startup money for his creations from the Assistant Principal.  His math teacher wanted in on the action.  "How do I get him this fired up about Math?"  She tried looking at fractions and ratios in relation to his fidget. 

You know what else would be cool, E?  What if we made this your player piece for your board game and there has to be some game mechanic that involves each player fidgeting with their game piece? What if you created places to put tokens in the fidget so that as you progress with the board game, you can put the tokens in the fidget? Now his whole team was excited about the project and a board game idea was born: Fidget to Finish.  It is still under construction, but there is now extra excitement to make sure the board game matches the fidget in it's function and level of interactivity.

Moments We Live For

There are moments when we as teachers are so excited to see a student find their passion.  This was one of them. Ultimately, it takes a whole lot of flexibility to find the sweet spot for each student.  But when it happens, mmm, mmm, mmm. What really excites me is the idea that we are creating a board game to help others understand what students with ADHD need to succeed.  And E. is a living example of that. AND, I'm buying a fidget when they are ready for sale just so I can fidget in class too.
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Update: May 12, 2017

Here's the finished board game!  A group of 3 ADHD students and one who does not have that mental health issue COMPLETED their board game, on their own.  An amazing accomplishment for all involved.  They were really happy with the final result and so was I.  We are working on getting the 3D print files to upload to thegamecrafter.com so you can buy the board game and print your own playing pieces (spinners.)