Sam Thompson shares how Alexa can support those with ADHD

Amazon has today launched a visual guide, surfacing Alexa features that can help those living with ADHD, developed in collaboration with the ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity.

Launched to coincide with Neurodiversity Celebration Week, the guide has been developed with the ADHD Foundation to support executive functioning difficulties many people with ADHD experience like leaving the house, keeping on time, managing deadlines or staying organised.

From lists, to reminders, sticky notes, shopping lists, focus time and more, the comprehensive new Amazon guide details how Alexa features can support those with ADHD with everyday tasks that may otherwise feel overwhelming. The guide can also help users to personalise an Alexa routine based on their unique needs and schedule.

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Amazon has created a compelling film titled “Leaving the house with ADHD” starring Sam Thompson who has spoken openly about his ADHD. The film offers a depiction of the everyday challenge of leaving the house with ADHD, informed by Sam’s own experience, and showcases how Alexa is on hand to support and streamline his morning.

In the film, Sam says “Alexa, help me leave the house” activating a personalised morning routine he’s set up on his Echo Show 15 device.
When his morning routine kicks in, all of his competing thoughts and distractions dissipate as he can lean on his schedule of reminders and prompts to get him out of the door on time with everything he needs for the day ahead. Here is how it works:

When Sam says "Alexa, help me leave the house" Alexa will:

• Set a 15 minute timer (set up through the 'customised' option)
• Wait 15 minutes
• Read out reminders (set up through the 'customised' option)
• Announce "looking good Sam!"
• Turn off the lights (through Smart Home > Lights > Power Off)

“My ADHD can make it difficult for me to leave the house as I can get easily distracted and overwhelmed with my thoughts running a million miles an hour.” remarks Sam. Setting up an Alexa routine has been transformative for my morning routine and I think so many others with ADHD would benefit from using this guide.”

“We’re thrilled to learn individuals with neurodiversity find daily support with Alexa” says Meryem Tom, Managing Director, Alexa UK and Ireland. “By collaborating with Sam and the ADHD Foundation to produce this guide and film, we hope to empower those with ADHD to try out different Alexa features and set up a personalised routine to support them in their everyday.”

Find the full visual guide for how Alexa can help with ADHD and 6 of the key examples of the support below:

1. Not managing time well or having difficulty meeting deadlines? Use the Alexa calendar to visually organise tasks and activities on Alexa screens, or the sticky note functionality to compartmentalise tasks. Set a timer to help yourself stick to a deadline or task, or remember how long you have until you need to leave the house.
2. Misplacing and losing possessions? Use Alexa’s list function to create a list of items that you need to take out and bring home every day and set a reminder to prompt you about them before you leave the house.
3. Difficulty concentrating or getting easily distracted? Use the focus time routine functionality from the Alexa app, which plays calming music for a set period of time while you complete a task.
4. Feeling overwhelmed or struggling to control your emotions? Use Sleep Sounds to play ambient sounds to help you calm down and block out unwanted distractions.
5. Feeling forgetful? Use the list function to keep track of daily priorities and the shopping list to add items to your list as you think of them. You can later view it via the Alexa app on your smartphone when you are on the move. You can also use Alexa’s smart home functionality to help you remember turn off the lights.
6. Struggling to follow a logical sequence of thoughts or actions? Create a customised Alexa routine with various actions catered to your daily needs.