There are so many FREE resources out there for ADHD information, and we wanted to share some! These are Canadian specific, but can be accessed by anybody worldwide :)
Some of these free resources are organizations, while others are free apps that just help simplify life. Let's start with some organizations:
Noteworthy ADHD Organizations
All of these organizations are non-profit organizations that work to increase awareness of ADHD across national organizations as well as within the general public.
CADDAC (Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada) CADDAC provides awareness, education and advocacy across Canada for the ADHD community by delivering educational programs, & support groups (CADDAC, 2023). CADDRA is a great place to learn more about your ADHD and how to mange it. They hold many free webinars and programs to help improve lives for individuals with ADHD.
ADDitude - https://www.additudemag.com/ Arguably the most valuable free resource all about ADHD, ADDitude provides expertly guided and written articles about all things ADHD, and so much more. ADDitude's mission statement is: "Our mission is to be your trusted advisor, an unwavering source of understanding and guidance along the path to wellness." (ADDitude, 2023). Head to their website to learn about almost anything you can think of related to ADHD.
ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association - ADDA is a great place to get information about ADHD - what it is, the types, techniques for improving adult ADHD life, and more.
CADDRA - CADDRA is an independent, not-for-profit, resource organization for medical, healthcare and research professionals with an interest in the field of ADHD. CADDRA is more geared towards furthering education focused on ADHD for health professionals, but still ahas some free resources for individuals with ADHD.
CHADD - Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is the USA's leading nonprofit organization serving people affected by ADHD. They provide free education, advocacy assistance, workplace accommodation tools, and more for ADHDers.
Noteworthy Apps
There are millions of apps out there, but weening through them all to find the ones that will actually help your life can be very time consuming. For that reason, we've come up with a cohesive list for you of apps that actually help make ADHD life better. These apps are all helpful for areas of executive functioning that often impact the lives of ADHDers, such as planning, executing, organizing, time management, and so on.
If you're looking for a great place to put your to do lists on your phone (though nothing beats good old pen and paper!) Here are a few we recommend:
Apple Notes App - free, streamlined and simple - a great place to keep all of your lists of sorts.
ToDoist - Todoist is a to-do list app and online task manager that is simple and effective - you can create one account and have the lists on both your phone and computer.
Apple Reminders app (iPhone only) - Free, already on all iPhones, simple to use for any reminders, and utilizes notifications to remind you of anything important!
Apple Clock for timers/alarms (iPhone only) - just like the other Apple tools it is free, easy to use and just a very simple way to remind yourself of something. I tend to make alarms and label them so that I remember what the alarm was for in the first place. This is a great tool if you know you have a meeting but you're working and don't want to forget about it, and so on.
Noteworthy Apps for Adult life/ Organization/Planning
Simple Mind Pro - Mind Mapping - this app is focused around "mind mapping" - Create Mind Maps, Visualize and Organize Your & Team's Ideas and Plan. It's great for accountability with your team or an accountability partner, and has spaces for brainstorming, note-taking, and Project Planning
Remember the Milk - Get things done, together. Share your lists and give tasks to others to get things done faster. Connects with calendars, contacts and more. This app is great if you want to have an ongoing list for something like groceries as you can share it with family and friends.
Any.do - For grocery list making and reminders of foods you’re low on. This app automatically sorts foods by aisle to make grocery shopping easier!
Pinterest - An amazing resource for downloadable/printable templates such as ADHD goals lists, habit trackers, printable handouts, ADHD friendly meals, weekly meal plans, pre-made grocery lists, and SO much more.
As we discover more helpful resources for ADHDers, we will continue to add to this list. We hope this helped you discover some free resources you hadn't heard of before specific to ADHD.
If you are a clinician looking for resources to provide clients, we have recently completed a handouts bundle you can purchase online here
Have a wonderful day!