10 Best ADHD Apps 2012
According to the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, four to six percent of Americans (or eight to nine million adults) struggle with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD/ADD. The number of children is even higher with the CDC finding that parents report that about 9.5 percent (or 5.4 million) of children has been diagnosed with this disorder.
Several apps, however, have been developed to help those with ADHD better cope with day-to-day living without distraction. Here are 10 of the best.
Please note: Healthline Networks does not endorse or warrant for fitness of purpose any of these applications. These apps have not been evaluated for medical accuracy by Healthline Networks and unless otherwise indicated, haven’t been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).
Due — super fast reminders, reusable egg timers
iPhone - 4.5 stars with 1262 ratings - $4.99
It's easy for those with ADHD to forget things. Due — superfast reminders, reusable egg timers is an app that makes it easier to remember.
This simple, hassle-free app enables users to create a reminder and alert in mere seconds. Whether it's boiling an egg, walking the dog, or bringing that all-important document to work, Due keeps you on track with 12 distinct, one-time and recurrent reminder alert tones — louder and longer for vital tasks and subtler for less important to dos. The best part is that it's so quick to use that you can get back to doing the things that matter!
EpicWin
iPhone - 4 stars with 1288 ratings - $2.99
Sometimes getting everything done, when you have ADHD can seem like a Herculean labor. But role-playing app EpicWin turns even the most tedious chores into a stimulating adventure that you'll relish undertaking.
Just input your everyday tasks into the app's easy-to-use interface, choose your avatar, and every time you "conquer" a chore in animated battles, you're rewarded with the points needed to increase your character's stats, riches, and level. Now that's what we call encouragement!
Evernote
iPhone - 3.5 stars with 16,008 ratings - Free
Android - 4.7 stars with 389,697 ratings - Free
Need a way to remember things across all your devices without typing anything down? Evernote allows you to jot down notes and create to do lists, but also lets you take a photo or record a voice reminder for those times when you just can't be bothered to do otherwise.
Reduce mental and paper clutter by simply photographing whiteboards, book pages, contracts, receipts, and business cards, etc. Or create a verbal list or capture ideas on the go with voice recording. You'll also reap the benefits of syncing your notes across all your electronic devices and even sharing notes with family and associates via Facebook and Twitter.
Clear
iPhone - 4.5 stars with 3108 ratings - $2.99
Keeping track of things is difficult when you're living with ADHD. Being easily distracted, missing details, and frequently switching from one activity to another, makes it vital to create to do lists so that you don't miss a single thing.
Clear allows you to create to do lists, shopping lists, guest lists, movie and book lists, and even bucket lists so that you get absolutely everything accomplished. Need to add a note? No problem. Clear allows you to do that, too, easily and effortlessly.
Dragon Dictation
iPhone - 3 stars with 82621 Ratings - Free
Boredom is a beast that many with ADHD have to battle on a daily basis. How much better would it be to discover another beast that works in your favor?
Dragon Dictation is just that. This simple voice recognition app allows you to spare yourself the tedium of typing texts, emails, or social media updates by simply speaking them instead. You can also send notes to yourself or even compose documents with just the sound of your voice — and do it five times faster than keyboard typing. Make an error? No problem. Just use the app's quick and easy editing feature or voice-driven correction component.
Remember The Milk
iPhone - 3 stars with 25150 ratings - Free
Android - 4.3 stars with 14,988 ratings - 1 million–5 million installs in the last 30 days - Free
One of the most popular to do list apps, the Remember The Milk app sees to it that you never forget a single task again.
This popular app allows you to schedule and complete tasks on the go, back up your tasks and notes, order your priorities based on due dates, time estimates, proximity, repeating, lists, and tags, search your tasks and notes, and receive reminders via email, text, and instant message.
Momento (Diary/Journal)
iPhone - 4 stars with 2687 ratings - $2.99
When you have ADHD it's often easier to jump from activity to activity than to stop and appreciate each one — until the release of Momento that is.
This multiple award-winning app is a diary/journal, which allows you to quickly record important moments in your day through words and multiple pictures. Tag moments and people you encounter so that they're searchable by keywords or category later. If you don't have the time or patience to record your moments, Momento will even import and archive your social media activity to create a diary for you. Now what's easier than that?
Behavior Status
Android - 4.3 stars - Free
Does your child struggle with ADHD? Track your child's behavior with Behavior Status. Great for recording the daily behavior of your child with the simple and effective green, yellow, and red stoplight mechanism, currently used in classrooms throughout the country, this app allows you to quickly and easily monitor your kid's moods and actions.
The app also allows you to view positive and negative changes over time, create detailed notes, and easily share reports with your child's teachers and medical professionals, in order to track treatment progression and make amendments if needed.
Respiroguide Pro
Android - 4.9 stars with 500- $1.99
Stress can make it extra difficult for those with ADHD to attend to their tasks. Respiroguide Pro consolidates recent neuroscience and stress management research into a one-touch tool to help alleviate stress. Based on our heart's resonant frequency, which induces heart and breath coherence, Respiroguide Pro can help create cardiac coherence through guided breathing, which practitioners claim enhances concentration at school and work.
Controlled breathing is one of the best ways to achieve stress reduction, so you will feel a difference after your first attempt, with improved results after a week.
Attention Exercise
Android - 3.9 stars - Free
Laser sharp focus can often seem like an unattainable goal for those with ADHD. But Attention Exercise can enhance your concentration with simple drawing tasks, which take little time from your already hectic schedule.
Based on recommendations from Edward M. Hallowell, MD's groundbreaking book Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder, these daily exercises will help users lengthen attention span and improve focus. Don't worry if you forget to do them, because a daily reminder will keep you on track.
Use the ADHD Apps!
With existing treatments for ADHD and more of a general understanding of the disorder, those diagnosed with ADHD can live much more fulfilling lives.
With numerous clinical trials underway for new ADHD medications as well as investigation into the causes of the disorder, this is an exciting time in ADHD research, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. While there is still no cure for ADHD, those with the disorder can better cope thanks to improved medication options, behavioral therapies, and the aforementioned apps.
Methodology
We selected these ADHD apps based on their potential to aid people with ADHD and their loved ones in a number of ways. Additional factors considered in selecting these apps included: user ratings, affordability, accessibility, format, functionality, and relevance to ADHD and its community's needs. Together, this collection represents the gamut of helpful iPhone and Android apps that are successfully designed to make life with ADHD more manageable.
