How I Use my iPad
Or how I found the perfect computer for ADHD
I was working at Apple Retail when the first iPad was released. Back then we would install a large, thick curtain over the front of the store to prevent customers from looking inside as we prepped for launch day. The line started to form as soon as we closed the day before. By morning the line went all the way down the hall to the front doors of the mall. We were used to this buildup and excitement for iPhone launches but this was the first time we had experienced it for a new product.
What’s it for?
When Steve Jobs demo’d the device on stage he was sitting on an actual couch! It was obvious that Apple saw the iPad as something for consuming media. It was seen by most tech journalists as just a large iPhone that can’t make phone calls. At the time they weren’t that far off.
Over the years the iPad has gone through a few revisions. There have been the regular updates like the screens improving, the battery life getting better, and the device getting thinner. But there have been larger changes that have helped transform the iPad into a device you can create with or even use for work purposes. I’m writing this post on my iPad Pro connected to an Apple keyboard. It’s the computing device I spend the most time on and feel most comfortable with. I think there’s one important reason for that.
ADHD
I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s and was a terrible student. I would typically get D’s or C’s and in some cases less than that. I can still remember going to parent/teacher meetings and hearing the “feedback” the teachers would provide to my parents. As if I wasn’t sitting right there next to them.
Corey’s smart but lacks discipline
Or
He’s very creative but can’t stay motivated.
My dad was a teacher specializing in Math and French. He would help me with my homework on a regular basis. Honestly, I came to dread those sessions. He would get increasingly frustrated with me each time I told him “I don’t get it”. His voice would rise and he’d respond with “it’s right there! How can you not get it?!” I understand his frustration now. As a neurotypical it must have been hard for him to understand why I didn’t understand.
I would get in trouble for doodling in class. The only places I actually enjoyed school were Art and Drama classes. I felt stupid and alone. I felt like something was wrong with me.
I don’t want to go too much into the weeds here since I’m supposed to be talking about the iPad. I’ll save the rest for a future post.
The iPad as a Neurodivergent Computer
You’l hear many in the Tech community say that the iPad isn’t a serious computer. Or that Apple needs to allow MacOS to run on the iPad. I disagree.
The constraints inherent to iPad OS are the reason why it’s the perfect computing device for me. There are a few that stand out for me personally.
One App at a Time
Technically you can use more than more application at a time using the “Spaces” feature but you can turn it off in Control Center.
Distractions are everywhere for adults with ADHD. Getting rid of as many as possible is key to getting anything done. Like the iPhone, when you open an app it takes up the entire screen.
Focus Modes
Focus Modes allow you to create your own rules about what your iPad can and can’t notify you about or even do while you’re using it. For example, you can create a mode that will only allow you favourite contacts to get in touch with you. You can also limit notifications from 3rd party applications.
You can learn more about Focus Modes right from Apple’s website.
Apple Pencil
I’m a doodler. I used to fill sketchbooks in grade school. I would constantly get in trouble for drawing in class. What my teachers didn’t know then and I know now is that doodling can help you to retain the information you’re trying to learn. I constantly use this in meetings at work. Most people will type, I pull out my Apple Pencil and sketch.
Here’s an example of what my “notes” look like.
If you count yourself among the crowd that wished the iPad was more like a laptop, I get it. I would recommend buying and using a laptop. For the rest of us the iPad is great the way it is. What some see as limitations I see as advantages.
If you’d like to learn more about using an iPad I would highly recommend checking out YouTuber Christopher Lawley. He’s also been vocal about his ADHD and how using the iPad fits the way he works.