--- title: ADHD and Software Engineering description: How ADHD shapes programming work, and which accommodations help and which are noise. image: https://mktg.spellware.dev/hubfs/Generated_Image_September_29_2026_-_9_34PM.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://mktg.spellware.dev/blog/adhd-and-software-engineering#main-content) [![](https://mktg.spellware.dev/hs-fs/hubfs/logo-3.png?width=2048&height=2048&name=logo-3.png)Homepage](https://spellware.dev) - [Code](https://git.nhcarrigan.com) - [Socials](https://socials.nhcarrigan.com) - [Documentation](https://docs.nhcarrigan.com) [Join Discord](https://chat.nhcarrigan.com) - [Code](https://git.nhcarrigan.com) - [Socials](https://socials.nhcarrigan.com) - [Documentation](https://docs.nhcarrigan.com) [Join Discord](https://chat.nhcarrigan.com) ![](https://mktg.spellware.dev/hs-fs/hubfs/Generated_Image_September_29_2026_-_9_34PM.jpg?width=6336&height=2688&name=Generated_Image_September_29_2026_-_9_34PM.jpg) # ADHD and Software Engineering ![Naomi Carrigan](https://mktg.spellware.dev/hs-fs/hubfs/Generated_Image_1790742324098.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=Generated_Image_1790742324098.jpg) Naomi Carrigan June 15, 2026 I have always struggled with my productivity. I cannot focus on a task, and it shows. Getting my ADHD diagnosis the first time was enlightening. The second was bureaucratic and unnecessary. The first diagnosis explained many of the struggles I experienced in life. I am lazy, but it is not as bad as one might think, because half of it is my ADHD sending me to a different topic. I can hyperfocus and produce work for sixteen hours straight one day, and be distracted by every Slack message the next. It is not a lack of motivation or a problem with self-discipline. It is ADHD. This post covers what ADHD does to me as a software engineer. It contains no stereotypes and no filler. It is one person's honest account. Hyperfixation can seem like a blessing, and in many ways it is. I found my success because I hyperfixated on learning to code during a time when I had nothing else to do. However, I did not choose to hyperfixate. My brain chose for me. It is also a curse. I can hyperfocus on a task for six hours, finish it, and then spend the next four hours working up the motivation to start another. Starting a task is very difficult. Context switching is very difficult. Many of the productivity techniques that a neurotypical engineer might use are useless for me. The Pomodoro technique does not work, because it causes interruptions. Doing the hardest task first does not work either, because starting a task is the hardest task. I do not know how I am supposed to do that. Constant Slack, Discord and email notifications are more distractions, although important ones. These are the things that help. I need my music playlist, a quiet and comfortable corner, a mug of coffee, tea or cider, and 16 hours of uninterrupted time. With those, I can be extremely productive. I need to finish one thing before moving on to the next. If I have walked away for too long, I will never pick it back up. This is why I do not finish video games. Good task and note software also helps. I rely heavily on Asana and Notion lately. Hikari also helps. Software engineering is in some ways very good for the ADHD brain, and in other ways very difficult. If I can settle into an idea, test and refine loop, I can produce very good work. If I am given vague, directionless assignments, you may receive unfocused work in return. Code reviews are difficult. If a change is more than about 10 lines of code, I will not read it. I cannot bring myself to do it. Medication helps a lot, provided your psychiatrist is not withholding it. Mine is, for safety reasons. Apparently it makes mood swings worse. I am now barely functioning. It is vital to work in an environment that allows for fluctuations in productivity when the net positive is high. I can deliver anything you need. You will get silence for a week, then 50 updates in a day, then another week of silence, and then a finished app. Remote work helps a lot. I have a quiet office and a very expensive, comfortable chair. No one bothers me, and I can listen to my music and work effectively. However, with no one there to keep me on track, a rabbit hole can consume the whole workday. None of this is medical advice. I am not legally allowed to give medical advice. This post should not be treated as medical advice, and I am not a credible source of medical information. It is a description of how I experience ADHD. This is real. This is my real experience. This is my everyday life. This is ADHD. This is Naomi. ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fmktg.spellware.dev%2Fblog%2Fadhd-and-software-engineering](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fmktg.spellware.dev%2Fblog%2Fadhd-and-software-engineering) ## Keep reading ### [![The new homepage hero, with a floating glass header, an availability notice, a highlighted headline phrase and a rose light from the upper right.](https://mktg.spellware.dev/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/redesign-2026-10/nhcarrigan-redesign-01-homepage-hero-after.png?width=1280&height=900&name=nhcarrigan-redesign-01-homepage-hero-after.png) Redesigning NHCarrigan](https://mktg.spellware.dev/blog/redesigning-nhcarrigan) ### [![](https://mktg.spellware.dev/hs-fs/hubfs/Generated_Image_September_29_2026_-_9_34PM.jpg?width=6336&height=2688&name=Generated_Image_September_29_2026_-_9_34PM.jpg) How I Approach Events Differently](https://mktg.spellware.dev/blog/how-i-approach-events-differently) --- [Privacy Policy](https://docs.nhcarrigan.com/legal/privacy/) · [Terms of Service](https://docs.nhcarrigan.com/legal/terms/) · © NHCarrigan 2026. All rights reserved.   15640 NE Fourth Plain Blvd, Ste 106 #923 Vancouver, Washington 98682 United States (971) 303-8662‬   ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Naomi Carrigan", "url" : "https://mktg.spellware.dev/blog/author/naomi" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-06T18:30:22.166Z", "datePublished" : "2026-06-15T12:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "ADHD and Software Engineering", "image" : [ "https://mktg.spellware.dev/hubfs/Generated_Image_September_29_2026_-_9_34PM.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://mktg.spellware.dev/blog/adhd-and-software-engineering", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://mktg.spellware.dev/hubfs/logo-3.png" }, "name" : "SpellWare" } } ```