Comments on: Ipod Touch The Personal ADD Assistant

By: Pete Quily

Pete Quily — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:41:53 +0000

Thanks William,

John, one thing i’ve noticed in coaching adhd adults is that one size doesn’t fit all.

That is some adders will prefer a digital daytimer and others work better with a paper based one and thats probably the same for non ADDers.

So it’s best to respect your brain wiring and go for a paper based system. I’ve very techie and have been using macs for more than 2 decades and sold em for 7 years but i still use a paper based daytimer, i find it works best for me.

By: John M

John M — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:04:39 +0000

While I do not have ADHD, I have poor organizational issues, and I have had mixed results using my Iphone as a digital assistant. In order to increase the likelyhood that I will do a task, I have to physically write it down. It does not work the same if I type it into my Iphone.

By: William

William — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:31:41 +0000

Hi everyone,

This is a very helpful article. I have ADD and dyslexia, I was diagnosed at the ripe old age of 26 and didn’t learn to read until I was 20. I was diagnosed when I began University at 26, and at that time “Adaptive Technology” was still very new. In fact I learned to read at Uni with the use of texts on tape.
All this being said, once Adaptive Tech came to computers and PDAs alike I gravitated to them lustfully. I started out with PCs and then moved over to MACs (will never go back to PCs) and so the next solution will be the iPod touch which has just come down in price. I have thought about the iPhone, but I live in Canada and we don’t have too many options.
In addition to the adaptive tech advantages of both the iPod Touch and iPhone is that one can do some slight modifications and use either product as a SKYPE phone.

Thanks for a great article.
Cheers.
William

By: Pete Quily

Pete Quily — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:46:13 +0000

really? too bad, I’m sure they’ll be a fix soon on such a popular app.

By: todd

todd — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:28:42 +0000

problem with both the iPhone and iPod is that you can’t sync to do items in iCal

By: Pete Quily

Pete Quily — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:10:11 +0000

Yep not one solution is right for everyone, the ipod touch is pricey but for the features you get, there’s nothing that comes close to it.

that being said, not everyone needs all those features. And you’re right, the internet can be a massive time suckage for adults with ADHD. Sometimes if you know what can be a distraction, it’s best just to get rid of it.

By: Shera

Shera — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:09:12 +0000

I have the Nokia N70, it would have a few advantages over the iPhone as a PDA:

-It’s cheaper
-It’s pretty robust (I’m clumsy!)
-You can set the calendar to one of the main touch keys so you just press one key on your phone and your calendar displays!

The calendar works like any electronic calendar- enter an event, choose start/end time or date, and choose whether or not to set an alarm; you can also choose when you want the alarm to go off. A typical calendar for me is:

12:15 Check exam timetable
12:30-13:30 Lunch
17:30-18:00 email
20:00-20:30 take vits, go for a walk (with alarm)
21:00-22:30 Bbc 2 - Maestro(with alarm)

And for me, the less features the better. If I could get internet access wherever I wanted I would be lost, so if anyone likes the idea of the iPhone but worries about added levels of distaction, the Nokia N70 can be stripped down to remove games, etc., which I have done.