An Immersive Simulation
for Educators
and Parents
Stop guessing what ADHD feels like. Experience it.
This interactive simulation puts educators and parents inside an ADHD brain. Through carefully designed activities that replicate executive function challenges, participants gain immediate empathy and practical insights that transform how they support students and children with ADHD.
Why Understanding Isn't Enough
You’ve read the articles. Attended the workshops. You know what ADHD is.
But here’s the disconnect: knowing about ADHD and understanding what it feels like are two completely different things.
When a student forgets their homework for the third time this week, it’s hard not to think they’re just not trying. When your child melts down over something that seems minor, it’s frustrating. When they can hyperfocus on video games but can’t start their math homework, it feels like willful defiance.
What's "In Their Shoes"?
“In Their Shoes” is an experiential simulation that replicates the internal experience of having ADHD. Through a series of carefully designed activities, participants experience:
Cognitive Load & Overwhelm
Working memory overload — trying to hold multiple pieces of information while being constantly interrupted.
Processing speed differences — needing more time while everyone else moves ahead.
Impulse & Self-Regulation
Impulse control challenges feeling the urge to act before thinking through consequences.
Focus & Attention
Attention difficulties wanting to focus but being pulled in multiple directions.
Task initiation struggles knowing what to do but feeling stuck at the starting line.
Time & Organization
Time blindness is losing track of time despite genuine effort to stay on schedule.
This isn’t role-playing. It’s not pretending. Participants actually experience the cognitive load, frustration, and exhaustion that students and children
with ADHD navigate every single day.
How it Works
Part 1: The Simulation
Participants engage in 4–6 activities that simulate real classroom executive function challenges, experienced through the lens of an ADHD brain. Each activity is adapted to the age group they support.
Part 2: The Debrief
After each module, participants share the frustration, confusion, and exhaustion they felt, followed by a facilitated discussion that links their experience to the neuroscience of ADHD. This is where the “aha moments” happen for teachers, parents, and administrators.
Part 3: Practical Strategies
Christine share actionable strategies that participants can use immediately – approaches that work with ADHD brains instead of fighting against them.
The simulations were incredibly eye-opening. I instantly felt the frustration and overload my child experiences every day, and the debrief helped me finally understand why homework can take hours. This program completely changed how I support my child.
Going through the activities ‘in their shoes’ was powerful. I struggled to follow multi-step directions and lost track of time immediately—just like my students. It gave me so much empathy and helped me rethink my expectations in the classroom.
The whole experience was so real and so revealing. Seeing how much my peers struggled and then connecting it to the neuroscience of ADHD created true ‘aha moments.’ I left with a deeper understanding, more patience, and concrete ways to help my child succeed.
The simulations were tough but so helpful—I finally understand what my son goes through each day.
What Attendees Say
Who is This For?
Educators
- Teachers (general and special education)
- School administrators
- Intervention specialists
- School counselors and psychologists
- Paraprofessionals and aides
- Teacher training programs
Parents
- Parents of children with ADHD (elementary through high school)
- Parent support groups
- Family support organizations
Ideal Settings
- Professional development days
- Staff in-service training
- Parent education nights
- District-wide training initiatives
- Special education conferences
- Community education programs
Why This Works When Other Training Doesn't
Traditional ADHD training:
Explains what ADHD is.
Lists symptoms.
Provides accommodation ideas.
Relies on cognitive understanding.
This program:
Shows what ADHD feels like.
Creates visceral understanding.
Generates genuine empathy.
Transforms how participants see students/children.
Leads to sustained behavior change.
The difference? Participants stop seeing behavior as oppositional choice and start seeing it as neurological. That shift changes everything.
The Impact
Educators
- Reduced frustration with students who struggle
- More effective classroom management strategies
- Better parent-teacher communication
- More appropriate accommodation implementation
- Improved student-teacher relationships
Parents
- Reduced conflict during homework time
- More patience with daily struggles
- Better advocacy skills at school
- Improved parent-child relationship
- More effective support strategies at home
Ideal Settings
- Adults who truly understand their challenges
- Reduced shame around struggles
- More appropriate support
- Better outcomes in school and at home
Your Guide Through This Experience
Christine Kotik brings a unique combination of personal and professional expertise to this program.
As someone with ADHD, she understands the experience from the inside. As a former 8th grade science teacher at Marburn Academy (a school for students with learning differences), she knows the classroom challenges intimately. As a Professional Certified Coach who’s worked with hundreds of families, she’s seen what works—and what doesn’t.
Ready to Transform Understanding in Your School or Community?
Understanding ADHD intellectually is important. But experiencing what it feels like? That changes everything.
When educators and parents truly understand the internal experience of ADHD, they stop seeing behavior as willful and start seeing it as neurological. That shift leads to better support, reduced conflict, and improved outcomes for students and children.
Let’s bring this experience to your school, district, or parent community.