ADHD and Programming
Essay series on the overlap between ADHD and software development — why coding can feel natural to ADHD brains, and where it becomes painful.
Source
- Coding and ADHD - ADHD Brains by Abbey Perini (DEV Community)
Key ideas
- ADHD is often better framed as attention regulation / executive-function difficulty than “deficit”
- Coding offers novelty, immediate feedback, and deep problem stacks — strong reward loops for ADHD learning pathways
- Hyperfocus can mean 6+ hour sessions (missing meals/meetings) when a problem is interesting
- Common struggles: time blindness, working memory, procrastination, rejection sensitivity, difficulty stopping or starting
Series outline (author)
The author’s follow-on posts cover:
| Challenge | Theme |
|---|---|
| Can't Start | Getting into flow |
| Can't Keep Going | Sustaining momentum |
| Can't Stop | Hyperfocus boundaries |
| Can't Remember | Working memory aids |
| Benefits | ADHD traits that help in dev roles |
In this section
- ADHD Programming Notes — personal notes and strategies