Revising with a child who has ADHD or a learning disability is not about revising more, it is about revising differently: short sessions, one goal at a time, few distractions, a legible layout, and an adult who stays involved. Here are practical guidelines for home, in line with what schools and specialist associations recommend, and what a revision tool can bring to the table, or not.
Long homework sessions draw on two fragile mechanisms. With ADHD, attention slips away quickly: after just a few minutes, the child drifts, and a cluttered page makes the fatigue worse. With a learning disability (dyslexia, dysorthographia, dyscalculia), the effort of decoding or calculating already uses up all the energy, before the child even reaches the concept to be revised. The outcome is the same: the session drags on, tension builds, and the child retains little. The problem is not willpower, it is the format. This is exactly what the specialist associations in French-speaking Switzerland document (see "Going further").
The idea is not to invent a method, but to apply simple, well-established principles by connecting them to the child's real curriculum:
A good tool can structure the session, reduce visual overload, and provide an explained correction. It is a support, not a substitute for specialist guidance: for a suspected or diagnosed condition, the school, speech and language therapy, and the associations remain the right people to turn to. In French-speaking Switzerland, ASPEDAH supports families affected by ADHD, and the Dyslexie Suisse romande association (aDsr) supports those affected by learning disabilities.
Escalio is a PER revision app, built to minimise distractions. In concrete terms:
| Common difficulty | What Escalio does |
|---|---|
| Attention that slips away | Short sessions, a 15-minute Pomodoro then a mandatory break |
| Visual overload | A single question on screen at a time |
| Reading effort (learning disability) | OpenDyslexic font, enlarged and well-spaced text |
| A mistake taking hold | Immediate, explained correction |
| A screen that captures attention | No notification, no reminders sent to the child |
These features benefit every child, and especially those with ADHD or a learning disability. Escalio does not make a diagnosis and does not replace ongoing support: it is a complement to school and home.
No. A short, clear, uncluttered revision framework helps every child. If you suspect a condition, talk to the teacher and to a professional: the earlier the support, the better. The tool comes in support of that process, never in its place.