Using Special Interests to Engage ADHD & Dyslexic Learners
| with guest Russell Van Brocklen |
Russell Van Brocklen has ADHD and is a dyslexia educator who knows that traditional learning systems often miss the mark especially for neurodivergent students struggling with reading and literacy. Begin not with curriculum, but with curiosity.
Start with the spark means putting the learner’s special interest at the centre. Whether it’s baking, Pokémon, Lego, or how to turn paint thinner into cherry soda, these passions are not distractions they’re doorways to deeper engagement.
“If we step outside that specialty… you’re down 75–80% for most of them. And you wonder why this kid is having such a hard time.”
— Russell Van Brocklen, ADHDifference
Why This Strategy Works
Neurodivergent brains don’t respond well to dry repetition or abstract goals. They’re wired for interest-driven learning meaning they retain more, focus better, and persist longer when emotionally engaged. Special interests create that engagement instantly. They fuel motivation, lower resistance, and provide a sense of mastery that can be transferred to broader learning goals.
When to Use It
This approach is ideal when:
- A student is struggling for their age-group or grade level with reading and literacy
- A student or client is disengaged, anxious, or avoidant
- Motivation is inconsistent, or limited to only certain topics
- Traditional systems fail to unlock progress
How to Practice It
Spark-Based Reading & Writing
Choose reading materials or writing prompts that centre around the learner’s deep interests whether that’s animals, engines, fashion, or fantasy. Reading comprehension and written expression improve when the content matters to them.
Use Passions to Build Vocabulary & Language Confidence
Create personalised word banks, spelling lists, or sentence-building tasks drawn from their special interest. When learners see familiar words, their decoding skills and confidence grow.
Anchor New Concepts to Familiar Themes
Whether teaching grammar, structure, or comprehension strategies, link the learning to the learner’s interest (e.g. story structure explained through video game plots, or punctuation using favourite characters’ dialogue). This helps the brain connect and retain new information.
Reframe Learning as Expression, Not Evaluation
Celebrate creativity over correctness. This shifts learning from pressure to passion.
Give Permission to Go Deep
Let learners spend time researching or creating around their special interest. These “deep dives” naturally build executive function, information processing, and resilience, all through the doorway of joy.
The Science Behind It
ADHD Brains Respond Better to Interest‑Driven Motivation
Adults and children with ADHD tend to show inconsistent motivation when tasks lack personal interest or intrinsic reward. Because the ADHD nervous system is driven more by interest, novelty, challenge, and urgency than by abstract importance, aligning learning with interest improves engagement and performance.1
Research indicates that motivation (whether intrinsic or extrinsic) affects attention and engagement in learners with ADHD. For example, increasing motivation can improve performance on attention tasks in children with ADHD.2
💬 Final Thought
This isn’t about tailoring everything to a learner’s whim. It’s about recognising that attention is earned through meaning. When you honour the special interest, you honour the learner. And from there, everything else becomes possible.
🎧 Listen to the full episode with Russell Van Brocklen (S2E30) here 🎧
REFERENCES
- Neff, M.A. (N.D). How the Interest-Based Nervous System Drives ADHD Motivation
- Skalski, S., Pochwatko, G., & Balas, R. (2020). Impact of Motivation on Selected Aspects of Attention in Children with ADHD