What if ADHD Isn’t the Problem

“Kids can’t bounce off the walls if we remove the walls.”

– Erin Kenny

Something radical happens when you take the walls away—literally. In the chapter “Please Pass the Hacksaw” from Florence Williams’ The Nature Fix, readers are invited to imagine what education could look like if we rewilded learning. Not just by adding plants to a classroom, but by hacking away at the physical and metaphorical walls that box kids in—and box their brilliance out.

At Adaptive Roots Academy, we aren’t imagining it. We’re living it. And the science is right there with us.

SOAR School & Adaptive Roots: Reimagining Education for ADHD Brains

Williams explores a school called SOAR in North Carolina—a program intentionally designed for students with ADHD. The campus isn’t just “nature-themed”—it is nature. Daily hikes, creek stomps, tree climbs, and the call of hawks in the distance are the norm. This isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. And it’s deeply aligned with what we’re creating at Adaptive Roots Academy.

Students with ADHD aren’t broken. They’re wired for movement, curiosity, and novelty. Traditional classrooms ask them to deny their biology, but outdoor-based education meets it with open arms. Studies show that time in green space improves focus, reduces impulsivity, and calms the nervous system. Nature doesn’t shame kids for their energy—it channels it.

Play Is Not a Break from Learning. It Is Learning.

Williams shares a rat study in her chapter that makes a powerful point: play literally shapes the brain. Rats denied play had underdeveloped frontal cortices—the region responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, and emotional regulation.

Translation? Play builds brains.

Yet across the country, recess is being slashed. Kindergarten classrooms have gone from water tables and pretend kitchens to workbooks and timed tests. The tragedy? The kids who “struggle” the most—especially those with ADHD—are the ones most in need of that time to move, explore, and imagine.

At Adaptive Roots Academy, we don’t treat play as a reward for good behavior. It’s the foundation of learning. Our students build forts, dig in the soil, track bugs, climb logs—and in doing so, they’re growing cognitive flexibility, resilience, executive functioning, and creativity.

Nature: The Medication with No Side Effects

Let’s take a look at the classic symptoms of ADHD:

Inattention
Impulsivity
Hyperactivity
Difficulty staying on task
Struggles with executive functioning (organization, follow-through, etc.)
Trouble with emotional regulation

Now, here’s what time in nature supports:

Improved attention and working memory
Lowered cortisol (stress hormone) levels
Enhanced mood and emotional balance
Increased dopamine levels (reward & motivation pathways)
Calmer sensory input, reducing overwhelm
Opportunities for natural movement that don’t feel forced

No pill required.

We’re not anti-medication. But we believe in starting with the most natural interventions first, especially for developing brains.

The Cost of Indoor-Only Childhoods

Let’s compare...

Without nature:

Increased anxiety and depression
Poorer attention spans
Higher obesity rates
More sensory dysregulation
Screen addiction
Disconnection from peers and place

With nature:

Strengthened social bonds
Increased empathy
More creative problem-solving
Better physical health
Calmer nervous systems
Joyful learning that sticks

When we trade playgrounds for worksheets and silence for expression, kids suffer. All kids, not just those with diagnoses.

Kindergarten: A Garden, Not a Factory

The word kindergarten means “children’s garden.” It was designed in Germany in the 1800s by educator Friedrich Froebel, who believed young children learn best through play, songs, stories, movement, and nature. Sound familiar?

Today, this philosophy has been stripped to make room for academic pressure, data collection, and rigid expectations that deny kids their developmental needs.

Adaptive Roots Academy reclaims the original vision. We believe in a slower childhood, in asking questions rather than giving quick answers, and in learning that unfolds organically, just like a garden.

So What Happens When You Remove the Walls?

You get kids who thrive. You get fewer outbursts and more engagement. You get children who feel safe enough to take risks, make mistakes, and grow.

At Adaptive Roots, our nature-based model doesn’t just support children with ADHD—it amplifies their strengths. Because when we stop asking kids to sit still and be someone they’re not, we begin to see the brilliance that was always there.

And isn’t that what education is supposed to do?