What is it like to have ADHD? To let others experience this, students have built an escape room in the Latijnse School in the city center of Nijmegen. The goal: to increase understanding of what the condition entails. The doors will open on June 12.

While playing the escape room, participants step into the shoes of someone with ADHD. They ‘wake up’ in a messy student room and are tasked with packing their suitcases as quickly as possible for a trip booked by friends.

But before they can leave, players need to feed their pet properly. To do this, they must solve puzzles that provide insights into ADHD and what it’s like to live with the condition. Once the players have packed their suitcases, they must hurry to the (simulated) train station. Vacation can begin.

The escape room, located in the Latijnse School in downtown Nijmegen, opens on June 12 and was developed by students from the Radboud Honours Academy and the Arnhem and Nijmegen University of Applied Sciences (HAN).

Stereotypes

‘I have ADHD myself’, says Frederique van Poll (24), a participant in the Honours Lab that helped design the escape room. ‘I think it’s important to let others experience what that can feel like.’

People’s perception of ADHD is often shaped by videos on social media, says student Jet Sterkman (23). ‘These often reinforce stereotypes. For example, that people with ADHD can’t sit still. Or that it’s just a childhood condition that goes away with medication.’ During the educational escape experience, these stereotypes are challenged and corrected.

Constantly distracted

Participants are guided step by step through the story and puzzles. They experience what it’s like to become overstimulated, to be constantly distracted, and to face other traits of the condition. One of the puzzles, for example, challenges players to focus while dealing with all kinds of distractions.

But beyond the negative stimuli ADHD can bring, the escape room also highlights the positive aspects of the condition. ‘People with ADHD are often very helpful and willing to go the extra mile for others’, says Van Poll.

Participation in the escape room is free, but reservations are required. How to sign up is not yet clear. The project can be followed on Instagram (@adhdescaperoom).