My Quick Fix for Claude’s Most Frustrating Flaw in Under 5 Minutes

After exploring various AI platforms from Gemini to ChatGPT, Claude remains my top choice, even though it may not be the most economical due to its higher subscription costs and stricter limitations.

What differentiates Claude for me is its superior session memory and recall capabilities compared to its competitors, making it more suitable for lengthy projects. Additionally, its responses have a more conversational tone, facilitating a collaborative interaction rather than simply serving as a “yes man.” However, its human-like qualities sometimes lead it to provide unnecessary commentary and context.

Recently, I discovered a community-driven feature called the “I have ADHD” skill that gained popularity on platforms like Reddit. I have been using it consistently for about two weeks. This skill functions with both Claude Code and Claude Chat, albeit with different installation steps.

The purpose of this skill is to present answers more directly by eliminating unnecessary details and prioritizing key information, which is particularly beneficial for neurodivergent individuals or anyone who prefers concise communication over the traditional conversational style.

Setting up the “I have ADHD” skill is quite straightforward. First, access the official project page and download the skill.md file. Depending on your intended use, the installation process will differ.

If you’re using it for basic chatbot purposes, launch Claude Chat, then click on Customize in the left sidebar. This will display any existing skills you have installed.

To add this new skill, click the Add button. This will prompt you to upload the file. After following the instructions, typing /i-have-adhd before your query will activate the skill for the entire session.

For those using Claude Code, the simplest method involves adding the market repository via the terminal. You should enter claude plugin marketplace add ayghri/i-have-adhd and, once confirmed, run claude plugin install i-have-adhd@i-have-adhd. A restart is usually necessary for changes to take effect. Similar to the chat version, you need to use /i-have-adhd to activate the skill in your current session.

As illustrated in the images, the standard responses from Claude often include an overwhelming amount of information, sometimes with visuals. This may vary depending on the model being used.

The “I have ADHD” skill adheres to ten guiding principles aimed at simplifying interactions for those with ADHD:

1. Start with the main action/point.
2. Number multi-step tasks.
3. Conclude with a specific next step, if relevant.
4. Avoid digressions.
5. Reiterate key points to prevent missing details.
6. Provide specific time frames (minutes instead of vague terms).
7. Highlight successes.
8. Handle errors matter-of-factly.
9. Limit lists to five items.
10. No unnecessary introductions or conclusions.

In practice, the “I have ADHD” skill begins by affirming the primary assertion and discussing the problem Kant aimed to address, followed by a detailed exploration of its functionality, presented in a more skimmable format compared to typical responses.

While I still prefer Claude in its standard form over other AIs, this small adjustment significantly streamlines responses. Although the earlier examples focused on Claude Chat, I’ve also started using Claude Code for various projects, and this skill proves beneficial there as well.

The skill appears tailored for programming tasks but is adaptable for various situations, such as learning summaries. Another benefit is that the responses tend to be shorter, which has helped me manage my usage limits more efficiently since adding this skill.

I strongly encourage others to try this skill to enhance Claude’s efficiency without unnecessary complications. However, note that individual experiences with ADHD may vary, and some may prefer detailed responses. Hence, it may not suit everyone’s needs, but it takes only minutes to test, and if it resonates, transitioning back to the default settings might feel cumbersome.