# How to Customize or Override ADHD Rules in the i‑have‑adhd Skill: A Complete Guide

> Learn to customize or override ADHD rules in the i-have-adhd skill. Edit the SKILL.md file or request temporary overrides for immediate needs. Take control of your ADHD management.

- Repository: [Ayoub Ghriss/i-have-adhd](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-08-20

---

**You can customize the i‑have‑adhd skill by editing [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) in your own fork and reinstalling the plugin, or request temporary overrides during any session when a rule conflicts with your immediate need.**

The **i‑have‑adhd** skill is an open‑source Claude plugin that structures AI responses according to ten ADHD‑friendly rules designed to reduce cognitive load. When the default rules don't match your personal workflow, the repository provides two officially supported paths for customization: permanent rule edits through forking, and context‑aware temporary overrides built into the skill itself.

## Understanding the Rule Architecture

All behavior in the i‑have‑adhd skill is defined in a single canonical file. The ten rules live in **[`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md)** (lines 31‑107), covering patterns like chunked output, numbered task lists, and bolded action items. The same file also contains a **"When to break the rules"** section (lines 17‑27) that governs when the assistant may disregard a rule temporarily.

This centralized design makes customization straightforward: modify one file, and the change propagates to all assistant responses.

## Method 1: Fork and Edit the Canonical Rules

For permanent, personalized changes, fork the repository and maintain your own rule set.

### Step‑by‑Step: Creating Your Custom Fork

1. **Fork the repository** at `https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd` or clone locally.

2. **Open `skills/i-have‑adhd/SKILL.md`** and locate the rule to modify. For example, **Rule 2** (lines 42‑55) governs how multi‑step tasks are numbered and capped.

3. **Edit the rule text** to match your preferences. The rules use plain Markdown with descriptive bullets:

   ```markdown
   ### 2. Number multi-step tasks

   - [ ] Add sequential numbers (1️⃣, 2️⃣, 3️⃣...)
   - [ ] Cap lists at 5 items — if more are needed, separate them into "do now" vs "do later"
   ```

   To allow longer lists, you might change the cap wording:

   ```markdown
   - [ ] Cap lists at 8 items — split longer lists into "do now" vs "later"
   ```

4. **Commit and push** to your fork.

5. **Swap the skill in your assistant** using the CLI commands documented in [`README.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/README.md) (lines 81‑90):

   ```bash
   claude plugin uninstall i-have-adhd
   claude plugin marketplace add <your-username>/i-have-adhd
   claude plugin install i-have-adhd@i-have-adhd
   ```

6. **Reload your assistant session** (restart Claude Code or the relevant runtime). Invoke `/i-have-adhd` to verify your edited rules are active.

### Keeping Cursor and OpenCode Runtimes in Sync

The repository mirrors the skill for multiple platforms:

| Runtime | File Path | Purpose |
|---------|-----------|---------|
| OpenCode | `.opencode/plugins/i-have-adhd.mjs` | Runtime entry point that loads the rule set |
| Cursor | [`.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) | Mirror of canonical rules for Cursor compatibility |

When maintaining a fork, update both copies if you use multiple assistants.

## Method 2: Request Temporary Session Overrides

The skill's **"When to break the rules"** block (lines 17‑27 in [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md)) permits immediate, single‑session overrides without any code changes. The assistant recognizes three override conditions:

- **Explicit explanation requests** — when you ask for a "full walkthrough" or "complete explanation"
- **Safety‑critical actions** — when skipping a step could cause harm
- **Rule‑blocking scenarios** — when following a rule literally prevents answering your question

To trigger an override, simply ask directly:

```text
User: "Can you give me a full walkthrough of the authentication flow? I need every step."

Assistant: "I'll override the usual chunking rule for this — here's the complete step-by-step..."

```

The assistant acknowledges the override, proceeds with the full response, and returns to standard rules for subsequent queries.

## Customization Examples

### Example: Adjusting List Capacities

**File:** [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md)

**Original Rule 2:**

```markdown
- [ ] Cap lists at 5 items

```

**Customized version:**

```markdown
- [ ] Cap lists at 3 items for high-priority tasks, 10 for backlogs

```

### Example: Modifying Response Structure

**Original Rule 5** (summarization):

```markdown
- [ ] Start every response with a bold 1‑sentence summary

```

**Customized for detailed technical work:**

```markdown
- [ ] Start with a 1‑sentence summary, then immediately show the code block

```

### Example: Installing Your Fork

```bash

# Replace 'janesmith' with your GitHub username

claude plugin uninstall i-have-adhd
claude plugin marketplace add janesmith/i-have-adhd
claude plugin install i-have-adhd@i-have-adhd

# Verify installation

claude skill list | grep i-have-adhd

```

## Key Files Reference

| File | Lines | Contents |
|------|-------|----------|
| [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) | 17‑27 | "When to break the rules" override guidance |
| [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) | 31‑107 | The ten ADHD‑friendly rules |
| [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) | 42‑55 | Rule 2: multi‑step task numbering |
| [`README.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/README.md) | 81‑90 | CLI commands for plugin installation |
| [`INSTALL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/INSTALL.md) | full file | Platform‑specific setup for Claude, Kimi, Pi, etc. |

## Summary

- **Permanent customization:** Fork → edit [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) → reinstall plugin
- **Temporary customization:** Request override during any session; the skill's built‑in guidance permits exceptions for explanations, safety, and blocked answers
- **Multi‑platform forks:** Mirror changes to [`.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/.cursor/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) if using Cursor
- **Version control:** Track your custom rules in Git; merge upstream changes when the base skill updates

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can I override just one rule without forking the entire repository?

No permanent per‑rule override mechanism exists in the current codebase. The skill reads all rules from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) as a cohesive set. To change one rule, fork and edit that file. For single‑session exceptions, use the **"When to break the rules"** guidance to request a temporary override.

### Will my custom fork receive updates from the original repository?

Not automatically. You must manually merge or rebase upstream changes into your fork. The rule file is plain Markdown, so `git merge` conflicts are typically straightforward to resolve. Consider watching the original repository for releases that modify [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md).

### How do I know if an override was triggered successfully?

The assistant explicitly acknowledges when it breaks a rule, citing the override condition from lines 17‑27 of [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md). Look for phrases like *"I'll override the usual chunking rule for this"* or *"Since this is safety‑critical..."* in the response preamble.