DB-IOP: Hope for Families in Crisis
As ADHD experts are well awarE, SOME FAMILIES CONFRONT daily life challenges that extend well beyond the ADHD spectrum. These challenges can be of such magnitude that children who struggle with unsafe disruptive behaviors may find themselves hospitalized more than once, with some eventually referred to residential care. Worse yet, some of these families live far…
Read MoreMaintaining Friendships
Social Guidance for Adults with ADHD Maintaining friendships can be a struggle for those with ADHD, but positive relationships are important. Without them, we can feel isolated and alone. With them, we feel connected and valued. How can ADHD negatively affect social relationships? Recently, the headline on a news site listed the five best ways…
Read MoreYour Keys to a Happier ADHD Relationship
In unhappy relationships, both partners blame the other person for why things are so bad. And they’re half right—their partner is indeed responsible for the problems, but so are they. This is actually good news—if you aren’t part of the problem, you can’t be part of the solution. Otherwise, you need to hope that your partner…
Read MoreCollege Planning for Students with ADHD
Zach, a junior in high school, is beginning to think about college and all the fun he’s going to have once he gets there—the football games, the frat parties, finally being on his own. Zach’s parents, however, cannot picture Zach living outside their home. He still can’t get out of bed for school. He only…
Read MoreStimming and Fidgeting to Calm and Focus
Maybe you’ve lost count of the times you’ve told your child to stop biting their nails, bouncing their legs, or twirling their hair. What seems like annoying behavior may actually serve a purpose, like helping your child to self-soothe or increase focus. “I don’t even realize I’m doing it,” says an adult who has ADHD…
Read MoreAce the Break: Avoid the “Summer Slide”
Each day, I see the lingering impacts of the pandemic play out as parents contact our practice, wondering if our tutors or executive function coaches can help. The most common concerns are among parents of students with ADHD and weak executive functions. They say their kids can’t seem to focus and aren’t meeting their potential.…
Read MoreRemote Learning for Children with ADHD
How are children with ADHD faring with the shift to remote learning during the pandemic? What are parental factors that enhance child learning and well-being? This update on recent research reviews two studies. The first study found no negative short-term impact on academic outcomes for children with ADHD with the shift to remote learning, although…
Read MoreWhen Your Teen Lacks Self-Confidence
You overhear YOUR TEEN’S FRIEND TREAT HER BADLY, yet when you inquire about the friendship, she retaliates against you. You are her cheerleader, advocate, and role model, yet she rarely listens to you, even after she admits her dismay. Often, as parents, we witness our teenager being treated badly, choosing the wrong friends, or trying so…
Read MoreGrowing College Success from First Semester Failure
Last September, a new cadre of freshmen began college haunted by a looming statistical trend: More than forty percent of those who have ADHD were destined to fail their first semester. And after this initial failure, only a portion will attempt another semester, and fewer still will go on to complete college on schedule. For…
Read MoreTeens, ADHD, and Driving
Teens with ADHD are more likely to have traffic stops with police than their neurotypical friends, and sometimes those stops escalate and result in detention at the police station. The best time to prepare yourself and your teen for this is before it happens. Begin by understanding that your teen’s behavior can be “caused by…
Read MoreYoung Adulthood and ADHD
A Message of Hope When Chris’s gifted son with ADHD was struggling in high school, she and her husband worried a lot: Would he ever graduate, ever get a job, or ever live independently? Many of you may be wondering the same thing about your high school student, but we have good news for you.…
Read MoreExecutive Function Issues and ADHD
ARE THEY MORE LIKE TWINS OR COUSINS? Jack is a twenty-eight-year-old man who has chronic issues with running late that date back to childhood. He also has difficulty keeping track of his schedule and tends to finish tasks at the last minute. Jack remembers having the same issues as far back as elementary school. Margaret…
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