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Understanding Others, Regulating Emotions
Executive Function, Theory of Mind, and ADHD This research update focuses on how executive functioning relates to how youth with ADHD understand others and regulate emotions. There may be a link between executive function deficits and theory-of-mind challenges in children with ADHD. Theory of mind refers to the ability to infer other people’s emotions, intentions,…
Read MoreUnderstanding Meltdowns: The ADHD Volcano Model
A MELTDOWN CAN SEEM TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE. It’s one of the challenging or explosive behaviors we see in those who have ADHD. Sometimes it appears as poor self-esteem, yelling, rage, or tears. But sometimes the challenging behavior is your own in reaction to your spouse, child, sibling, or friend who has ADHD: “Why…
Read MoreGame-Based Learning
An Update on LearningWorks for Kids LIKE SO MANY OTHER EXPERTS, clinical psychologist Randy Kulman long observed children with ADHD who, despite struggling mightily to pay attention at school, paid attention just fine when playing computer games. He began to consider an idea: What if he could design a program that uses popular computer games…
Read MoreADHD, Bilingualism, and Executive Functions
THIS MONTH’S RESEARCH UPDATE focuses on the joint effects of ADHD and bilingualism on executive functions. What are the joint effects of ADHD and bilingualism? Executive functions (EF) are mental processes that enable us to control thoughts and actions towards a goal. Previous studies have documented lower levels of EF among those with ADHD. On…
Read MoreBeyond Fight, Flight, or Freeze—the Fib
When did you first tell a lie? You were likely very young (maybe two or three years old), afraid or ashamed of a situation, and used language to protect yourself. What if some fibbing is not a character flaw? What if fibs are a self-preservation response, an outcome of challenges with inhibition, emotional regulation, working…
Read MoreWhat’s Up with All This Anger?
Here’s how you can reduce your frustration, manage intense feelings, and live with more contentment. YOU KNOW THE MOMENT. The moment when something goes wrong or someone says a few words that set you off. A switch has flipped and suddenly there’s a bubbling volcano of angry, negative emotions inside of you waiting to erupt.…
Read MoreCBD Oil for ADHD? What the Research Says
YOU’VE SEEN THE POP-UP ADS or you’ve heard a friend talk about CBD oil as an alternative treatment for ADHD. Every online community and social media platform seems to have someone praising the compound or offering to sell it. But what is it, and does it really have any proven benefits for managing ADHD symptoms?…
Read MoreThe Gifted Child with ADHD
ADHD affects the ability to manage life–particularly when situations require sustained effort, consistency, and planning. ADHD can undermine health, social relations, self-esteem, efficiency, and far more. Because of that broad impact, grades are not the bottom line for evaluating ADHD, even in school. Educational law states that impairments related to ADHD, not specific grades, are…
Read MoreADHD & Obesity: An Under-Recognized Problem
EATING is one of the most routine things people do, yet healthy eating and weight regulation remain a challenge for many individuals. This is especially true for those with ADHD. Several recent research studies looked at the relationship between ADHD and obesity, citing it as an under-recognized problem. A longitudinal study found that men with…
Read MoreSMARTS: Creating a Culture of Executive Function Strategy Users
IMAGINE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS teaming up with their students to create a culture that values, celebrates, and continually reinforces the use of executive function strategies not only to do better in school, but also to do better in life. It would be a dream come true for kids with ADHD and other learning…
Read MoreWhy Does Sam Struggle with School Projects?
Executive Functions and Academic Achievement WHY DO MANY STUDENTS, including those with average and above intelligence and no diagnosed or known learning or developmental disability, struggle with academic performance? While there is no simple response to this vexing question, the answer is often rooted in executive functioning deficits. Executive functions, often synonymous with the term…
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