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The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, or BRIEF for short, is an assessment used to measure Executive Function (EF) skills. This assessment can help people of all ages, from young students to adults in the workforce. The BRIEF is designed to measure Executive Function and self-regulation. With a comprehensive assessment, you can identify critical skills ...

As children start doing more complex tasks at school, they need to develop skills for taking part in school activities and managing their own behavior. The micro-skills students use to think, process information and take action are called Executive Function (EF) skills. EF skills are like developmental milestones. Certain skills become more critical as the class progr...

Many educators know that behavior is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the individual student’s educational experience. Classroom management systems that focus on rules and consequences often miss the mark for students who are struggling. It's easy to reduce learning problems to behavioral issues. When teachers do this, they lose an essential connection wit...

Students in United States schools have the right to access educational activities that are comparable to what their peers receive, even if they have a disability or condition that may limit their participation. Sometimes families of young children discover that they have a condition when they have trouble with certain school activities. In these cases, an evaluation m...

As students get older and take on more responsibilities, their schedules get a bit more complex. They still need to eat, get enough sleep and do homework. In high school, they may have more after-school activities, social engagements or even a part-time job competing for their time. For many students, this means doing more with less time, which can be stressful.

Listening is an essential skill that helps kids learn, communicate and connect with others. It plays a significant role in school, at home and with their friends. Good listening skills can help your child understand directions, learn new things and respond thoughtfully. There are different types of listening, such as:

Have you ever felt extremely excited about a new hobby or activity, only to quickly lose interest a short time later? This experience, known as anhedonia, can be common. Anhedonia is the inability to feel pleasure or joy in activities that were once enjoyable. There are two types of anhedonia:

Ruminations are repetitive thoughts that cause you to focus on replaying the same negative thoughts over and over again. You’re continuously thinking about distressing situations, worries or negative thoughts without finding a solution, making you feel worse instead of feeling better. It’s natural to think about your problems from time to time, but when these thoughts...

Does your child have trouble staying focused on a single task? Do they seem to be easily distracted or jump from activity to activity? These could be signs of a short attention span. Attention span is the amount of time someone can concentrate on a single task without getting distracted. All kids can occasionally struggle with focus, especially since they’re still lea...

Imagine a classroom where students can’t sit still, focus on their tasks or remember their assignments. It sounds like complete chaos, right? Unfortunately, this can be the reality for many teachers. That’s where Executive Function professional development programs come in. These programs can help teachers learn effective strategies to support their students’ Executiv...

Keeping up with young children is a challenge for every parent. If your child has particularly high energy, you may have wondered if it’s just excess energy or something more. It’s definitely true that some kids just have more energy than others, and they need a bit more support to stay calm and quiet when they need to. However, there are other potential causes to be ...

Our modern lives are full of more distractions than just 10 or 20 years ago. Social media brings a constant stream of news and information. We have busy schedules and high expectations. Many adults find it hard to concentrate on their work during the day, and the same is true for students. At this critical age, they’re forming habits that will serve them for the rest ...

No matter how old you are, misplacing and forgetting things on a regular basis comes with consequences. Forgetting things your loved ones tell you can quickly lead to disappointment and a loss of trust. Forgetting about important meetings and schedule changes can affect your performance at work.

Have you ever had random thoughts that were totally out of character for you, such as things you could do or negative things you could say about yourself or others? Intrusive thoughts happen from time to time, and having them doesn’t make you a bad person. Most people never speak a word about their intrusive thoughts — unless someone else shares that they’ve had a sim...

Stimming behaviors can be one of the most noticeable outward signs that a person has ADHD — but not always. Parents and teachers often take note when children have stimming behaviors that become disruptive in the classroom, such as talking during a lesson or leaning backward in their chair until they topple over. These behaviors may be a sign that a child has ADHD and...

For the approximate 366 million people living with ADHD, living in a world that seems to thrive on peak productivity and efficiency can be challenging. ADHD can make it feel like you’re swimming upstream against a powerful current, and despite your best efforts, you still end up exhausted and feeling like you didn’t make any progress. Even with decades of research con...

What is impulsive behavior? According to WebMD, impulsivity is "the tendency to act without thinking." Impulsive behavior means acting quickly without thinking about the consequences of ones actions. For example, you might make a snap decision or react immediately to something someone said or did without considering what might happen next. This behavior can be observe...

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. These symptoms can make it hard for a person to focus, stay organized or control impulses.

Anger is a normal human emotion, but when it becomes excessive or uncontrollable, it can significantly impact a child’s life. For children with ADHD, which is a neurodevelopmental disorder, anger can be extra challenging due to the child’s tendencies to have difficulties with:

Not all individuals with ADHD have the same experiences. ADHD can come in multiple different forms with differing symptoms. As a parent, caretaker or teacher who cares for children with ADHD, it’s important to understand the nuances of the condition. Whether you want to build better habits in your students or manage your child’s symptoms at home, knowledge is key. Lea...

Having a good oral hygiene routine is key to maintaining oral and dental health in the long term. Keeping a consistent routine is not always easy, though, especially for individuals with ADHD. Whether you’re an adult with ADHD or you simply have trouble with some Executive Function skills, you may find it challenging to keep up with a consistent oral hygiene routine. ...

Do you think your child may be hyperactive? Hyperactivity, a common sign of ADHD in students, is characterized by high levels of activity. A hyperactive child may be constantly moving and talking, taking little time to rest. While hyperactivity is often associated with ADHD, it’s not the same thing. Hyperactivity is a symptom that can be connected to various condition...

Are you having trouble staying focused on the job? Maintaining concentration at work can be difficult, especially for individuals with ADHD. ADHD can involve hyperactivity and impulsiveness, which can make it hard to focus on a single task. Think you may have ADHD? With a free ADHD symptom toolkit, you can learn more about your condition and how it can be addressed. W...

Are you frequently forgetful about day-to-day tasks? While occasionally forgetting something is natural, persistent lapses can start to have a negative impact on your life. As an adult, you likely have many tasks and responsibilities that require your attention. Keeping these tasks in mind can be key to success as you manage your responsibilities and work toward long-...

Do you often find yourself interrupting other people in conversations? For individuals with ADHD, interrupting others can be a common challenge. You may have a hard time knowing when to speak and when to listen. When your thoughts are racing, you might start to talk before realizing another person is speaking. If interruptions are making your social interactions more ...

ADHD is often thought of as a childhood condition. However, many adults who experience challenges with focus, organization and impulsivity may be surprised to learn they have ADHD. While the symptoms may present differently in adults than in children, ADHD can significantly impact an adult's life at work, at home and in relationships.

Misplacing things can be a huge source of frustration for both young people and adults. It's not that you're careless or not trying hard enough. In fact, you probably experience more inconvenience from losing your possessions than anyone else.

Prioritization skills become important for most children around the time they start going to school. There's only so much time in a day to work on things like art projects and homework. It takes some prioritization to make sure the important things get done well and on time. At this age, different after-school activities and interests like youth group, scouts and spor...

Once you reach high school, your parents or caregivers, teachers, coaches, and mentors will start expecting you to manage responsibilities at home and at school with a little more independence. This is when you might start hearing more messages about laziness, motivation and self-discipline. Indeed, many of your bigger goals in life will take a combination of life ski...

School-aged children have a daily routine with things they need to do at specific times. From getting ready for school and getting out the door to going to bed at night, things generally happen in the same order. To a certain extent, it can be pretty stable and predictable. However, life is full of changes. Each season brings different activities, different goals and ...

The world is filled with sights, sounds, smells and textures. For some people with ADHD, all of these sensations that cause stimulation can be a bit overwhelming. And trying to process all these overwhelming sensations can make it hard to focus on anything specific.

Every child is special, and some kids have amazing brains that work in a unique way. These children may have trouble focusing on tasks or keeping things organized, but they also have incredible strengths and talents. This is called high-functioning ADHD. It’s important to remember that ADHD isn’t a weakness, but rather a different way to experience the world.

Have you ever heard someone say that “kids will grow out of it” when talking about ADHD? While that may be true for some childhood habits, it doesn’t apply to ADHD. The truth is, ADHD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder; it affects the way the brain develops and functions, and it can persist throughout a person’s life. That doesn’t mean the symptoms will stay ex...

The world can be a truly exciting place full of sights, sounds and things to touch — which is great for kids with curious minds who love to learn new things. But for some kids with ADHD, all that stimulation can sometimes become too much. It can be overwhelming and hard for them to know where to look or what to focus on with so much happening around them all at once.

We all have impulses, or moments when our brain urges us to take a specific action. It can be a small thing that we're tempted to do, like scratch an itch or roll our eyes. Or it can be something bigger, like yelling at someone or leaving the room to go do something else. We learn to control our actions as young children with some help from our caregivers and teachers...

Does your child seem like a perpetual motion machine in class? They’re constantly squirming and fidgeting. You’re not alone. Many children can struggle with staying still, especially in structured environments like school. While occasional restlessness is to be expected, persistent difficulty focusing and managing energy can be a sign of an underlying condition like A...

The crisp autumn air, the smell of new notebooks, and the promise of fresh beginnings: The back-to-school season is upon us. While it can be an exciting time full of learning, for children with ADHD, the transition can be a delicate balancing act. The constant demands of school can lead to a hidden threat: ADHD burnout.

Does your child ever seem lost in a world of daydreams during class? Maybe homework takes forever because they can’t quite stay focused. Or perhaps they’re a whirlwind of energy, constantly on the move, blurring out answers before questions are even finished. These could be signs of ADHD, a common neurodevelopmental condition that affects an estimated 7 million childr...

Summer is winding down and the excitement, and maybe a touch of anxiety, of a new school year is creeping in. For parents of children with ADHD, this transition can feel particularly daunting. With a little planning and some proactive strategies, you can help set your child up for a successful school year.

As your child gets older, they’re continuously developing and changing in every way, from physical appearance to personality. There are also many essential skills, such as Executive Function skills, that they can develop young and continue to improve as they get older. Executive Function skills are life management skills that help you plan, initiate, and achieve goals...

When summer starts to turn to fall, that means one thing for many families: It’s back-to-school time. It’s natural for many habits and routines to be disrupted during summer break. As kids head back to school, parents can help their children get organized.

When you have a particular opinion on something, or you’re used to viewing things in one particular manner, it can be difficult to adapt to new problems or ideas that come up. We all have our own perspectives and lines of thinking; however, we should try to evolve our thought patterns and adapt them when necessary. Even if it’s natural to want to just stick with what ...

When you get told a large amount of information at one time, such as during an educational lecture, it can take a bit of time to process and grasp what you’ve been told. Did you know that there’s a type of disorder that can make it difficult for the brain to accurately perceive what’s being heard?

It’s not always easy to get your kids to go to sleep at a reasonable hour, let alone get the recommended amount of sleep for their age group. Not only do they often want to stay up to watch a show or play “just one more game,” but they may also have a disorder that interferes with their ability to fall and stay asleep.

Whether your child is at home, in the classroom, or out in your community, you want them to be on their “best” behavior. That often means being considerate to the people and environment around them. While children may not understand the mechanics of socially acceptable behavior, impulsive behavior is often a point of concern for both parents and teachers.

Every child is different. Some have boundless energy with an extroverted personality. Others are more cautious and introverted. Both are completely OK. It’s important that your child develops their own sense of self without expectations from others. Even so, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be concerned about their behavior sometimes.

As a parent, you always hope that your child will listen when you’re trying to have a conversation, ask them questions or provide directions for a chore. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. It can sometimes feel like everything you’re saying is going in one ear and out the other, which can be frustrating.

When you’re a parent, you want to make sure that your child is putting their all into everything they do, from homework to extracurricular activities. You know what they’re capable of, and you want to see that full potential in their results. But sometimes, their capabilities aren’t showcased in their grades.

There are a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions about ADHD. One popular theory that’s been disproven is that ADHD is a childhood disorder that kids will eventually outgrow. Some people with ADHD indeed notice fewer symptoms in adulthood after they’ve mastered the skills they need to function at their best. However many still need to work actively to manage their ADH...

Most of the symptoms that signal ADHD in children sound like typical toddler behavior. It’s definitely true that all infants and toddlers can be impatient, impulsive, and fussy from time to time. But since you’re reading this article, you’ve likely wondered where the line is between “typical toddler behavior” and symptoms that indicate ADHD.

Our understanding of ADHD and neurodiversity has been evolving for at least 30 years. Attention deficit disorder (ADD) with and without hyperactivity was added to the DSM-III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) in 1980, but it had been conceptualized differently in previous editions. In 1987, the two types of ADD were removed from the DSM-III-R. In...

Some people think emotional regulation and “logic” skills like problem-solving are separate functions. But these processes are closely related. When our emotions are overpowering, we have a limited capacity to use the cognitive or “thinking” parts of the brain.

Each one of us has a unique relationship with time. Some people experience it differently than others, and you may be more aware of time passing (or less aware of it) than others. You may feel like you have very little time in the day to get things done, or you might feel like time is “on your side.”

There are many things that our parents pass on to us, such as our belief system, eye color, and personality traits. Our genetics also play a significant role in overall health and wellness, which is why it’s often a factor in many diagnoses. This article answers the question, "Is ADHD genetic?" along with tips for how to identify and manage symptoms of ADHD (Attention...

Have you ever watched your child start a project with boundless enthusiasm, only to get sidetracked by a stray butterfly or a captivating toy car minutes later? This may sound familiar if your child has ADHD. Kids with ADHD can struggle to stay focused, manage their time effectively and resist distractions — all factors that play a crucial role in motivation.

Revenge bedtime procrastination describes an increasingly common phenomenon where people deliberately delay going to sleep so they can indulge in leisure activities. It first came into use in a 2014 paper researching a new area of procrastination at bedtime. Revenge bedtime procrastination isn’t just about staying up late. The addition of “revenge” to bedtime procrast...

Ever feel like you start a task with gusto, only to get sidetracked by a squirrel outside your window moments later? If you have ADHD, this may sound all too familiar. ADHD can make sticking to routines, including personal hygiene tasks like showering, brushing your teeth and doing laundry, a constant battle.

Most people like to have their space relatively clean and organized. However, for many children, it’s difficult to not only get their bedroom to be neat, but also to keep it that way for longer than a day. Nearly every parent knows what it’s like to have their child’s bedroom turn from a clean space where everything is in the right place to a disorganized mess after t...

Household chores help your children learn responsibility, gain independence and develop life skills that they’ll need in the future. But they’re not always enjoyable activities, so it’s not uncommon for your child to procrastinate on their chores or try to get out of them completely. If your child has ADHD, it can be even harder to get them to complete their chores ar...

When you’re a teacher, it’s important to make sure that your classroom is managed in a way that works for your students. They each have their own needs and abilities that affect their learning. This article is for teachers of neurodiverse students who are interested in learning some new classroom management strategies.

The first cues teachers and parents notice in a child who might have ADHD are typically behavioral. They might move around a lot, talk during class or get distracted often. When ADHD goes undiagnosed, these children are often channeled into behavior interventions instead. Researchers are now paying more attention to difficulties with emotion regulation. These are also...

ADHD and dyslexia are both considered neurodevelopmental disorders. These are conditions involving differences in brain functioning that begin in developmental stages. The two have a high rate of co-occurrence, but there are some big differences to be aware of as a parent or an educator.

Many children with ADHD have a sense that they’re somehow different from their peers, even if they don’t have a diagnosis. These children are right; they are different — and that can be both a great thing and a source of challenges. And some children have a harder time bouncing back from failures, criticism and rejections than others.

It can be challenging to motivate your child to do something they don’t want to do, and this may be especially difficult if your child also has ADHD. People with ADHD often have issues with motivation, and studies have shown that this may be because of disruption of the dopamine reward pathway. People with ADHD are more likely to have a dopamine deficiency, which can ...

ADHD can impact many aspects of a person’s everyday life. It can make it difficult to complete a task in one sitting, pay attention during a conversation with a friend, or keep track of time while on a schedule. One of the most common challenges for people with ADHD is organization.

When your daughter’s teacher recommends testing for ADHD, it can be a big shock if you don’t know much about this neurotype. That’s a common experience for a lot of parents. Research on what ADHD looks like and the population of neurodiverse people who have it has progressed a lot in just the last 10 years.

Nothing, and nobody, can be perfect, because perfect doesn’t exist. Even though we’ve all probably heard that at some point in our lives and acknowledge that it’s true, it can be difficult to stop ourselves from trying to reach perfection anyway.

There are many important tasks that make you want to groan in annoyance at the thought of completing them. Things like organizing your important documents, deep cleaning your bathroom and decluttering your attic are all responsibilities that you know must be done, but you’d rather do anything else instead. So you do. That’s an example of procrastination.

Studying can be a challenge for any student, but if your child has ADHD, it may be even harder for them to do well in school, and they may spend a lot of time trying to study with poor results. However, this doesn’t mean your child isn’t smart, since bad grades may simply be due to difficulty concentrating on and retaining information.

When people talk about feeling paralyzed, they mean that their entire body essentially freezes up, despite how their mind may be filled with racing thoughts. Having your mind or body “paralyzed” can make you feel helpless and out of control of your own body. People with ADHD often report feeling paralyzed. ADHD paralysis is an overwhelming sensation that can interfere...

Does your child with ADHD feel stuck or overwhelmed trying to complete everyday tasks? Do they struggle to even begin a chore or start their homework? It may not just be laziness that’s got your kid in a slump. Children with ADHD often struggle with motivation and completing tasks due to dopamine deficiency.

Life can be stressful and hectic, which is why it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed every once in a while. When your expenses are piling up too high or you have too many deadlines on your work calendar, it can put a heavy weight on your thoughts and emotions, especially if you have ADHD.

Stress has a notable impact on the overall quality of life for students at nearly every level. In the U.S., approximately 75% of teens are stressed due to school, with 63% labeling homework as a primary factor. For high school students in particular, approximately 31% feel overwhelmed due to their stress. When it comes to college students, 8 out of every 10 students e...

Even though much of our work as Executive Function coaches focuses on helping students and adults work more effectively, you may be surprised to learn that we get a fair amount of questions during our presentations and talks that relate to managing a household, as well. And why not? After all, we use skills such as time management, emotion regulation, planning, and pe...

Editor's note: We asked Michele Hearn, Director of Adult, College and Distance Coaching, what advice she has been giving to college students heading toward final exams. Below, she offers her top five strategies to get through those last weeks of the semester with less stress. Share with your favorite college (or high school) student!

Editor's note: From time to time, we will be asking guest bloggers to contribute to our blog. Mark Skoskiewicz, founder of MyGuru tutoring services, offers his perspective on how to discern a need for tutoring versus Executive Function coaching in students. Almost everyone I’ve ever met knows what a tutor is – someone with deep expertise in an academic subject or stan...

We recently had a chance to chat with Dean M. Hebert, an applied sports psychology coaching professional and owner of Mindset for Performance LLC, an individual coaching and consulting company. He works with teams, athletes, parents, and coaches teaching the mental game of peak performance.

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" So asks poet Mary Oliver in The Summer Day, a perfectly named piece for this college counselor, advisor, administrator, and coach. Having spent nearly twenty years asking this same question to students arriving on my campus like clockwork every August, I am always prepared for the confusion tha...

Academy MetroWest is a children's group therapy program in Natick, MA. They conduct small groups that meet weekly in a gymnasium setting. Groups center on cooperative physical play aimed at helping children and adolescents enhance self-image and social skills. The director of that program, Bruce Sabian, M.A., LMHC, is the author of the Academy MetroWest Blog - Thinkin...

Is our ability to plan ahead becoming a vestigial organ?