Blog

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.

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.

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 83% 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?