Life is full of transitions and times of change, and this is especially true for teens and their par...
Blog
Check out our stories, resources, and tips on Executive Function support, ADHD, mental health, and more!
Featured blog posts
As children start doing more complex tasks at school, they need to develop skills for taking part in...
If cooking with ADHD feels like a daily battle, you’re not alone. For me, it’s one of the most stres...
The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, or BRIEF for short, is an assessment used to me...
When most people hear “executive function,” their minds usually go straight to academics. We envisio...
Life is full of transitions and times of change, and this is especially true for teens and their par...
As children start doing more complex tasks at school, they need to develop skills for taking part in...
If cooking with ADHD feels like a daily battle, you’re not alone. For me, it’s one of the most stres...
The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, or BRIEF for short, is an assessment used to me...
When most people hear “executive function,” their minds usually go straight to academics. We envisio...
Life is full of transitions and times of change, and this is especially true for teens and their par...
As children start doing more complex tasks at school, they need to develop skills for taking part in...
If cooking with ADHD feels like a daily battle, you’re not alone. For me, it’s one of the most stres...
Subscribe to our blog
To Get The Latest Updates From Beyond BookSmart
In Your Inbox
All blog posts
Cooking with ADHD: How I’m Finally Making Peace with Dinner Time
If cooking with ADHD feels like a daily battle, you’re not alone. For me, it’s one of the most stressful parts of the day because of how my ADHD impacts my Executive Functioning. I don’t hate cooking, but I much prefer baking. In baking, there is a precise order and steps to follow. However, with cooking you can experiment more, step outside of the box, and throw caut...
ADHD Child Refuses to Do Schoolwork: Top Tips to Help | Beyond Booksmart
Let’s be honest… No student loves homework - and for good reason. When we consider the full school day, extracurriculars, and various social components that are all part of a typical school week, it’s no wonder why students want to relax and recharge when they finally get home. However, part of growing up is learning to roll up our sleeves and do those essential thing...
Failure to Launch Syndrome: Nudging Young Adults Toward Independence
Although parents have many responsibilities, the greatest one of all is to equip our kids with the skills they need to grow into successful, independent, and happy adults. However, when we find that our kids’ transition into adulthood isn’t happening the way we hoped, that responsibility can suddenly become a terrible burden. Whether it’s around the end of high school...
What Should You Treat First: ADHD or Mental Health Challenges?
Over the last few years, you may have noticed that there are more conversations happening around mental health, and for good reason. Whether it's primarily due to pandemic shifts, the prevalence of technology, or a combination of factors, more people than ever are feeling anxious and depressed. Although the suffering caused by these challenges is difficult to adequate...
Support for Adults: New Ebook from an Executive Function Expert
I was cruising down the Massachusetts Turnpike, breeze in my hair, with just enough time to arrive a little early for my meeting, when I realized that I was supposed to be heading east, not west. My arrival would not be five minutes early; it would be ten minutes late due to this nasty thing called physics. How did this happen to me, an Executive Function coach? (And,...
Why You Should Stop Rescuing Your Partner (and what to do instead)
“If I don’t wash the towels, then make up the lunches, then go get ice for the cooler, and pack the car up tonight, we’ll never get out the door and to the beach tomorrow.” This is just the sort of thing my friend Dylan would say as he prepares for Cape Cod traffic in the summer. Usually, I reply with something like: “Could Geoff help you with some of that?” Dylan lau...
1000 Calls in 2020: Insights from Frontline Executive Function Support
Moments of quiet and calm - and eruptions of tears and frustration. At night, a tangle of worried thoughts instead of restful sleep. While this could describe daily life for many of us in 2020, our team has been particularly attuned to the new challenges that parents and professionals have been facing this year. How have we kept our fingers on the pulse? During the pa...
6 Simple Motivation Hacks for a More Productive Life
“Not another meal to prepare!” “I wish I was motivated to work-out.” “I just didn’t have the time to do that today." Sound familiar? You're certainly not alone - getting motivated isn't always easy. We all have those days where the routines get stale and even getting out of bed becomes an arduous task. In this article, I'm going to share my six simple motivating hacks...
The Best 15-Minute Strategy for Overwhelmed Parents
Ah, the pandemic... Overnight, many of us parents became a nurse, a short-order cook, a guidance counselor, a teacher, and - most of all - a multitasking pro. From worried, sleepless nights to tired workdays, life as a parent in 2020 has been a challenge with seemingly no end in sight. How can we as parents possibly help our children when we are feeling totally overwh...
Executive Functioning Isn’t Just Kid Stuff: A New Resource for Adults
Mia, a curious 6th grader who was into dinosaurs and art class more than anything else, had been working with me for about two months when she finally settled on her organizational system: Triceratops stickers on her math folder, Ankylosaurus stickers on the English folder, and Velociraptor stickers for the social studies folder. Science and art -- her favorite subjec...
Adulting in 2020: 5 Key Tips for Resilience from a Recent College Grad
We’ve finally reached the halfway point of 2020, and I think I speak for just about everyone in saying that these past 6 months have felt more like 6 years. A global pandemic, widespread economic uncertainty, mass unemployment, and now, historic protests against police brutality and racial injustice in every major US city - all of which have already cemented 2020 as a...
Managing Loneliness While Working From Home
By now, some folks might be going back to work on site -- whether in full force or in a hybrid model. Many of us, though, are cruising past the two-month mark of working from home. If that’s you, you’ve probably gotten into somewhat of a groove. You’ve got the right mindset for working remotely and you’ve got your distractions managed so you can stay productive. But j...
Distracted & Unproductive: New Survey Shows Work From Home Challenges
Working from home (WFH) inherently has its challenges. Although I imagine many of us are now finding that out (thanks, COVID-19), each of our experiences during this transition likely differs considerably depending on the unique situations we’re finding ourselves in. For some of you, that could mean suddenly having kids at home while you work, while for others it may ...
How to Get Your Head Into WFH (Work From Home) Mode: 4 Essential Tips
As a college teacher, I’ve kept a weird work schedule for the past 10 years. Until the current school closures with the COVID-19 situation, I would physically go to work to teach my classes, hold office hour appointments, and attend meetings. But a significant portion of the work - such as grading papers - is work I did at home alone.
Scattered & Late? The (very real) Cost of Ineffective Habits in Adults
Almost everyone has a picture in their head of how their lives should run. It typically goes something like this: Your living space is orderly and tidy, with carefully chosen containers and efficient ways to house your belongings. Last minute guests? No biggie. Your place always looks ready to entertain friends and family. Your finances are in good order and you live ...
The Life-Changing Magic of Going Analog in a Digital World
Everything these days seems to be going digital. Apps for this, websites for that, Google Home or Alexa taking up residence in our living rooms. It can be helpful for planning and keeping track of our busy lives, but can also a bit overwhelming and distracting. For those of us who prefer paper and pen as opposed to a digital calendar, using a day planner can be one of...
Back to School Tips for the Family with Executive Function Challenges
The lazy days of summer are nearing an end and the kids are finally heading back to school. This time of year can be a relief for many parents, but it can also feel overwhelming: How will we be ready for that hectic first day? Where is that school supply list? Did my child complete their summer reading log? If your child has Executive Function issues, much of the burd...
A Day in the Life of an Adult with Executive Function Challenges
If you’re like me, your life is totally together and scheduled and organized and you never feel stressed or overwhelmed by anything. Ok, so maybe that’s not exactly true -- but that’s where improving Executive Function skills can help. Executive Function skills are certainly not only about helping kids manage schoolwork. While adults tend to have better self-managemen...
What are Executive Function skills?
Executive Function Skills are a set of cognitive skills that help individuals plan ahead, stay organized, regulate thoughts and behaviors, stay focused, and achieve their goals. Each of these skills can be taught, learned, and applied at any stage of life.
- Time Management
- Maintained Focus
- Task Initiation
- Stress Management
- Organization
- Prioritization
-2.png?width=1080&height=1080&name=new%20website%20image%20templates%20(4)-2.png)