Q: “I’m starting to worry that my child is using AI tools to breeze through homework without really understanding the material. How can I make sure they’re using AI responsibly and still actually learning?”

This is a question we’re hearing more often, especially regarding math. Your child seems to do their homework quickly and easily, but their performance tanks when test day rolls around. What’s going on?

This gap between homework and test scores is becoming even more pronounced with the rise of AI-powered homework tools like Photomath, Mathway, and ChatGPT. These platforms can solve even the trickiest problems in seconds, providing step-by-step solutions that seem like a dream-come-true for students who feel lost in math class.

But here’s the catch: While AI tools can make homework easier to understand and complete, they don’t necessarily help students learn. So when it’s time to work through similar math problems during their tutoring sessions or exams (with no apps in sight), the student’s true understanding is put to the test, and they struggle.

Of course, kids want to get homework done as painlessly as possible. This isn’t new. What is new is how easy it is to hand in perfect assignments with very little effort. And when students rely on AI tools to do the work for them, they miss out on the productive struggle that leads to real understanding, especially in math, where each concept builds on the last.

Here’s what caregivers can do regarding AI use:

• Watch for warning signs. If your child is getting perfect scores on homework assignments, but their test grades are slipping, take a closer look. Other red flags include an unwillingness to show their work, hesitation when asked to explain how they got an answer, or rushing through assignments without much thought.
• Set expectations for AI use. These tools aren’t inherently bad. In fact, when used responsibly, they can reinforce learning. The key is for students to use them as a check, not a crutch. Encourage your child to complete a problem on their own first, then compare their process and answer to the AI-generated one. This helps them catch mistakes and deepens their understanding.
• Talk about academic integrity. With AI at their fingertips, students must understand the ethical boundaries of technology use. Make sure your child knows that copying answers, whether from a friend or an AI app, shortchanges their education – regardless of whether it is flagged by a teacher.
• Focus on effort, not just results. Praise your child when they show their work, ask questions or take time to truly understand a concept. These habits pay off far more than perfect homework scores in the long run.

AI is here to stay. But, with guidance, your child can learn to use it as a helpful learning tool, not a shortcut to the finish line.

Students Using AI: Next Steps

• Read: 6 Hacks for Homework Overwhelm
• Read: Math Strategies and Writing Tips for ADHD Brains
• Read: How to Get Students Engaged in Learning

Ann Dolin, M.Ed., is a former teacher and founder and president at Educational Connections, in Virginia.

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After a long school day, your child avoids delays, and chafes against homework. Daily bouts of procrastination, frustration, and parental friction can leave your whole family feeling drained. But what if you could turn homework into an opportunity for your students to grow their independence?

In this ADHD Experts webinar, Ann Dolin, M.Ed., founder and president of Educational Connections, shares practical, ADHD-friendly strategies to help your middle or high school student tackle homework with more confidence and less conflict this school year.

In this webinar, caregivers and educators will learn:

• How executive function challenges like disorganization, poor time awareness, and avoidance lead to homework struggles, and ways to identify your child’s weak or missing skills.
• Personalized tools like “Focus Finders,” metacognitive check-ins, and the “If… Then… So…” method to increase self-awareness and decrease barriers to entry.
• How to use flexible goal-setting strategies to help students stay on track even when things don’t go as planned.
• Scripts and phrases that build parent-child trust and increase independence at homework time.

Watch the Video Replay

Enter your email address in the box above labeled “Video Replay + Slide Access” to watch the video replay (closed captions available) and download the slide presentation.

Download or Stream the Podcast Audio

Click the play button below to listen to this episode directly in your browser, click the symbol to download to listen later, or open in your podcasts app: Apple Podcasts; Audacy; Spotify; Amazon Music; iHeartRADIO

Strategies for Students with ADHD: Resources

• • • Free Download: Proven Homework Help for Kids with ADHD
    • Read: The ADHD Homework System We Swear By
    • Read: Make Homework More Engaging — and Boost Your Child’s Confidence, Too
    • Read: 15 Tips for Reducing Homework Stress & Completion Time

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on September 16, watched the video replay, or listened to the podcast, you may purchase a certificate of attendance option (cost: $10). Note: ADDitude does not offer CEU credits. Click here to purchase the certificate of attendance option »

Meet the Expert Speaker

Ann Dolin, M.Ed., is a former Special Education teacher and author who founded Educational Connections in 1998. The company specializes in helping students, especially those with ADHD and other learning differences, build executive function skills and study habits to perform better in school and ultimately in college. She and her team of more than 125 subject tutors, executive function coaches, college consultants, and test prep tutors provide virtual support to families with students from elementary school to college.

Her first book, Homework Made Simple, (#CommissionsEarned) won the Publishers Association 2011 Parenting Book of the Year Award. For more information, visit Ann’s website.

#CommissionsEarned As an Amazon Associate, ADDitude earns a commission from qualifying purchases made by ADDitude readers on the affiliate links we share. However, all products linked in the ADDitude Store have been independently selected by our editors and/or recommended by our readers. Prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

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How can you support your child so they feel less pressure? Follow these tried-and-true best practices to prevent homework mutiny.

6 Steps to Reduce Homework Stress

Step #1. Plan Transition Time

Your child needs time to decompress after school. Provide a healthy snack. Encourage them to participate in a sport or in another afternoon activity. If the weather and your schedule permit, take a walk together to clear your heads in the fresh air.

Step #2. Sort Assignments

Ask your child where they’d like to do their homework — on the kitchen table, in their bedroom, on the floor? Sit with them in their chosen location and help them begin their homework by reviewing their assignments and checking the week’s upcoming deadlines.

[Get This Download: Smart Homework Strategies]

Step #3. Begin with Preferred Tasks

Have your child estimate how long it will take them to complete each task. Ask them to choose the easiest assignment and start with that one. This strategy, known as behavioral momentum, works like this: Your student completes the undaunting task successfully, which provides momentum to keep going and finish the harder or more boring assignments.

Step #4. Hit Pause and Reset

Break tasks into manageable parts. If your child loses focus after 15 minutes of work, have them take a mindful minute to reset with some stretches, deep breathing, and a glass of water before they return to the task. After it’s finished, compare the time it took to complete the task with your child’s estimate. This review reinforces an awareness of time.

Step #5. Provide Help When Needed

Offer your child encouragement and assistance as needed, especially with assignments they find challenging. Let the teacher(s) know that your child struggled with those assignments and explain why.

Step #6. Refrain from Nagging

Make “homework time” as positive as possible. Avoid nagging or pleading. If you see a power struggle coming, take a deep breath and say something like, “OK, you do the first math problem and then I’ll help you with the rest.” Give them time to consider these words. You might want to physically move away from your child. When you see them begin to work, move closer and say something positive. Sometimes, an overwhelmed child just needs time to process how to move forward.

How to Reduce Homework Stress: Next Steps

• Free Download: Top 5 Homework Frustrations — and Fixes for Each
• Learn: 15 Tips for Reducing Homework Stress & Completion Time
• Read: The ADHD Homework System We Swear By

Beverly Holden Johns is a learning and behavior specialist. For 40 years, she has worked with public school students who have learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders.

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Use these 5 approaches to foster self-confidence and encourage independence in your stalled-out high school student. Start here.

Every child wants to do well — in school and in other parts of life. But children and teens with ADHD often struggle with the how. When these struggles add up, they can greatly affect self-esteem. Learn more.

Motivation for teens with ADHD shares an inverse relationship with criticism, executive function challenges, anxiety, and academic demands. As these increase, motivation decreases.

Building resilience in children with ADHD begins with this: identifying their islands of competence and celebrating their strengths at school and at home, says Robert Brooks, Ph.D. Learn more.

Executive dysfunction causes problems with planning, organizing, prioritizing, and sticking to a goal, among other challenges. It’s also a major reason behind motivation challenges in tweens and teens with ADHD. Read more.

Here, understand why the ADHD brain is tough to motivate, and how you can adjust your teaching and/or parenting accordingly. Keep reading.

Neurology shows that the ADHD brain is particularly sensitive to positive reinforcement and to punishment — insights that should influence parenting and teaching strategies. Read more.

“In the process of helping my son, I totally revolutionized the way I teach my own students — both the neurotypical and the atypical ones.” Read more.

“Lagging maturity, fewer social models, and weak executive functions mean that children with ADHD may struggle socially. The good news is that, like any other skill, social-emotional skills can be taught and improved.” Keep reading.

From smart social media use to careful questioning, here’s how parents can help boost a tween’s wavering confidence. Get help.

Social skills may not come naturally to kids with ADHD, who may seem bossy or oblivious, attract bullies, or hide in video games. Here’s how to help your child make friends (and keep them) this year.

Social-emotional learning activities and strategies for ADHD kids who struggle to make and keep friends — find them here.

Navigating social interactions requires various mental processes, or executive function skills. Deficits and delays in these skills – which I refer to as social executive function skills – are common in ADHD, and they explain many of our kids’ problems in the social realm.

Q: “As a teacher, how can I encourage my students to be supportive of their fellow classmates with ADHD? An inclusive classroom environment with peer kindness is my goal.” Read the answer.

If your child has ADHD, you know that “mean teachers” are rarely cruel on purpose. But sometimes their lack of knowledge and training on ADHD means that they have expectations — and comments — that are wholly inappropriate and/or unhelpful for our kids. Here are the 9 that I remember most clearly.

School refusal, also called school avoidance, is a serious matter. An acute case can last from two weeks up to a year; a chronic case might persist for a year or two. Learn more.

“Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD, I was repeatedly labeled… Lazy. Unmotivated. Smart but slacks off. Careless. Indifferent. Clumsy. Forgetful. Distracted. Sloppy. Listens but doesn’t follow directions. Doesn’t listen. Won’t listen. Stubborn.” None of them were true.

The best way to help a teen develop a positive, healthy mindset about their self and their future is to be present – and patient. Learn more.

Daily challenges and corrections at school can demoralize a child and trample her confidence over time. Here, learn how to end this negative cycle and improve your child’s self-esteem in the classroom.

Chronic stress at school can make kids (particularly those with ADHD or LD) dread going — and change their brains for the worse. But parents and teachers can help alleviate the stress that is stopping these bright kids from succeeding. Here’s how.

Your child’s bad behavior is not personal. Make ADHD the enemy; not your child. Catch your child being good every day. Stop blaming others. And other rules for parenting a child with ADD that every family needs to hear.

Spare your family daily drama and fights by following this homework system designed for children with ADHD and learning disabilities. Learn more.

Reading is a challenging way for a person with ADHD to learn information. Reading is passive. It’s like learning to play basketball by watching your coach play.

A dialogue journal is a blank book, usually kept in a designated space, that a teacher and student can use to correspond back and forth. Learn how it works.

If your child is too tired or frustrated to finish his homework, let him stop. And more advice from a seasoned educator.

Write notes on the right two-thirds of the page and create summary questions on the left side. Get more pro tips.

Math and writing require rock-solid executive functions, a source of immeasurable frustration for many students with ADHD. Here, learn helpful techniques and strategies.

Research suggests that the soundtrack to your child’s homework should comprise these 21 songs, proven to change the electromagnetic frequency of brain waves for optimal focus. Get the list.

Executive dysfunction commonly plagues children with ADHD at school and at home, impacting their working memory, ability to prioritize and organize, and sustained attention, among other things. Measure your child’s executive function with this tool.

Use these strategies for managing negative ADHD behavior in the classroom — and teaching students better skills for the long run. Get started.

Get ideas for soothing, effective fidgets for students with ADHD who focus best when they are chewing, squeezing, picking, or — yes — spinning. Reader recommendations.

Music stimulates the release of dopamine, which regulates motivation, working memory, attention, and focus — all needed for tackling homework — and often in short supply for people with ADHD. Learn more.

This is actually not the most effective way to help those of us with ADHD reliably and consistently do what we need to do. Here, learn why — and what to do instead.

To follow directions, students with ADHD must hear and understand classroom instructions. Use these teacher strategies for simplifying complex tasks with verbal and written guidance.

“Hyperactive children… are kinesthetic learners. That’s not a bad thing. It’s an opportunity for you to introduce fresh methods into your educational routines that address that learning style.” Susan Saurel, guest contributor

ADHD in the classroom is easy to mistake for carelessness, defiance, laziness, or a learning difference. Here are the 7 ADD symptoms that educators seldom recognize at school — and solutions for each.

Reasoning with dysregulated, angry kids in the middle of a breakdown is practically impossible. The best approach in the moment is to stop the meltdown from escalating, and to reduce their severity and frequency over time. How to do that.

“Defiant behavior is simply a response to a child’s lack of skills — that is, when a child feels incapable of responding to a specific expectation, he’ll lash out, push back, or melt down.” — Ross W. Greene, Ph.D.

Children with ADHD experience the same emotions as do other children, but their feelings are more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting. Because the underlying brain mechanisms that help manage emotions are affected by ADHD, emotional regulation development is delayed. Learn more.

These back-to-school supplies for students with ADHD — such as erasable pens, highlighter tape, wiggle seat cushions, and more — improve focus, organization, and classroom engagement. See the list.

This gives kids with ADHD a sense of being in control of their day. Provide advance notice of any changes to the usual routine. More strategies for promoting emotional control.

Aim to meet your child where they fall in terms of executive functioning and emotional maturity with the intention of helping them develop those skills. Here’s how.

Weak working memory impairs a child’s ability to follow multi-step directions, tap into old information, or quickly recall lessons. These 15 exercises and strategies can help.

Research shows that students with ADHD don’t need to study harder or longer to conquer exams — they just need to study differently. Here’s how.

Improve working memory in children with ADHD by using these 10 exercises that lighten the mental load by externalizing reminders.

Repetition can improve working memory. It even helps to pair an action or movement with a word or phrase. Learn more.

Stimulating the olfactory nerve produces dopamine, which the ADHD brain craves. Learn more.

“Executive age” refers to a person’s age based on how his or her brain is working. Individuals with executive functioning challenges are, on average, approximately 30 percent behind their peers in executive age. Learn more.

What might look like “selective hearing” is really the brain’s inability to solidify and hold on to information. When you are telling your child something you want him to do later on in the day, he is hearing you… at that moment. He’s just not remembering later on.Learn more.

Reliable schedules for mornings, after school, and bedtime make a tremendous difference in setting expectations, building good habits, and improving ADD-related behavior. Use these recommended templates.

What are the components of a good school planner? Find out here.

There’s no better time than now to work out new school systems and schedules. And that includes getting familiar with a few apps that help to improve time management, focus, and productivity. What are your favorites?

Calendars offer multisensory learning opportunities by being visual records of activities that you and your child write down and cross off, and they prompt auditory reinforcement as you talk about the day’s events. Get more organization tips.

Use this free guide to tackle common trouble spots, from waking up in the morning to going to bed at night. You can make your own routine or adapt the included sample routine to your family’s needs. Get this resource.

Digital clocks present time as a static present-tense thing, greatly affecting kids’ ability to conceive of and gauge time. Analog clocks show that time moves — and let a child know where she stands in relation to the rest of the hour or the rest of the day. We need to reintroduce analog clocks so children can “see” time and learn to place events in context. Learn more.

Transitioning from a hyperfocused, high-dopamine-reward activity to a lower-dopamine one requires a lot of impulse control, emotional regulation, and metacognition. These skills do not come naturally to ADHD brains, especially developing ones, so start by creating and following schedule. Learn more.

Motivation plays a significant role in teens’ behavior, but it’s important to recognize that some behaviors reflect a skill weakness rather than a lack of motivation. To evaluate weaknesses in your teen, be aware of his capacity to engage in effortful mental tasks. Learn more.

The positive effects last for two to three hours after exercise — attention is improved, memory is enhanced, and the endorphins released during physical activity decrease levels of stress and anxiety. Learn more.

Executive functioning skills power our daily functioning, future planning, and mental/physical health. Here, learn how to improve core EFs through recommended activities, exercises, and games.

Productivity gurus agree that the Eisenhower Matrix is a simple yet powerful way to set priorities and to focus your time and energy on what matters most. The matrix is divided into four quadrants according to two attributes: urgency and importance. Learn more.

Triaging a to-do list rarely comes naturally, but it’s learning how to prioritize is a skill that can be taught. Follow these steps to get started.

Executive dysfunction is ubiquitous in children with ADHD, which helps to explain why so many students with attention deficit are reprimanded for forgotten homework, disorganized projects, running out of time on tests, and more. Learn more.

A 7-year-old with ADHD has the executive functioning skills of a 4- or 5-year-old. A 13-year-old’s EF age is between 10 and 11. Your expectations for your child need to align with their EF age, and your strategies for scaffolding probably need to change accordingly. Learn more.

IEPs are protected by law, as spelled out in IDEA. So long as IDEA law remains intact, the rights of students with disabilities to IEPs will remain protected. However, the Department of Education is the primary watchdog for both IDEA and Section 504, so enforcement of IEP and 504 Plan violations could be impacted by recent cuts. Learn more.

We asked a panel of veteran teachers to share teaching strategies and classroom accommodations that had made a real difference in the lives of real students with ADHD and learning differences. Here are some of their favorites…

ADDitude readers share the school accommodations — plus crafty IEP tips and tricks — that help their children manage ADHD symptoms and stay focused, happy, and academically & socially successful. Get the list.

Impulsive behavior. Incomplete homework. Inconsistent focus. Whatever your child’s school challenges, these teacher-approved accommodations can put some real muscle behind his 504 Plan and put the attention back on learning. Get started.

Try this simple project to cultivate a classroom culture where individual strengths and needs are normalized, not stigmatized, and where students of all abilities feel comfortable advocating for the supports they need to thrive. Get started.

The easiest way to think about the differences between an IEP and a 504 Plan is that, if a student needs accommodations only in a regular classroom, he will generally get a 504 Plan. If the student needs special education services outside of a regular classroom, he will qualify for an IEP. Learn more.

IDEA regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Education in 1999 make it clear that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) is included in the list of “other health impairments” that could render a child eligible for special education services in an IEP. However, not all children with ADHD qualify for an IEP. To qualify, the ADHD must adversely affect a child’s educational performance. Students who do not meet the criteria spelled out by IDEA may still qualify for help under SECTION 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, also known simply as “Section 504” or “a 504 Plan.” Learn more.

Typing and handwriting lecture notes are equally effective methods for helping students with ADHD learn and recall information presented in class, and each one is far superior to taking no notes, finds a new study conducted by researchers at Indiana University. In addition, researchers found that both slower handwriting speed and worse sustained attention were related to higher ADHD symptoms.¹

In the study, 152 college students (46 with an ADHD diagnosis, 105 without) were divided into three groups: one cohort was instructed to handwrite notes, one was instructed to type notes, and one was instructed not to take notes. The students then watched a 15-minute TED talk and were given a free response quiz with no opportunity to review their notes. In addition to grading the assessment, researchers measured the participants’ handwriting speed, typing speed, fine motor dexterity, sustained attention, and severity of ADHD symptoms.

The learning benefit associated with both handwriting and typing notes was greater for students with higher ADHD symptom severity, causing researchers to conclude that, “active notetaking facilitates significant encoding gains in individuals with higher ADHD symptoms, critically suggesting that not taking notes is especially detrimental for those with higher symptoms.”

Challenges of Note Taking with ADHD

Previous research has demonstrated that students with ADHD face considerable challenges taking effective notes because of issues with working memory, transcription fluency, handwriting speed, and listening comprehension.^{2, 3}

Because of this, many postsecondary students with ADHD receive academic accommodations that allow them to receive copies of notes, either from a designated notetaker, a speech-to-text software, or an artificial intelligence note-taking program.

While notetaking accommodations offer students with ADHD access to good, quality notes they might not be able to produce themselves, the process of note-taking itself offers benefits that student with notetaking accommodations may be missing, the study’s researchers explain.

“The in-the-moment, active process of transcribing lecture information via notetaking facilitates learning, independent of studying, coined as the encoding effect,” ⁴ write the study’s authors. “It is theorized that encoding benefits arise from the sensorimotor engagement notetaking affords through transcription, as well as the cognitively demanding nature of the notetaking process.”

The study’s authors point out the dearth of research exploring whether notetaking accommodations actually reduce academic impairment related to ADHD, and they urge educators and providers supporting students with ADHD to consider that, “not taking notes may prevent individuals with higher ADHD symptoms from benefiting from initial learning gains active notetaking affords.”

Handwritten and Typed Notes Equally Beneficial

While notetaking’s cognitively demanding nature is precisely what gives rise to its benefits — including helping students with ADHD sustain attention — it is also why students with ADHD avoid or struggle to take notes.

Susan Kreuger, M.Ed., offers more detail about why notetaking is so taxing, in an ADDitude article titled “Notes on Taking Notes:” “Taking notes should be more than writing down information as a teacher is lecturing. A student needs to pay attention and try to understand what the teacher is teaching. He should be able to distinguish the big picture from insignificant details.”

For some, notetaking is particularly draining because of its fine motor demands. The study found that students with ADHD exhibited slower handwriting speeds than did neurotypical students, which slowed their transcription speed. By contrast, no differences in typing speed were found between the ADHD and non-ADHD groups.

The researchers urge students with handwriting challenges to explore the use of a keyboard which, “may free up cognitive resources during the notetaking process and provide opportunity for in-the-moment encoding benefits.”

Sources

¹Shimko, G. A., & James, K. H. (2025). The effects of notetaking modality and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on learning. Educational Psychology, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2025.2493257

²Vekaria, P. C., & Peverly, S. T. (2018). Lecture note-taking in postsecondary students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 31(7), 1551–1573. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-018-9849-2

³Gleason, J. D. (2012). An Investigation of the Note-Taking Skills of Adolescents with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): An Extension of Previous Research (Doctoral dissertation, Columbia University).

⁴Di Vesta, F. J., & Gray, G. S. (1972). Listening and note taking. Journal of Educational Psychology, 63(1), 8–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0032243

Triaging a to-do list rarely comes naturally, but it’s learning how to prioritize is a skill that can be taught. Guide your child through these steps:

1. Brain Dump: Jot down every single task on the horizon.

2. Next, Sort.

• When is each task due? Note deadlines next to related items. For looming deadlines, mark the task as “urgent” by adding an exclamation point!
• Is it important? Put an * next to important tasks, which will help your child achieve a goal or relate to a core value.

3. Make a shorter list: On a new page, create a smaller to-do list containing five or so items. The first items should be urgent, followed by some important ones. Set aside the long list and only refer to the short list. When it’s time for a new to-do list, return to the brain dump to pull more tasks.

[Get This Download: The Eisenhower Matrix for Prioritization]

Q: “My child struggles to get started on tasks. How can I move them along?”

Avoidance procrastination happens when you dread an unpleasant task. Maybe the task was unwieldy to begin with, or maybe it started small (e.g., writing in a daily reading log) but due to avoidance, ballooned in size (e.g., a whole month of daily entries). For your child, tackling the unpleasant task feels like climbing Mount Everest — without a sherpa. They don’t know where they’re going or what to expect.

Help your child break the unpleasant task into small, bite-sized chunks. And by small, I mean tiny. The first step of writing an essay isn’t “Write the first paragraph.” Instead, try: “Open a new document and write your name at the top.” Accomplishing this tiny step increases the odds of moving to step two. The idea is to focus on one small thing, and then another and another until the sum of the task is completed.

If your child still can’t get started, it probably means the steps aren’t small enough.

Q: “My child always gets their work done —at the last possible minute. Is there any way around this?”

Deadlines work wonders to get kids with ADHD locked in and focused. Why? When you’re up against a wall, adrenaline and cortisol activate your brain, giving you the motivation you need to get started — and creating a lot of stress in your body. Here are some ways to get ADHD brains engaged without all that stress.

• Create your deadline: After breaking down the big task, leverage the power of a deadline by having your child create one for each step.
• Race the clock: Have your child use the low-stakes pressure of a timer to motivate their work.
• Body double: Encourage your child to find a body double, someone they can work alongside to make the task more stimulating.

How to Prioritize Tasks: Next Steps

• Get This Checklist: Common Executive Function Challenges — and Solutions
• Free Download: Proven Homework Help for Kids with ADHD
• Read: Preventing Procrastination 101
• Read: Prioritize & Organize With These Planner Pointers

Sharon Saline, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist and author of several books.

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Bad grades are not always a fair reflection of your child’s effort, learning, motivation, or potential for success. And this is especially true for students with ADHD and other learning differences. On the surface, disappointing grades represent a failure at school. But there’s usually more to the story, which may never be heard because strong emotions — for parents and students — take over.

So how can we respond more positively and thoughtfully to a bad report card? Here to suggest solutions is Ann Dolin, M.Ed., an experienced author, educator, advocate, and parent of kids with ADHD who will help parents uncover possible reasons for their child’s grades and show them how to navigate these sticky situations while preserving their relationship with their child.

In this webinar, you will learn:

• How to talk to your child about their school performance, including some easy conversation starters
• Ways to investigate why it’s happening and the two most common reasons for poor grades
• What to do moving forward, including strategies to help your child study more effectively and stay organized
• Whether you should set consequences for your child’s bad grades (or reward them for good grades) and how to keep kids with ADHD motivated

Watch the Video Replay

Enter your email address in the box above labeled “Video Replay + Slide Access” to watch the video replay (closed captions available) and download the slide presentation.

Download or Stream the Podcast Audio

Click the play button below to listen to this episode directly in your browser, click the symbol to download to listen later, or open in your podcasts app: Apple Podcasts; Audacy; Spotify; Amazon Music; iHeartRADIO

ADHD at School: More Resources

• Download: Transform Your Teen’s Apathy Into Engagement
• Read: Do This, Then That! How to Model Planning & Prioritizing for Students with ADHD
• Q&A: “We Need an After-School Routine to Ease the Transition to Homework.”
• eBook: The ADHD Homework Survival Guide

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on November 12, 2024, watched the video replay, or listened to the podcast, you may purchase a certificate of attendance option (cost: $10). Note: ADDitude does not offer CEU credits. Click here to purchase the certificate of attendance option »

Meet the Expert Speaker

Ann Dolin, M.Ed., has nearly 30 years of experience working with students. She is a former public school special education teacher and author who founded Educational Connections in 1998. The company specializes in helping students, especially those with ADHD, build executive function skills and study habits to perform better in school and, ultimately, in college.

She and her team of more than 120 tutors, executive function coaches, college consultants, and parent coaches provide virtual support to families with kindergarten to college students throughout the country.

Ann is the author of Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools, and Solutions for Stress-Free Homework and Getting Past Procrastination: How to Get Your Kids Organized, Focused and Motivated… Without Being the Bad Guy. (#CommissionsEarned) She also is past president of CHADD of Northern Virginia and is an advocate for students with ADHD.

#CommissionsEarned As an Amazon Associate, ADDitude earns a commission from qualifying purchases made by ADDitude readers on the affiliate links we share.

Listener Testimonials

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“Excellent info regarding executive functioning!”

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Follow ADDitude’s full ADHD Experts Podcast in your podcasts app:
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– How to improve executive function by developing “domino” habits
– How to foster a positive learning environment that leans more heavily on praise
– How to design a neurodivergent-friendly classroom
– How to model good planning and prioritizing skills for your child
– How to capture wandering attention without embarrassing students with ADHD
– How to use a daily report card system effectively
– How to manage multiple students’ accommodations efficiently
– How to spot and avoid burnout in twice-exceptional students who are gifted and have ADHD
– How to reduce screen-time battles and use music to spark focus

Get all of these resources and more in this concise, practical, 12-page guide to building stronger executive functions in children with ADHD.

Print it, share it, use it, and start off the new school year smart!

NOTE: This resource is for personal use only.

Q: “How can I encourage my child to ask their teacher for help when needed?”

The skill of self-advocacy is both critical and elusive for many students with ADHD. They can benefit greatly from the student-teacher communication that they are terrified to initiate. Most educators are eager to hear their students’ needs and concerns; many adolescents, however, feel embarrassed, anxious, and/or unsure about face-to-face meetings.

Enter the dialogue journal — a blank book, usually kept in a designated space, that a teacher and student can use to correspond back and forth. This simple but powerful tool offers students a low-pressure way to express their thoughts, concerns, and needs without feeling put on the spot. It also allows teachers to digest the information when it’s convenient for them and not when they’re juggling a dozen other things.

A student could share, “I’m having a hard time focusing at my table,” “I struggle when you call me out for not paying attention in front of everyone,” or “I didn’t understand the math today.” The teacher can ask follow-up questions to get more info, offer solutions, or suggest having a face-to-face conversation.

[Get This Free Download: Explaining ADHD to Teachers]

Perhaps most importantly, the dialogue journal gives teachers the chance to offer positive feedback to students with ADHD, who respond best to praise but seldom receive it. Comments like, “Thanks for helping clean up the paints today,” or “I really enjoyed your observation in Social Studies,” can boost confidence, improve motivation, and significantly enhance the teacher-student relationship.

Homework Solutions: Starting and Finishing Assignments

“What’s the best way to help my student start and finish their homework?”

Completing homework requires sustained attention, focus, and working memory. These executive functioning skills develop more slowly in students with ADHD, creating stress and erecting barriers as a child tries to initiate and complete their assignments on time.

Here are some tips to help your student avoid the frustration that often accompanies homework assignments. Encourage your child to:

• Decompress. When you get home from school, take 40 minutes to eat a healthy snack and refuel your brain. Then take out your books or review your homework assignments within your classroom portal.
• Work in increments. Start with the hardest subject first. Set a timer for 30 minutes, work, then take a 10-minute break. Consider stretching and moving your body during the break to recharge. Then return to the task for another 30 minutes. Your goal is to finish each assignment before it is due. If it doesn’t get done, submit what you have, even though it’s not completed.
• Work backward. This is an awesome strategy: Put the assignment due date on your calendar and break the project into smaller parts to determine the steps you need to finish it. Then set a deadline for completing each step. You may want to create a to-do list and mark off each step as you go for a feeling of accomplishment.

Teacher-Student Relationship: Next Steps

• Sign-Up: Free Teacher Training Program
• Download: Solving Classroom Challenges 
• Read: 4 Secrets to More Positive Teacher-Student Relationships
• Listen: “Meet the Teacher — How to Build Relationships This School Year”

Kristin Seymour, MSN, R.N., AHCNS-BC, is a board-certified Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Heart & Vascular Center in St. Louis.

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After-School Routines for Managing Transitions

Q: “When our child comes home from school, they immediately get on their phone or play video games. I allow this because it’s their downtime, but the transition to getting them off their screens to do homework or chores is rough. How can we make this easier?”

Children need decompression time after school. It is challenging for an inattentive or hyperactive student to stay focused and on point for the duration of the school day. So I am all about them coming home from school and just going outside or watching videos for 30 to 40 minutes. But at 40 minutes, the alarm on their phone or a caregiver’s phone should go off, and the student’s phone should go back to its docking station or be otherwise out of reach.

If they refuse to give up their device or stop playing video games willingly, you need to confiscate the electronics. I’ve shut down my kid’s phone remotely using a deactivation tool from my cell phone provider. She learned pretty quickly that I was serious. If you decide to deactivate your child’s phone for a period to prove your point, you might say: “When you follow these rules, your work gets done, and you feel better. If you do not follow the rules, we will need to prevent access to your phone or video games in the evening so you can get your work done.”

Then, have your child work on homework for 30 to 40 minutes, followed by a 10-minute break, and repeat. Your child should not have access to electronics during any breaks.

[Download: 5 Academic Challenges Rooted in ADHD Executive Dysfunction]

Experts say it takes 21 to 30 days to make a habit stick. Once kids get into the after-school routine of transitioning from downtime to schoolwork, they will start to develop self-discipline.

Listening to Music While Studying

Q: “Should I allow my teen to listen to music while studying and doing homework?”

Yes. Listening to music while studying is a great idea if they can manage it.

Music stimulates the release of dopamine, which regulates motivation, working memory, attention, and focus — all needed for tackling homework — and often in short supply for people with ADHD. I sometimes ask my patients, “How do you study best? Do you like listening to music? Does it help you get into hyperfocus, or is it distracting?”

Half of my patients say music helps them study and focus. If playing music works for your teen and helps promote focus and calm, that’s great.

[Download: 11 Tips for Redirecting Focus]

Have your child make a playlist lasting 30 to 40 minutes. Leaving their phone in another room while music plays on a remote speaker or Bluetooth headphones will make it less likely that they will check their text messages or otherwise get distracted.

After-School Routines: Next Steps

• Free Download: Free Checklist of Executive Dysfunctions in the Classroom
• Read: How to Tune Out Distractions & Focus on School
• Read: Fun (and Functional) Fidgets for ADHD Brains
• Watch: “‘I Can’t Focus!’ When ADHD Impacts Your Child’s Math & Writing Performance”

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Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Maintain Motivation & Resilience

These strategies will help your teen tap into their “grit.”

Teachers and parents can take advantage of these strategies for training focus, combatting procrastination, and prioritizing effectively to achieve the success that drives future motivation.

When we create learning environments and activities that help students feel safe and confident, we reduce their chances of experiencing failure and increase their chance at success.

Does delayed executive function maturity make it hard for your child to achieve his goals? Here, tips for practice, patience, and perseverance for children and teenagers with ADHD.

Traditional carrots and sticks don’t motivate students with ADHD – that much is clear. But these strategies do.

Why do adults and children with ADHD or ADD have strong motivation and executive function for some tasks and never find the cognitive spark to do others? Learn more.

Learn about seven important executive function skills, their relationship to motivation, and how to improve each skill. Learn more.

Foster Friendships & Regulate Emotions

Required reading for any parent whose child has felt excluded — or whose child has excluded others.

Students with ADHD thrive in a positive classroom environment, and peer interactions and relationships play a big role in shaping that learning experience.

While your child has strengths, it is the weak executive functions — the management system of the brain — that affect their social skills.

ADHD can cause specific immature behaviors, causing kids to be an outcast amongst peers. Learn how praise and getting involved in activities can help.

How to help your child make friends (and keep them) this year. Learn more.

Teach your child how to deal with a bully and become an upstander for other neurodivergent kids with these strategies.

Children and teens with ADHD may lose friends because of deficits in social executive function skills – the underlying processes that are involved in social skills ranging from perspective-taking to reciprocity and cognitive flexibility. Learn how to help them.

Initiate & Complete Homework

Research suggests that the soundtrack to your child’s homework should comprise these 21 songs, proven to change the electromagnetic frequency of brain waves for optimal focus.

Learn ways to treat dysgraphia – a disability that impacts writing abilities – and to improve handwriting for a lifetime.

With these homework routines, teachers and parents can replace after-school tantrums with higher grades..

Hurdles with writing trace back to executive functioning — our brains’ ability to absorb, organize, and act on information. Learn more.

12 ADHD-friendly strategies for creating calm, avoiding burnout, and staying organized during homework time.

Spare your family drama and fights by following this homework system designed for children with ADHD and learning disabilities.

Kids with ADHD often struggle with homework, but each one struggles in a unique way. Here are specific solutions that really work for kids with ADHD.

Secure Accommodations & Self-Advocate

These academic and organizational tips are designed to help high school students with ADHD finish homework, execute long-term projects, manage their time, earn high grades, and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

“Daily report cards are among the most powerful evidence-based tools that educators have to encourage better behavior in students. A strong report card system has a few key elements that make or break its effectiveness.”

Know your rights if the school refuses to evaluate your student for learning differences.

8 straightforward steps — from requesting a school evaluation to monitoring accommodations — to help parents develop the best IEP or 504 Plan possible for kids with ADHD.

Learn how to help a student with ADHD understand and communicate their learning needs to teachers and parents.

Here are some of our favorite solutions for addressing common ADHD challenges at school.

Here are some of our favorite solutions for addressing common ADHD challenges at school.

Remember Not to Forget

A working memory deficit could explain his difficulty working out math problems in his head or with reading retention. Take this self-test.

Improve working memory in children with ADHD by using these 10 exercises that lighten the mental load by externalizing reminders.

Learn faster. Retain more. Perform better on tests. Yes, really. With these research-based techniques for studying with ADHD .

Educators must do more to support students with learning differences for whom working memory is an area of need. The following are a few strategies and pointers for educators.

Research shows that students with ADHD don’t need to study harder or longer to conquer exams — they just need to study differently. Here’s how.

Weak working memory impairs a child’s ability to follow multi-step directions, tap into old information, or quickly recall lessons. These 15 exercises and strategies can help.

Verbal and non-verbal working memory are two essential batteries powering what Dr. Russell Barkley calls your brain’s GPS system — the one that keeps you on track, on time, and in control. Learn how to keep them charged.

Build Self-Confidence at School

Responding to bad behavior with neurotypical parenting techniques is counterproductive because it ignores the root problem. Here is a better way.

When teens with ADHD feel less than adequate, parents should use these strategies to help them bolster their self confidence, make healthy choices, and develop a positive perspective on the future. Here’s how.

Daily challenges and corrections at school can demoralize a child and trample her confidence. How to end the cycle.

These ADHD teaching strategies will help all students — but especially those with ADD — learn to the best of their ability in any classroom. Get started.

No child with ADHD can succeed at school if he believes he is less smart or less capable than his peers. Here is a better way.

Many children with ADHD, battered by daily criticisms and admonitions, have low self-esteem as early as second grade. Make a powerful difference with these reframing strategies.

Chronic stress at school can make kids (particularly those with ADHD or LD) dread going — and change their brains for the worse. Learn more.

Organize & Manage Time

The most critical tool for building these executive functions? The right planner. Here it is.

Want to make sure that your child gets his homework done every night — and learns about planning and how to prioritize? Teach them to use a homework planner.

11 tips for cementing your family’s routine.

Here, learn how to use calendars and clocks to teach your child the value of strong priorities and to help him be on time more often.

Paper planners outperform digital ones for ADHD brains. Here is what makes a great planner.

Chaotic desk? Forgotten homework? Missed deadlines? Your child needs these ADHD organizing tips.

Reliable schedules for mornings, after school, and bedtime make a tremendous difference in setting expectations, building good habits, and improving ADD-related behavior. Learn more.

Resist Distractions and Focus

dopamine menu lists an assortment of pleasurable, healthy activities — from appetizers like yoga poses to main courses like a HIIT class to sides like white noise — from which ADHD brains can choose when they need stimulation. Learn more.

Research shows that physical activity — even a little foot-tapping or gum chewing — increases levels of the neurotransmitters in the brain that control focus and attention. Learn more.

“Procrastivity” is a self-defeating ADHD time-management habit can be helped by cognitive behavioral therapy approaches that teach patients how to prioritize tasks. Learn more here.

You can’t train away executive dysfunction. But you can more consistently get things done by creating systems in your life that support these brain processes. Get started here.

Soothing, effective fidgets for students with ADHD who focus best when they are chewing, squeezing, picking, or — yes — spinning. See our picks here.

Children with ADHD experience a lower level of brain arousal, which means they are easily distracted by internal and external stimuli. Use these school and home strategies to improve focus and comprehension.

For inconsistent focus, use these teacher-approved accommodations to put some real muscle behind his 504 Plan and put the attention back on learning. Get started.

Control Impulses and Behavior

Back-to-school supplies for students with ADHD — from erasable pens and highlighter tape to wiggle seat cushions, and more — that improve focus, organization, and classroom engagement. See the list.

Educators share their top tips for developing stronger executive function skills and independence in students with ADHD and learning differences here.

The Good Behavior Game is one of many classroom behavior interventions — backed by research — that inspires better behavior from students with and without ADHD. Here is how to play.

Is your child experiencing behavior problems at school? Use this step-by-step guide.

Time-outs and lectures won’t magically cure the impulsive tendencies of kids with ADHD. But these real-world tips for teachers and parents just might.

Lack of impulse control may be the most difficult ADHD symptom to change. Medication can help, but kids also need effective behavior management strategies in place — clear expectations, positive incentives, and predictable consequences — if they are to learn to regulate their behavior. Get started here.

Teach students to regulate their emotions with these ADHD strategies.

Forge Stronger Executive Functions

Executive function deficits may look like absentmindedness or forgetfulness. Learn more.

Learn about your child’s seven executive functions — and how to boost them.

“Executive dysfunction is ubiquitous in children with ADHD, which helps to explain why so many students with attention deficit are reprimanded for forgotten homework, disorganized projects, running out of time on tests, and more.” Learn more.

Martial arts help build self-control, discipline, and persistence. Learn how.

Symptoms of inattentive ADHD are often mistaken for apathy or laziness. Learn the truth.

ADHD intentions don’t always translate into action. Learn how to align them here.

90% of kids with ADHD have an executive function deficit. Learn how to strengthen executive functions here.

I hear from parents who are struggling to give their children what they need while also coping with their own stressors. Many feel ill equipped to fill the roles of parent, teacher, coach, playmate, and everything else — all at once and all at the same time. But while toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and flour may feel essential, the thing our kids need most right now is something well within reach: our presence.

Here are four rules to keep in mind as we navigate the “Global Pause” with our children:

1. Practice Self-Compassion

In navigating this crisis, our kids are demanding more of us, even as we’re juggling more than our fair share of roles and responsibilities. We won’t balance and execute it all perfectly, but we can help ourselves by tending to our emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing — and prioritizing self-care, even (or perhaps especially) when things feel so messy.

[Click to Read: 3 Good (and Curable) Reasons Your Family is So Stressed Out]

The truth? There is no “right way” to get through this pandemic. We don’t have to be productive, or revisit an old hobby, or even change out of our pajamas (unless we want to). Instead, let’s aim for:

1. Doing our best every day
2. Practicing relentless self-compassion

This is not only how we’ll best support our kids; it is also how we powerfully model how to get through hard things. I can’t think of a better takeaway.

2. Keep Yourself Emotionally Present

We may be physically sharing space with our kids all day every day, but that doesn’t automatically translate to emotional presence. And regardless of how they’re coping — shutting us out, distracting themselves with technology, immersing themselves in a project — there will be times when they need us to be all there to listen, play, process, and support.

[Get This Free Download: Your 13-Step Guide to Raising a Child with ADHD]

What this looks like will depend on your child: It could be an invitation to play a game or a philosophical conversation started just after the lights go out. It might even be an offer to help cook dinner, garden, or clean (hey, a girl can dream, right?). Regardless, we want our response to be the same: prioritize family over everything else and be present. Our kids are going to need us when they need us. By being emotionally present for them, we’re contributing to their sense of safety.

3. Choose Your Words Carefully

It’s important that parents have honest, age-appropriate conversations with their kids about what’s happening in the world, but it’s important that we do so from a place of calm. Our kids need to know that they’re safe and that we are here to take care of them; that they don’t need to take on worries that are beyond their control.

Still, we may not be feeling safe ourselves, and it’s important for us to acknowledge those feelings, too… just not to or around our kids. My husband and I have a rule that we talk about our end-of-days irrational fears, worries over health, and concerns about the economy and jobs during our daily couple-only walks or runs, never in front of our son.

4. Listen, Empathize, and Listen Some More

Processing complicated feelings like sadness, disappointment, or fear is likely going to happen out loud for our kids in the form of grumbling, complaining, whining, catastrophizing, raging. Sound familiar? Because our own current stressors feel much more immediate and critical, our knee-jerk reaction to our kids’ venting might be to get annoyed, minimize their experience, or shut them down.

Safely expressing those big, hard feelings to us is exactly what they need. Our job right now is to listen and empathize with their experience: “You are really having a hard time right now. You’re really missing your friends. It’s hard when you can’t do the things you enjoy doing the most”). And be sure they know we’re always available to listen some more.

[Read This Next: The ADHD Soul Shine Kit: Build Your Child’s Self Esteem]

Deborah Reber is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and the founder of TiLT Parenting, a resource for parents raising differently wired children. Her TiLT Parenting Podcast—on which she interviews high-profile thought leaders in parenting and education—has grown to be a top podcast in iTunes’ Kids and Family category, with more than 2 million downloads. Before launching TiLT, Debbie spent 15 years writing inspiring books for teen girls, including her most recent, Differently Wired: A Parent’s Guide to Raising an Atypical Child with Confident and Hope. Debbie, her husband, and 15-year-old son live in New York City.

THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF ADDITUDE’S FREE PANDEMIC COVERAGE
To support our team as it pursues helpful and timely content throughout this pandemic, please join us as a subscriber. Your readership and support help make this possible. Thank you.

Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D.

Clinical psychologist, lecturer in psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

On how to stop procrastinating …

I use the “account-a-buddy” system to prevent procrastination. I text a friend or group of friends and let them know about a task I have to do, and ask them to suggest an album I can listen to on Spotify while doing it. It holds me accountable and I get to listen to an album new to me in the process!

On solving hurt feelings stemming from a difference of opinion …

I start by focusing on intentions. Oftentimes, the difference in opinion arises from how those intentions get communicated or executed. But if you open with — “We both want the same thing here. We are on the same team. But maybe we are each paying attention to a different coach telling us how to score the goal” — I find that it brings the focus back to what you have in common.

[Read: How ADHD Ignites Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria]

Ann Dolin, M.Ed.

On dealing with a child’s unwillingness to do homework …

A friend once told me, “If you think you might get into a power struggle with your child, then you already are in a power struggle.” Both of my kids have ADHD, and I make a real effort to avoid that daily homework drama to preserve our relationship.

Most of the resistance surrounding homework stems from the child not understanding the material. When this happened with my younger son, I would help him get started. Whenever he would get frustrated and start to argue, I would put the ball back in his court by saying, “I’ve noticed this assignment is really hard for you. I’ll be over here checking my work email. When you’re ready, come back to me.”

If you sit by your child and help them do each step of each assignment, it sets a bad precedent, and your child may become reliant on you. I didn’t set high expectations for homework. I just encouraged them to get it done and left the quality up to the teacher. If my younger son, who was often more resistant, would slap something down on his paper and say he was done, I would leave it at that. It just needs to be complete, and that’s how you avoid the constant power struggles. Maintaining a good relationship with your child is far more important than turning in perfect homework assignments.

[Read: Top 5 Homework Frustrations — and Fixes for Each]

Wes Crenshaw, Ph.D., ABPP, CST

On encouraging independence in teens and young adults …

An intervention I’ve used for many years to help parents manage young adults (YAs) has come in pretty darn handy in my own life in the last 10 years. My daughter just sat for her bar exam and my son is in his sophomore year of college, so I consider it effective, especially when you start in the almost-teen years.

Consider every act you are about to do for your child as either beneficent or enabling — and enact only the beneficent ones. Beneficence means to give in a way that brings about good. First, the act must really help the YA on the core task of development, which is moving toward independence and self-sufficiency. Second, the act must not harm the giver.

The opposite of beneficence is enabling, or solving a problem that the YA is capable of solving on their own. Enabling leads to increased dependency and limits creativity and problem-solving. It’s often tough to discern one from the other and then take only the beneficent path. I spend a lot of time with families figuring out in any given situation which is which.

Sharon Saline, Psy.D.

Clinical psychologist, and author

On time management …

Two time-management patterns especially challenge me: First, I often underestimate how long a task will take and then rush to get it done at the last minute. Second, I may overestimate how much time a task will take, feel overwhelmed by it, and procrastinate.

Over time, I’ve learned to manage my time better. I use alarms and notifications that give me ample warning when I need to transition and add an extra 10 minutes for unforeseen issues. I also cut my expectations regarding what I can accomplish in a day. Instead of attempting eight things, I’ll aim to do three, and return to my list if there is time left. I link certain tasks and projects to different days of the week based on urgency and importance. By working with due dates, I can allocate my time better.

Lastly, I am committed to practicing self-acceptance around this issue. If I’m running late, I own it, and let people know in advance as much as possible. Then, I consider what different choices I could have made to be punctual without shaming myself. All these techniques help me to figure out what is possible, be accountable for my actions, and leave room for improvement.

Evelyn Polk Green, M.Ed.

Immediate past president, Attention Deficit Disorder Association

On task management …

Organizing and initiating a task are my two biggest ADHD challenges, and that means that my house/desk/car are a mess. I’ve solved that by paying for things like a housekeeper and laundry service, using meal plan kits and food delivery services often, and paying a monthly fee for unlimited car washes and interior cleanings. I know not everyone can afford all of that, but I encourage folks to think about what not paying for those things costs them in the “ADHD tax,” and realize you’ll probably save enough to do at least some of this.

On taking ADHD in stride …

Despite being aware of my ADHD, and being an ADHD advocate for almost 30 years, I still experience many of the same challenges that other individuals with the disorder do. I have to say that I have learned to take it in stride and even laugh (once I’m done being angry/frustrated/unhappy with myself because of whatever ADHD mess I’ve gotten myself into). That is actually one of my most important coping skills: acknowledging that I’m going to mess up, not beating myself up (too much) when it happens, finding something funny about the situation, and then moving on.

How To Stop Procrastinating & Time Management Tips: Next Steps

• Read: The Procrastinator’s Guide to Getting Things Done
• Download: 19 Ways to Meet Deadlines and Get Things Done
• Read: Stop. Procrastinating. Now.

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Hi MarylandADHDMom:

I appreciate your desire to “lean in” to your son’s app usage. It’s important to meet your child where they live. So, although I do sometimes feel that apps can be limiting and distracting, I have many student coaching clients, especially those with executive functioning challenges and ADHD, who find them useful, easy to manage, and a natural extension of their recreational “tech usage.” In other words, they’re more apt to use study apps than other “old school” methods, and using them is what matters.

Here are five of my favorites.

Top Study Apps for Students with ADHD

Habit Hub

(https://apps.apple.com/us/app/habit-hub-routine-schedule/id1149192857; free; iOS)

Creating and maintaining daily habits is key to effectively managing ADHD — and it’s also incredibly difficult. Habit Hub comes to students’ aid by reminding them to perform tasks and visually tracking their progress. It builds a motivating “chain” (A feature my students love!) of each day’s completed tasks. As the chain gets longer, it serves as an incentive or as motivation to keep at the project. Nobody wants to break the chain!

With Habit Hub, your son can customize his tasks into categories. It’s incredibly flexible and makes setting up and staying in a routine game-like.

Otter AI

(https://otter.ai/; free basic plan; students with an email address ending with “.edu” receive a 20% discount on upgraded versions Otter Pro Annual ($6.67/per month/ $79.99 annually, and Otter Pro Monthly ($13.59/per month)

Otter AI offers a much-needed lifeline for students juggling classes, research, exams, and extracurriculars, and it’s especially helpful for students with weak working memory.

[Download These Teacher Approved Apps and Tools For School]

The app records audio and automatically takes notes in real-time, so students can focus on the discussion, knowing they’ll have access to the transcript and recording to review and highlight. Once the lecture ends, Otter AI automatically generates a summary, making it easier for students to digest and remember key points and themes. The app also captures lecture slides and adds them to notes, which helps students recall the details with full context. The app’s keyword search capabilities are crucial for promoting more effective notetaking.

Brainly

(https://brainly.com/; free to join)

I can’t say enough about Brainly. Picture this: It’s 11 p.m., and your son is stumped by his homework, but it’s too late to reach out to a friend or teacher. Now, he has an alternative. Brainly is a knowledge-sharing community where hundreds of millions of students and experts work together to crack the toughest homework questions.

With the app, your son can search a knowledge base of millions of school subject questions. Both students and experts provide answers and support. Moderators keep things kind and collaborative. And experts verify the quality of answers.

Brainly is geared mainly towards middle and high school students but is gaining popularity in the college-age set.

[Self-Test: Signs of Executive Dysfunction in Kids and Teens]

SimpleMind

(https://simplemind.eu/; free basic platform; works on Mac, Windows, iPad, iPhone, and Android)

Many of my students love mind mapping, a more natural form of notetaking used to brainstorm, plan, and make connections between ideas. It speaks to their creativity and lends a visual aspect to notetaking and studying.

SimpleMind can organize your son’s thoughts by creating a mind map, which can then be seamlessly synchronized across multiple platforms and shared with others. The app allows users to add photos, videos, and even voice recordings. My students especially like that they can select different layouts and customize the appearance of their mind maps.

Stay Focusd

(https://www.stayfocusd.com/, free)

 If your son is endlessly scrolling through his social media or getting lost on the Internet when he should be working or studying, Stay Focusd may rescue him.

This self-control and productivity extension for Google Chrome allows you to block distracting apps and websites according to defined conditions. Your son can block out a specific schedule, set a daily usage limit, or even set a goal-based limit. In other words, it allows him to take a break from his phone and focus on homework without relying solely on self-control.

Todoist

(https://todoist.com/; free beginner plan, upgrades available for $4/per month, works on all devices)

With so many to-do list apps, I couldn’t choose one I preferred. This is where I relied on my students’ preferences. Todoist is their top pick for many reasons:

1. It’s available on all platforms and devices.
2. Its distraction-free design allows students to be super detailed with their tasks. (Your son can use Todoist to add steps to projects, set due dates, color code priorities, and create recurring tasks effortlessly.)
3. My students say the app is super user-friendly!

Good luck.

Mind Mapping & Study Apps for ADHD Brains: Next Steps

• Download: Learning Tools That Improve Productivity, Reading and Writing Skills
• Read: 25 Great Mobile Apps for ADHD Minds
• Q:  “What Time Management Apps Will My Teen with ADHD Actually Use?”

ADHD Family Coach Leslie Josel, of Order Out of Chaos, will answer questions from ADDitude readers about everything from paper clutter to disaster-zone bedrooms and from mastering to-do lists to arriving on time every time.

Submit your questions to the ADHD Family Coach here!

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.