ADHD in High School: Helping Teens Manage Symptoms https://www.additudemag.com ADHD symptom tests, ADD medication & treatment, behavior & discipline, school & learning essentials, organization and more information for families and individuals living with attention deficit and comorbid conditions Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:55:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://i0.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cropped-additude-favicon-512x512-1.png?w=32&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C32px&ssl=1 ADHD in High School: Helping Teens Manage Symptoms https://www.additudemag.com 32 32 216910310 How SAT and ACT Changes Impact ADHD Students https://www.additudemag.com/act-changes-should-i-take-the-sat/ https://www.additudemag.com/act-changes-should-i-take-the-sat/#respond Wed, 12 Nov 2025 23:07:33 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?p=389604 Standardized tests were once required by most college admissions offices. Then they weren’t. Now they’re back – sort of – but format and content changes in the SAT and ACT are making these tests feel unfamiliar and even intimidating. If your high school student has college aspirations, here is what you should know…

What’s Happening with the ACT?

In response to the digital overhaul of the SAT in 2024, the ACT recently launched a major update with these changes:

  • Test duration dropped from three hours to just over two hours
  • Fewer questions and more time per question
  • Science section is now optional
  • Digital or paper testing available

In modernizing its test, the ACT also introduced some uncertainty, especially for students with ADHD, who thrive on routine and clear expectations. While the real-world impact of the digital test remains uncertain, the ACT has endeavored to help students prepare by releasing updated resources, including a free full-length practice test. This is a helpful step forward, but some students may still find it challenging to build confidence without the wealth of prep materials and testing history that come with a more established format.

Why Scores Still Matter

While many colleges are still test-optional, some (like Georgetown University, Dartmouth, and Florida’s and Georgia’s public universities, to name a few) now require scores again. Enrollment data at a growing list of selective schools shows that most enrolled students submitted SAT or ACT scores on their applications, which placed them in a “test preferred” category.

[Read: 4 Hallmarks of ADHD-Supportive Colleges]

A solid score can help offset lower grades or an uneven academic record. That said, truly test-optional schools are still a good fit for some students, especially if testing is a major hurdle, even with accommodations. The key is to be strategic.

Every student is different, especially with it comes to focus, motivation, and collegiate goals. While not every teen needs to submit scores, I recommend that most students prepare for and take at least one college entrance exam.

That said, I know that test prep can feel overwhelming and/or unnecessary. Taking a low-pressure mock SAT, like the one available for free on the College Board’s Bluebook app, is a great way to gauge whether standardized testing is a good fit.

[Read: The College Survival Guide for Students with ADHD]

If your teen does well and feels confident after the experience, you may want to continue down the SAT path. If now, the ACT might be a better match. In either case, it’s important to allow plenty of time to test the waters.

Plan and Prep Early

For students with weak executive function skills, we do not recommend prepping alone with a test prep book, or even in a group setting. It’s easy to lose focus, miss key strategies, or feel overwhelmed without individualized guidance and structure.

An experienced tutor who understands how to work with teens with ADHD can improve focus, increase testing stamina, and target the areas where they need the most support.

Given all the turbulence in college admissions testing, it’s important to have a clear plan in place, especially for 9th and 10th graders. So do the following:

  • Start now. Don’t wait until next fall to figure it out.
  • Secure testing accommodations early because the process takes time.
  • Stay flexible. If one test doesn’t feel like the right fit, it’s okay to pivot.

Above all, remember that the “right college” is the one that meets your child where they are and powers them forward.

Should I Take the SAT?: Next Steps

Ann Dolin, M.Ed., is founder and president of Educational Connections in Alexandria, Virginia.


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“From Resistance to Responsibility: Helping Tweens and Teens with ADHD Tackle Homework Independently” [Video Replay & Podcast #578] https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/high-school-homework-schedule-adhd-students/ https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/high-school-homework-schedule-adhd-students/#respond Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:19:48 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?post_type=webinar&p=384127 Episode Description

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


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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Back-to-School Guide 2025: Accommodations, Executive Functions, Behavior & Beyond https://www.additudemag.com/back-to-school-2025-adhd-students/ https://www.additudemag.com/back-to-school-2025-adhd-students/#respond Thu, 24 Jul 2025 15:08:24 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?p=383952

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.

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Study Explores How to Take Notes Effectively with ADHD https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-take-notes-adhd-handwritten-digital/ https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-take-notes-adhd-handwritten-digital/#respond Mon, 19 May 2025 21:50:11 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?p=379779 May 19, 2025

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

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“Gap Year Pros and Cons for Neurodivergent Students” [Video Replay & Podcast #542] https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/gap-year-pros-cons-neurodivergent-students/ https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/gap-year-pros-cons-neurodivergent-students/#respond Wed, 18 Dec 2024 16:09:40 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?post_type=webinar&p=368346 Episode Description

Some high school seniors, particularly those with ADHD who have experienced persistent academic stress, may benefit from taking a gap year before they begin college, a trade school, or a career. A gap year is a temporary break from higher education. Some students who take a gap year desperately need the time off to decompress, some are uncertain about their direction, and others may want to gain another year of maturity and/or independence before living away at college.

A gap year can provide a teen with the opportunity to work, volunteer, study, travel, and generally take some time to grow and develop. This webinar will provide a basis for caregivers, school counselors, and young people themselves to decide if taking a year off after high school or after a year or two of college is right for their family.

In this webinar, you will learn:

  • About the different types of gap year programs most appropriate for neurodivergent students
  • About the benefits and drawbacks of taking a gap year
  • What research data show about students who take a gap year
  • What caregivers should consider, and what counselors might advise, regarding whether a student should pursue a gap year
  • About the growing trend of neurodivergent students who are already in their first or second year of college and decide they want to take a gap year

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.

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

Gap Years & Neurodivergent Students: More Resources

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on February 4, 2025, 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 »


Webinar Sponsor

The sponsor of this ADDitude webinar is….

 

 

Landmark College offers summer programs to assist a wide range of students with learning differences, including rising high school juniors and seniors, recent high school graduates and students enrolled at other colleges. Students learn specific strategies to be successful in formal academic settings and grow personally and academically in an intentional and supportive academic community. www.landmark.edu

ADDitude thanks our sponsors for supporting our webinars. Sponsorship has no influence on speaker selection or webinar content.


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Ready. Set. Best Year Yet! https://www.additudemag.com/neurodivergent-students-guide-school-success/ https://www.additudemag.com/neurodivergent-students-guide-school-success/#respond Fri, 12 Jul 2024 15:56:14 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?p=358168

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.

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25 Must-Read ADDitude Articles for Parenting Kids with ADHD https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/parenting-a-child-with-adhd-articles/ https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/parenting-a-child-with-adhd-articles/#respond Mon, 09 Oct 2023 08:43:59 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?post_type=slideshow&p=340462 https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/parenting-a-child-with-adhd-articles/feed/ 0 340462 Neurodiversity at School: A 10-Part Guide for Parents & Teachers https://www.additudemag.com/neurodivergence-at-school-parents-teachers/ https://www.additudemag.com/neurodivergence-at-school-parents-teachers/#respond Thu, 13 Jul 2023 20:06:02 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?p=335570

Click each image below to read detailed advice and strategies for the school year ahead.





































































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How to Establish Learning Habits That Pay Dividends Forever https://www.additudemag.com/what-to-do-after-high-school-support-your-kid-adhd/ https://www.additudemag.com/what-to-do-after-high-school-support-your-kid-adhd/#respond Wed, 22 Feb 2023 10:32:41 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?p=323634

What’s the secret to raising successful kids? The answer is simple and complex: seeing and supporting them fully.

When a child feels secure in their caregivers’ love and encouragement, strong self-confidence and self-esteem naturally follow suit. When a child’s ADHD is fully recognized and understood, that is when their strengths get unlocked and futures become clear. How do you get from here to there? One step at a time.

Step One: Learn Everything About ADHD

ADHD is like an iceberg. The complexities beneath its surface (including its high co-occurrence with other conditions) are seldom recognized and often criticized unfairly, leading many children with ADHD to develop damaging self-beliefs. They are not lazy or unmotivated or slow; they have a unique neurological footprint. Understanding and communicating that is key.

ADHD and Executive Function Deficits

ADHD impairs executive function — the brain skills we use to succeed in school, work, and other realms of life. You and your child must understand that deficits in executive skills makes it difficult to…

  • …be on time
  • …get started on tasks
  • …juggle information in the mind
  • …initiate work independently
  • …set priorities
  • …be organized
  • …complete long-term projects
  • …submit work on time
  • …remain calm in stressful situations

ADHD and Delayed Maturity

Maturation of the ADHD brain lags about three to five years behind that of the non-ADHD brain.1 The delay affects the brain’s prefrontal regions, which control the aforementioned executive functions and other important cognitive processes. What does this mean? You need to adjust your expectations about your middle schooler or high schooler in comparison to their peers. Developmentally, your 14-year-old’s “executive age” may be closer to 11 or 12 years old, for example. As is the case for many people with ADHD, your child might experience a maturation spurt in their early 20s as the brain continues to develop.

[Get This Free Download: Explaining the ADHD Iceberg to Teachers]

Learning Challenges

As many as 45% of children with ADHD have a learning difference like dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, or another condition that requires academic supports.2  It’s also common for students with ADHD to have learning challenges that affect written expression, memorization of facts, reading comprehension, complex multi-step math, and other areas. Be sure that your child understands how both their ADHD and learning differences show up in the classroom.

As you teach your child about ADHD, be sure to separate them from the condition. Depersonalize ADHD when you approach your child; educate and give your child a choice. Say something like “People with ADHD have trouble getting started, and I’ve noticed that sometimes that’s a challenge for you.”

Step Two: Establish Learning Habits for Ongoing Support

From disorganization to tardiness, the challenges that children and young teens face in middle and high school are essentially the same challenges that exist in college and at work. Identify your child’s unique learning and executive function challenges early on so that they can receive accommodations and practice using appropriate tools and compensatory strategies in school and beyond.

Bolster Executive Function Skills

For Help with Task Initiation

  • Use timers, alerts, or verbal reminders to indicate that it’s time to start. Present these tools as choices to your child to increase compliance. Say, “Do you want to set a timer to start your homework or do you want me to remind you to get started?” Perhaps you may even have to sit with your child to help them get started.
  • Review the instructions together. Have your child contact a classmate if the assignment is unclear.
  • Start with physical activity. Some children focus better while moving, so let your child walk around and read if it helps with task initiation.
  • Work in 10-20 minute chunks with breaks in between so that your child can reenergize their brain. This helps make the task feel less overwhelming.

[Read: Where Do I Start?!? How to Organize and Initiate a Big Project]

For Help with Time Awareness

  • Externalize time. Use devices and tools like smartwatches, wrist devices, analog clocks, visual timers, smartphones, paper calendars, and white boards as appropriate to make time (an abstract concept) and important events (due dates, extracurriculars, etc.) stand out visually.
  • Practice time estimation. Ask your child how long they think a task like homework will take them. Record their answer and compare it to the actual time to gauge and enhance their time awareness. Typically, students are surprised that the work takes less time than they predicted. Similarly, ask your child how long they think it takes to get to their first class of the day on time. Make sure your child accounts for things like getting ready, traffic, parking the car, walking to the building, going to their locker, saying hello to friends, and “oops” time.
  • Schedule backwards. Make it a habit to start with the end in mind as a best planning practice. Scheduling backwards for a long-term school project, for example, will help your child see how far in advance they must start working.
  • Ask others for help staying on task. Teachers, for example, can gently redirect your child if they get distracted. You can also ask a classmate to help keep your child on task with a signal.

To Enhance Working Memory and Help Your Child Remember

  • Link new with old. Tie in new material to your child’s prior knowledge to reinforce learning.
  • Information in multiple formats — posters, photos, video, hands-on projects, texts, graphic organizers, maps, and other mediums and tools — help to convey information.
  • “Read to the clip.” Place a paper clip after every 8 to 10 pages of a long reading assignment, and have your child read until they get to the clip. This will segment the text and give your child time to digest information. Also, consider having your child write key text points on sticky notes as they read.
  • Talk about it. The more your child talks about what they learned, the more likely they are to remember it.
  • Use mnemonics. Set new information to the tune of your child’s favorite song, a rhyme, or an acronym. Humor helps jog memory, too.
  • Short water and snack breaks give your child’s brain time to reenergize and reengage with information.
  • Allow fidgeting or some movement to enhance concentration. The more difficult the task, the more movement required.

To Stay Organized

  • A planner or organizer, whether digital or paper, is a must for all students.
  • Color-code and use different folders for each class.
  • Do a weekly bookbag cleanup together. Sort through papers and don’t throw out any documents until the end of the year, just in case they are needed.
  • Keep a launch pad — a single place for your child’s bookbag, school supplies, and other must-haves — by the door. Place completed work and book bags on the launch pad the night before.
  • Establish a homework routine. Agree on a start time and location. (Present them as choices to your child.) Double check assignments wherever they are posted (on paper, text, apps, the school’s online portal, etc.)
  • Divide long-term projects into small segments to keep your child engaged. If possible, have the teacher assign due dates to the smaller segments and grade them.
  • Monitor your child’s progress on homework and long-term projects for additional support.
  • Ask the teacher for a sample of a completed long-term assignment for your child’s reference.

For Effective Studying

  • Practice exams are great for previewing questions and concepts.
  • Distributed study sessions will always be better than cramming. Your child should spend about 15 minutes reviewing for a test the night prior.
  • Moderate exercise prior to studying can prime your child’s brain for maximum focus and retention.
  • Slowly sipping a sugary drink can boost alertness as your child’s studies.

Step Three: Explore a Variety of Careers and Interests

Expose your child to as many careers as you can while they are in middle school and high school.

  • Follow your child’s interests and skills. Seek lessons in music, acting, art, sports, robotics, gaming, and other activities they enjoy. You want your child to gravitate to a career that aligns with their best self.
  • Match your teen to a summer job or a volunteer (shadow) position that aligns with their interests.
  • Investigate the school’s career and college resources like career interest inventories/aptitude tests, career days, counseling services, transition plans, etc.

What to Do After High School? Don’t Fear the Gap Year

Many students with ADHD and learning differences rush into college without a clear path. As a result of this premature launch, they flounder and may ultimately drop out. A gap year can help your child plan out their future, increase their confidence, and seamlessly transition to a new, challenging environment. Most teens and young adults go to college within a year of the gap year experience, and colleges are eager to admit students with such experience.

If a gap year is the best option for your child, work together to create a structured gap year plan. Your child’s gap year may involve taking one community college or technical class, and working part-time or volunteering in a field of interest, for example. Ultimately, the goal is to help your child identify a career path.

Step Four: Prioritize a Positive Parent-Child Relationship

Experiencing success in school does wonders for a child, but grades don’t necessarily predict success in life. More often, happiness and wellbeing flow from a positive parent-child relationship.

  • Protect and treasure your relationship with your child. Focus on the good and elevate your child’s strengths. Give yourself an attitude check-up if you are fixating on negatives.
  • Manage your expectations. You will have to support your child longer than other caregivers, but it’s what your child needs. Give yourself permission to be involved and to do whatever it takes to help your child succeed. Be patient as you give your child the gift of time to help them become more and reach their full potential. By working together, you will get there.

What to Do After High School: Next Steps

The content for this article was derived, in part, from the ADDitude ADHD Experts webinar titled, “Getting Ready to Launch: Setting Up Middle and High School Students for Success and Independence” [Video Replay & Podcast #425],” with Chris Dendy, M.S., which was broadcast on October 13, 2022.


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.

Sources

1 Shaw, P., Eckstrand, K., Sharp, W., Blumenthal, J., Lerch, J. P., Greenstein, D., Clasen, L., Evans, A., Giedd, J., & Rapoport, J. L. (2007). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is characterized by a delay in cortical maturation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(49), 19649–19654. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0707741104

2 DuPaul, G. J., Gormley, M. J., & Laracy, S. D. (2013). Comorbidity of LD and ADHD: implications of DSM-5 for assessment and treatment. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 46(1), 43–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219412464351

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Q: “How Can I Prepare My ADHD Teen for 9th Grade?” https://www.additudemag.com/9th-grade-adhd-student-preparing-for-high-school/ https://www.additudemag.com/9th-grade-adhd-student-preparing-for-high-school/#respond Fri, 10 Feb 2023 10:52:34 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?p=322309 Q: “My teen with ADHD will enter high school in the fall. How can I help him prepare for the academic demands and higher expectations in 9th grade?”


Ninth grade is a big leap for kids with ADHD, whose emotional maturity and executive functioning may lag a few years behind that of their neurotypical peers. Your teen will be navigating a new school (and the stress of finding classrooms), new teachers, new peers, and more advanced classwork while undergoing hormonal changes and new social dynamics. These pressures can exacerbate ADHD symptoms or reveal related difficulties.

6 Tips for 9th Grade

Help your teen meet the new challenges of high school with the following tips:

[Free Download: Transform Your Teen’s Apathy Into Engagement]

  1. Build skills. Identify your teen’s true emotional maturity. For example, does your 8th grader relate to others on a 5th-grade level? Consider what skills will be essential in high school and what you can do together to build them. For example, you might coach your teen on how to respond to teachers and role-play the interactions so he can practice using a respectful tone. Reflecting on situations your teen has navigated successfully in middle school also builds confidence. Offer reassurance and support.
  2. Get organized. Buy school supplies early, if possible, and set up a desk or a quiet place in the home for your teen to do his schoolwork. Create a routine for organizing your teen’s backpack and notebooks. Get familiar with the school’s website and apps for viewing classes, assignments, events, and grades.
  3. Review accommodations. You and your teen should review his IEP or 504 Plan before school begins to ensure he has appropriate accommodations. If these supports fall short, your teen should be prepared to advocate for himself.
  4. Listen up. After a tiring day of holding it together in school, your teen’s anxiety may worsen when he gets home. Be calm and accepting. Ask open-ended questions to gain insight. Create an atmosphere where your teen feels heard and can safely express his fears and concerns.
  5. Work on time management. Help your teen assess the time required to complete a project or assignment. Then use time-tracking apps that let your teen set time markers for each step of a task from beginning through completion.
  6. Encourage study buddies. Study groups and tutors can help lighten your teen’s memory load. Peer support and mentor programs may also help teens with ADHD navigate the social dynamics at school. Is your teen interested in tennis or swimming? Joining a sports team and pairing up with an older student on that team can foster a feeling of belonging and support.

9th Grade Readiness: Next Steps


Caroline Maguire, M.Ed., ACCG, PCC, is the author of Why Will No One Play with Me?

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.

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5 ADHD Roadblocks That Undermine Academic Achievement — and How to Help https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/academic-achievement-strategies-for-students-with-adhd-poll/ https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/academic-achievement-strategies-for-students-with-adhd-poll/#respond Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:52:35 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?post_type=slideshow&p=321161 https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/academic-achievement-strategies-for-students-with-adhd-poll/feed/ 0 321161 7 Executive Functioning Deficits That Deflate Motivation for Teens with ADHD https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/executive-functioning-skills-motivation-for-teenager-adhd/ https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/executive-functioning-skills-motivation-for-teenager-adhd/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2023 00:34:18 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?post_type=slideshow&p=319584 https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/executive-functioning-skills-motivation-for-teenager-adhd/feed/ 1 319584 Motivation for Teens with ADHD: How It Crumbles and Why https://www.additudemag.com/motivation-for-teens-with-adhd-poll/ https://www.additudemag.com/motivation-for-teens-with-adhd-poll/#respond Wed, 09 Nov 2022 18:25:49 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?p=316545

“I don’t care.”
“It’s pointless.”
“Why bother?”

When motivation wanes (or outright vanishes) in teens with ADHD, it happens for many reasons. Sometimes, years of criticism and corrections simply break the camel’s back. Often, the executive function demands of middle or high school exceed a child’s skill set. And clearly the onset of puberty — with its heightened moodiness, pre-menstrual symptoms, and social distractions — impacts nearly everyone.

Regardless of its trigger, depleted motivation tends to look and sound quite similar across teens with ADHD. In a recent ADDitude poll, we asked nearly 1,000 caregivers, “When your teen opts out of schoolwork or activities, which of the following are they most likely to say is the reason?” Here are the answers they gave:

  • I forgot: 20.31%
  • I’m too tired: 14.03%
  • The teacher never told us about it: 11.56%
  • It’s too hard: 11.52%
  • I didn’t understand what the teacher wanted: 11.37%
  • I ran out of time; I’m too busy: 10.54%
  • What’s the point? I’ll never use this in life: 9.7%
  • I’ll work harder/do better on the next one: 6.54%
  • I’m already doing badly in this class: 4.32%

Comments and questions from survey respondents suggest that ADHD contributes to motivation problems in a few key areas:

Motivation Hurdle #1: ADHD Craving for Novelty

“Mine always says the schoolwork is too boring… what can I do about that response?”

“Our child won’t do the work if it’s too hard or too easy. Rewards or threats of taking away things don’t move the needle of motivation. Nothing works.”

Motivation Hurdle #2: Far-Off Rewards Don’t Work

“I find that consequences of taking things away have no effect on my teen (16 years old), and it will often cause him to get into a negative, cascading emotional state. It seems better to allow him to still do something he hasn’t earned while he’s fighting the battle to find the internal motivation to do what he needs to do.”

Motivation Hurdle #3: The ‘Why’ Is Missing from Schoolwork

“I actually agree with my teen’s ‘What’s the point’ point of view. The curriculum isn’t relevant to the things he needs to know to be successful in life, eg writing non-fiction & arguments well (instead of so much time analyzing literature), and managing finances (rather than advanced theoretical math). Yet there are no alternatives offered at school, and he ends up unable to concentrate in a boring class and feels like a failure (though eager to learn in relevant out-of-school interests!).”

Motivation Hurdle #4: Battered Self-Esteem

“How do you motivate a 15-year-old with ADHD/ODD to get back on track with school? He went from As & Bs his freshman year to failing almost every subject this year. And he’s also mildly gifted.”

Motivation Hurdle #5: Disrupted Routines Destroy Momentum

“How to help a recent high school graduate who used to have to get up for school and function during a full school day, that now can’t get up before noon, doesn’t have a job, and isn’t motivated to engage with the world. Without the structure of school he is floundering.”

To learn more about the common hurdles to motivation among teens with ADHD, and to hear expert solutions for overcoming those hurdles, listen to the ADDitude Expert Webinar “My Teen with ADHD Lacks All Motivation” by Maggie Sibley, Ph.D., which was broadcast live on November 9, 2022.

Motivation for Teens with ADHD: Next Steps

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A Free Back-to-School Master Class from ADDitude https://www.additudemag.com/download/adhd-school-master-class-ceus-teachers-parents/ https://www.additudemag.com/download/adhd-school-master-class-ceus-teachers-parents/#respond Fri, 02 Sep 2022 17:32:32 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?post_type=download&p=311629 Welcome to ADDitude’s self-guided master class designed to explain and solve the Top 10 learning hurdles facing students with ADHD and other learning differences.

This course, featuring instructional videos from the world’s foremost experts in neurodivergent education, will guide parents and educators through a full syllabus of 51 webinar replays, 72 essential articles, 33 expert Q&As, 39 downloadable resources to share, 17 self-tests, 33 expert Q&As, 15 supplemental videos, and more.

Each lesson revolves around a common challenge for neurodivergent students:

  • Learning Hurdle #1: ADHD Misinformation (How to educate educators on ADHD and recognize early signs of ADHD in the classroom)
  • Learning Hurdle #2: ADHD Accommodations (How to advocate for your child, secure an effective IEP or 504 Plan, and ensure it’s being followed)
  • Learning Hurdle #3: Distractibility and Inattention (How to help students hear and follow directions without losing focus or interest)
  • Learning Hurdle #4: Weak Executive Functions (How to bolster executive function skills commonly impacted by ADHD, including working memory, prioritization, and time management)
  • Learning Hurdle #5: Behavior Challenges (How to address and prevent the classroom behaviors that interfere with learning such as interrupting, hitting, and fidgeting)
  • Learning Hurdle #6: Homework Problems (How to help students accurately log, prioritize, complete, and hand in assignments on time)
  • Learning Hurdle #7: Learning Differences (How to best serve and teach students who have dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory processing, dyspraxia, and other learning differences)
  • Learning Hurdle #8: Social Struggles (How to teach social and emotional-regulation skills so that kids can make and keep friends more easily)
  • Learning Hurdle #9: School Collaboration (How to facilitate and participate in parent-teacher-student cooperation and communication, particularly around accommodations)
  • Learning Hurdle #10: Motivation and Resilience (How to build internal and external motivation to encourage resilience in students when they face school challenges)

NOTE: This resource is for personal use only.

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“Getting Ready to Launch: Setting Up Middle and High School Students for Success and Independence” [Video Replay & Podcast #425] https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/school-success-independence-teens-adhd/ https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/school-success-independence-teens-adhd/#respond Wed, 24 Aug 2022 18:35:59 +0000 https://www.additudemag.com/?post_type=webinar&p=311322 Episode Description

For teens who have ADHD, leaping from middle school to high school, and from high school to college or to full-time employment, is an especially big transition. Research has shown that ADHD can delay a young person’s maturation and executive functioning skills by as much as three years, making big transitions trickier to navigate. Preparing your middle schooler for the new demands of high school, and setting up your high school student for life away from home, and the tasks required to maintain that independence, requires patience and effort.

In this webinar, parents and caregivers will learn:

  • Approaches to foster smooth transitions into young adulthood for older teens
  • Strategies to improve problem-solving skills and foster independent living
  • Tactics to build and improve executive function skills that are appropriate for your child’s capabilities
  • Goal-setting to improve your child’s self-reliance

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; Google Podcasts; Stitcher; Spotify; Amazon Music; iHeartRADIO.

More on Teen Independence and ADHD

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on October 13, 2022, 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:

Chris Dendy, M.S., is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in the ADHD field. She has written four books, including Teenagers with ADD, ADHD, and Executive Function Deficits (#CommissionsEarned), and her latest book, Launching into Young Adulthood with ADHD … Ready or Not! (#CommissionsEarned), which she co-authored with Ruth Hughes.

Chris also has intimate experience with ADHD. Her adult children, two sons and a daughter, have ADHD, as well as four of her grandchildren.

#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.


Webinar Sponsor

The sponsor of this ADDitude webinar is….

Equazen® Pro is a clinically proven nutritional medical food, designed to help improve focus, attention, academic performance and balance mood for those with ADHD. In fact, clinical studies have shown Equazen® Pro can improve ADHD symptoms in as little as 12 weeks. Now is the perfect time to start supporting your child’s mind and get them ready for back-to-school.

ADDitude thanks our sponsors for supporting our webinars. Sponsorship has no influence on speaker selection or webinar content.


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