Q: Josh, nine, who has been diagnosed with ADHD, blurts things out. He will call across the room to a friend during classwork. He also will get up from his seat without asking. We have classroom rules posted on the wall, but it has been tough to get him to comply. What can I do to change his behaviors?

Know that these two disrup...

Q: I have a lovely fifth grader who has a good grasp on academics. He knows his math facts and does well on tests. He has big challenges turning in completed homework, or leaving books in his locker when he should have them in class. He doesn’t always bring home all of the materials to complete an assignment. I...

It occurs to me as I walk to math class, my steps echoing like conversations thrown against each other that fall down slowly, softly, quickly. I fill the hallway with sounds of falling feet and underfoot phrases. The rustle of my papers feels like the friction of my thoughts, scraping one another in a bustle covered by...

August 8, 2018

In the longest, prospective follow-up study to date of children with attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD), researchers found that childhood IQ was a consistent predictor of successful adult function among boys with ADHD. Findings from the study published in Journal of the American...

Everyone has a few more vices than they care to admit. It is hard to stop a bad habit, especially if your brain craves the dopamine fix the habit gives you. Here are a couple of tried-and-true strategies you probably haven’t used before that can make it easier to change your ways.

Find Good Substitutes for a Bad Habit

We...

Q: “My son struggles to keep his room at home and his desk at school organized. When he remembers to complete his homework, he forgets to hand it in. The school does not let him submit papers electronically, and ‘to-do’ lists don’t work. My son either forgets to check off items as he finishes them, or...

An ADDitude reader wrote:

“I am a 35-year-old mom diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety. I am raising a 13-year-old son who also has ADHD. We are both taking medication, and it helps with symptoms. It is tough, though, to stay organized for two of us, keep my emotions under control when we have a disagreement about something,...

Students with attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD) may daydream during lectures, stare out the window, or lose focus. It’s not willful disobedience or boredom. ADHD affects the part of the brain that controls sustained attention, and makes it harder to resist wandering thoughts.

If you have kids with unsteady focus in...

When I hear the alert tone I set for my son’s texts during school hours, my stomach drops out. We’ve battled over school avoidance since my son was in fourth grade, which is now going on six years.

He texts me from school: “Mom, I can’t take it anymore. Pick me up.” “Mom, you need to get me...

Research has not concluded whether teens and young adults with attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD) are at greater risk than their peers for substance use and misuse. But the fact remains that all teens are at some risk for drug and alcohol use, and those taking prescribed psycho-pharmaceuticals are at greater risk.

Some...

We were pulling out of the church parking lot when I asked my three oldest kids, “How was Sunday school class?”

“Terrible!” one of them said. “Jayden was so embarrassing!”

The other one said, “Yeah! He kept saying weird things.”

“Like what?” Laurie asked.

“Like when...

Does your child lose every paper given to her? Or forget to turn in homework?

If he has attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD), what looks like a haphazard, disorganized student could really be an expression of symptoms. Luckily, tailored accommodations can help get him back on track.

First, zero in on your child’s...

Q: “My student Henry, age nine, has a pretty extensive IEP. More time for tests, shorter versions of quizzes, movement breaks three times a day. These accommodations are beneficial, but they are tough to implement every day. I sometimes forget an accommodation. Do you have any suggestions?”

As a classroom teacher,...

Q: “John, 12, is a good student who works hard, but he seems to have trouble with classwork and homework with lots of writing. He struggles with essay questions on tests, but handles true and false quizzes and multiple choice tests just fine. It is harder for him to process oral requests, but finds visual directions...

Vacations are relaxing breaks from reality, right? Not if you have ADHD. Then, vacation time is run-like-a-chicken-with-your-head-cut-off time. It’s stress-out time. It’s forget-stuff time. And that’s just before you leave

Once you arrive at your destination, you’ll be plagued by guilt and remorse as you...

Q: “My daughter easily gives up when she faces challenges, and lacks the grit to stick with something hard and solve problems. What’s worse is that she acts as if she doesn’t care, which makes most adults and teachers give up on her. How can I motivate and train my daughter to be more resilient in the face of...