Alongside other ADHD advocates, I’ve been working for more than a decade to create systemic change in the way we educate students with ADHD. I will share exciting opportunities for civic actions you can take to encourage local and state legislators to implement these special ed reforms. As Margaret Mead famously said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Teacher Training Transforms the Classroom

I have conducted hundreds of ADHD-specific teacher trainings across diverse school districts nationwide that vary in size, economic status, and geography. They all share a common asset: teachers eager for additional knowledge, tools, and resources to enhance their students’ success. They aspire to spend less time dealing with challenging behaviors and more time addressing the needs of all their students. That’s where I come in. Within 12 hours, my training can transform how teachers perceive, interact with, and support students with ADHD, building their competence and confidence in the classroom.

Last summer, Lisa Reynolds, a parent in Kansas, asked if I would speak with one of her local legislators about creating a bill that would improve the way students with ADHD are taught. Reynolds pleaded for change after years of failed attempts to help her son receive appropriate education and support.

“If he required too many redirections, teachers recommended removing him from class and transferring him to the in-school suspension room for independent work,” Reynolds said of her son, who has ADHD. “These kids get labeled as lazy or bad. They don’t understand why school is so hard and why they are being punished.”

[Get This Download: An Educator’s Guide to Classroom Challenges & Solutions]

With Reynolds’s help, I drafted Kansas House Bill 2480, requiring each school district in the state to hire an ADHD specialist to train and support teachers. I then gathered stellar experts from across disciplines with the knowledge, experience, and research to support this effort. Not surprisingly, I found that many professionals share my determination to change the current educational methodology.

Bright Students, Poor Outcomes

George J. DuPaul, Ph.D., professor of school psychology and associate dean for research at Lehigh University College of Education, is one of many experts and clinicians prepared to testify on behalf of this ADHD legislation. He says that youth with ADHD face significant academic and mental health challenges in elementary and secondary schools. Typically, he says, they complete less assigned work, receive below-average grades, perform poorly on exams, and are more likely than their peers to drop out of school.

Many students with ADHD are of average or above-average intelligence. Yet they are at greater risk of underemployment, incarceration, and even suicide.

Every day, well-meaning teachers unintentionally create hardship, frustration, and worse by expecting students with ADHD to behave and perform according to neurotypical standards. Very bright students with ADHD may have slower processing speed (which creates overwhelm and disengagement), weaker working memory (they struggle to retain what is presented without visual or other supports), and other challenges that arise from underdeveloped executive function and emotional regulation skills.

[Click to Download: 10 Teaching Strategies that Help Students with ADHD]

Many educators have backgrounds in special education but no expertise in ADHD. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves due to overwhelming challenges and limited resources and support. We cannot ask more of teachers. But we can provide the training and resources they need to support their neurodivergent students.

Seeking Action Across America

While HR Bill 2480 is still working its way through the Kansas legislature, we are determined to proceed on a broader scale and create a national dialogue about supporting students and families impacted by ADHD. We hope that lawmakers will be inclined to consider legislation once they see similar bills successfully passed.

Virginia is a good example. Academic outcomes for Virginia students with learning differences have been inexcusably poor in recent years. These students scored lower on Standards of Learning assessments, on average, than their neurotypical peers. Worse, they were 52 percent more likely to drop out of high school.

After a scathing report on the state’s failure to comply with basic federal special education program requirements, and an ongoing probe by the U.S. Department of Education, lawmakers passed a bill that aims to dramatically change the way educators are trained to identify and support students with learning differences and disabilities.

The bill was signed into law and became effective July 1, 2024. However, it could take until the 2025-26 school year for some, if not all, of the widespread changes to be implemented, says Virginia Delegate Carrie Coyner, who co-sponsored the bipartisan bill with Delegate Barbara Favola.

The new law requires every teacher and administrator statewide to receive professional development by regional coaches and experts in special education. The state will also fund regional parent resource centers to help caregivers advocate for students with diagnosed or suspected learning differences.

Coyner says she spent one year interviewing and surveying educators and special education systems across the country to learn about best practices. She studied lawsuits filed by parents against school districts in Virginia involving claims of inadequate education supports for their students, and she worked with the University of Virginia law school on public policy measures to address current challenges.

We need states across America to prioritize the importance of adequate training for teachers and recognize that it can change the lives of future generations of students. Employing an on-site ADHD specialist can provide education, re-teaching, and effective problem-solving, enabling these students to become assets to the entire school population.

Your Call-To-Action Guide

It is up to us to create a groundswell of support by approaching school boards, and local and national legislators, to push for change. Experiences from local parents and professionals will have the most impact regionally; however, their shared information and approach can apply to all states.

• Ask your local school board how teachers are being taught to support students with ADHD. How current is the training, how recently has it been provided, and how many staff members have received the most recent training?
• Use the template below to approach your local school board, state senator, and state representative, as well as your U.S. senators and congressional representatives, to advocate for legislation at both the local and national levels.

How to Approach Your Representatives

• Start by writing a letter or an email addressed to each of your school board members and state senators and representatives. Each state has an education committee in the state House and the state Senate. Search for “Education Committee in Congress” and “Senate Education Committee” in your state for the names of committee members.
• Include an overview of the problem, a fact sheet to support your views, and information about how all students would benefit from your proposed changes.

Then ask your representatives to do the following:

• Enact legislation requiring all educators to undergo training on the impact of ADHD on the brain, and its implications for teaching, classroom design, and support. [See Proposed Teacher Training Solutions to get more specifics.]
• Equip every educator with a fundamental understanding of the social and emotional impact of ADHD and executive function challenges on learning, motivation, and behavior.
• Encourage universities to incorporate a curriculum on ADHD for general education teachers.

Your Fact Sheet

Help legislators understand the prevalence and consequences of ADHD with these facts:

• The American Psychiatric Association recognizes ADHD as a prevalent mental disorder in children.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly 10 percent of school-age children have ADHD, though some reports skew higher. This means that virtually every classroom has at least one student with ADHD.
• ADHD is a chronic and sometimes debilitating disorder. It is known to impact the academic achievements and daily functioning of students.
• People diagnosed with ADHD have an elevated risk for school failure, drug and alcohol abuse, accidental injuries, premature death, and suicide.
• ADHD is not specifically identified in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Instead, it falls under the “other health impairment” category in IEPs. This distinction might contribute to differences in training compared to training about autism, which affects one-quarter as many school-age children.

Proposed Teacher Training Solutions

Tell your legislators that employing a school district-wide ADHD specialist is the most cost-effective and impactful way to support teachers and students. The ADHD specialist may be an educator or administrator who is already on staff, regardless of discipline. They can:

• Train current and incoming staff to manage the social and emotional impact of ADHD by introducing effective teaching methods. Many simple adjustments in teaching style and classroom environment can significantly improve the learning experience for all students.
• Reduce the time teachers spend managing ADHD students who fall off task, or those with challenging behaviors, by offering guidance and sharing best practices and evidence-based teaching strategies to address situations in the classroom.
• Support parents by explaining how ADHD affects learning, motivation, and behavior. This knowledge will empower parents to become more collaborative and effective partners with teachers.

Over time, these investments in teacher training will lead to a stable and experienced education workforce, while reducing teacher stress, burnout, turnover, and associated costs.

These steps will also improve students’ retention, mental health, underemployment, and rates of incarceration and self-harm.

Effective ADHD specialist training should include:

• A comprehensive, research-based description of the social and emotional impact of ADHD and executive function development on learning, motivation, behavior, and the family system.
• Strategies to address executive function skill development in task initiation, organization, time management, self-advocacy, emotional regulation, and attention regulation. Executive function deficits are addressed by helping each student develop internal and external strategies and skills.
• A program to address challenging behaviors with a strengths-based, collaborative problem-solving approach designed to improve conflict resolution, productivity, and motivation.

Teacher Training for ADHD: Next Steps

• Read: “We Are Behind the Times” Only 4 in 10 Educators Receive ADHD Training
• Sign-up: Free ADHD Training for Educators
• Download: What Every Teacher Should Know About ADHD – A Poster for School
• Read: Everything You Never Knew About Learning Disabilities
• Read: Inadequate Teacher Training Stifles Students with ADHD

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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.

Arguing and pleading with your student will not work. Giving them a voice in the process of prioritizing tasks and managing time will be more effective. To help build your child’s executive function skills, follow these steps.

1. Be a model.

Show your child how to plan and prioritize by working on a fun task together. For example, plan a trip to the ice cream shop: Walk or take the car, choose the route, take money with you, decide what flavor you want, and place the order. Model the planning of a desirable task so your child can see it in action and engage in the process.

[Get This Free Checklist: Common Executive Function Challenges — and Solutions]

2. Let your child plan.

Have your child plan an activity, breaking down all the steps from start to finish, and estimating how much time each step will take. Time estimation is an important life skill that seldom comes easily. At home and in the classroom, challenge your child to write down how long they think it will take to do various tasks and then record how long it actually takes.

3. Anticipate roadblocks.

As we teach children to plan, we must also help them to anticipate roadblocks that may interfere with their schedule. College students, I observed, would often plan to get to class with just enough time to print out an assignment, only to find that the network was down.

4. Apply the Premack Principle.

When students prefer one important task over another, use the Premack Principle: Have your student do the less preferred activity first to increase the odds that they’ll finish it to get to the preferred activity.

Here are other proven strategies for getting things done in class and at home:

[Read: How to Stack Habits to Improve Executive Functioning]

• 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. Finishing a big work presentation for your boss that’s due tomorrow is both highly urgent and highly important. Washing your car is neither. Assigning each task to a quadrant helps students break up their to-do lists and truly see priorities.
• Getting started is often the hardest part of any assignment. The parent or educator can do the first step or two with a student, then have them continue the work alone. You can also alternate steps: the adult does one step, then the child does one, and so on.
• Play “beat the clock,” a game that can kickstart students with and without ADHD. One of my students would procrastinate by putting his head down on the desk. I learned to say, “Andrew, I bet that this will take you 10 minutes to do.” Guess what? He would get it done in five minutes to prove me wrong. This strategy may, however, be too stressful for students who have anxiety.
• Buddy systems, or doing a task with another person, can help motivate a student and keep them accountable.
• Charts and self-monitoring help students see their progress when completing a task with multiple parts. Crossing off items gives everyone a feeling of accomplishment.

How to Prioritize: Next Steps

• Free Download: The Eisenhower Matrix for Prioritization
• Read: The Educator’s Guide to Executive Functions
• Read: Be on Time! Teaching Sequence and Schedules

Beverley Holden Johns is an author and learning and behavior consultant. She has worked with students with learning differences for more than 30 years.

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Executive function (EF) skills are the cognitive processes that power you to achieve a goal — whether that’s starring in the school musical or getting to class on time. EF skills help us break down a big goal into actionable steps and then transition between those steps smoothly. ADHD brains often struggle with EFs, but, as educators, we can help our students fortify these skills, which are essential in school and in life.

One of the best ways to support executive functioning is by establishing “lead dominoes.” A lead domino is an action or routine that will make other things in our life fall into place. It kicks off a chain reaction of desired outcomes.

Domino #1: Movement

Brain scans show that, after 20 minutes of movement, the brain is active and ready to learn. 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.

Teachers worry that, if kids get up to move, it will be hard to rein them in again. The solution is to use multiple modalities, like ringing a bell and giving verbal instructions, to prompt them to return quickly from the break. Practicing this in advance will also help.

How to Do It

• Take a stand. Instead of raising hands, have students stand to ask or answer questions.
• Walk and talk. Hold walking office hours. An added benefit: it’s less intimidating for students.
• Take bite-sized breaks. Watch five-minute-long YouTube movement videos between subjects.

[Free Download: 4 Secrets to Motivating Students with ADHD]

Domino #2: Self-Advocacy

Each student must learn to approach the teacher in a kind and non-entitled way to advocate for their needs. Self-advocacy is a transferable skill that is important for higher education, job interviews, and relationships.

How to Do It

• Role-play. Build confidence by rehearsing the conversation with students.
• Spell it out. In your online portal, include a how-to section that details your expectations and preferred methods for student communication.
• Model an email. Begin the school year by teaching students how to write a clear email to their teachers, asking for help or supports. Have them save this draft to copy, paste, and update as needed.

Domino #3: Organize Online Resources

Students with executive function deficits struggle to weave through various portals or pages to find scattered information. Take the time to thoughtfully organize your portal so students and parents will be able to answer their own questions and utilize all of your resources.

This approach requires an upfront investment of time, but you will field fewer messages from confused students in the long run. It also encourages them to be independent.

[Read: 3 Digital Skills That Ease Learning (and Life) for Students with ADHD]

How to Do It

• Get feedback. Test the clarity of your syllabus by showing it to a disorganized friend and asking them to navigate it.
• Be predictable. Routine is helpful, so make discussion posts due every Tuesday or vocab sheets due every Friday.
• Use consistent labels: Eliminate confusion by using consistent terms for assignments in your portal and your gradebook.

Stacking Habits for ADHD Students: Next Steps

• Free Series: ADHD @ School — A Class for Parents
• Free Download: Your Guide to Solving Disorganization at School
• Read: How to Sharpen Executive Functions — Activities to Hone Brain Skills

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.

Each Fall, many families dive headfirst into big ideas for doing things differently in the new school year… only to see those hopes and ambitions unravel before Halloween. Kids get out of bed grumpily, arrive late to school, struggle to do homework, and fight about their chores. The constant cycle of arguments, reminders, and stress leaves everybody frustrated and unhappy. What if you could nurture cooperation and accountability in your family instead? You can — by learning how to begin this school year with practical tools for a smooth transition.

In this webinar, Dr. Sharon Saline will show you how to change self-defeating cycles by improving key executive functioning skills related to productivity for students. Many children and teens with ADHD become so easily frustrated or overwhelmed that they cannot engage in the organizational tools that would help them. Beginning with methods for understanding and managing time, Dr. Saline shows you how to collaboratively teach realistic planning and effective prioritizing. When kids know how to realistically assess the amount of time they need for an activity, and then arrange tasks according to urgency, importance, and level of difficulty, they develop the independence needed for success at school and at home.

In addition to our standard question-and-answer period, we’ve added a live “Solve My Problem” portion of the webinar where Dr. Saline will address three specific scenarios submitted by ADDitude readers during the webinar registration process. You will leave this webinar with a set of practical strategies and solutions to use right away!

In this webinar, caregivers and educators will learn how to:

• Identify the executive functioning skills that affect productivity, organization, and follow-through
• Use tools for improving time management, planning, and prioritizing
• Develop strategies for effective decision-making that reduce stress and negativity
• Create effective routines with meaningful incentives that foster performance and goal-directed persistence
• Increase cooperation and reduce pushback for challenging tasks

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 

Time Blindness & Executive Function in ADHD Students: More Resources

• Sign Up: ADHD @ School: A Free Class for Parents
• Read: Prioritize & Organize With These Planner Pointers
  
• Read: Activity Ideas to Hone Brain Skills
  
• Read: Teaching Sequence and Schedules
• eBook: A Parent’s Guide to Effective Routines
  

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on August 28, 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

Sharon Saline, Psy.D., clinical psychologist and author of the award-winning book, What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew: Working Together to Empower Kids for Success in School and Life and The ADHD Solution Deck, specializes in working with children, teens, emerging adults and families living with ADHD, anxiety, learning disabilities, autism, twice exceptionalism, and mental health issues. (#CommissionsEarned) She lectures and facilitates workshops internationally on topics such as understanding ADHD, executive functioning, anxiety, motivation, different kinds of learners, and the teen brain. Dr. Saline is a regular contributor to ADDitudemag.com, among many other leading publications.

Learn more at www.drsharonsaline.com.

#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.

Listener Testimonials

“This will really complement my work as a Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner as well as help my family.”

“Dr. Saline is outstanding! Thank you so much. From a family with a momma with ADHD and 2 daughters — a teen and a tween!”

“Exceptionally helpful and uplifting discussion. Thank you for all that you do, Dr. Saline and ADDitude Magazine team!”

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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.

Executive function (EF) skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus our attention, remember instructions, stay organized, and successfully manage our time. These skills are crucial for student success, but many children with ADHD, learning differences, and co-existing conditions lag behind in EF.

We will provide educators with the tools they need to teach these skills through an academic lens. Integrating these strategies in a classroom helps all students, those with and without ADHD and co-existing conditions.

In this webinar, you will learn how to:

• Implement clear classroom expectations and routines
• Set up learning management system portals to decrease student questions and limit confusion
• Manage and follow student accommodations (504 Plans and IEPs)
• Incorporate movement in your classroom to improve focus—while avoiding chaos
• Teach students how to advocate for themselves through role play

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.

Executive Function Skills for Students: More Resources

• Self-Test: Could Your Child Have an Executive Function Deficit?
• Read: A Classroom Exercise That Teaches Self-Advocacy and Celebrates Differences
• Get: The Ultimate Executive Function Guide
• Read: The Misconceptions That Stifle Students with ADHD

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on February 22, 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

Brandon Slade is the founder and CEO of Untapped Learning, an executive function coaching organization. Slade was diagnosed with ADHD at an early age, but it wasn’t until college that he fully recognized his brain did not work like those of his neurotypical peers. Since then, Slade’s goal has been to better understand the ADHD brain. After teaching special education for 12 years, he started Untapped Learning. Untapped’s mission is to help students with executive function challenges to develop the skills they need to succeed academically and beyond.

Listener Testimonials

“Amazing! My boys’ school sent out info on this webinar. It was my first exposure to ADDitude, and I am so impressed! Great practical info! And wonderful encouragement, as a parent and homeschooling mom.”

“Absolutely outstanding! You are truly a gifted educator! Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge.”

“This was an excellent webinar. The suggestions were clear and concise. So often I find that other webinars out there do not give practical, real-life, implementable advice. This was different and I’m ecstatic to try these with my son (and even myself). Thank you!”

Webinar Sponsor

The sponsor of this ADDitude webinar is….

Recommended by teachers, loved by students: Time Timer® visual timers display the passage of time with a disappearing colored disk. These powerful tools have been recommended by educators and ADHD experts for over 30 years and are research-proven to help all ages focus – in the classroom and at home. www.timetimer.com 

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Hi TiredinTennessee:

Your daughter’s ADHD may be significantly impacting her decision-making skills in several ways.

First, ADHD often makes it challenging to filter and organize information effectively. This can lead to difficulties in weighing options and making decisions. She may experience decision paralysis if she struggles to prioritize or sequence tasks or choices or because of the sheer volume of information and possibilities.

The executive function challenges inherent in ADHD, such as difficulties in planning, organizing, and managing time, also play a significant role in decision-making overwhelm, as many individuals find it tough to break down complex decisions into smaller, more manageable steps. The constant bombardment of distractions and difficulties maintaining sustained attention may prevent individuals from gathering the necessary information to make reasonable decisions.

ADHD can heighten emotional reactivity and sensitivity to stimuli. In decision-making scenarios, heightened emotions can cloud judgment, making it harder for teens to assess options rationally. This emotional intensity can add another layer of overwhelm to the decision-making process.

[Take This Test: Could Your Child Have an Executive Function Disorder?]

Impulsivity, a hallmark of ADHD, can also play a pivotal role. You may not see it, but your daughter might rush into decisions without fully considering the consequences. This could lead to added stress, decision fatigue, or regret as she faces the repercussions of her impromptu choices.

So, what can you do to help?

Indecisive Child: Solutions

1. Limit Choices

I can’t stress this enough. Offering a wide array of options may seem to be liberating or give your daughter agency, but for kids with ADHD, too many choices can induce decision paralysis. Instead, narrow down choices to a manageable few. For example, two or three options for dinner, two stores to visit, and two television shows to watch, rather than an assortment of possibilities.

2. Establish Routines and Structure

Setting times for certain activities, such as homework, chores, or even specific places for items to go, can reduce the number of decisions needed throughout the day.

3. Break Tasks into Smaller Steps

Big tasks can cause decision fatigue. Help your daughter break large tasks into small, more manageable steps. This approach makes it easier to focus on one step at a time, reducing the burden of how to tackle the whole task simultaneously.

4. Offer Time Limits

This is one of my favorites. Sometimes, setting deadlines for decision-making can be beneficial. Encourage your daughter to make decisions within a specific timeframe. This prevents overthinking and minimizes the stress associated with prolonged indecision.

[Get This Free Download: The Eisenhower Matrix for Prioritization]

5. Use Decision Guides

These really work! You create the frameworks or guides for the everyday choices your daughter faces. For example, if she can’t decide what to wear, create a guide based on weather, activity, or comfort.

6. Move the Decision Making

If shopping in a brick-and-mortar store is too overwhelming, order items to be tried on at home. If your pantry is overflowing with snacks, create one drawer or shelf in your kitchen that belongs solely to your daughter. This practice should help calm her sensory overload and allow her to stay in the moment to decide.

And I saved the best for last.

7. Write Down Past Decisions

I practice this strategy with my students, and I used to do this for my son when he was younger. Here’s how and why it works.

When I can gently remind or show a past decision my students have made that went well for them, it’s easier for them to make a similar decision. For example, for my son, I would write down the scenario at the end of the day, including a description of the situation, his decision, and its outcome (especially if it went in his favor). If a similar scenario appeared a few weeks later, I would show him what I wrote, pointing out the similarities and the decision that worked, and asked if he “Would you consider making the same one now?”

And here’s some food for thought: The only way to get better at something is to practice it. So try to avoid making decisions for your daughter because it may be easier or faster. My favorite “line” to say to my children or students is, “The choice is all yours. And I have all the confidence in the world you’ll make a great one.”

Good luck!

Indecisive Child with ADHD: Next Steps

• Read: Defeating Indecision — Decision-Making Made Easy!
• Q&A: “How Do I Help My Teen Make Better Decisions?”
• Download: Organizing Strategies for Children with ADHD

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!

by William Dodson, M.D., LF-APA

“Most people, clinicians included, have only a vague understanding of what ADHD means. They assume it equates to hyperactivity and poor focus, mostly in children. But when we step back and ask, What does everyone with ADHD have in common, that people without ADHD don’t experience? a different set of symptoms take shape. From this perspective, three defining features of ADHD emerge: an interest-based nervous system, emotional hyperarousal, and rejection sensitivity.”

• Continue reading 3 Defining Features of ADHD That Everyone Overlooks

2. 5 Overlooked Signs of ADHD – the Inattentive Type

by Sharon Saline, Psy.D.

“People with inattentive ADHD are not lazy, stupid, unwilling, or oppositional. They are creative, outside-the-box thinkers whose minds stray from uninteresting tasks. They have a biologically based challenge with attending to an uninteresting task, maintaining their focus, and sticking with it until finished. All too often, their brains tire more quickly.”

• Continue reading 5 Overlooked Signs of ADHD – the Inattentive Type

3. The 5 Things Every Doctor (and Parent) Should Know About Girls and ADHD

by Ellen Littman, Ph.D.

“The tendency of girls with ADHD to mask their inattentive traits and internalize their feelings make their symptoms harder to recognize. As a result, they are often diagnosed later in life, after comorbidities have begun to interfere with healthy behaviors, when unhealthy coping skills start to undermine their sense of self. When in treatment, girls tend to censor themselves. They hesitate to articulate their feelings to a doctor without encouragement. They may respond to questions by saying ‘fine,’ when what they mean is ‘there’s no way I’m telling you these pills aren’t working.’”

• Continue reading 5 Things Every Doctor (and Parent) Should Know about Girls and ADHD

4. Intention Deficit Disorder: Why ADHD Minds Struggle to Meet Goals with Action

by Russell Barkley, Ph.D.

“Think of ADHD as a performance disorder. People with ADHD know what they need to do, but they struggle – greatly, at times – to transform intention into action, whether that’s preparing for a test or finalizing an important project at work. It’s an issue directly tied to the executive function difficulties inherent in ADHD. And yet, this very real challenge of ADHD is often mistaken for laziness and lack of motivation, which many breed low self-esteem and even depression.”

• Continue reading Intention Deficit Disorder

5. Carrots vs. Sticks: The Science of Reward and Punishment for Children with ADHD

by Gail Tripp, Ph.D.

“Science suggests that children with ADHD differ from their neurotypical peers in their responses to positive reinforcement and punishment. The central differences: Children with ADHD are not effectively motivated by promises (of privileges to be earned or lost); and positive reinforcement is particularly powerful, but also ephemeral, in ADHD brains. In most scenarios, positive reinforcement is a more effective motivator than is punishment, which may carry serious long-term consequences if the child’s emotion regulation skills are weak.”

• Continue reading The Science of Reward and Punishment for Children with ADHD

6. How Can We Improve Outcomes for College Students with ADHD?

by Kevin Antshel, Ph.D.; Anne Stevens, Ph.D.; Michael Meinzer, Ph.D.; and Will Canu, Ph.D.

“The population of college students with ADHD has increased substantially in the past 20 years — from roughly 2 percent of the student body to about 11.6 percent. ADHD in college is also associated with a range of challenges. According to clinical psychologist Arthur Anastopoulos, college freshmen with ADHD encounter a ‘perfect storm’ of increased interpersonal and cognitive demands alongside decreased parental involvement and support, all with lingering executive function challenges and symptoms of inattention and impulsivity/hyperactivity.”

• Continue reading How Can We Improve Outcomes for College Students with ADHD?

7. ADHD Minds Are Trapped in Now (& Other Time-Management Truths)

by Ari Tuckman, Psy.D.

“Life brings a constant barrage of stimuli competing for our attention and goals needing our efforts. It is hard to disconnect from the distractions and temptations of the moment to create the space where we can mull over our options and make the best decision. Individuals with ADHD are more absorbed than others by what is happening now. It’s harder to create that space to give the future its due until the future becomes the present and the scramble begins.”

• Continue reading ADHD Minds Are Trapped in Now

8. Face It — People with ADHD Are Wired Differently

by Oren Mason, M.D., Tamara Rosier, Ph.D.

“For decades, we weren’t sure how ADHD brains worked, and this led to many misunderstandings about the syndrome. Many doctors, therapists, social workers, and coaches tried to teach children with ADHD to slow down using the self-control methods that neurotypical children use. ‘Take a deep breath and press the following buttons on your activity thermostat’ makes sense if the wiring is standard, but not if the wires are connected differently, as they are in children and adults with ADHD. The most current research on brain imaging is starting to let us trace the wiring, so we can untangle the misconceptions that experts, as well as those with ADHD, have about the disorder and the brain.”

• Continue reading Face It — People with ADHD Are Wired Differently.

9. Don’t Mistake Your Child’s ADHD Symptoms for Bad Behavior

by James M. Greenblatt, M.D.

“Bottom line: Your child is not a bad child. You are not a bad parent. Nobody is to blame for ADHD. Therefore, assigning blame for your child’s bad behavior — and trying to correct it with criticism — is useless. But how do you stop yourself from being ‘overly critical?’ How do you show your child respect rather than subjecting him to a barrage of negativity? How do you change your behavior to help your child’s behavior? The strategy I’ve used with many parents is called SAIL.”

• Continue reading Don’t Mistake Your Child’s ADHD Symptoms for Bad Behavior

10. How Autism in Women Is Different: Unique ASD Symptoms, Risks

by Theresa Regan, Ph.D.

“A woman with autism may show a larger range of emotion in her face and voice. She might be able to adopt social standards fairly well but find it exhausting and stressful. The drama of female peer relationships can feel really overwhelming and not enjoyable. Autism in women can also present with an eating disorder. In fact, research shows that around 23% of females with eating disorders are on the autism spectrum.”

• Continue reading How Autism in Women Is Different

11. Fight, Flight, Freeze … or Fib?

by Monica Hassall, R.N., and Barbara Hunter, M.Ed.

“Faced with a threat, the human brain must react in a split second; deciding how to best protect itself. This is widely referred to as the ‘Fight, flight or freeze’ response.Today, psychologists are beginning to observe and document a fourth ‘F’ that manifests in times of real or perceived danger for children, adolescents, and even adults with ADHD: ‘fib.’ Often, a ‘fib’ or ‘fabrication’ does allow an individual to escape from fear, embarrassment, judgment, guilt, or shame — at least for the time being.”

• Continue reading Fight, Flight, Freeze … or Fib?

12. New Insights Into Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

by William Dodson, M.D., LF-APA

“Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is one of the most common and disruptive manifestations of emotional dysregulation — an under-researched and oft-misunderstood symptom of ADHD, particularly in adults. Dysphoria is the Greek word meaning unbearable; its use emphasizes the severe physical and emotional pain suffered by people with RSD when they encounter real or perceived rejection, criticism, or teasing. The emotional intensity of RSD is described by my patients as a wound. The response is well beyond all proportion to the nature of the event that triggered it.”

• Continue reading New Insights Into Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

13. Why the ADHD Brain Chooses the Less Important Task — and How CBT Improves Prioritization Skills

by J. Russell Ramsay, Ph.D.

“A combination of ‘procrastinate’ and ‘activity,’ the term ‘procrastivity’ aptly describes a tussle common among adults with ADHD who are always busy but never seem to make headway on life’s important goals. At its root is an implementation problem: the individual knows what they need to do, but they won’t or can’t do it, so they keep occupied with more palatable but less critical tasks.”

• Continue reading Why the ADHD Brain Chooses the Less Important Task

14. The Social Executive Function Skills That Elude Kids with ADHD

by Ryan Wexelblatt, LCSW

“Dominating conversations. Not showing interest in others. Telling cringey jokes. Struggling in unstructured social situations. Children and teens with ADHD know these social struggles and misunderstandings too well. 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.”

• Continue reading The Social Executive Function Skills That Elude Kids with ADHD

15. ADHD and Eating Disorders: Research, Diagnosis & Treatment Guidelines

by Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D.

“Numerous studies show that individuals with ADHD are at three to six times greater risk for developing eating disorders compared to non-ADHD individuals. In a study of patients being treated for bulimia, a quarter of subjects had ADHD. What’s more, eating disorders appear to grow in severity alongside ADHD symptoms. Several factors – biological, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional – may explain why ADHD predisposes individuals to eating disorders and challenges. Understanding these factors is essential when devising an appropriate and effective treatment plan.”

• Continue reading ADHD and Eating Disorders: Research, Diagnosis & Treatment Guidelines

16. 7 Surprising Ways ADHD Shows Up in the Classroom

by Mark Bertin, M.D.

“A student who doesn’t seem to have a learning disability isn’t progressing in reading. A student seems to be disliked by her peers, is socially isolated, and eats alone. A teacher gives a two-minute warning to the class that independent reading time is about to end, and a student does not stop reading. These are all less-recognized ways ADHD symptoms show up at school — and here are productive ways to address each one.”

• Continue reading 7 Surprising Ways ADHD Shows Up in the Classroom

17. The Dyslexia-ADHD Overlap: Why Evaluators Confuse the Conditions

by Cheryl Chase, Ph.D.

“Considerable overlap exists between dyslexia and ADHD – from reading challenges to heritability – and both conditions frequently co-occur. ADHD and dyslexia are both linked to problems in school and with learning, but for different reasons. Ultimately, these overlapping traits complicate evaluations for ADHD and dyslexia, especially when both conditions are present. A thorough evaluation that carefully considers each symptom cluster is critical to receive appropriate support.”

• Continue reading The Dyslexia-ADHD Overlap: Why Evaluators Confuse the Conditions

18. ADHD Needs a Better Name. We Have One.

by Edward Hallowell, M.D., and John Ratey, M.D.

“ADHD is an inaccurate — and potentially corrosive — name. The term ‘deficit disorder’ places ADHD in the realm of pathology, or disease. Individuals with ADHD do not have a disease, nor do they have a deficit of attention; in fact, what they have is an abundance of attention. The challenge is controlling it. Therefore, we argue that a more accurate descriptive term is needed — and we have it.”

• Continue reading ADHD Needs a Better Name. We Have One

19. ADHD and Trauma: Untangling Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

by Kerry J. Heckman, LICSW

“Imagine the intricate complexities of a spider’s web — one thread attaches to dozens of others; pull just one silky strand and the entire web collapses. Living with ADHD and trauma can feel similar — the symptoms are so intertwined a single tug may cause the whole thing to cave in.”

• Continue reading ADHD and Trauma: Untangling Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

20. The Educator’s Guide to Executive Functions: How to Understand and Support Students in Need

by Karen Hubert, M.Ed., and Maureen Bechard, M.S.

“Executive functioning refers to the mental processes that allow us to concentrate, plan, organize, complete tasks, and more. They often unlock — or preclude — success in the classroom. 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. But students with ADHD aren’t the only ones who struggle with EF skills. Educators should teach executive functioning language to all classroom learners, not just those who show deficits. When educators assist students with identifying their executive functioning strengths and areas of need, they also teach them how to advocate for their own needs in the classroom and beyond.”

• Continue reading The Educator’s Guide to Executive Functions

21. Secrets of Your ADHD Brain

by William Dodson, M.D., LF-APA

“Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a confusing, contradictory, inconsistent, and frustrating condition. My work for the last decade suggests that we have been missing something important about the fundamental nature of the ADHD brain — the feature that everyone with ADHD has, and that neurotypical people don’t have. That feature is the ADHD nervous system, a unique and special creation that regulates attention and emotions in different ways than the nervous system in those without the condition.”

• Continue reading Secrets of Your ADHD Brain

22. The Damaging Effects of Cannabis on the ADHD Brain

by Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D.

“The risk of developing cannabis use disorder (CUD), a problematic pattern of cannabis use linked to clinically significant impairment, is twice as high in people with ADHD. Contrary to popular belief, individuals can be mentally and chemically dependent on and addicted to cannabis. Contemporary marijuana has concentrations of THC higher than historically reported, which exacerbates this. What’s more, the adverse effects of cannabis are especially amplified in people with ADHD.”

• Continue reading The Damaging Effects of Cannabis on the ADHD Brain

23. Everything You Never Knew About the ADHD Brain

by Alison Kravit, Psy.D.

“The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the intersection through which attention, behavior, judgment, and emotional responses run (I think of them as cars). A person with ADHD will likely react to whatever is in his focus at that moment — in other words, the faster car. For people with ADHD, the PFC is unregulated; there are no traffic lights or stop signs controlling which message (car) gets through first. You could be the smartest, most motivated student ever, but if the teacher says ‘This species of dog…’ and your thought switches to ‘I wonder what my dog is doing right now?’ you get distracted.”

• Continue reading Everything You Never Knew About the ADHD Brain.

24. What Is Auditory Processing Disorder? Symptoms, Comorbidities, and Exercises

by Beverley Holden Johns

“Auditory processing disorder (APD) throws a child’s ears and brain out of sync. This misalignment can cause a range of challenges – struggles with auditory discrimination, with listening in noisy environments, with remembering what you’ve heard, and with recalling the sequence of words spoken. APD may cause communication difficulties, but it does not show up in traditional auditory tests for hearing loss. It is a misunderstood and largely overlooked condition that may appear in 3% to 5% of all children.”

• Continue reading What Is Auditory Processing Disorder?

25. The ADHD Medication Stopped Working! How to Troubleshoot Treatment

by Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D.

“Studies show that ADHD medication safely and effectively improves communication between neurons in the ADHD brain. Amphetamine has been around since 1937, and methylphenidate since 1956. There are more research studies done on these types of medicines than on any other medicine you will ever take. Most of the work of ADHD prescribers involves adjusting the titration, especially in the early weeks. In the process, we hear these questions most frequently from patients.”

• Continue reading The ADHD Medication Stopped Working!

Honorable Mention: What is Sensory Processing Sensitivity? Traits, Insights, and ADHD Links

by Bianca Acevedo, Ph.D.

“Recent research suggests that there may be three groups of sensitive people. About 40 percent of people fall into a moderately sensitive group (tulips). Low-sensitive individuals (dandelions) make up about 30 percent of individuals, and highly-sensitive individuals (orchids) make up another 30 percent. Some markers of highly sensitive people include needing privacy from stimulation, being easily overwhelmed by bright lights, strong smells, loud noises, clothing materials, and other stimuli, being affected by other people’s moods and feeling overwhelmed when asked to do too many things at one time.”

• Continue reading What is Sensory Processing Sensitivity?

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.

“Executive function” is used frequently when explaining ADHD, but do you really know what this term means? Do you understand how ADHD fundamentally affects executive functions? Let’s start by getting clear on what executive functions are, what they aren’t, and which approaches are not considered executive functioning strategies.

The better you understand how executive functions operate, the better you will be able to design strategies that will help you get things done more reliably. A lot of this involves externalizing executive functions — creating better work environments, making important tasks or items stand out, pre-emptively reducing distractions, delegating certain tasks to better tools, making consequences quicker and more certain, and staying motivated by focusing on an effective process.

In this webinar, you will learn about:

• A more useful and sophisticated way of thinking about executive functions
• Why ADHD makes it harder to consistently convert intentions into actions
• The treatments and interventions that improve executive functions — and those that don’t
• How to tweak your environment, choose the right tools, set up the right blockers, consider consequences, and hold onto a resilient mindset

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.

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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; Audacy; Spotify; Amazon Music; iHeartRADIO.

More on Executive Functions and ADHD

• Download: Is It Executive Function Disorder?
• Read: 7 Deficits Tied to ADHD
• Read: ADHD Minds Are Trapped in Now (& Other Time Management Truths)

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on November 9, 2023, 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

Ari Tuckman, Psy.D., MBA, is a psychologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. He is the author of More Attention, Less Deficit, and Understand Your Brain, Get More Done. (#CommissionsEarned) Dr. Tuckman also has a podcast about ADHD that has over six hundred episodes and more than 2 million downloads and speaks about succeeding with ADHD at CHADD each year. He is a former vice president of ADDA and practices in West Chester, Pennsylvania, where he works with adults and adolescents with attention challenges.

#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.

Listener Testimonials

“Very different from other EF webinars. I learned a lot. Thank you!”

“Dr. Tuckman is always great!! Loved today’s webinar.”

“I thought the notion of making the process enjoyable was a fresh and very useful take.”

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These milestones are characteristic of neurotypical brains, but what about students with ADHD and learning differences? According to a survey conducted by ADDitude, most educators have at least one neurodivergent learner in their classroom. For these children, simple tasks like waiting to speak and turning in homework on time are often encumbered by executive function delays.

The educators in our ADDitude community recommend getting to know each student individually and having on hand a mixed bag of executive function supports that can meet the learning demands of a neurodiverse classroom. Read on for educator-recommended ways to develop independence among all students.

Executive Function Teaching Strategies

“I do not allow my students to be dependent on me. I use the phrase ‘three before me’ meaning they must go to three students to help them answer the question or solve the issue before asking me.”

“For my impulsive students who can’t help but speak out of turn or interrupt, I have given them Blurt Beans. They start the day off with five and each time they forget to raise their hand, a bean is taken away.”

[Free Class: The ADHD Learning Series for Educators]

“Read your students and their moods on a daily basis. Some days will be more productive than others; be flexible and willing to adapt the work. Lessons you had planned may need to be delivered differently. Offering additional resources can enhance the learning experience. It’s all about knowing your students.”

“Empowering each student to tell me what works for them and what does not has been most impactful over more than 10 years of teaching high schoolers. Too often, teachers try to dictate specific strategies that students must use to help them stay organized. Yet when a savvy student tries an approach and fails, they need to feel it’s okay to try something new.”

“Provide a high level of support with the goal of transferring some of the responsibility to the child gradually. It’s just like scaffolding a lesson — I do, we do, you do — but over a longer period of time when teaching executive function skills.”

“We have a lesson every two weeks on how to implement strategies like note taking, setting alarms, and using executive function apps.”

[Read: Text-to-Speech (and Speech-to-Text) Tools to Address Reading and Writing Challenges]

“I let students that can work more independently do so and ask them to aid their peers along the way. Teaching helps them learn better and develop positive socialization skills. I also don’t dismiss their feelings. I try to talk through and validate their emotions before we discuss solutions. Students need to be seen, heard, and taught how to manage their feelings in a positive way.”

“When they are stuck, my students write down the steps to completing the task. Then, I have them circle the step that they see as the most difficult and break it down into three further steps (even if it seems silly). I sometimes have them rate the perceived difficulty of the task from 1 to 5 before and after they complete it. This gives them a strategy that they can use on their own to increase self-confidence and follow through on tasks.”

“The particular mix of strategies and approaches depends on the individual learner and their context. In terms of increasing independence, I provide solid building blocks and frameworks, and then gradually reduce my active management as I hand responsibility over to the learner. It is important to move out of the ‘ringmaster’ role and become the ‘safety net.’ I keep detailed records of progress so that I can show the learner, and their parents and teachers, just how far they’ve come.”

“Students need a chance to practice new skills with room to make mistakes in a supportive environment. This has been one of the most valuable takeaways from our dual enrollment partnership with Landmark College.”

“The AVID program has proven to be helpful for a lot of students who struggle with executive functioning skills. There are homework checks, tutorials, focused note-taking sessions, and other tasks incorporated into the program. Most students in the AVID program at our school will have the same teacher for all four years of high school. This generally leads to stronger relationships among the student, parent, and teacher.”

“For my own daughter, I often ask her how long she thinks an assignment or task will take. If she has no idea, I still have her guess. She’s slowly getting better at her time estimates.”

“Give them ownership of their progress. Give them ownership of their data. If they graph their progress, it’s easier to identify growth and celebrate it. It’s also easier to identify what’s not working and make adjustments… Progress monitoring data is easily available.”

“Trying to make those students team leaders seems to help in my class. It allows them to see that sometimes leading is not all it’s cracked up to be. Usually, they do a really good job… Sometimes, inadvertently, other teachers don’t allow students to be as independent as they should be which can stunt their growth.”

How to Teach Executive Functions: Next Steps

• Download: Common Executive Function Challenges — and Solutions
• Read: “I Know! I Know!” Self-Control Solutions for Kids Who Blurt Out
• Read: Attention-Grabbing Teaching Techniques for Distracted Students

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.

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:

ADHD Accommodations That Work

• Offer movement breaks.
• Allow quiet fidgeting while working.
• Provide noise-canceling headphones.
• Reduce homework load.
• Provide extra time on tests.
• Maintain a daily report card.
• Use preferential seating.
• Administer tests orally.
• Provide an extra set of books for use at home.
• Tap student on shoulder or use another cue to refocus.

[Download: Free Expert Resource for Teachers of Students with ADHD]

Teaching Strategies for More Engaging Instruction

• Focus on strengths. (An artistic student can draw pictures to summarize book chapters.)
• Start every class with a few minutes of mindfulness.
• Use a step-by-step format with visually matching cues.
• Break tasks into small, quickly achievable goals.
• Divide the class into small groups and use a buddy system.
• Create opportunities for students to self-correct their work to feel more motivated and in control.
• Help a student start a task, then move away and check in frequently.
• Give real-world examples to illustrate why the lesson matters.
• Use a daily check-in and check-out procedure for middle and high school students.
• Use their interests as a launching pad for learning skills.

Teaching Strategies to Boost Executive Function

• Use timers and visual aids to plan and get organized.
• Encourage self-directed goal-setting.
• Lead the class in developing collaborative solutions to a problem to increase awareness and flexibility.
• Identify students’ strengths and incorporate their successes into leadership opportunities.
• Reduce pressure and anxiety. Emphasize a growth mindset.
• Praise students for finding and correcting their own mistakes.
• Administer the executive skills test in the book Smart but Scattered and share ways to compensate for their deficits.
• Cultivate a child’s self-confidence.

[Download: The ADHD Learning Series for Educators]

Teaching Strategies to Improve Behavior & Emotional Regulation

• Give immediate rewards and consequences for behavior.
• After an emotional trigger, encourage self-reflection when students are calm.
• Help students brainstorm different ways to respond to a difficult situation next time.
• Incorporate physical challenges into brain-break times.
• Stay calm with your body language and words.
• Give a five-minute break to chat and snack.
• Lead the class in a quick burst of exercise to refocus their attention before starting the next task.
• Use checklists and constant communication to share a student’s victories with their family.
• Practice mindfulness strategies, from meditation to deep breathing, to build a bit of calm.
• Offer rewards (unstructured time, being a teacher’s helper) for working a specific amount of time.

Teaching Strategies for ADHD: Next Steps

• Read: Positive Teaching Strategies to Uplift Students with ADHD
• Read: 7 Surprising Ways ADHD Shows Up in the Classroom
• Read: 27 Classroom Accommodations That Target Common ADHD Challenges

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
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When impairments impede learning, I suggest these novel memorization techniques:

1. Harnessing scents makes sense. The sense of smell is an incredibly powerful, and under-utilized, tool to aid memory recall. Stimulating the olfactory nerve produces dopamine, which the ADHD brain craves. So, when a student uses an apple-scented smencil (a scented pencil) to write the definition of “obstinate,” the association between the word and the smell will be stored in memory to be tapped later.

[Free Download: 10 Working Memory Exercises for Children with ADHD]

2. Get physical. It’s well known that physical activity improves students’ cognitive functioning.¹ Exercise also stimulates dopamine, in addition to other neurohormones, which motivates students with ADHD.

3. Keep a journal. Creating a to-do list in a small notebook, kept within arm’s reach, is one of the most effective working memory aids — a place to easily record tasks, thoughts, and ideas as they come up. Another helpful idea: Post sticky notes on bathroom mirrors as reminders.

4. Rhyme in time. When words are set to music and made to rhyme, they stick in your memory as if cemented there. Give students a catchy tune to help them memorize Spanish vocabulary, multiplication facts, the 50 states, and more. If a song doesn’t fit, try making an acronym out of the information, like this one: WIDMA. When in Doubt, Make Acronyms.

5. Organize with color. Color-coding information and materials aids organization and enhances memory performance. You can use color to separate information by subject: green for math, yellow for science, and so on.

[Read: Remembering to Remember — Easing the Working-Memory Strain on Students]

Bonus! More Tips to Boost Executive Functions

• For emotional control: Flash pass
  This academic accommodation allows an overwhelmed student to leave the classroom for five minutes, no explanation or excuses needed.
• For organization: Bathroom mirror sticky notes
  Stick reminders on the bathroom mirror and take great satisfaction in crumpling up each note as you accomplish it.
• For time management: Homework playlists
  Pair the dopamine-stimulating effect of music with the organizational benefits of a timer by setting up a 30-minute playlist for homework. When the music stops, the student takes a break. Play from a Bluetooth speaker, with the phone stashed away, to limit distraction.

Memorization Techniques: Next Steps

• Free Download: 20 Learning Strategies Designed for Students with ADHD
• Read: 15 Memory Exercises for Forgetful Kids
• Read: How to Sharpen Executive Functions — Activities to Hone Brain Skills

Kristin Seymour, MSN, R.N., AHCNS-BC, is a clinical nurse specialist at the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Heart & Vascular Center in St. Louis.

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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.

Sources

¹ Michael, S. L., Merlo, C. L., Basch, C. E., Wentzel, K. R., & Wechsler, H. (2015). Critical connections: health and academics. The Journal of school health, 85(11), 740–758. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12309

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

This free, curated learning series equips caregivers and educators with accurate, up-to-date information about learning with ADHD, plus realistic and effective solutions to specific academic, behavioral, and social challenges associated with ADHD in the classroom.

Your training will begin immediately with an introduction to ADHD and executive function, and ideas for starting off the school year right. Each week, you will receive a new lesson about devising effective accommodations, controlling impulses and behavior, resisting distractions, managing time, building self-confidence and working memory, making friends, and much more…

PART ONE: Forge Strong Executive Functions
PART TWO: Control Impulses & Behavior
PART THREE: Resist Distractions & Focus
PART FOUR: Organize & Manage Time
PART FIVE: Build Self-Confidence at School
PART SIX: Remember Not to Forget
PART SEVEN: Secure Accommodations & Self-Advocate
PART EIGHT: Initiate & Complete Homework
PART NINE: Foster Friendships & Regulate Emotions
PART TEN: Maintain Motivation & Resilience

NOTE: This resource is for personal use only.