Executive Functioning
“I’ve Told Them a Hundred Times!” Why Some Children Struggle with Everyday Routines
Every parent has experienced some version of this… You ask your child to get ready for bed. Ten minutes later, they’re still sitting on the couch. You remind them to brush their teeth. They wander into their room instead. You ask them to put their plate in the sink. They leave it on the table.…
Read MoreDoes My Child Need Medication for ADHD?
As a parent, few decisions feel heavier than deciding whether your child might need medication for ADHD. It’s normal to have questions, hesitations, and even fears. The good news is: most parents already have a strong inner compass when it comes to this choice. In my experience, parents generally know when it’s time to seriously…
Read MoreHelp Your Child Build Study Skills
Supporting your child’s learning at home can feel like a delicate balancing act. You want to help—of course you do—but you also want your child to grow confident, independent, and capable. The good news is that with a few intentional strategies, you can create a homework routine that builds study skills, lowers stress, and supports…
Read MoreSupporting Your Teen’s Growing Independence
As a parent, you’ve worked hard for years to keep your child safe, healthy, and supported. When your child has neurodevelopmental differences (e.g., autism, ADHD, or a learning disorder) or if your child has a medical condition, your protective instinct can feel even stronger. You’ve likely spent much of their childhood coordinating appointments, advocating at school, and stepping in when the world wasn’t quite ready to meet their needs.
Read MoreADHD Screenings: Be Careful
Screenings for ADHD may be quick, affordable, and convenient (especially if done with the pediatrician), but their results should be interpreted cautiously. This information is only a tiny glimpse of your whole child. If you plan to try medication, you may not be addressing the cause of the attention problems. Let me explain. Pretend you…
Read MoreAnxiety and ADHD
Recent estimates from a very large US study (>45,000 participants) with the CDC shows that around 35% of children and 43% of adolescents/teens with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder (Danielson et al., 2024). Next to behavioral/conduct problems, anxiety is the most commonly associated disorder with ADHD. Why and how are anxiety and ADHD related?…
Read MoreAnxiety and Math
The impact of anxiety on math achievement has received significant attention in the field of educational research. There is no doubt that anxiety symptoms and math performance are negatively related (as one goes up, the other goes down). In some kids, problems in math may cause anxiety. But in other kids, anxiety may contribute to…
Read MoreADHD in Girls Looks Different
Imagine an 8-year-old girl in the back of the classroom, sitting quietly, gently swinging her legs under the desk, and staring out the window during class. Meanwhile, the class is working on a timed science quiz, and she hasn’t started yet. She is daydreaming, lost in her own world, but eventually gets to work. The…
Read MoreWhen Perfectionism Becomes a Problem for Your Child
Perfectionism is tricky. On the one hand, it is praised when associated with high achievement. But on the other hand, it can contribute to avoidance and inflexible behavior, and it can be associated with anxiety. Is your child overly critical of themselves or do they set unrealistic expectations? Are they hesitant to try new things?…
Read MoreHow Does Your Child Process Signals from Their Body?
Does your child ignore, miss, or over attend to internal signals from their body, such as hunger, thirst, full bowel/bladder, body temperature, heart rate, breathing, pain, or muscle tension? Maybe it depends on their stress level or physical health. Interoception can be defined as the ability to perceive the internal state of one’s own…
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