The increasing decriminalization of cannabis and cannabis-derived products has resulted in greater access to the drug and has reduced perceptions of harm related to frequent cannabis use. These factors are related to escalation of and frequent cannabis use. Despite the limited, federally approved medical uses for cannabis-derived products, cannabis is perceived to be relatively harmless, and to improve insomnia and ADHD symptoms. However, individuals with ADHD may be more vulnerable to developing problematic cannabis use than their neurotypical peers due to ADHD-related traits.

This webinar will examine the research on risks and benefits of cannabis-derived products, specifically regarding how it relates to sleep and ADHD. Sleep is a frequent motive and may be a driver of daily cannabis use. This webinar also will discuss the role of sleep health and substance use, the challenges of communicating these findings to youth who are at greatest risk, and some harm-reduction strategies for engaging youth in reducing drug use.

In this webinar, you will learn about:

• Effects of infrequent and frequent cannabis use on cognition
• Risks of frequent cannabis use among ADHD youth today
• Sleep disturbances in ADHD, cannabis use motives, and how frequent cannabis use affects sleep health over time
• Strategies to improve sleep health and engage youth in reducing problematic cannabis use

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.

Substance Use Disorder and ADHD: More Resources

• Download: Sleep Disorders Linked to ADHD
• Get: The Parents’ Guide to Raising a Teen with ADHD
• Learn: SUD Risk Is Elevated by ADHD
• Q&A: “My Teen is Smoking Marijuana and Changing Before My Eyes. What Do I Do?”

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on May 7, 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

Mariely Hernandez, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Division on Substance Use Disorders at Columbia University Medical Center. After completing her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience & Behavior at Columbia College, Dr. Hernandez pursued a master’s in general psychology and researched mood disorders in pediatric and adult populations for 7 years before shifting her focus to research of ADHD and substance use risk during her doctoral studies at the CUNY Graduate Center.

She also runs a part-time private practice, specializing in helping adults with ADHD thrive. Identifying as part of the ADHD community herself, Dr. Hernandez is also a mother to two very active boys, one recently diagnosed with ADHD.

Follow ADDitude’s full ADHD Experts Podcast in your podcasts app:
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Hi Concerned Parent:

Teaching life skills is crucial to helping teens with ADHD — actually, all teens — become responsible and self-sufficient individuals. While you may not be able to afford an ADHD coach or outside resources, there are plenty of steps you can take to support your son.

Here are a few thoughtful ideas to help you get started.

Life Skills 101

1. Are You Doing Things Your Son Can Do on His Own?

Be honest with yourself. If so, it’s time to take stock and let go. Swooping in and taking over isn’t doing your son any favors.

While you may feel like you’re helping, you may also be sending him a clear message that he’s incapable. The more our kids hear or think that, the less likely they will rise to the occasion to take care of stuff independently.

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

I’m not saying this to make you feel bad or, worse, feel like a terrible parent. That could not be further from the truth. As parents, we’re natural fixers and problem solvers. If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes it’s easier and faster to do things ourselves. It takes a lot of patience and persistence to take a step back so our children can take a step forward. But it’s paramount for their future success.

Tip within a tip: Start letting go of anything you do for him with minimal stakes. Pinpoint certain chores or responsibilities that don’t affect anyone else in your home if they’re not completed or finished “on time.” Having your son be responsible for his own laundry or cleaning his bedroom are perfect examples of “low stakes” responsibilities.

2. Who Is Ultimately Responsible?

Does he get out of bed on his own in the morning? Check! Does he get to school on time with minimal prompting? Check!

Think about it: If everyone around him cares more than he does or works harder than he does, what is the likelihood he’ll put in the necessary work to learn the skill and take ownership of it?

[Free Download: The Executive Skills Questionnaire for Parents and Teens]

I know what you’re thinking. On the one hand, you want your son to be independent and do things on his own. On the other, you may fear that, left to his own devices, things may fall through the cracks. Well, that may very well happen. As a parenting coach, I see this emotional tug-of-war firsthand. The important thing to remember is that as long as you’re the one in charge, your son will let you be.

Please know that I’m not asking you to turn over the reins without teaching him the necessary skills to manage them. You must feel confident that he understands what’s being asked of him and knows how to do whatever is asked.

Tip within a tip: Ask your son to perform small daily tasks, such as taking out the trash or filling the dog’s water bowl. Successfully completing small tasks may boost his confidence to tackle more daunting responsibilities.

3. Does Your Son Excel at a Skill?

Here’s why this is so important. Teaching life skills doesn’t have to be boring or heavy-handed. It can be fun and light. So, if your son is a whiz at the guitar or a star baker who whips up fabulous creations in your kitchen, ask him to teach you.

During the pandemic, my son, Eli, taught my husband how to play the ukulele. He made schedules, sketched lesson plans, and even created a practice area in our home. He was using and learning organization, time management, planning, and prioritizing skills in a very organic and creative way.

My best advice is to leave the expiration date off teaching your son life skills. This will only frustrate you if you feel that time is ticking. As a parent of children who are flown and grown and a parenting coach, I feel you never stop teaching life skills to your children! Truly, this is only the beginning.

Good luck!

Life Skills for Teens: Next Steps

• Read: 5 Critical Life Skills That Build Independence & Confidence in Kids
• Read: Steps to Independence
• Download: Common Executive Function Challenges — And Solutions
• Watch: “5 Life Skills Every ADHD Young Adult Needs to Cultivate”

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!

Whether it’s the space between brushing teeth and putting on socks, or the space between the end of the school day and the start of swimming lessons, even a seemingly small transition point can have a big impact on our kids with ADHD. But with a bit of patience, planning, and practice, your child’s toughest transitions can eventually become second nature. Try these strategies to help your child seamlessly move through difficult “between spaces.”

1. Look for Patterns

Your child’s transition difficulties likely follow a pattern. Try writing down all the transition hot spots during your child’s day and think about what happens immediately before and after the transitions. Is your child moving from a quiet environment to a loud one with lots of people, or is it the opposite? Is the activity your child is transitioning to a boring one? Is the transition too slow, or too fast? You can also try to write down the transitions that come easily to your child to give you some clues. Maybe transitions are easier for your child when the environment is quieter, when they have a full belly, or if they can read a book on drive there.

Examining transitions in this way will help you notice patterns and think of strategies that uniquely fit the situation and are appealing for your child, like putting on their favorite song as they transition through their morning routine.

2. Visual Schedules are Your Child’s Friend

Visual reminders of the many activities and sequences your child follows throughout the day can help them mentally prepare for changes and avoid surprises. Make your child’s visual schedule as detailed as needed. For example, your child may benefit from an interactive visual schedule for their nighttime routine where each step in the routine has an associated picture card. That way, your child can physically move a picture card once the related task is completed.

But schedules don’t always have to contain images and Velcro tabs to help your child. Writing out (rather than solely verbally telling) your child the chores you expect them to complete may help with the transitions between homework, laundry, and doing the dishes. Likewise, another simple visual schedule could be writing out the tasks within an especially aversive homework assignment. Some children may thrive if their visual schedules are balanced with challenging and less challenging tasks, with breaks after especially frustrating tasks, or with a preferred activity at the end of the routine. Either way, your child will be able to see that a break or a fun reward is coming up soon.

[Free Download: Sample Schedules for Reliable Family Routines]

3. The Gift of Choice

Despite our best efforts, some things are simply out of our control, like if the school bus arrives late, or if it’s raining and your child can’t wear their favorite sandals. But even in these moments, there are always little glimmers of flexibility and choice to be found. Especially if your child’s transition difficulties are rooted in anxiety, choices, no matter how small, can provide them with a sense of control during stressful situations. If the bus is running late, you can ask your child, “Do you want to wait for the bus inside or outside?” If they can’t wear their favorite sandals, ask, “Do you want to wear tennis shoes or boots?”

Even when things are going according to plan, consider introducing flexibility and choice throughout your child’s daily transitions to break down barriers and resistance. For example, most likely the steps in your child’s bedtime routine are non-negotiable (e.g., putting on pajamas, brushing teeth, combing hair), but maybe you can let your child choose the order in which they’ll complete each step. If chores and homework are on your child’s to-do list, say, “Your choices are to do your flashcards or put away the dishes. Which one do you want to do first?”

4. Practice Frontloading

Frontloading refers to the conversations and activities that occur before an event with the intent to support a successful transition. Frontloading is another way to prepare your child for changes ahead, especially if those changes are big. For example, if your child is transferring schools, frontloading may include touring the new school in person and meeting key staff members before the official start of classes. Even better, your child can record the experience and rewatch videos of their tour. If your child feels anxious and overwhelmed at the thought of making new friends, talk through some coping tools they can independently use, like deep breathing and counting to ten. You can also talk through the best and worst possible outcomes of the upcoming activity and the likelihood of those outcomes occurring. For example, maybe your child forgot their spelling workbook, but a fellow classmate can share theirs – and now your child has made a new friend.

Frontloading can also look like having your child think through what they’ll encounter while making a transition. If your child is going to music lessons, have them visualize everything from getting ready for lessons to the noise levels of the studio and how they might react to the new environment. Maybe there are little strategies your child can think of that would make steps of these transitions easier. If getting ready for music lessons overwhelms your child, perhaps you try setting an alarm to remind your child to put their instrument by the front door, or the child makes a visual checklist and puts it near the door so your child can easily see if they have everything they need for class.

[Read: “How Can I Teach My Child to Smoothly Transition Activities?”]

5. Highlight Your Child’s Successes

There are so many transitions, including transitions within a single event (think about how Friday family night might include dinner, dessert, and multiple board games), happening all day and every day. With that in mind, think about all the transitions your child successfully completes each day, even if those switches appear minor. Remember these successes and take the time to praise your child for moving through them. Reminding your child of their success with all kinds of transitions is likely to keep them motivated when dealing with the tough ones.

ADHD and Transitions: Next Steps

• Read: How to Smooth Transitions and Avoid Meltdowns
• Read: Why Task Switching is Difficult for ADHD Brains — and 7 Ways to Smooth Transitions
• Read: Help Your Child Embrace Change

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.

Dear RebelWithoutAPause:

Many creative minds, especially those with ADHD and executive function challenges have a love-hate relationship with schedules. On the one hand, these adults understand schedules are necessary for keeping them on track, on time, on task — and they work. However, because neurodivergent adults thrive on spontaneity and the freedom to follow their creative whims, the idea of a rigid schedule feels suffocating and controlling.

In other words, they want to have a daily schedule on their own terms.

I find it super interesting that you’re responsible and nurturing when it comes to your loved ones and their appointments. That’s wonderful and should be noted! It’s also cool that your morning routines are on point without a schedule. When things feel obligatory, you’re on the top of your game. But the moment you put tasks down on paper, boom! Resistance sets in like a storm.

So, let’s dive into why this may be happening.

Schedules can feel like handcuffs, restricting your freedom to indulge in what truly brings you joy. The fear of missing out on spontaneous moments may overwhelm you, but you can’t avoid structure altogether. It’s a real push and pull.

[Free Download: The Daily Routine that Works for Adults with ADHD]

Daily Schedule Strategies for ADHD Minds

The key is finding a way to make schedules work for you and not against you. Here are six strategies to try when building a daily routine:

1. Reframe Your Perspective on Schedules

Instead of viewing schedules as rigid, view them as flexible frameworks to guide your day. Think of your schedule as your personal compass. You decide what path to take, when, and for how long. That’s the beauty of it: You have full choice and control.

2. Sprinkle in Fun

Inject your schedule with bursts of creativity and little pockets of freedom and fun. Set aside time for indulging in your passions, like an “Innovation Hour” or “Think Tank Time.” Let your imaginative juices flow, knowing your schedule balances structure and spontaneity.

3. Try Time Blocking

Try incorporating time blocking into your daily schedule. This technique lets you set aside specific chunks of time for various tasks, but you can choose what to work on within those blocks.

[Free Resource: Stop Procrastinating! Finish Your To-Do List Today!]

4. Enlist an Accountability Buddy

Consider finding an “Accountability Buddy” (friend, co-worker, partner, etc.) who can gently nudge you to stay on track while understanding your need for creative freedom.

5. Assess and Modify

Your “cheating” tendencies may be hints that your schedule needs tweaking or more balance. Assess what makes you feel constrained and find ways to modify it. Maybe you need longer breaks between tasks or to shuffle the order of tasks to suit your energy flow. Perhaps you need to switch up your environment so that you do your heavy mental lifting in a place that brings you calm and comfort, or you need to use colorful visual aids to make your schedule feel less boring and mundane.

6. Be Kind

Lastly, be kind to yourself and set achievable goals within your schedule. Unrealistic expectations can lead to frustration and that “pouring metal shavings all over yourself” feeling. Acknowledge your progress no matter how small the win. If you remember that schedules can be your allies on the road to business success and personal fulfillment, then you’re halfway there.

Here’s to a beautifully balanced life filled with creative expression and a newfound love for schedules.

Daily Schedule: Next Steps

• Download: Free Sample Schedules for Reliable Family Routines
• Read: “My ADHD Morning Routine = Noise-Cancelling Headphones, a Double Espresso — and Intimacy”
• Learn: 6 Easy Ways to Juggle All Those Balls

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

Submit your questions to the ADHD Family Coach here!

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

Since children of different ages have different needs, here are some homeschooling strategies to help.

1. Schedule “Class Time”

No matter their age, keep your students on a school schedule. If they had to be physically present for class outside the home, they would set their alarms and get themselves out the door on time. Neurodivergent students need to place the same importance on homeschooling schedules and classes as they would at an in-person school.

2. Have Your Children “Body Double”

For some children with ADHD, working in the same room as others helps them stay motivated and on task. With that in mind, create a common work area for all your children. The only rule is that this is a time for working, not talking. Place an inexpensive tabletop presentation board on the kitchen table so everyone has some privacy. Make sure you provide plenty of snacks.

[Sign Up for ADDitude’s Free ADHD Parenting Class]

3. Infuse Learning with Movement

Homework is boring and doing it in the same place all the time can get old quickly. Changing your children’s environment will keep things interesting and fresh when they start to lose focus and attention. Games like “Hide the Homework,” where kids search the house for hidden assignments (They complete them where they find them.), helps to add an element of fun and surprise to the daily routine. Spelling words can go in the bathtub (No water!), and math problems can go under the kitchen table. Or play “Beat the Clock” by setting up subject stations around your kitchen or dining room table. Place a timer in the middle; when it goes off, your child moves to the next station. Incorporate younger children into the mix with art or reading stations.

Get outside! I have students doing math homework with sidewalk chalk or learning vocabulary words while jumping on a trampoline. Have a dog that needs walking? You grab the flashcards, your child grabs the dog, and by the time you’re back, they’ve studied for the exam.

4. Create a Playlist

Music helps the brain plan, focus, and initiate. Have each of your children create a study playlist of music they love. The key is to start the same playlist every time they sit down to work. Eventually, the music will act as a motivator — hearing it will signal to the brain that it’s time to get work done.

5. Designate Different Areas in Your Home for School and Homework

Any way you can set up their environment to provide motivation is a win.

[Free Download: The Guide to ADHD Learning Styles]

Homeschooling Tips: Next Steps

• Download: A Sample Schedule for Learning at Home
• Learn: When Traditional Schools Fails… How to Homeschool 
• Watch: Lessons Learned — and Shared — by Homeschool Families

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

Submit your questions to the ADHD Family Coach here!

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

In ADHD grandfamilies, grandparents are raising or helping to raise their grandchildren for a variety of reasons — while simultaneously learning how to parent and support a neurodivergent child, often for the first time. So much has changed in our understanding of ADHD and its comorbidities, and grandparents are working hard to catch up and help out.

If your grandchild has ADHD, you likely struggle with kickstarting the morning routine, tackling and turning in homework, doing chores, and even sitting at the dinner table. Navigating your role as a grandparent—whether you’re raising your grandchild or just contributing to childcare—requires patience and energy when your grandchild presents with inattentive, hyperactive and/or impulsive behavior.

In this webinar, grandparents will learn:

• About the three presentations of ADHD and how each can affect a child’s life at home, at school, and in peer relationships
• About evidence-based behavior management strategies to improve interactions with your grandchild
• How to address everyday struggles, such as getting ready in the morning, starting and completing homework, following directions, and balancing screen time
• How to avoid common pitfalls, such as yelling and using escalating threats

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 ADHD Grandfamilies

• Download: 3 Rules for Organizing Your Child (or Grandchild)
• Read: “Let Me Tell You How ADHD Runs in My Family”
• Read: A Strong Foundation

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on April 26, 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:

Caroline Mendel, Psy.D., is the Senior Director of Clinical Services for School and Community Programs and a psychologist in the ADHD and Behavior Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of youth with ADHD, disruptive behavior, and other co-occurring conditions. She is skilled in behavioral parent training approaches and is a certified parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) therapist. She also has experience providing evidence-based interventions including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Follow ADDitude’s full ADHD Experts Podcast in your podcasts app:
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Academic demands, self-regulation challenges, and unreliable motivation can hamper learning and academic success for students of all ages with ADHD. Many feel frustrated and stop trying to achieve what they consider unattainable goals related to their school performance. What can caregivers do to help neurodivergent students reach their academic potential?

In this webinar, caregivers will learn:

• How to build strategies specific to a child’s age and stage to help them stay focused and motivated at home and at school
• How to create daily routines that can make a difference in getting and staying organized, including tips for backpack organization and assignment prioritization
• About strategies that improve sleep routines so children wake without a fight
• About approaches to help your child connect with peers to build their self-confidence

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 Student Self-Regulation and ADHD

• Download: Solving Behavior Problems Rooted in Executive Function Deficits
• Read: “I Remembered Not to Forget!”
• Read: Be On Time! Teaching Sequence and Schedules

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on March 8, 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:

Kristin Seymour, MSN, RN, is a clinical nurse specialist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University Medical Center. She is also a coach, blogger, and a contributor in the documentary about ADHD called The Disruptors. She credits her ADHD with making her a better nurse.

Webinar Sponsor

The sponsor of this ADDitude webinar is….

Accentrate® is a dietary supplement formulated to address nutritional deficiencies known to be associated with ADHD. It contains omega-3 fatty acids in phospholipid form (the form already in the brain). This Brain Ready Nutrition helps manage inattention, lack of focus, emotional dysregulation, and hyperactivity without drug-like side effects. | fenixhealthscience.com

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

Follow ADDitude’s full ADHD Experts Podcast in your podcasts app:
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Does your tween or teen seem to lack all motivation? Do they need aggressive reminders to begin tasks — especially those they’ve put off for as long as possible? Is it almost always a struggle to finish?

Many adolescents with ADHD stall out when trying to start and/or complete assignments and tasks, especially when they are no fun, boring, or challenging. ADHD-related procrastination and disorganization, combined with perfectionism and low self-esteem, can hamper their ability to complete work or remember to turn in what they have accomplished. Successfully motivating and supporting these students means following a strength-based, collaborative approach that synthesizes cognitive behavioral interventions with practical routines and mindful awareness.

In this webinar, Dr. Sharon Saline, award-winning author, international speaker and consultant, explores how to motivate teens with ADHD and offers effective strategies for offering effective support while helping them build life-long skills.

In this webinar, you will learn:

• How to identify the executive functioning skills that affect motivation
• About strategies for developing enduring time-management skills, organizational skills, and goal-directed persistence
• About effective, collaborative routines with meaningful incentives to reduce procrastination and perfectionism
• How to reduce overwhelm and anxiety by increasing confidence and resilience
• How to determine appropriate levels of parent participation in kids’ lives
• How to help tweens and teens with ADHD develop the accountability and autonomy that fosters success in school and in life

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 Motivating Teens with ADHD

• Download: Transform Your Teen’s Apathy Into Engagement
• Read: How Can I Make My Teen Care About School?
• Read: The Roots of ADHD Motivation Problems

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on January 11, 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

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 (#CommissionsEarned) and The ADHD Solution Deck (#CommissionsEarned) specializes in working with children, teens, emerging adults and families living with ADHD, anxiety, learning disabilities, autism, twice exceptionality and mental health issues. Her unique perspective – as a sibling in an ADHD home, combined with decades of experience as a clinical psychologist and educator/clinician consultant – assists her in guiding families and adults towards effective communication and closer connections. She lectures and facilitates workshops internationally on topics such as understanding ADHD, executive functioning, anxiety, motivation, different kinds of learners and the teen brain. Click here to read her full bio.

#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….

The first college in the U.S. to exclusively serve students who learn differently (dyslexia, ADHD, autism, executive function challenges, etc.), also offers short-term programs that help neurodivergent high schoolers make the successful transition to college, academically and socially. Visit www.landmark.edu/teen to learn more about residential and online options.

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

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Most of us make New Year’s resolutions. Children with ADHD often wish for things to be different at school. However, they feel they don’t know how to make things better because it’s hard to transform intentions into reliable action.

But focusing on building specific strategies and routines rather than achieving big, unattainable goals can help students stay focused and motivated for the second half of the school year.

This approach can empower your child (whether they’re in elementary, middle, or high school) and make a huge difference in personal and academic outcomes. Routines and strong study habits help students build essential life skills, including planning ahead, staying organized, and doing it without a fight.

Ann Dolin, M.Ed., has more than 30 years of experience with students with various types of learning and attentional issues. During her January 24th webinar, she will share insights to help students impacted by ADHD emerge and shine to make 2023 a Happy New Year!

In her workshop, she will discuss:

Strategies to increase your child’s focus, productivity, and time management
Simple ways to create daily routines that can make the difference in getting and staying organized
Strategies to foster independence and responsibility, so it doesn’t fall on the adults’ shoulders
Research-based ways to prevent the disconnect between what a parent sees as the problem and the areas a child is willing to accept help
Conversation starters to facilitate an improved mindset, build trust, and help your child break free of the “doom loop”
Ways to help resistant kids (common in those with ADHD) overcome roadblocks and achieve what they set out to do (Yes, it’s possible!)

Plus, you’ll receive free downloads to help your family stay organized and plan ahead, as well as word-by-word scripts for what to say when your child is resistant or struggling with motivation.

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 School Goals and Strategies for ADHD

• Download: Solving Disorganization at School
• Read: ADHD & the Art of Persistence: Teaching Goal-Setting Skills
• Read: Behold the Magic of a Consistent Routine
  

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on January 24, 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:

Ann Dolin is the President and Founder of Educational Connections, a company that specializes in helping students with ADHD and executive function issues build confidence through virtual, one-to-one sessions. Ann is a former public school teacher, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Child Psychology and a master’s degree in Special Education (from Boston College). Ann has spent more than 25 years in education, teaching and tutoring students from kindergarten to college. She founded Educational Connections in 1998. Her team now includes 125 highly credentialed and caring subject tutors, test prep tutors, and executive function coaches.

Webinar Sponsor

The sponsor of this ADDitude webinar is…

Play Attention: Improve executive function & self-regulation with NASA inspired technology. Tufts University School of Medicine found Play Attention significantly improved attention, executive function, academic performance and behavioral control of ADHD students. Your program will include a Lifetime Membership and a Personal Executive Function Coach to customize your plan along the way. Home and professional programs available. Call 828-676-2240 or click here to schedule your free 1:1 consultation! | www.playattention.com

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

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It is essential that your son pack up his backpack the night before and leave it by — maybe even blocking — the door he exits. For things he takes every day, I suggest making a mnemonic sung to the tune of “head, shoulders, knees, and toes” but modified to his items. So it could be: “Lunch, homework, keys, and phone.” Of course, this doesn’t address one-time items, such as permission slips, or weekly items, like gym shoes and musical instruments.

Weekly and regular routines can go on a large weekday matrix that is hung by the door, so he knows on Tuesday night to pack his shoes for gym on Wednesday. One-time items can be jotted on a neon Post-It or noted on a phone with a reminder text or a memo, whichever is most convenient and effective for him at the moment. His most valuable tool, however, is you.

[Read: The Messy Student’s Guide to Order]

It may take a month to get him in the habit of packing up the night before, checking the matrix and reminder notes, and placing everything in front of the door. You should be there in the morning to “run the tune.” A good month of this should make it a habit. You might not completely eliminate your trips to the school, but they should become fewer. And best of all, Mom, you will have taught him a valuable organizing system that he can use for the rest of his life.

School Organization: Next Steps

• Download: Your Free Guide to School Organization
• Read: This School Year, Get It Together (and Keep It There)
• Listen: How to Start (and End) The School Year Organized

Susan C. Pinsky is a professional organizer specializing in ADHD. She is the author of Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD and The Fast and Furious 5 Step Organizing Solution(#CommissionsEarned).

#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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Behavioral interventions like healthy sleep hygiene, calming visualization, and reliable sleep and wake times are effective at improving ADHD-related sleep issues in children, according to a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Attention Disorders¹. Though the study does not recommend specific interventions, its findings are a promising addition to a growing body of research surrounding behavioral interventions for correcting sleep difficulties.

The researchers’ analyses, which considered 11 studies, focused on children between the ages of 5 and 15 diagnosed with ADHD who had at least one sleep problem and received some form of behavioral sleep intervention. Interventions included educating parents on sleep hygiene, establishing a proper sleep environment, and setting proper wake and sleep time, as well as using positive reinforcement, bedtime fading, and calming visualization for the children involved in the study.

Though researchers found that individualized interventions that targeted the child’s specific sleep difficulty proved more effective and time-efficient than did standardized approaches. In all studies analyzed, behavioral interventions led to positive effects on sleep quality.

The study suffered from a marked gender imbalance: male participants far outnumbered their female counterparts. Knowing that ADHD can affect girls differently, the lack of gender balance raises concerns over the generalizability of the results. The study authors recommend further research to better understand effective interventions and how other factors such as medication or comorbid conditions may affect intervention results.

Sources

¹Malkani, M. K., Pestell, C. F., Sheridan, A. M. C., Crichton, A. J., Horsburgh, G. C., & Bucks, R. S. (2022). Behavioral Sleep Interventions for Children With ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Attention Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547221106239

Here are some strategies — from fundamental sleep hygiene habits to ideas for quieting a racing mind and more — that I’ve found particularly helpful in getting children with ADHD to sleep soundly.

How to Get Kids to Sleep: The Basics

• Follow a consistent bedtime routine. Practice the routine with your child until it becomes a habit.
  • As much as possible, bedtime should be at the same time every night.
  • The hour leading up to bedtime should be the same every night. The routine can include a bath, story time, reading time, quiet play, drawing —whatever works best to wind down your child.
  • A drink of warm milk before bed may help your child sleep. Try preparing one cup of milk with a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of real (not artificial) vanilla.
  • Anticipate procrastination! In the routine, make going to the bathroom, brushing teeth, and (for those children who need it), a drink or a snack.

[Get This Download: Sound Sleep Solutions for Kids with ADHD]

• Set up the bedroom to promote sleep:
  • For several reasons, it is best for your child to not have a TV in their bedroom and for you to limit screen time altogether (including from other electronic devices).
  • If possible, your child should sleep in their own bedroom.
  • It may help to turn down the lights (or switch to a dim lamp) in the last half hour before bedtime. The lower level of illumination helps the brain to slip into sleep.
  • The choice of a night-light or not, door open or closed, depends on your child’s needs.
  • Minimize noise coming from the rest of the home (like a TV in another room) as your child is trying to fall asleep.
  • Keep your child’s bedroom a little on the cool side. We generally sleep better in a cool room.

• Avoid highly stimulating activities in the last half hour of the day. This includes video games, horseplay, and most TV programs.
• Reward your child (in the day!) for following the bedtime routine. This will help motivate them to continue to follow the plan.
• Plenty of exercise during the day (but not close to bedtime) may help your child sleep better at night.

How to Get Kids to Sleep: Quiet the Mind

Many children with ADHD have trouble slowing down their brain enough to fall asleep. The key is to distract your child from all the interesting thoughts that threaten to keep them awake.

Some helpful options:

• For younger children, audiobooks can be very helpful. Start a short audiobook on a Friday night. (This way, there won’t be an issue if your child stays up later than usual to listen, since they don’t need to get up early on Saturday). By the second night, it should be familiar. By Sunday night, it’s practically memorized. Your child will find the familiar voice and story soothing and relaxing. Of course, when your child gets bored of the same audiobook, start a new one over the weekend, or when they don’t have school the next day.
• Older children may prefer to listen to music. Have your child select one to two songs they like, not love, (you don’t want them getting up to dance) to repeat all night long. Soft instrumental music might make most sense to you as a parent, but it is best to be open-minded to your child’s choice. In the end, it doesn’t matter what song they choose as long as it helps them settle to sleep.
• White noise is another option, especially if there is disturbing background noise from outside the bedroom. An electric fan works well — and if it’s too cool, have the fan blow against a wall.

[Read: Sleep Problems in Teens with ADHD – Causes and Solutions]

Is your child anxious about being alone in their bedroom at night? Settle your child into bed and comfort them. Then, tell them that you have to step out for something but will be back in one minute. Be sure to return in exactly in that time. (Your child might time you if they have a clock in their room.) Next, have your child close their eyes, and tell them you will be back in two minutes.  Continue gradually lengthening the time until your child falls asleep. With this activity, you are helping them to develop trust in your proximity.

How to Get Kids to Sleep: Other Strategies

Talk to your child’s doctor about these options for getting a child to sleep:

• Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone available in supplement form that helps to regulate the sleep-wake balance, something that is often off-kilter in children (and adults) with ADHD.
• For teens, a modest dose of caffeine may help. Caffeine is a readily available and accessible stimulant chemical that can mimic the effects of stimulant medication on a smaller scale — in other words, it can help an active, busy ADHD brain calm down, relax, and exert self-control. For many of my teen patients, some coffee with milk and an artificial sweetener works surprisingly well to relax the body and mind in the evening. And if doesn’t work, don’t do it again.
• If your child takes ADHD medication, a low dose of their stimulant near bedtime may be the best choice when nothing else has worked.
• Trazodone and clonidine are commonly prescribed sedatives that aid in sleep and are generally considered safe. Consider speaking with your child’s doctor about these options.

How to Get Kids to Sleep: Next Steps

• Free Download: Routines for Morning and Night
• Read: Why Children with ADHD Hate Bedtime – Solutions to ADHD Sleep Problems
• Q&A: “How Can I Get My Son to Sleep in His Own Bed Without Sparking Anxiety?”

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Why Task Switching and Transitions Roil ADHD Teens

Transitions are difficult for ADHD brains. Why? What seems like a simple process actually comprises several discrete steps, any one of which could cause a derailment.

The first step to supporting your teen is to get to know the different aspects of transitions, as well as the various stages that are involved with task switching.

3 Types of Transitions

• Physical transitions include walking from one room to another, taking out a laptop or a notebook, and getting out of bed. We often think that a transition is finished just because the physical aspect has been completed, but this is false.
• Mental transitions take place internally. When switching tasks, we must change how we are thinking. For example, the competitive mindset needed to play a sport has to change when we’re going out to dinner with family after the game. If we don’t move out of the previous mindset, we won’t be as cooperative as we should be in the new setting. The executive function challenges that go with ADHD may cause this shift to lag.
• Emotional transitions, like mental ones, take place internally and are hard to observe. (The clues are in the nonverbal cues.) Sometimes we have to go from one emotional state to another to take on a new task or situation. When a teen says that they don’t “feel like” doing homework, it’s likely that they haven’t emotionally transitioned to that task yet. The emotional regulation challenges that go with ADHD can make these transitions difficult, and they may cause a child to get stuck in a powerful feeling like excitement, anger, or shame.

A single transition may comprise all three of these.

[Get This Free Download: What Are Your Teen’s Weakest Executive Functions?]

How Things Can Go Wrong When Task Switching

There are three stages to each transition.

1. Making the initial move away from the activity
2. Navigating the path between the last activity and the future one
3. Moving into the coming task or activity.

Things can go wrong at each of these stages.

Problems at the first stage:

• If ending a pleasant, enjoyable task, it may be hard for your teen to let go of the fun that they’re having.
• If the task is urgent, that, too, can make putting it down hard.
• ADHD hyperfocus could make it difficult to disconnect.

Problems at the second stage:

• The path between leaving a task and entering a new one requires focus, a common weak spot for teens with ADHD. It is easy for a teen to get sidetracked and distracted before entering a new activity, especially if it doesn’t start quickly enough.

Problems at the third stage:

• Unclear instructions can make it difficult to move on to the new task. If your teen misunderstands, they may not start the task soon enough.
• If the task is a dreaded one, or one charged with negative feelings, your teen might delay getting started or avoid it altogether. This delay could lead to harsh words from Mom or Dad, which could lead to even stronger negative feelings.

[Read: The Trickiest Transitions for Our Kids — and Proven Remedies]

Task Switching: 6 Tips for Helping Teens with Transitions

1. Establish easy-to-follow routines to let kids know what to expect, and when to expect it. Establishing and following set patterns of behavior goes a long way toward smoothing transitions.

2 . Cue your teen in advance of upcoming transitions. Giving kids a heads-up when a transition is coming will give them more time to make the needed mental and emotional shifts.

3. Use checklists and other visual reminders that build independence as our kids learn to navigate transitions and increase their ownership of their behavior.

4. Play music during transitions. Music helps us time how long a transition will take, and it can also soothe emotions that might arise from the change of tasks.

5. Use timers and reminders. Timers and digital reminders allow parents to stop nagging and, therefore, reduce conflict at home.

6. Let your teen take the lead on transitions. Give a teen as much control over transitions as they can manage. Let them take charge of moving from one task to another. This will reduce the mishegoss of transitions.

7. Understanding goes a long way. Transitions are more complicated than most of us realize. Understanding and patience will go a long way in helping your teen get over the transition hump.

Task Switching and Transitions for ADHD Brains: Next Steps

• Free Download: Sample Schedules for Reliable Family Routines
• Read: 4 Strategies for Easing Tricky Transitions
• Blog: How Zoning Out Helps My Daughter Be All-In

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Ever since the kids were little, Laurie and I impressed on them that they would be getting jobs as early as possible. So when she heard about a snow cone shack willing to hire 15-year-olds, Laurie scheduled Isaac a job interview and, within a few weeks, he had his first paycheck. We took him to the bank and helped him open a debit account. And thus began his obsession with spending his paycheck.

“Can I get membership at your gym?” he asked me.

“Son,” I said. “You’re on the football team. Don’t you work out every day?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why do you want a gym membership?”

“So I can work out more.”

“Why don’t you work harder at the gym at school?”

[Get This Free Download: What Are Your Teen’s Weakest Executive Functions?]

He gives me a look like he’s thinking. A stranger might think he’s considering what I said, but I know he’s really thinking this: Should I ask Mom or just wait a week and ask Dad again as if this conversation never happened because maybe he won’t remember? Which is of course what happened the following week. And the week after. Until finally I took him to my gym.

“You’re giving them your debit card. Right?”

“Of course,” he said. “That was my plan.”

I’m sure another part of his plan was to actually use to the gym, which he did a couple of times. But most evenings and weekends when he wasn’t working at the snow cone shack, he was chilling on the couch. I never questioned him about going to the gym because this was my place — the refuge where I could get some alone time. I also never questioned him about the payments because this was something he wanted and was paying for with his money.

Finally, after several months passed, the gym called to tell me Isaac was past due on his monthly dues. I texted him to call the gym and fix his account, and while he had them on the phone that he needed to cancel the membership. I thought he’d push back harder, but once they told him he had to pay $100, he was convinced.
[Read: How to Spend Less When the ADHD Brain Wants More]

“That’s like three shifts!!” he told me.

“And how many times did you go?” I asked him.

“Uh,” he said, “I don’t know,” which means he knows but doesn’t want to tell me.

Up to this point, I was the one busting out the credit card for fines, late fees, overdrawn lunch accounts, etc. As this burden was lifted off my shoulders, I looked forward to the new burden of watching my kids make their own knucklehead decisions, which is far easier than repeatedly saying, “No.”

Isaac wants $300 headphones. Vivianna wants to upgrade her iPhone, which is working just fine. Jayden wants to see how Door Dash works. “Sure kids!” we say. “How much is in your account?”

They might mumble something under their breath, or they might hand us a huge stack of $1 bills. If it’s the latter, we purchase the item for them. Either way, we’re not the bad guys for saying “No.” Nor are we suffering out-of-pocket for saying “Yes.” And the kids learn valuable lessons about budgeting that never sank in until the money was theirs. It’s a win-win!

Teen Jobs: Next Steps

• Free Download: Boost Your Teen’s Executive Functions
• Read: Teen Jobs Could Be More Powerful — and Tricky — Than Ever
• Read: Show Them the Money – Budgeting for Teens

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.