Articles related to helping with school.
When structure disappears, the hard moments don’t have to. Jodi Hogan is my facilitator for the ADHD Parent Coach Academy – and one of the people I trust most to speak to parents about what actually helps – which is exactly why I asked her to share this. Back-to-school is often described as a time … Read more
It’s not a motivation problem. It’s a capacity problem – and the difference changes everything. If you’ve ever watched a behavior chart fail spectacularly for one particular kid while it seems to work fine for everyone else in the class, you’re not imagining it. And the parent, teacher, or clinician in that room isn’t doing … Read more
The school year is ending. Or it already has. And before we all move on to summer schedules and whatever comes next, I want to stop and say something I don’t think gets said enough: Thank you. Not the obligatory, end-of-year thank you. The real one. Teaching is hard. It has always been hard. But … Read more
And what we were never actually taught about it – a conversation with Caroline Maguire One of the most common concerns I hear from adults with ADHD is, “Why is it so hard to make good friends?” It’s not something people often say out loud. But for neurodivergent adults, it shows up everywhere – in … Read more
In my recent article 504 Plans and IEPs: Helping Your Child Get the Support They Need, Jodi walked through the what – what these plans are, how they differ, and how to navigate the process as a parent. I want to build on that with something equally important: What schools are actually required to do when … Read more
And what gets in the way – even when everyone means well. Many parents have had the experience of sitting across from their child’s teacher, or therapist, or school counselor – someone who is clearly kind, clearly trying – and leaving the meeting feeling more alone than when they walked in. Not because anyone was … Read more
When parents hear terms like 504 Plan or IEP, the conversation often centers on eligibility, services, and paperwork. But for children with ADHD and Executive Function challenges, the more important question is this: Do the adults supporting this child understand how their brain works? When that understanding is in place, the plan becomes more than … Read more
And Where States Stand Today If We Know How Kids Learn to Read, Why Aren’t All Kids Learning? There’s renewed national focus on how children learn to read – and lawmakers are paying attention. In early 2026, members of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee held hearings on childhood literacy and the research known as the … Read more
What teachers are grateful to learn when understanding finally clicks. At the beginning of my teacher trainings, before we talk about strategies or classroom systems, I always start in the same place. I ask educators to consider the social and emotional impact that ADHD and executive function challenges have on learning, motivation, behavior, and even … Read more
Practical, brain-based strategies teachers can use immediately – without lowering expectations Most teachers want to support students with ADHD. The challenge isn’t commitment – it’s training. Traditional classroom models weren’t designed with executive function in mind. So even highly skilled educators can find themselves relying on systems that don’t quite work for neurodivergent learners. In … Read more
After years of listening to families, training professionals, revising, rewriting, and deepening the work, 8 Keys to Parenting Kids & Teens with ADHD – 2nd Edition is officially out in the world. This book was never meant to be a collection of quick fixes. It grew out of my original Calm and Connected parent workshop series that I began … Read more
How schools can uphold high expectations while better supporting students with ADHD and learning differences. I recently received a thoughtful message from an educator working at a private high school known for its rigorous academic standards. Like many teachers and learning specialists in competitive environments, they’re facing a real tension: how do we uphold high … Read more
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