SEL Social Emotional Learning Archives

What is Executive Function, and Why Should Every Parent Care?

October 11, 2019October 9, 2019

This blog post originally appeared on WootTutor.com As parents, we want nothing more than for our children to reach their potential and thrive in the world. Fortunately, science now helps us understand what gets in the way of some people being able to achieve their goals, large and small. You may have heard the term “Executive Function.” It is part of the brain located in the prefrontal cortex, and it is the last part of the brain to develop. Executive … Read more

Not Everyone Has a Great High School Experience

September 28, 2019September 26, 2019

I often work with parents who have to make tough decisions on behalf of their children. “Should I let my child go to this party”. “Should I let my child drop out of the soccer team.” “Should I push my child to take the AP class.” One mother I was working with was struggling with the decision of whether or not to allow her son to switch High School’s – again. This mother worked very hard to understand her child’s concerns, … Read more

Helping Kids with ADHD Thrive in Sports

September 20, 2019September 19, 2019

Physical activity is valuable for all children. And involvement in organized sports can bring important skills and life lessons. But when a child has ADHD there can be some added challenges. And when the coach working with the child is unaware of the unique challenges this child faces, there can be added stress – and wonderful missed opportunities for fun and growth. I recently learned of Susan Stout. She provides a wealth of information to help all kids benefit from … Read more

Late Bloomers – Hang in There

October 17, 2019June 26, 2019

I often work with parents of kids who are in their 20’s. When your child has passed the teen years and is not entirely “launched,” the issues become more complex and stressful. We must ask ourselves, what are reasonable and appropriate expectations? How do we set boundaries while managing our parental stress? To begin to answer some of these questions, we, of course, need to understand some of the underlying reasons why the young adult may be in the situation … Read more

A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD

June 21, 2019June 19, 2019

Moms and female professionals often approach me, after my workshops and conferences, and share with me their personal stories of discovering that THEY may have ADHD. The descriptions I give triggers a recognition in them that helps them realize that perhaps many of the challenges, struggles, and frustrations they experienced as girls and adults stem not from just anxiety, depression, or general lack emotional control, but from what we now understand as ADHD. If you are a woman with who … Read more

When School is Out for Summer – Learning Isn’t! The Value of Pre-Teaching

May 7, 2019May 2, 2019

I recently met Brandon Slade, who runs an after-school and summer program for middle and high school students who struggle with ADHD, executive function, and dyslexia. We were discussing the challenges some students have with the pace and level of work they must master, even though they are very bright and capable of learning the required material. He mentioned the importance of giving some students an opportunity to pre-learn so that they can level the playing field. I asked Brandon … Read more