604- Strengthening Executive Functioning Skills and Building Independence in Children

Michael McLeod delves into the brain-based reasons behind executive function delays in ADHD, and shares actionable, real-world methods to strengthen your child's executive function skills and reduce their reliance on prompts and accommodations. Resources: Executive Functioning Skills Free Download: Could You Have Executive Function Disorder? Read: How to Sharpen Executive Functions: Activities to Hone Brain Skills Read: Your Brain's GPS Is Glitchy: Why Working Memory Fails and How to Bolster It Read: 10 Ways to Improve Your Teen's Executive Skills Access the video and slides for podcast episode #604 here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/executive-functioning-skills-teaching-independence-to-children/ This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/additude and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is also sponsored by the podcast Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson. Search for "Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson" in your podcast app or find links to listen at https://lnk.to/hyperfocusPS!adhdexperts. Thank you for listening to ADDitude's ADHD Experts podcast. Please consider subscribing to the magazine (additu.de/subscribe) to support our mission of providing ADHD education and support.

Gregory W. Mattingly, M.D., provides an overview of the key neurotransmitter systems — particularly dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin — that contribute to the core features of ADHD, and the medications used to treat the condition. Resources: ADHD & Brain Health Free Download: Unraveling the Mysteries of Your ADHD Brain Read: ADHD Neuroscience 101 Read: Everything You Never Knew About the ADHD Brain Read: Using a Dopamine Menu to Stimulate Your ADHD Brain Access the video and slides for podcast episode #603 here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/brain-chemistry-dopamine-serotonin-norepinephrine-adhd/ This episode is sponsored by the podcast Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson. Search for "Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson" in your podcast app or find links to listen at https://lnk.to/hyperfocusPS!adhdexperts. Thank you for listening to ADDitude's ADHD Experts podcast. Please consider subscribing to the magazine (additu.de/subscribe) to support our mission of providing ADHD education and support.

Doug Mennin, Ph.D., introduces ideas aligned with emotion regulation therapy, a research-based approach designed to help people understand and respond to feelings of anxiety, low mood, rumination, self-criticism, and other aspects of emotional distress. Resources: Emotional Dysregulation in Adults Free Download: Emotional Regulation & Anger Management Scripts Read: Everything You Never Knew About the ADHD Brain Read: Does ADHD Emotional Dysregulation Ever Fade? Read: After the Shame: How to Re-Center Your Bruised Emotions Access the video and slides for podcast episode #602 here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/emotional-dysregulation-adhd-triggers-co-occurring-conditions/ This episode is sponsored by the podcast Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson. Search for "Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson" in your podcast app or find links to listen at https://lnk.to/hyperfocusPS!adhdexperts. Thank you for listening to ADDitude's ADHD Experts podcast. Please consider subscribing to the magazine (additu.de/subscribe) to support our mission of providing ADHD education and support.

Natalia Aíza, LPC, explains why some adult children become highly dependent, and the core traits and diagnoses they often share; how parents may contribute to a child's inability to launch; and how to break a cycle of emotional and financial reliance. Resources: Dependent Adult Children Free Download: Free ADHD-Friendly Budgeting Guide Read: Grow Up Already! Why It Takes So Long to Mature Read: 5 Critical Life Skills That Build Independence & Confidence Read: "Mom, Dad — I'm Moving Back Home" Access the video and slides for podcast episode #601 here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/failure-to-launch-dependent-adult-children/ This episode is sponsored by the podcast Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson. Search for "Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson" in your podcast app or find links to listen at https://lnk.to/hyperfocusPS!adhdexperts. Thank you for listening to ADDitude's ADHD Experts podcast. Please consider subscribing to the magazine (additu.de/subscribe) to support our mission of providing ADHD education and support.

Why do students freeze, shut down, or become emotional in class, even when they have the skills to succeed? Gena VanderMeulen, M.A. Ed., explains how emotional regulation shapes learning and motivation, and shares strategies and tools parents and educators can use. Resources: Emotions in the Classroom Free Download: Free SEL Program Comparison Tool Read: The ADHD Misconceptions That Stifle Students Read: The Key to ADHD Emotional Regulation? Cultivating Gratitude, Pride & Compassion Read: Teaching Strategies for Students with ADHD: Ideas to Help Every Child Shine Access the video and slides for podcast episode #600 here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/emotions-in-the-classroom/ This episode is brought to you by SOAR Summer Camp. Learn more at soarnc.org. This episode is also brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/additude and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is also sponsored by the podcast Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson. Search for "Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson" in your podcast app or find links to listen at https://lnk.to/hyperfocusPS!adhdexperts. Thank you for listening to ADDitude's ADHD Experts podcast. Please consider subscribing to the magazine (additu.de/subscribe) to support our mission of providing ADHD education and support.

The most effective way to support your child's executive function development may be to strengthen your own skills first. Tamar Kahane, Psy.D., explains how ADHD affects executive functioning and shares a practical framework for modeling executive function skills. Resources: Executive Function Training Free Download: Could You Have an Executive Function Disorder? Read: What Is Executive Function? 7 Deficits Tied to ADHD Read: You Can't Train Away ADHD Executive Dysfunction Read: Your Executive Functions Are Weak. Here's Why. Access the video and slides for podcast episode #599 here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/parent-child-executive-function-training/ This episode is sponsored by the podcast Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson. Search for "Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson" in your podcast app or find links to listen at https://lnk.to/hyperfocusPS!adhdexperts. Thank you for listening to ADDitude's ADHD Experts podcast. Please consider subscribing to the magazine (additu.de/subscribe) to support our mission of providing ADHD education and support.

Laura E. Knouse, Ph.D., shares her research on ADHD and the in-the-moment thoughts that can divert you from goal-oriented tasks. Learn how to recognize your most thought-feeling patterns and triggers, plus practical strategies to overcome procrastination. Resources: Stop Procrastination Free Download: Finish Your To-Do List Today Read: The Everyday Rationales That Let Procrastination in Read: How to Not Procrastinate When Task Avoidance Strikes Read: Do More. Procrastinate Less. Feel Great. Access the video and slides for podcast episode #598 here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/how-to-stop-procrastinating/ This episode is sponsored by the podcast Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson. Search for "Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson" in your podcast app or find links to listen at https://lnk.to/hyperfocusPS!adhdexperts. Thank you for listening to ADDitude's ADHD Experts podcast. Please consider subscribing to the magazine (additu.de/subscribe) to support our mission of providing ADHD education and support.

Jennifer Fraser, Ph.D., explains medical gaslighting and why ADHD brains may be more susceptible; how to distinguish between gaslighting and honest provider error or lack of knowledge; how to minimize the risk of gaslighting; and what to do if you've been gaslit. Resources: Medical Gaslighting Free Download: How to Talk to Your Doctor About Medical Research Read: 9 Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before Deciding on ADHD Medication Read: "Medical Gaslighting Convinced Me That I Didn't Have ADHD" Read: "You Couldn't Possibly Have ADHD" Access the video and slides for podcast episode #597 here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/medical-gaslighting-adhd-concerns/ Thank you for listening to ADDitude's ADHD Experts podcast. Please consider subscribing to the magazine (additu.de/subscribe) to support our mission of providing ADHD education and support.

Tamara Rosier, Ph.D., explores how ADHD affects family systems and pushes us into familiar roles—like the Overfunctioner and the Underfunctioner, Peacemaker and Intensifier—and shares practical tools to shift these patterns and end the power struggles. Resources: ADHD and Family Dynamics Free Download: Get a Grip on Tough Emotions Read: Make It a Family Affair Read: "I Married Him to Be His Partner, Not His Boss." Read: Recognizing the Stressors That Paralyze ADHD Brains Read: "I Have ADHD, Mom… and So Do You!" Access the video and slides for podcast episode #596 here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/family-roles-dynamics-with-adhd/ This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/additude and get on your way to being your best self. Thank you for listening to ADDitude's ADHD Experts podcast. Please consider subscribing to the magazine (additu.de/subscribe) to support our mission of providing ADHD education and support.

Jamie M. Zeitzer, Ph.D., discusses new research involving circadian rhythm and how it differs in adults with ADHD compared to the general population, the consequences of circadian rhythm disruptions, and interventions to optimize your circadian clock. Resources: Natural Cycles and Circadian Rhythm Self-Test: Do You Have a Delayed Circadian Rhythm? Free Download: Sleep Disorders Linked to ADHD Read: What Comes First: ADHD or Sleep Problems? Read: The Under-Recognized Impact of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome in ADHD Read: Seasonal Affective Disorder and the ADHD Brain Access the video and slides for podcast episode #595 here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/natural-cycles-energy-levels-productivity/ Thank you for listening to ADDitude's ADHD Experts podcast. Please consider subscribing to the magazine (additu.de/subscribe) to support our mission of providing ADHD education and support.