Erica Stroup

It’s Saturday morning and your child is excited for soccer practice. Cleats on, water bottle packed, ready to go. Then you get the email: practice is canceled due to rain. Suddenly, your child is in tears, refusing to do anything else, maybe even yelling, “This day is ruined!” What’s happening here? This is about cognitive flexibility , the ability to adjust when plans change and problem-solving,  the skill of finding new options when things don’t go as expected. For many kids with ADHD,...

It’s 6:45 a.m. and the cereal spills all over the floor. In seconds, your child is shouting, crying, and refusing to get dressed. For you, it’s just a small mess. For your child, it feels like the end of the world. This is where emotional regulation and self-control  come in, two executive function skills that help us pause, calm down, and choose how to respond instead of reacting on impulse. For many kids with ADHD, these skills take extra time and support to develop. What Is Emotional...

“Go upstairs, put on your pajamas, brush your teeth, and bring down your dirty laundry.” Five minutes later, your child comes back downstairs… wearing pajamas, but without brushing their teeth or bringing the laundry. What happened? Did they ignore you? Did they not listen? Chances are, the issue isn’t motivation, it’s working memory. What Is Working Memory? Working memory is your brain’s ability to hold on to information long enough to use it.  Think of it as a mental sticky note. You write...