Being a teenager is already a high-stakes balancing act — juggling school, friendships, identity, and independence. But for the 5-7% of youth worldwide with ADHD, that balancing act feels like walking a tightrope in a windstorm, in a world built for someone else’s brain.
When your pre-teen suddenly refuses to go to school, the morning can quickly spiral from routine to crisis. This comprehensive guide provides evidence-based strategies for managing school refusal in the moment and addressing underlying causes. You’ll learn immediate response techniques, understand common triggers specific to pre-teens with ADHD, and discover how to build long-term solutions through collaboration with your child and school team. Whether you’re facing your first refusal or an ongoing pattern, these practical approaches will help you navigate this challenging behavior while maintaining your relationship with your child.
If you’re the parent of a child with ADHD, the graveyard of half-finished projects and abandoned hobbies—the guitar gathering dust, the coding book left open to chapter one—is a familiar, frustrating sight. It’s easy to worry about their future, self-esteem, and ability to commit. Understanding the why behind the quitting, beyond simple laziness, is the first step to changing the dynamic, reducing household conflict, and empowering your child with self-awareness.If you’re the parent of a child with ADHD, the graveyard of half-finished projects and abandoned hobbies—the guitar gathering dust, the coding book left open to chapter one—is a familiar, frustrating sight. It’s easy to worry about their future, self-esteem, and ability to commit. Understanding the why behind the quitting, beyond simple laziness, is the first step to changing the dynamic, reducing household conflict, and empowering your child with self-awareness.
Harold Robert Meyer | The ADD Resource Center Reviewed 10/20/2025 Published 10/27/2025Listen to understand, rather than to react. Understanding the Double Challenge Navigating the special education system is complex for any parent, but when you have ADHD yourself while advocating for your child with ADHD, the bureaucratic maze can feel overwhelming. This guide breaks down your rights, … Read more
Friendships are essential for everyone, but navigating social connections with ADHD presents unique challenges. This comprehensive guide explores the science behind why friendships matter, addresses ADHD-specific obstacles like impulsivity and time blindness, and provides actionable strategies for building reciprocal relationships. You’ll learn how to recognize one-sided friendships, leverage technology for better follow-through, and focus on quality over quantity. Whether you’re managing ADHD yourself or supporting someone who is, you’ll discover practical tools to cultivate meaningful connections that enhance your emotional well-being and quality of life.
Harold Robert Meyer | The ADD Resource Center Reviewed 10/19/2025 Published 10/20/2025Listen to understand, rather than to react. Executive Summary Recent mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education have effectively gutted the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), including the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), leaving potentially just one staffer in offices that … Read more
This guide provides a systematic approach to documenting your child’s behaviors, academic performance, and developmental history before an ADHD assessment. By tracking symptoms across home, school, and social settings, compiling medical history, and organizing previous interventions, you’ll give healthcare providers the comprehensive information they need for accurate diagnosis. Proper preparation ensures crucial details aren’t forgotten during appointments and helps your child receive appropriate support faster.
Harold Robert Meyer | The ADD Resource Center Reviewed 10/08/2025 Published 10/08/2025Listen to understand, rather than to reply. Executive Summary If your elementary-aged child with ADHD has fewer friends than their classmates, you’re not alone in your concern. Many parents notice their ADHD children struggle with peer relationships, and this observation often triggers worry about social development … Read more
Raising a child with ADHD involves nuanced understanding and tailored strategies. Family members often mean well but may offer unsolicited advice that conflicts with your approach or misinterprets your child’s behaviors. Setting clear, compassionate boundaries empowers you to take charge of your child’s care while maintaining respectful family dynamics. This reduces tension and models healthy communication for your child.
The sibling who doesn’t have ADHD is watching—and forming conclusions. When you need to redirect your ADHD child for the third time during dinner, when you’re helping them find shoes that were “right there a second ago,” when bedtime takes an extra 45 minutes of regulation support—your other child is drawing conclusions about what this means. Without your guidance, they might conclude that their sibling is careless, isn’t trying hard enough, or gets away with things they wouldn’t be allowed to do. These misunderstandings can harden into lifelong stigma. But here’s the opportunity: this question is actually a gift. It means your neurotypical child trusts you enough to voice their confusion, and it gives you the chance to shape how they understand human difference. The language you use now will influence not just their relationship with their sibling, but how they think about disability, neurodiversity, and what it means to be “smart” or “capable” for the rest of their lives.