Winter can be a magical season—snowflakes, cozy sweaters, hot cocoa, family gatherings, and holiday lights. But for many families, especially those raising neurodiverse children, it’s also a season of added chaos. Suddenly, there are boots, coats, hats, gloves, scarves, snow pants, extra socks, and jackets cluttering entryways. The laundry seems endless. School bags get lost under piles of holiday gifts.

If you’re a parent or teacher of a child with ADHD, you may have experienced moments when their behavior feels like it’s always on the edge. Maybe they shout out in class, refuse to follow directions, or suddenly storm out of a room. You’re left wondering: “Is this just ADHD… or is my child deliberately being disruptive?”

As a parent, few things sting more than hearing your child labeled “lazy.” You might notice your child struggling to start homework, taking forever to get dressed, or losing steam halfway through a chore. It can look like they don’t care or aren’t trying. But the truth is, what looks like laziness on the outside is often something very different happening inside the ADHD brain.

As a parent, you’ve probably seen the gap between what your child knows and what they can actually show. Maybe your child understands math concepts perfectly in class but forgets to turn in homework. Or perhaps they can tell you the steps of writing an essay but fall apart when faced with the blank page. This gap is often explained by a set of skills called executive functioning skills. They are similar to the brain’s “management system" or "control room".

Executive functioning is often described as the brain’s “air traffic control system.” Just as air traffic controllers coordinate planes so they don’t collide, executive functions coordinate mental processes so we can focus, make decisions, and reach goals. The below checklist can help you identify areas of challenge for your child and help start a conversation about options for support.

When parents hear the term executive functioning, it can sound intimidating—like something out of a corporate boardroom. But in reality, executive functioning describes a set of mental skills we all use every day to get things done. These skills help us plan, organize, remember, and control our behavior. For kids with ADHD, executive functioning challenges are often at the heart of their struggles with schoolwork, routines, and daily life.

When we think about disability, many of us imagine something visible: a child using a wheelchair, a hearing aid, or a mobility support. But the reality is that many disabilities are invisible. They don’t show up at a glance, yet they impact children’s daily lives in profound ways. For parents raising children with invisible disabilities—or navigating them in their own lives—this invisibility can be both a blessing and a challenge.

Parent-teacher conferences are soon approaching. Conferences can feel intimidating, even for the most seasoned parents. Add in the complexities of supporting a neurodivergent child—whether they have ADHD, a learning disability, autism, anxiety, or another unique profile—and those short meetings can feel high-stakes. How do you use the information from psychoeducational testing in a way that truly benefits your child’s school experience?

Neurodivergence is a spectrum of experiences, and not every child presents in the ways we expect. In fact, many children with neurodivergent brains exhibit signs that are subtle, misinterpreted, or even mistaken for personality quirks.

Parenting a neurodivergent child — whether they’re autistic, have ADHD, a learning difference, or sensory processing challenges — can be a deeply rewarding and complex journey. One of the most common (and emotionally charged) challenges that parents face is knowing how to talk to other parents about their child’s differences.

Summer can be a welcome break from the academic rigors of the school year, but for many parents of neurodivergent children, it’s also a time when routines unravel, attention spans shift, and boredom sets in quickly. While some children might revel in the freedom of long summer days, others—especially those with ADHD, autism, or other neurodevelopmental differences—may struggle with the lack of structure and stimulation.

Summer is a time for sunshine, camps, splashy playdates, and making memories. But for some kids—especially those with ADHD or executive functioning differences—social situations can be more stressful than fun. If your child is struggling to connect with others during camp or playdates, you might be wondering: Is this normal? Or is it time to seek more help?

For many families, summer break brings a welcome shift—less homework, no early morning school rush, and more time to relax and reconnect. But for children with neurodivergent needs, such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning disorders, or executive functioning differences, the lack of structure that comes with summer can be confusing, overwhelming, and even dysregulating. Creating a neurodiverse-friendly summer routine can help provide predictability.

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