Category: Education

Parents of bright teens with ADHD know this cycle well. You see their potential and creativity. Nonetheless, you also notice the skipped work, frantic exam preparation, and disarray. This gap between their capability and their academic performance isn’t about a lack of effort.

It is a direct result of how ADHD impacts the brain’s executive functions. These are the critical skills that act as our internal “management system.”

The impact is significant. Research consistently shows that college students with ADHD often have GPAs about half a grade lower than their peers. Here we will explore how such challenges manifest and how executive function coaching can empower your teen.

The Common Hurdles: Recognizing ADHD-Driven Executive Function Gaps

The Procrastination and Task Initiation Wall

Does it ever seem like your teen can focus for hours on something they love? Yet, starting a simple homework assignment feels impossible. This is not defiance. It is a common challenge with task initiation. For ADHD teens, starting tasks that are not engaging is genuinely hard. It is not that they do not care. Their brain just works differently. That is why things often get delayed until the last minute. It rarely reflects what your teen truly knows.

The Challenge of “Time Blindness”

Your teen is not being dishonest when they say an essay will only take an hour, and it ends up taking all night. Many with ADHD struggle with “time blindness.” It’s an internal clock that does not track time accurately. This makes planning ahead, whether for next week’s exam or next month’s project, feel distant. It is a constant race against a clock they can’t properly see.

Navigating Emotional Overload

The emotional fallout from these constant struggles is often the hardest part to watch. A forgotten assignment or a poor grade on a quiz isn’t just a small setback for your teen. It can feel like a massive personal failure. This can trigger a sudden storm of frustration or cause them to shut down completely. This is not just “teen angst.” It is a core challenge of ADHD’s impact on emotional regulation. This is where executive functioning coaching can be a game-changer. It helps your teen understand their emotions and take clear-cut steps to stay in control.

Why is Executive Function Coaching Important for ADHD Teens

Think of an executive functioning coach as an architect for your teen’s success. ADHD can make it challenging for your teen to keep things organized independently. A coach helps set up an outside system that makes managing tasks easier. This is not a standardized program. They work as a team to find what really clicks. This could be an app, a planner, or an easy routine that makes school or college feel more manageable.

The real value of great coaching lies in building self-awareness. It is a process where your teen learns how they think. They also begin to own their strengths. Due to this, they feel empowered to ask for what they need to thrive. The goal extends way beyond schoolwork. It is about fostering a sense of capability that prepares them for the road ahead.

The Payoff: Real-World Benefits for Teens with ADHD

From Overwhelmed to In Control

By breaking overwhelming tasks into achievable steps, coaching eases teen anxiety. With practical planning and organizational tools, they gain momentum and a stronger sense of control. Each small success replaces the feeling of falling behind with confidence. This leads to a significant drop in stress for the entire family.

Fostering True Independence

As a parent, you cannot guide your teen through every step of life. Executive function coaching helps them build the skills to succeed on their own. It turns overwhelm into manageable steps. It teaches them to stay on top of responsibilities. They gain confidence for what lies ahead.

Boosting Confidence and Resilience

Grappling with everyday tasks can make your teen doubt themselves. They may believe they are “lazy” or “just not smart enough.” Coaching helps them achieve small, consistent wins. This shows that their challenges are about skills, not character. Such a shift builds confidence, benefiting your teen and your family.

The Path from Coping to Thriving

Viewing executive functioning coaching as a proactive investment is key. It moves your teen beyond just coping with ADHD. It helps them harness their unique strengths and build confidence. This empowerment enables them to create a successful future and realize their full potential.

To nonverbal children with autism, communication may at times seem like a barrier that isolates them from the world in which they live. These barriers can be turned into bridges, though with the right support. Educators and parents are very instrumental in creating two of the most significant settings in the development of a child, namely, the classroom and the home.

Through collaborative efforts and the availability of tools like AAC devices for autism and other supportive tools like autism sensory toys, children will be able to explore new forms of expression, develop confidence, and feel heard.

How Teachers Can Support Nonverbal Children in the Classroom

Teachers can easily pick up when the child is having a problem communicating. Although verbal expression can be restricted, nonverbal students can certainly succeed both academically and socially when given specific strategies that are designed and aimed at them.

Apply AAC Devices to everyday activities

The use of AACs to address autism in a classroom setting enables the nonverbal students to engage in discussion activities, respond to questions, and share their preferences. Technology such as the Joyreal AAC allows teachers to be able to involve all kids in the learning process.

Pictorial Support and Organization

Picture cards, AAC Visualized speech expression, and visual schedules can be used to allow children to keep up with the flow, as well as lessen anxiety in the classroom. These instruments are predictable and lead to a better understanding.

Pair with Sensory Tools

Autism sensory items like fidget spinners, textured balls, or weighted lap pads are popular among many children during the lesson. These aids are used in controlling sensory requirements and enhancing concentration, thus children can easily use their communication gadgets.

Customized Communications

Since the Joyreal AAC has an option of custom recording, teachers are able to save classroom specific phrases (such as I need help or I finished my work), thereby making communication instant and relevant.

How Parents Can Strengthen Communication at Home

Children are most secure at home, and the role of parents in reinforcing learning in the classroom is essential. Communication can be incorporated into daily activities by parents in an approachable way:

Provide Uncontrived Natural Openings

Make your child use their device at meal time, as they play or as they select activities. This will make them view communication as a way of life.

Customize with Well-known Voices

The Joyreal AAC gives parents the opportunity to record some customised messages in their own voices that are familiar and comforting to the child. Connection can be further enhanced by the parent saying the words I love you.

Bring together Play and Communication

Communication devices for autism can also be paired with autism sensory toys to make the learning more interesting. An example is that a child can use the device to order a certain toy to make playtime an enjoyable communication experience.

Empower Self-Expression

Having several voice choices, children have an opportunity to use a voice that would be comfortable to them. This creates autonomy and helps in self-identification even at early stages of communication.

Make It Fun and Engaging

Learning is transformed into play through the child-friendly design of AAC communication devices. Easy-to-see graphics and appealing colors will decrease the resistance, as children will become more willing to play with the device.

Working Together: The Classroom and Home Connection

Children are exposed to congruence, whereby the same approach is used by their teachers and parents. With the help of affordable and easy to use devices such as Joyreal AAC devices for autism, school and home can be safe places where nonverbal children will be listened to and empowered.​

Combined, these efforts benefit children:

• Develop self-confidence in communication.
• Have a better sense of belonging whenever with peers and family.
• Get used to breaking through communication obstacles.
• Learn to your advantage with assistive devices, such as AAC equipment or autism sensory toys.

Conclusion

Every child deserves a voice. In the case of nonverbal children with autism, making the classroom and home communication one is the key to unlocking the potential in these children. With the help of the supportive teaching techniques, involved parenting, and the application of such devices as the AAC communication devices, as well as the sensory supports such as autism sensory toys, we will make sure that each child will be heard, respected, and integrated.

Discover ways to make your child or students communicate more successfully and happily with the help of AAC devices such as Joyreal AAC.

The 11+ Exam is a selective test used to gain entry into Grammar Schools and Independent Schools. The exam is deliberately challenging and is structured to assess both knowledge and aptitude under timed conditions.

It is one thing to understand the content, but another to apply that knowledge effectively within strict time limits. In addition to the entrance tests, some Independent Schools may also require pupils to attend an interview, for which preparation can also be highly beneficial.

As you likely know, the 11 Plus exam consists of four parts:

• Verbal Reasoning: word selection and matching, categorising vocabulary, codes and sequences, verbal and numerical logic

• Non-Verbal Reasoning: spotting figure patterns, completing diagrams, rotations and reflections, interpreting layered designs

• English: comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation, precise word choice

• Mathematics: problem solving, logical reasoning, data interpretation, geometry and measurement

Maths and English broadly follow the National Curriculum, while Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning do not.

Actionable Steps to Succeed

Short and Sharp Daily Practice Works Best

We have noticed that the best-performing students start early and do little at a time. This means doing 15–20 minutes daily from Year 4, rather than long and draining sessions in Year 6.

At this age, your child’s brain is like a sponge. Give it small amounts of information often, and it will absorb it well. Give it too much in one short period, and it may panic and fail to retain it.

Train Exam Timing Early

Set a timer, even on a single section, and get your child used to exam conditions. Too often, parents come to us with children who perform well in untimed practice but are too slow under exam conditions. Remember: 1 mark = 1 minute is always a good rule of thumb.

Encourage the “move on if stuck” method. In the exam, even the most able students will encounter difficult questions. It is important not to get stuck for too long. Skip it, focus on the ones you can answer, and come back later.

Build Vocabulary in Fun Ways

Make vocabulary learning fun. Use flashcards, “word of the day,” or even word games. Once your child understands a word, incorporate it into daily conversations.

Active reading is also crucial. The strongest students are voracious readers who pick up vocabulary effortlessly across different genres. Use your child’s interests to guide book choices. And remember: use new words or lose them!

When Do People Get an 11 Plus Tutor?

The 11 Plus Exam is competitive, so it’s no wonder parents ask about the best time to start 11 plus tutoring. Here’s the breakdown:

• Year 4 (Early Starters): Builds a strong foundation in English and Maths. Lessons focus more on content and engagement rather than exam conditions.

• Year 5 (The Sweet Spot): Students are mature enough for structured lessons, and there’s plenty of time to build exam technique without cramming. Intensity usually increases after Easter.

• Year 6 (Catch-Up Stage): Works for families who decide later on grammar or private schools. Tutoring here tends to focus on intensive revision and exam strategies rather than building content knowledge.

Signs Your Child May Benefit from a Tutor

• They are struggling with core skills such as spelling, times tables, or comprehension.

• They panic or underperform under exam pressure and need guidance to build confidence.

• They are advanced for their age and need stretching beyond the school curriculum.

Remember: getting a tutor is not about “getting ahead.” It’s about whether your child needs structure and confidence that you may not always be able to provide at home.

At The Degree Gap, we provide specialist 11 Plus Tutoring in all areas of the test. We cover the popular Kent 11 Plus Test and all exam boards. All lessons are recorded and delivered by experienced 11 Plus teachers.

To help children develop their reading skills, you need to teach them a phonics-based curriculum. You can achieve success in this area by following a well-structured format that thoroughly applies the fundamental principles of reading science.

Online platforms offer multiple books inspired by the Orton-Gillingham method. You can refer to these resources to help your children make progress in their reading skills. Some students can be fast learners, while others may need some time to grasp new concepts. With patience and focus, you can address their concerns as well. However, choosing the right reading material is essential. Many schools today rely on decodable books.

To make your young learners’ reading journey enjoyable, consider incorporating decodable texts. These can be used to teach essential reading components.

• Phonemic Awareness Skills

Introducing phonemic awareness activities from the early years of a child’s education is necessary. Before that, they should already be familiar with certain sounds and their application in spoken language. After this, they can be taught to figure out phonics and sound-spelling correspondences. It is interesting to note in this context that decodable books don’t directly teach phonemic awareness.

Instead, they use phonics lessons your child has already learned, allowing them to decode words with ease. You need these texts to help them build their sound blending and sound isolation skills.

• Phonics Structures

Any newly acquired skill should be practiced regularly to maintain its proficiency. Similarly, children must apply their knowledge of phonics in different settings to develop their reading skills. With decodable readers, they can practice their reading skills effortlessly. These books utilize different letter patterns or letter combinations that students already know, helping them build their sound-spelling relationships, which, in turn, enhance their reading fluency.

• Clear Instructions

Decodable books allow students to follow a proper set of phonics patterns. As a teacher, you also get the opportunity to work closely with your students through different stages of their learning and monitor their progress. Even parents can use these books at home to help their children practice the patterns they’ve learned.

• Better Focus

Scientific studies show that strong readers can easily decode words while reading. With the help of decodable readers, you can impart clear and engaging instructions on phonics structures. You can make your class practice the phonics patterns continuously.

The advantage is that these texts focus on one learning strategy at a time. As a result, children don’t feel frustrated or neglected. Slow learners can concentrate on picture cues to identify words. Others can pay attention to comprehension, featuring easy-to-read sentences.

A structured approach to teaching reading can be highly beneficial. Decodable books can be the ideal tool in this context. These can motivate children to read and learn to read more. Because these texts incorporate familiar words or sounds, students continue to enjoy their learning progress. They look forward to reading their books independently. It gives them a sense of confidence and power. However, these activities should not be done unsupervised. You need to guide them to ensure a better learning experience.