You’re seated right near the stage, watching the conductor lead the orchestra with rhythmic motions, pointing to the string instruments, to the woodwinds, to the bass… Just as the conductors so fluidly guides the orchestra to create beautiful compositions of music, so does our Executive Function guide our everyday thoughts and behaviors. Simply put, our executive function skills are imperative to our daily activity and functioning in the world around us.

If your child has had difficulties in school or you have concerns about their development, you have likely been referred for a neuropsychological evaluation. To many parents, this daunting, new recommendation has you imagining your child hooked up to machines for neurological imaging and observation. When in fact, these evaluations require no fancy machines and are often fun for kids. We want to answer common parent questions about these evaluations and clear up the confusion.

Having ADHD does not define a person and there are skills, strategies, and other interventions to help those with ADHD thrive. The way we like to look at it is that ADHD is a disorder of regulation: dysregulation of attention, dysregulation of impulsivity, dysregulation of emotions. Our job is to give these kids the strategies to be able to better regulate so they can do what they need to do each and every day. The first step to helping them regulate is to understand the facts and myths behind ADHD.