ADHD and Executive Function Training - Organizing, Time Management, Study Skills

** This class covers many executive function areas and can be taken by students with or without an ADHD diagnosis. **

I've designed this class with a degree in child psychology and a specialization in ADHD from University of Buffalo and now attending Johns Hopkins University for my master's degree.

What might ADHD look like? 

-Excessive energy
-Impulsiveness (acting without thinking)
-Being easily distracted
-Difficulties multitasking
-Frequent mood swings
-Disorganization
-Restlessness
-Problems prioritizing
-Poor time management
-Difficulty finishing tasks
-Irritability and angry outbursts
-Difficulty managing stress

Even without an ADHD diagnosis, many students struggle with some of the same symptoms! This class is short, supportive, multi-sensory, and highly interactive; designed to work with students' needs! *Notes are provided after each class for an opportunity to review material covered that week. 

While having fun, our classroom goals are the following:

-Improve core areas of activity, attention, and impulsivity.
-Identify and change thoughts and behaviors so that students can manage daily activities with fewer difficulties.
-Manage stress and impulse control. 
-Improve study skills, organization, and task completion rates.

SCHEDULE: 

[ Week of May 5 ] Intro: What is ADHD; what parts of the brain are affected? - We'll watch a short animation that breaks the science down into bite-sized pieces that make it easy to understand. We will also cover neural pathways, brain chemicals (dopamine and norepinephrine) 
[ Week of May 12 ] Externalizing time - Pomodoro and eat the frog.
[ Week of May 19 ] Visual note-taking skills and practice 
[ Week of May 26  ] Spongebob episode day! Season 2 episode 17 will be played in class. This episode perfectly depicts "task paralysis" which is what we will be covering this week with tips and tricks on how to embrace the struggle and overcome! + cognition lab

[ Week of June 2 ] The importance of sleep and the science of dreams and nightmares for ADHD, plus tips and tricks for falling asleep faster.
[ Week of June 9 ] Emotional regulation: Covering anger management and stress reduction. Cathartic ice, write and wipe, jot and crumple.
[ Week of June 16 ] Passive and active procrastination + the Eisenhower matrix for organizing tasks. + Cognition lab
[ Week of June 23 ] Unique solutions such as flexible seating options, sticky notes, movement breaks, and fidget toys. Vitamins (Vit D, Omega-3, and B-12)
[ Week of June 30 ] The ADHD iceberg - visual PDF sent and explained. Identifying iceberg points in popular cartoon characters like Tigger!

[ Week of July 7 ] Keeping a routine - planning a routine and time blocking. Career game day - setting goals and vision boards.
[ Week of July 14 ] Hyperfixtation, what is it and how can we control it? How to use it to our advantage!
[ Week of July 21 ] Creativity and intuition! There are upsides to being neuro-spicy! Let's talk about all the wonderful bonuses that pair with ADHD!
[ Week of July 28  ] Social anxiety - how to cope in a world that throws off confusing social cues! ADHD can make it hard to pick up on non-verbal social cues, like facial expressions, body language, and posture. Impulsivity can lead to interrupting others, while hyperactivity can cause people to talk over others.

... more lessons will be added each month!  **Class runs reviews constantly so students may join, pause, leave, and rejoin at any time and not lose any of the material! 


**This class is intended to be educational in nature and is not a substitute for therapy or medical treatment.