But They Could Do It Yesterday…
Have you ever looked at a student with ADHD and thought:
“But you did this perfectly yesterday…”
Yesterday they started independently.
Yesterday they remembered the instructions.
Yesterday they completed the work.
Today?
They can't get started.
They've forgotten what they're doing.
They're frustrated before they've even begun.
It can look like they're not trying.
But one of the most important things to understand about ADHD is this:
Having a skill and being able to consistently access that skill are not always the same thing.
ADHD Can Be Inconsistent
Students with ADHD can have significant fluctuations in their ability to access executive functioning skills.
Their capacity can be influenced by things like:
• Sleep and tiredness
• Emotional state
• Interest in the task
• Sensory overload
• Distractions in the environment
• How many demands they've already managed that day
• Hunger
• Stress
• Transitions or changes in routine
So the child who independently completed a task yesterday may genuinely need more support with that same task today.
Their ability hasn't disappeared. Their access to it has changed.
Think About Your Own Brain
We all experience this to some degree.
Some days you can power through your to-do list.
Other days, writing one email feels surprisingly difficult.
You haven't suddenly forgotten how to write an email.
Your available mental capacity is simply different.
For a student with ADHD, those fluctuations can be much greater.
What Might This Look Like in the Classroom?
You might notice a student who:
• Completes a task independently one day but needs prompting the next.
• Remembers a classroom routine all week and suddenly forgets it.
• Produces fantastic work in one lesson but struggles with something seemingly easier later.
• Concentrates brilliantly during one activity but can't engage with another.
• Uses a regulation strategy successfully one day but can't access it when they're highly dysregulated.
This inconsistency can be frustrating for adults because we know what the child is capable of.
But that's exactly why our response matters.
Instead of…
“You know how to do this.”
Try:
“What would help you get started today?”
Instead of:
“You remembered yesterday.”
Try:
“Let's work out what you need to remember it today.”
Instead of:
“I know you can do better than this.”
Try:
“This seems harder today. Let's break it down.”
We're not lowering expectations.
We're recognising that the amount of support required to reach those expectations may change from day to day.
Practical Strategies
When a student seems unable to access a skill you've seen before, try:
Reduce the starting point.
Give them one small first step rather than the entire task.
Make it visual.
Put instructions, routines or key information somewhere they can refer back to instead of relying solely on working memory.
Check their regulation.
Before assuming they won't work, consider whether they're overwhelmed, tired, hungry, overstimulated or emotionally dysregulated.
Use familiar supports without shame.
Needing a checklist again doesn't mean the checklist “didn't work”. It means it's doing exactly what it was designed to do.
Notice patterns.
Does the struggle happen after lunch? During transitions? With certain subjects? At the end of the day? Patterns can tell us a lot about what support might help.
When you catch yourself thinking:
“But they could do this yesterday…”
Add one more question:
“So what's different today?”
That question moves us away from assuming a lack of effort and towards understanding what might be getting in the way.
Because with ADHD, ability can be consistent even when performance isn't.
And sometimes a student doesn't need another reminder that they're capable.
They need someone who understands why accessing that capability can be harder today.
Until next time,
