We often think of “focus” as sitting still, eyes forward, hands folded. But for many students—especially those with ADHD—focus doesn’t look like stillness. In fact, it’s the opposite.

Ever found yourself thinking, “Why does this student keep doing that?” Or feeling frustrated when a child doesn’t respond to your usual strategies?

Executive functioning challenges often go hand-in-hand with ADHD — impacting planning, focus, emotional regulation, and task completion. But with the right strategies, we can help students thrive in and beyond the classroom.

When a student with ADHD interrupts, fidgets, or goes off-task, it’s easy to see what’s going wrong. But what if we trained our eyes to look for what’s going right?