Ages 13 to 18

Young people with attentional problems often face many of the same problems and challenges: nagging (or concerned) parents, angry teachers, and a sense of failure or guilt. They must prepare to apply for college, transition to college, and then manage the endless details of living independently while also attending classes and completing homework. They must learn to manage their time, setting their priorities and then acting on them, and they must struggle to resist compelling and procrastinatory temptations: computer games, parties, television and Facebook. Our ADHD workshop is a place for young people with ADHD to meet each other, gain a positive and proactive understanding of ADHD (learning what it is and, more importantly, what it is not), and learn strategies to help them cope with the challenges of adolescence.

Although we strongly recommend that adolescents attend our group workshop, it is also possible to arrange an individual workshop that is tailored to specific problems, issues, circumstances, goals, strengths, interests and weaknesses. Beginning with providing a young person with a firm understanding of himself both as an individual and as an individual with ADHD, the ADHD coach will assist a young person to develop homework strategies, communication skills, self-advocacy skills, and real-world competence.

The entire process of picking out universities and coordinating and filling out the necessary applications can be completely overwhelming, particularly when applying to universities in the United States. In an ideal world, Senior year should be fun. But fitting the college application process into ongoing class deadlines and social obligations is stressful, anxiety-producing and sometimes less than conducive to peaceful interactions with your parents. Save yourself (and your parents) the stress of coordinating this process – work with a counselor who can help you to make decisions and pull together the pieces in an orderly manner.

It is sometimes difficult to keep track of progress, grades and homework in several different classes and with several different teachers. Our case managers check in with teachers each week, evaluate performance and make suggestions, and meet with or send a detailed email to adolescents and their parents to review the week’s work. If other professionals are involved (e.g., private tutors or doctors), case managers work with them to develop a reporting system that “pulls together the pieces” so that parents and kids are not overwhelmed by many sources of information.

Cogmed Working Memory Training (cogmed.com) is a software-based intervention designed to improve working memory in people with attention deficits. Through active and engaging exercises, the user trains at home five days a week for five weeks. Every participant has a Cogmed Coach at our Cogmed Qualified Practice who leads the training, analyzes results and provides encouragement through weekly phone calls. This software has been specifically created for people with attention deficits by game developers working closely with psychologists and medical researchers. Cogmed RM® and Cogmed QM® consist of active and engaging exercises that automatically increase in difficulty as the participant improves. Published, peer-reviewed and controlled clinical studies have demonstrated that, upon completion of Cogmed Working Memory Training, 80% of participants have significantly improved their ability to concentrate and use complex reasoning skills.