Very Bright, Yet Struggling
Graeme is extremely bright, but like many students with ADHD, he was struggling with the “how to do” of school.
His parents shared that since starting high school, Graeme had difficulty completing and turning in assignments, managing his time, staying motivated, organizing himself, and even remembering to set his alarm.
Why Do Smart Students Struggle?
It can be incredibly frustrating when a child is bright and excels in reading, math, science, and other subjects, yet struggles to stay organized and get work done. It is common for parents and teachers to assume this is a motivation issue, but typically the root cause relates to cognitive skill weaknesses. And for students who excel academically, these weaknesses can be “hidden” by their stronger skills. These challenges often point to weaknesses in executive function—and they can have an underlying cognitive cause.
For Graeme, working memory was a key factor. It made it harder to organize his thoughts, remember assignments and due dates, and sometimes even remember to turn in completed homework.
Executive Function Can Improve
The good news? These underlying cognitive skills that support executive function can be strengthened.
