Diane Sottile PhD

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So far Diane Sottile PhD has created 31 blog entries.

31 10, 2022

ADHD Interventions: How ADHD Or Executive Function Coaching Can Fit In

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-10-27T19:35:28+00:00October 31st, 2022|

When parents decide that they need to seek help for their child who has ADHD or executive function challenges, they have a lot of decisions to make. Where do parents get help? Who do they ask? What help does their child need? The choices are varied, so the process can add even more stress to an already difficult situation. ADHD is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder. Individuals with ADHD have an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with daily life. ADHD may also result in difficulties with executive functions - the mental processes used for planning and execution. There are three types [...]

28 10, 2022

Your Child’s Mental Health in College: What You Need to Know as a Parent

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-10-27T18:51:06+00:00October 28th, 2022|

I vividly remember when my daughter’s college community was rocked with devastating news during her freshman year of college. A student ended their life. The news first came through a series of texts that circulated among the students when the police arrived at the dorm. Then the students started texting their parents. Within hours, the school had notified the students in the dorm that there would be a meeting. The parents’ social media pages lit up with questions about how to support our children. Here is the thing. The college my daughter went to is a large university with 18,000 undergraduate students. The only [...]

27 10, 2022

College Students with ADHD: 5 Crucial Tips for a Successful School Year

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-10-26T18:30:26+00:00October 27th, 2022|

The mass exodus to college started this past week. From mid-August to mid-September, students from all over the United States will go to college to embark on their studies. In order to be successful, students need to arrive with a varied set of skills. Time management, organization, life skills, and study skills are all important. For students with ADHD or executive function challenges, these are the very skills that can be particularly challenging. Here are 5 ways for students with ADHD or executive function challenges can prepare for the upcoming school year. 1. Apply for accommodations. Colleges offer all kinds of support to all [...]

5 09, 2022

Parenting an ADHD College Student: Your New Role

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-08-14T23:39:20+00:00September 5th, 2022|

“I couldn’t handle college.” “I don’t know why I couldn’t get the work done.” “I can’t believe I am back home.” These are the words that I sometimes hear from college students with ADHD or executive function challenges. For various reasons, some students with ADHD find themselves leaving college because the challenges of being in college were too difficult to overcome. For students with ADHD or executive function challenges, the inability to manage the rigor of college is a dramatic experience. This is not only a freshman year experience. Sometimes, freshman year can be very successful. [...]

29 08, 2022

Motivation and ADHD: The Puzzle of Performance

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-08-14T23:32:28+00:00August 29th, 2022|

Why is it that students with ADHD are highly focused on some tasks, while they are unable to complete or even start others? When students with ADHD need to complete a task, they often have difficulty with a number of executive functions: task initiation, planning and prioritizing, organization, focus, sustaining their efforts, and utilizing short-term working memory. But, in addition to these executive functions, they also have trouble with motivation. Feeling unmotivated is a major obstacle for those with ADHD, especially if the task is boring or uninteresting. The mystery for students with ADHD is exactly what, when, or how any particular event or [...]

8 08, 2022

IEPs, 504 Plans, and College Accommodations Explained

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-08-01T15:45:24+00:00August 8th, 2022|

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash For K-12 parents, your child may have been granted an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) or a 504 plan. These are two different protocols that both intend to provide the services and resources that best match a student’s specific academic needs and allow them to have access to an appropriate education. If your child is enrolled in college, accommodations may have been granted through the Office of Disability services. Here is a quick overview on all 3 processes. Individualized Education Plan (IEP) The IEP is provided under the Individuals With Disabilities Act (IDEA). An IEP is [...]

1 08, 2022

How ADHD Coaching Can Lead to College Success

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-08-01T13:19:19+00:00August 1st, 2022|

In a few short weeks, students will be heading off to college. College can present a significant challenge for students who have ADHD, executive function challenges, or other organization issues. Students may struggle with… Organizing coursework Prioritizing tasks Managing their time Staying focused Avoiding procrastination It is very important for college students to address these issues from the moment they arrive on campus. Students often underestimate the speed at which things can go awry when ADHD and executive function challenges get in the way. ADHD coaching can help students get on the path to success. When an [...]

25 07, 2022

Helping Your Child Find the Positive in the Negative: A Strengths-Based Approach to ADHD and Executive Function Coaching

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-07-07T19:55:28+00:00July 25th, 2022|

“What are your strengths?” As adults, we have all probably answered this question when interviewing for a job or other position. While this might be a straightforward question for us as adults to answer, it might be more difficult to provide an answer about our child’s strengths. If it’s difficult for us as adults to talk about our child’s strengths, it will probably be even more difficult for our children to talk about themselves and their strengths. This may be particularly difficult for children with ADHD or challenges with executive functioning. If identifying your child’s [...]

18 07, 2022

BE A MENTOR, NOT A MEANIE: HOW TO POSITIVELY SUPPORT A CHILD WITH ADHD

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-07-07T19:44:52+00:00July 18th, 2022|

A while back, one of my favorite blogging sites, Grown & Flown, published a heartfelt letter from a mom whose son with ADHD just graduated college. The letter touched me in so many different ways. I shared it on my Facebook page with the heading, “All I can say is ‘wow’. I hope every person who has ever misunderstood a person with ADHD gets to read this”. Here is the crux of the matter: despite the fact that ADHD has been a diagnosable medical condition for over 50 years, the stigma around it still remains. In fact, many [...]

1 07, 2022

How Parents Can Support Their Child With ADHD In College

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-07-01T17:11:40+00:00July 1st, 2022|

Photo by Matt Ragland on Unsplash Let’s face it. The college “experience” has dramatically changed over the last few decades. The tuition cost alone may make students feel enormous pressure to succeed. Students may also often hear the message that college is the “best four years of your life”. We as parents sometimes forget the angst we felt when we first arrived at college ourselves, and we build up the college experience to our children. Then they arrive on campus and are shocked by feelings of anxiety, loneliness and stress. These feelings are normal, but oftentimes, our children are unprepared [...]

15 06, 2022

Create an ADHD Summer Practice For You and Your Child: 5 Summer Strategies for Children with ADHD and Executive Function Deficits

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-06-15T01:34:38+00:00June 15th, 2022|

The school year has ended and the fun of a long summer break awaits. A break from homework and school will be great for your child and may bring you both a sense of relief. However, parents of children with ADHD and executive functioning deficits may also find themselves worrying that their child will lose certain skills that they have improved during the year. But there is no need for parents to worry. Students with ADHD and executive function deficits can use the summer to continue to work on and learn new strategies that can lead to their future success. During the school year, [...]

1 06, 2022

Are You Prepared For Your Child’s IEP Meeting? – Here is a checklist

By Diane Sottile PhD|2022-06-01T19:52:32+00:00June 1st, 2022|

It is time for your child’s annual IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting. While these meetings can often be a standard renewal of the modifications and accommodations granted under the IEP, remember that this is your opportunity to ask questions and express concerns. Let’s start with the purpose of the annual IEP meeting. Once your child has an IEP, a review meeting is held once per year, usually in the spring. Although IEPs can be reviewed and revised anytime throughout the year, most IEPs are reviewed annually in the spring. It is at this meeting that your child’s team [...]

30 09, 2020

Procrastination: A Fault Or A Strategy?

By Diane Sottile PhD|2020-09-29T23:55:08+00:00September 30th, 2020|

Let’s admit it. We all procrastinate. Sometimes we put things off because we just don’t want to do them. Other times we have too much to do, so we avoid doing any of it. Procrastination in and of itself is not the problem. In fact, it could be our brains’ way of saying, “Whoa, put the brakes on here. You are doing too much”. But, for individuals with ADHD or executive function challenges, procrastination can become pervasive. In fact, procrastination is extreme for those with ADHD and executive function deficits. This behavior of putting things off is related to our ability to [...]

17 09, 2020

Your Child has ADHD: Don’t Try To “Fix” Things

By Diane Sottile PhD|2020-09-17T01:44:05+00:00September 17th, 2020|

When your child is diagnosed with ADHD or executive function deficits, it is natural to try to jump in and "fix" things for them. This is a common reaction. It’s tough to see our children struggle. After all, one of our primary tasks as parents is to protect them from harm. As parents, we often jump at the ready to save our children. Here is the thing, there is nothing that needs to be fixed or saved. Children with ADHD or executive function deficits perform differently, but this does not mean that their way is wrong. There is no right way for [...]

5 06, 2020

Distance Learning and ADHD During the Pandemic: What Are the Takeaways?

By Diane Sottile PhD|2020-09-29T23:57:21+00:00June 5th, 2020|

The pandemic has certainly turned the world upside down. With schools across the nation just completing their first try at distance learning, parents have had to deal with challenges they could never have imagined. Working from home while managing their children's schooling has certainly been overwhelming for some parents. For parents of children with ADHD or executive function challenges, there are added levels of concern. This is especially true if the parents also have ADHD. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that just about everyone is looking forward to the day when schools can re-open. I think we’re all hoping that [...]