Six Super Skills for Executive Functioning: Tools to Help Teens Improve Focus, Stay Organized, and Reach Their Goals

6 SUPER SKILLS to help teens stay focused and reach their goals!

Do you sometimes have trouble paying attention in school? Do you lose track of time and deadlines? Do you often feel “scattered” or unorganized? You’re not alone. All teens need a little extra help staying focused—in school and in life. This is especially true if you have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorders, a mood disorder, or have experienced traumatic brain injury. The good news is that there are skills you can learn to help you stay on track.

In this friendly guide, psychologist and ADHD expert Lara Honos-Webb offers six powerful “super skills” to help you pay attention, increase productivity, and get organized so you can achieve your goals and live your best life. These skills include:

• Focusing on the positive
• Goal setting
• Chunking: breaking big goals down into small manageable chunks
• Motivational enhancement
• Emotional regulation: dealing with “big” feelings
• Managing attention 

 

Once you learn and practice these skills, you’ll feel empowered to conquer any task—no matter how big. So, why not start learning them today?

Lara Honos-Webb, PhD, is a worldwide attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) expert, and offers ADHD coaching. She is a clinical psychologist, and author of The Gift of ADHD, The Gift of ADHD Activity Book, The Gift of Adult ADD, The ADHD Workbook for Teens, and Listening to Depression. She has also published more than twenty-five scholarly articles. Learn more about her work at www.addisagift.com.

Foreword writer Neil D. Brown, LCSW, is author of Ending The Parent-Teen Control Battle and host of the Healthy Family Connections Podcast. Brown is a therapist, speaker, trainer, and behavioral health consultant. Learn more about his work at www.neildbrown.com.