Tweens & teens
Friendships, identity, school, executive-function support.
maya~
1mo ago
Peer pressure affects them differently (and worse)
NT kids have peer pressure (dress right, be cool). My ADHD teen has peer pressure PLUS doesn't understand social subtext. They're vulnerable to being taken advantage of in ways other kids aren't. ADHD/autism +…
leah~
1mo ago
My teen is self-harming and I'm terrified
Cutting, scratching, head-banging during dysregulation. School is notified, therapist is involved, but I'm living in terror. Is this ADHD + teen crisis or early-stage mental illness? Regulation tools have turned…
leah~
1mo ago
Medication makes them 'different' and they hate it
ADHD meds help my teen focus but also make them feel 'flat,' less like themselves. They want to stop. I worry if they stop, they'll crash academically. Helps with one thing, costs something else. If your teen is on…
noor~
2mo ago
My teen is isolating and I can't force connection
They have interests nobody else shares, don't fit peer culture, prefer solitude. Some of this is healthy introversion. Some feels like depression. How do I know the difference? Neurodivergent isolation is complicated.…
priya~
2mo ago
My teen is brilliant but school is punishing them for differences
High IQ, extreme focus in interests, creative problem-solver—but can't sit still during irrelevant material, refuses 'busy work,' questions every rule. Teacher calls it 'defiance.' It's intelligence + ADHD. Schools…
kavya~
2mo ago
My teen's therapist doesn't understand neurodivergence
Therapist keeps trying to 'fix' ADHD-related behavior (procrastination, time blindness) through willpower and shame. Not understanding that it's neurological, not character flaw. Teen stopped going. Wrong therapist is…
noor~
2mo ago
Everyone has advice and none of it helps
'Set firmer boundaries.' 'Stop being so strict.' 'Medicate.' 'Don't medicate.' 'Do therapy.' 'Therapy is a waste.' 'They'll grow out of it.' Each person's certain they know the right answer. I know my kid. Too many…