Why is it often so hard to motivate a child or teenager with ADHD to get things done?
In this episode, we're reframing "lack of motivation" and getting to the real issue: motivation doesn't disappear in ADHD—it gets blocked. Often, what looks like laziness, defiance, or avoidance is actually a breakdown in specific executive functioning skills.
As part of Hyperfocus January, I'm walking you through the most common reasons kids and teens with ADHD struggle to start, engage, or follow through, and what actually helps. You'll learn how challenges with task initiation, attention, emotional regulation, planning, cognitive flexibility, and time management can completely shut motivation down, even in capable and intelligent kids.
More importantly, you'll learn practical, neurodiversity-affirming strategies to match your support to the real need, so they feel more capable and we feel less frustrated.
Before you listen (or as you listen!), we recommend taking the Neurodivergent & Thriving Scorecard at www.SLKscorecard.com . It helps you identify which supports a child or teen needs most right now so you can follow this episode through a personalized lens.
✨ In this episode, you'll learn:
Why "they're just not motivated" doesn't quite capture the real problem
How executive functioning challenges masquerade as motivation problems
How to match strategies to the cause (not the behavior)
Simple ways to reduce overwhelm, avoidance, and shutdown
How to support ADHD brains without pressure, power struggles, or shame
If you want access to deeper tools, including our executive functioning screener quiz and step-by-step resources, you can subscribe to the SLK Curriculum at Hub.SpeechAndLanguageKids.com .
Motivation problems are support problems—and once we add the right support, everything changes.
