Asperger Support Spain

"Better not try than be seen failing."

It looks like defiance. It looks like apathy. It looks like he just wants to play video games.

Teen boys with ADHD aren't avoiding work; they are avoiding the overwhelming shame of a public mistake.

ADHD teens generally struggle with starting tasks, time blindness, planning, organising, emotional reactions...

So wearing the mask of "the kid who doesn't care" or "the class clown" is socially safer than trying hard and still failing in front of peers.

Not completing tasks or being disengaged in class is often a calculated retreat to protect their self-esteem.

To get them back, we have to lower the emotional stakes of making a mistake (e.g. private feedback, winnable micro-tasks and shifting the focus from perfection to progress)

If you are parenting or teaching a teenage boy with ADHD who has disengaged from school, you may want to read this article: https://www.additudemag.com/motivation-problems-teens-with-adhd/?ecd=wnl_additude_260613_cons_adhd_parent&goal=0_d9446392d6-9bf94e9e4b-328311305

Why Teens Stop Trying — and Achieving — at School The quest for adolescent independence pushes many teens with ADHD away from school achievement – and the parents who push it. Understand the main reasons …