Sometimes a mother brings her child in for an ADHD evaluation and, somewhere in the middle of talking about her child, she gets very quiet. She has just heard herself describe the difficulty getting started. The procrastination followed by a frantic burst of productivity. The big emotions. The sensitivity to criticism. The tendency to lose things, forget things, or become completely overwhelmed by things that seem as though they should be easy. And then she says something li

Every August, families start with the best intentions. The backpack has a designated spot. The calendar is ready. Everyone knows what time they need to leave in the morning. Your child understands that homework comes before gaming, dirty clothes go in the hamper, and the permission slip really does need to make it from the backpack to the kitchen counter.

A child slams a door, bursts into tears, yells over a small disappointment, or completely falls apart when plans change. From the outside, the reaction can seem far bigger than the situation. But big feelings are rarely just about the moment in front of us. They are often a sign that the Control Tower is overwhelmed.