Millions of children and adults across the U.S. live with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, yet the condition and its treatments are still widely misunderstood.
From time blindness and chronic procrastination to difficulties with executive function, ADHD can affect each person in profoundly different ways, making it one of the most complex and often misinterpreted neurodevelopmental disorders.
In recognition of ADHD Awareness Month this October, ASU News reached out to Assistant Professor Lauren Friedman, a researcher in Arizona State University’s Hyperactivity, Executive function and Attention Treatment, or HEAT, Lab.
She provides some insight on what it's like to live with the disorder, the latest in treatment research and how friends and families can better support those who have it.
Question: How significant can ADHD's impact be on a person’s daily life?
Answer: ADHD can have a wide-ranging impact on daily life because it affects core areas of self-regulation: attention, organization, emotion and impulse control. For children, this might look like difficulty following directions, completing schoolwork or managing frustration. In adults, it shows up as challenges with time management, staying focused at work or keeping up with responsibilities and relationships.
Beyond these day-to-day struggles, ADHD can also influence other aspects of well-being. It can strain relationships with family members, partners and coworkers when misunderstandings arise or tasks go unfinished. People with ADHD are also at higher risk for academic underachievement, job instability and emotional difficulties, such as anxiety or low self-esteem. Still, with effective treatment and support, many people with ADHD learn strategies that help them manage symptoms successfully.
Friedman's top 3 tips for managing procrastination
1. Break tasks into smaller, concrete steps. Large tasks can feel overwhelming and lead to avoidance. Breaking them down into small, manageable actions makes them easier to start and provides frequent moments of success, which can boost motivation.
2. Use external structure and cues. Because ADHD affects time perception and self-regulation, tools like timers, visual schedules or reminders can often be very effective.
3. Manage emotions around tasks. Reframing negative thoughts or using brief calming or mindfulness strategies can reduce emotional barriers to getting started.
Q: Why is procrastination such a persistent issue for individuals with ADHD?
A: Procrastination is one of the most common and frustrating challenges for people with ADHD. ADHD is often associated with difficulties in executive functioning, which are the cognitive skills that help us plan, organize, manage time, and regulate effort and emotion. When these skills are less developed, it becomes harder to start tasks, estimate how long something will take or stay focused once we begin.
Many people with ADHD also rely on external pressure or deadlines to get moving, since their brains are less sensitive to delayed rewards. These executive function challenges can also affect emotional control and motivation. Feelings of frustration or self-doubt can make it even harder to begin, creating a cycle of avoidance and stress. It is not about laziness or lack of willpower but rather how the brain’s management system operates. This combination of time blindness, motivational differences and emotional overload makes procrastination a particularly persistent challenge for many people with ADHD.
Q: Tell us about the work being done in the Hyperactivity, Executive function, and Attention Treatment, or HEAT, Lab. What types of new treatments have emerged from your research so far?
A: In the HEAT Lab, our work focuses on improving how childhood ADHD is understood and treated. While Behavioral Parent Training is one of the most effective and widely used treatments for childhood ADHD, outcomes can vary, and some children can show substantial improvement while others benefit less.
Our research suggests that one important reason for this difference is that many parents of children with ADHD also experience ADHD themselves, since ADHD tends to run in families. These symptoms can make it harder to stay organized, manage time and consistently use parenting strategies at home. Because nearly half of children with ADHD have a parent who also has ADHD, finding ways to better support these families has the potential to make a big impact.
Building on this work, we are now developing a new program called Executive Function Enhanced Caregiver Training Skills, or EFECTS. EFECTS combines traditional Behavioral Parent Training with adult ADHD cognitive-behavioral therapy strategies and a smartphone app that offers personalized reminders and support between sessions. By helping parents address their own ADHD-related challenges while learning the parenting skills, EFECTS aims to make treatment more effective for more families.
More info
Families interested in participating can visit the HEAT Lab site to learn more about opportunities for free ADHD assessment and treatment.
Q: What are some of the most common misconceptions about people with ADHD?
A: One of the most common misconceptions about people with ADHD is that their difficulties with focus and follow-through stem from a lack of motivation or effort. In reality, ADHD is a neurologically based condition that affects the brain’s regulation of attention, effort and reward. People with ADHD can often focus very well on activities they find interesting or stimulating but can struggle to sustain attention on tasks that feel tedious, difficult or unengaging. This difference is not a matter of willpower, but rather reflects how their brains process and prioritize information.
Another misconception is that people with ADHD simply need to “try harder” or “be more disciplined.” In truth, people with ADHD are often exerting an enormous effort just to stay organized, manage time and keep up with daily demands. Recognizing that ADHD symptoms reflect real neurocognitive challenges, not character flaws, helps shift the focus toward providing the understanding needed to support success.
Q: What should people know about living or working closely with someone who has ADHD, and how can they best offer support?
A: Patience and flexibility go a long way. Offering gentle reminders, breaking large tasks into smaller steps, and helping to minimize distractions can make a big difference. It is also important to notice and reinforce effort rather than focusing only on outcomes. By understanding that challenges with focus or follow-through are part of the disorder and not signs of carelessness or disinterest, it can provide the kind of support that helps people with ADHD thrive.
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