First, let me begin by saying I am not an idiot.  I clearly recognize that ADHD is a certified medical condition as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM 5).  In addition, I recognize that the symptoms described in the DSM-5 are very real:  things like ‘’fidgets’’ ‘’blurts out...Read More

I have a new article on the site MiddleWeb, which focuses on the importance of understanding recent brain research and how it can inform the creation of ”brain friendly” practices for young adolescents.  I was a junior high school teacher, a professor of courses in childhood and adolescent development, and a consultant to middle schools,...Read More

A new study published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry revealed that certain subcortical structures in the brains of individuals diagnosed with ADHD are smaller in volume than typically developing matched controls (the median age of the 1713 participants diagnosed with ADHD was 14).  The specific structures where differences were found included the nucleus accumbens, the...Read More

Published on Feb 8, 2017 This is Video #11 in my 12-part video series based on my book The Power of the Adolescent Brain: Strategies for Teaching Middle and High School Students In this video I focus on using expressive arts activities for channeling burgeoning teenage energies. I explain how the adolescent’s limbic system or...Read More

This is part 8 of my 12-part video series based on my book The Power of the Adolescent Brain: Strategies for Teaching Middle and High School Students. In this video, I describe the importance of emotions in the life of teenagers, and the need not to ignore or suppress it in secondary school, as too...Read More