Ask Melissa: Young Adult With ADHD Struggling With Executive Functioning?

What Parents Can Do

When a young adult with ADHD struggles with executive functioning, everyday responsibilities can become surprisingly difficult. Getting up on time, keeping track of appointments, managing medications, starting assignments, maintaining a job, managing money, keeping a living space organized, or following through on plans may require far more effort than parents expect.

For some young adults, these challenges become especially noticeable after high school, when the structure and support provided by parents, teachers, and school systems begin to disappear.

A young adult may understand exactly what needs to be done and still be unable to consistently do it independently.

That distinction matters.

The issue is not necessarily a lack of motivation, maturity, or intelligence. ADHD can interfere with the executive functioning skills that allow a person to organize, prioritize, initiate, sequence, monitor, and complete everyday tasks.

For families, the question often becomes:

How can a young adult learn to manage these responsibilities without a parent managing them for them?

That is where targeted support can make a difference.