Protecting Mina's Self Confidence

Since grade 9, school felt like a constant fire Mina could never put out. She would start each day with every intention of listening carefully and making notes, jotting down homework and project instructions, and turning in her homework on time.

In reality though, Mina’s mind jumped around like a TV with the remote stuck on fast-forward. While the teacher explained a lesson, she would find herself thinking about her dog, then a song on radio, and then suddenly jump back to class only to realize that she had no idea what was being written on the board. When she got home, she would sit down to work and revision, but hours later, she would have nothing to show for the time spent. Everything remained pending. And every night ended with frustration - or tears she shed privately.

Teachers constantly emailed her parents about pending homework and missed project submissions. During their parent teacher meeting, almost every teacher expressed concern about Mina's falling grades and more repercussions of not "working harder". Mina's mother decided that she needed help; while Mina told herself that something was terribly wrong with her.

Mina's mother chose to have her work with an academic coach. As she listed her litany of challenges, we helped Mina understand that these are signs of poor executive functioning, a common symptom of ADHD. We worked with Maya to first scaffold her executive functioning and after a few months reassess the need for a formal screening for ADHD.

With us, Mina developed a learning system that fit how her brain worked. She set up coded folders for each subject, set phone alarms for homework time and submission dates, and used a checklist with important to-do's in her binder.

During our guided study practice sessions, Mina learnt how to break assignments into tiny pieces to retain focus. For example, “do history project” became “find three sources,” then “write one paragraph,” and then “add summary.” Her work routine also included breaks in between for recharge.

Mina is slowly seeing the results. She feels much better about herself now and has learnt to recognize and celebrate even small successes. She is on the path for ADHD assessment, but not with a "I'm broken" feeling, but instead the understanding that she will get better supports and accommodations that will help her succeed. Mina's mother is relieved to have taken the right steps at the right time to protect her self-confidence.

(All names and references are changed to protect privacy.)