Learn how to better control your impulses and make better decisions with these life skills advocate articles.
Have you ever wondered why the right playlist can turn a bad day into a bearable one (or even make it downright awesome)? Or perhaps how your various emotional responses seem to be intrinsically tied to the type of music you’re listening to? How positive emotions can be invoked by upbeat, bouncy tunes, while sad … read more
Here at Life Skills Advocate, we often discuss with clients and families that there’s not just one answer to challenges with executive functioning. The area of our brain responsible for EF skills–the prefrontal cortex–manages all types of complex behavior, including decision-making, personality, and goal orientation. A lot is happening there, which means we can’t always … read more
At its core, impulsive spending is when a person spends money without planning ahead or considering the cost of the purchase. This type of spending often results in financial distress and regret over the spending decisions they have made. For those of us with ADHD or other types of neurodiversity, impulsive spending can be even … read more
This article is designed to be utilized with the utmost professional integrity and ethical consideration. It is imperative to acknowledge that directly copying and pasting example goals into student’s IEPs from any external source, including ours, undermines the individualized nature of IEP planning and does not serve the best interests of students. This resource aims … read more
For the past several weeks, we’ve reviewed the executive functioning skill of impulse control, one that is particularly important for diverse learners. Many of the challenges we commonly associate with diagnoses like autism and ADHD relate to a teen or young adult’s difficulty in managing behavior in specific environments. While we might work to avoid … read more
Blurting out answers in the middle of class. Interrupting a meaningful conversation. Fighting with siblings. Fidgeting and talking during quiet work. What do all of these challenging behaviors have in common? They all relate back to impulse control. While we know that the teenage brain has a tendency to explore and examine the world in … read more
“But, I have to have it!” “I don’t care what you say. I’m going to do it anyway!” “You can’t stop me.” As parents and educators of individuals with unique learning needs, we know teens and young adults can struggle to control emotions and impulsive behavior. Statements like these only highlights what research tells us … read more