BrainPower Neurodevelopmental Center

08/21/2025

So often, executive functioning challenges are present in adults but we don’t stop and think, this isn’t how things have to be. In fact, there are everyday challenges that are very difficult for adults with executive functioning needs. Things like organization, planning, and flexible thinking can be a real struggle that impacts family life, work life, personal relationships, and the things we need to do every day.

For the adult with executive function disorder, challenges can present in many different ways. There may be no trouble with impulsivity or attention struggles, however other mental skills can be quite difficulty. Sometimes, seeing the “big picture” is the problem. For others, it’s just making decisions. Still others lack time management and have difficulty with multi-tasking. (The OT Toolbox ❤️)

08/20/2025

08/19/2025

Melt down – it can seem to come out of nowhere. It’s one of the challenging or explosive behaviours we can see in our ADHD spouse, child, sibling, self or friend. Sometimes behaviours are shown as as poor self-esteem, yelling, rage or tears. Behaviours may also be very subtle and go unnoticed or worse still, diagnosed and treated as something else, such as anxiety disorder or depression.

The Connect ADHD Volcano model has been developed to explain and understand these challenging and explosive and sometimes hidden behaviours. It is a key educational piece that clearly represents the relationship between observable behaviours, diagnosis and the underlying factors of executive function skills development, and how brain chemistry impacts all of the above. (via ADDA ❤️)

Illustration credit: unknown

08/19/2025

Raising Teens Today ❤️

08/18/2025

Sarah R. Moore, Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting ❤️

08/17/2025

Institute of Child Psychology ❤️

08/16/2025

Trauma can impact the brain's structure and function in many ways, including:

Emotional regulation
Trauma can affect the brain's ability to regulate emotions, which can lead to mood issues and mental health problems in childhood and adulthood.

Memory and emotions
The hippocampus is a part of the brain that controls memory and emotions, and people with PTSD may have a smaller hippocampus. This change may be linked to memory problems, flashbacks, fear, and anxiety.

Prefrontal cortex
During a traumatic event, the prefrontal cortex may not function as well due to the body's "Fear Circuitry" kicking in. This can make it difficult to think through the situation and make decisions, such as calling for help. Adults with PTSD may also have a smaller prefrontal cortex, which can make them feel overwhelmed by stress and anxiety even when there's no real danger.

Learning and behavior
Trauma can impact brain development, which can affect a person's ability to learn, recognize emotions, and regulate their attention and behavior. This can lead to impulsive or aggressive behaviors, or withdrawal and inattentiveness.

Relationships
Early relationships with others, such as abuse or neglect, can have a long-term impact on children's brains. A brain that's adapted to survive in a threatening or unpredictable world may not function well in an ordinary environment, which can create "latent vulnerability". This can make children more likely to experience mental health problems in the future, and may make common experiences, like moving to a new school, feel more stressful and daunting.

Infographic via .mcgarry ❤️

08/15/2025

An autistic child who is good at masking might get overlooked in the classroom. For instance, their learning needs might not be well understood, which means they also won't be well supported. That could mean that their sensory needs go unmet or the appropriate accommodations don't get put in place.

In other words, autism masking can lead to delayed intervention and a lack of appropriate support.

When a child masks, their struggles might also go unnoticed. Or, worse yet, others might not believe their struggles. That can lead to overwhelming demands or unrealistic expectations in the classroom. Something that happens quite often with hyperlexic children due to their strength in reading (read more here).

A child who's constantly overlooked or has hidden their struggles might find it difficult to advocate for their needs. Especially if others won't believe their struggles due to autistic masking.

For more information, please visit And Next Comes L - Hyperlexia & Autism Resources. ❤️

This website shares excellent information and resources for both autism and hyperlexia!

08/14/2025

Are there sounds that instantly cause you to feel intense anger, anxiety or disgust? Are those emotions extremely strong, even overpowering, to the point where they’re hard to control? These are features of misophonia, a disorder where you have a decreased tolerance to specific sounds and things you can sense (see, touch, etc.) related to them.

This phenomenon can affect people very differently. Some people may only have one "trigger" sound that causes this reaction. Some people can have several trigger sounds.

People can also have reactions that are more or less severe. Some people can’t control the emotions they feel but can control their responses. Some people can't control either, causing them to react impulsively. In the most severe cases, people may not be able to do certain things or be in specific environments. (Cleveland Clinic ❤️)

08/13/2025

Alexithymia is when a person has difficulty experiencing, identifying, and expressing emotions. It is not a mental health disorder but has links with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Illustration via Mollys ADHD mayhem❤️

08/12/2025

Dysgraphia is a neurological condition in which someone has difficulty turning their thoughts into written language for their age and ability to think, despite exposure to adequate instruction and education. Dysgraphia can present with many different symptoms at different ages. It’s considered a learning difference.

Writing is a complex process that involves many skills and brain functions, including:

Fine motor skills.
Spatial perception (ability to perceive the space around you).
Working memory (ability to hold and manipulate information in your mind).
Orthographic coding (ability to form, store and recall letters, numbers and symbols).
Language processing.
Conceptualization.
Organization.
Because of this, dysgraphia is somewhat of a catch-all term to diagnose issues with writing and can be difficult to diagnose.

Dysgraphia generally appears when children are first learning to write. This is called developmental dysgraphia. People can also develop dysgraphia suddenly after some type of head or brain trauma. This is called acquired dysgraphia.

Dysgraphia is considered a “specific learning disorder” — more specifically, a “specific learning disorder in written expression.” (Cleveland Clinic)

Image via 101 ❤️

08/12/2025