adhd forgetting homework

Why Kids with ADHD Can Be So Forgetful

Working memory deficits are common in adhd. these strategies can help..

Posted August 15, 2022 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

• What Is ADHD?
• Find a therapist to help with ADHD
• Working memory is critical for focus and following instructions.
• Due to deficits in executive functioning, children with ADHD often struggle with working memory.
• Some simple strategies can help improve working memory function in children with ADHD.

Why does my ADHD son think his memory is perfect? Maybe it’s because he doesn’t know what he is forgetting.

I’ll admit when it comes to my son, I have an obsession with neon-colored sticky notes. I have been known to put those colorful reminders everywhere—on my son’s school folders, his desk, even the bathroom mirror—reminding him to put his laundry into the hamper, turn in his schoolwork, and practice piano. I thought maybe his ADHD brain would pay attention to the bright neon colors.

Nope. My son’s working memory simply doesn’t work. So, what is working memory and what does it have to do with ADHD?

Working Memory Deficits in ADHD

A key component to why your ADHD child may seem distracted and forgetful is working memory, our most immediate form of memory. Due to executive functioning deficits, ADHD brains tend to struggle with working memory, which helps you to keep information in your brain until you need to use it.

For example, you use your working memory when you solve a math problem. Consider the problem 4 + 5 + 10. First, you calculate 4 + 5 = 9—then, using working memory to keep the number 9 in your brain, add 10 to get 9 + 10 = 19. Working memory is also important when you are following a series of steps, like a recipe, so you know what steps were already completed.

With regard to ADHD, working memory is important for helping kids to pay attention and follow instructions—all the things teachers and parents like them to do. But children with ADHD can forget what they were supposed to be paying attention to since the important information held in their working memory can easily be replaced by other stimuli, like a favorite activity.

See if this scenario sounds familiar. Your ADHD child is engrossed in some activity of his/her choosing, like a video game, and you give him/her a 15-minute warning to get ready for soccer practice. When you check on your child 15 minutes later, you find he/she has not moved, and you are now going to be late to practice.

Kids with ADHD have trouble stopping behaviors that are inappropriate at the time (playing a computer game) to focus on appropriate behaviors (getting ready for soccer practice), since they can easily forget what they are supposed to be doing.

Strategies to Improve Working Memory

My son, now a freshman in college, was diagnosed with ADHD in third grade. Over the years, several strategies proved useful for helping his working memory:

• Breaking down big tasks into very specific parts so his brain doesn’t get overwhelmed, and he has an easier time remembering what needs to be done.
• In middle school, my son had a special folder for homework assignments that needed to be turned in to the teacher the following day. I would like to say that he diligently checked the folder at the end of the school day to make sure it was empty, but I try to live in the real world of ADHD. Even so, this strategy did help to decrease the number of his missing and late assignments since he only had to remember to check one folder.
• Having a place for important items like his backpack, trumpet, and car keys helped to streamline weekday mornings. As a result, my son was more likely to be on time to school since he didn’t have to spend already hectic mornings searching for and trying to remember where he put things.
• Making sure I have my son’s full attention before I ask him to do something is critical if I want him to remember it. If my son is focusing on an activity he likes to do, what I am asking will go in one ear and out the other.
• My son finally decided to use a paper planner in high school after several years of my gentle nudging—OK, nagging—explaining that if he wrote things down, and saw them, his working memory wouldn’t have to work so hard to remember. His planner was always filled with lots of cool doodles of rocket ships but never any homework assignments. He has gone through dozens of planners, electronic and traditional paper ones, and whiteboard calendars. Typical of his novelty-seeking ADHD brain, the planners were used for a week or two then abandoned (maybe I can pile them up to use as a plant stand). When my son started using a planner in high school, writing down everything including school assignments and other activities, he eventually gave in and agreed that it was indeed helpful for keeping him on top of assignments in school and planning out his time efficiently.

Maybe it’s time to put away the neon-colored sticky notes. And if anyone needs a planner, I will be happy to oblige.

Kristin Wilcox, Ph.D. , has spent over 20 years in academia as a behavioral pharmacologist studying drug abuse behavior and ADHD medications at Emory University and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

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Getting On Top of ADHD Homework: Strategies for Success

To effectively tackle homework with ADHD, it's crucial to create a structured and distraction-free environment. Implementing consistent schedules, breaking tasks into manageable parts, and using timers can significantly improve focus and productivity. These strategies, tailored to the unique challenges ADHD presents, are key to transforming homework from a daunting task into an achievable goal.

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Struggling with ADHD and Homework? Let's Work It Out Together

Have you ever felt that, no matter how hard you try , you just can’t seem to hand in your homework on time , or get completely overwhelmed by the workload ? Or maybe you’re like I was, you’d get it done - but 10 minutes before the class started.

It’s not just you. Many of us with ADHD struggle with our academic responsibilities , whether that’s homework or making it to class on time. Today we’ll suggest some practical strategies so that you can take back control of your education. 

In this guide, we’ll discuss:

• Why ADHD impacts our ability to complete homework.
• The common challenges faced by children, teenagers, or students with ADHD.
• Practical tips for improving focus, productivity, and time management .
• Plus, plenty of stories from my own school experience.

Let’s find out how to make homework time less daunting and more manageable.

ADHD and Why We Can’t Just ‘Try Harder’ with Our Homework

Homework is difficult for many people with ADHD. So if you’re struggling right now, just know that it’s not you - it may just be the neurodevelopmental condition you live with. 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a complex disorder with a long list of potential symptoms, each different for everyone. According to research, the most common symptoms typically originate from executive dysfunction . 

Our executive functions are the mental processes that help us plan, organize, and remember details . These executive functioning skills include working memory, flexible or critical thinking, and self-control.  

Sounds pretty useful for homework, right? 

Research shows that ADHD is linked to alterations in the early development of the brain, notably impacting areas like the prefrontal cortex , which is crucial for executive functions. This can explain why individuals with ADHD often find challenges with memory, organization, and time management , among other executive tasks.

That’s why we can’t just ‘try harder’ as teachers and parents may suggest. We need proper treatment and management strategies to support us, especially in these early school years. 

Does ADHD make it hard to do homework?

ADHD can make focusing on and managing homework tasks more challenging. Supportive strategies and structured help are essential for students with ADHD to successfully complete their assignments.

To put these struggles into context, let me tell you about my experience at school and beyond…

My Story of Homework & Undiagnosed ADHD

I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until I was 29, so my student years were difficult and confusing . I didn’t understand why I struggled with things like homework and lack of focus, while the other kids didn’t.

What I didn’t know was that my ADHD symptoms were affecting how I studied, interacted with people, and performed academically .

Homework was especially tricky because it relies on focus, time management, and organization - three things the ADHD mind doesn’t always allow for.

Sometimes, I’d be too busy daydreaming to even hear that there was homework (this was before many schools had online portals for this kind of thing). 

When I did know I had homework, I’d leave it unfinished until the day (or hour) it was due. I would do literally anything else. I loved to watch TV or play a video game, but I’d even do things I didn’t enjoy, like chores, just to avoid homework. It was pure procrastination .

And even when I was doing something fun, I couldn’t properly enjoy it with the guilt of not finishing my homework or coursework at the back of my mind.

I couldn’t get interested or motivated enough to do my homework until it was the last minute and the deadline was quickly approaching. Only then would I somehow get the extra energy I needed. 

Studying in general was a bit ‘hit or miss’. I had certain subjects I was more interested in, like art, music, or science, but ask me to solve math problems or watch a history documentary and I’d be watching the clock, waiting for lunch.

When I did sit down to work, it would often take me much, much longer to complete a task because I was constantly getting distracted or completely overwhelmed by the time pressure . Or I’d suddenly work at a superhuman speed (hyperfocus). It all depended on how interested I was.

Unfortunately, I experienced what many people with ADHD do: I was labeled ‘lazy’ or ‘wasting my potential’ . These things could be devastating to hear, especially when I was trying my hardest. Comments like these can quickly lead to low self-esteem and even develop into mental health disorders.

Instead of positive feedback and constructive criticism, we often get judged due to misunderstandings. It’s sad because ADHD students deserve proper support for the struggles they face every day, not judgment and labels.

Take our fun online quiz to visualize your ADHD traits and learn more about your brain!

Homework and its Most Common ADHD Challenges

The ADHD struggle with establishing and sticking to a homework routine is linked to a few key ADHD symptoms.

Now or Not Now: Procrastination & Time Management

It’s often said that people with ADHD have only two concepts of time: now and not now .

If you’ve ever watched someone with ADHD put off something for hours or days , only to rush through it the night before the deadline, you’ve seen this in action.

Procrastination is when a person decides to delay or avoid doing a task that needs to be done even though they could do it now . 

This delay usually results in more distress as you get closer to a deadline. Procrastination is also commonly associated with laziness by people who don’t understand what’s going on behind the scenes of the ADHD brain.  

People assume we’re neglecting our responsibilities because we’d rather enjoy ourselves at the expense of our responsibilities like homework or after-school activities. But in reality, we often think about these tasks, even to the point of stress and anxiety, but just cannot start because our brains aren't ready to face them yet. 

For children, time management can be a struggle, especially with things they’re not interested in, like his or her homework. By rushing to get this done outside of homework hours and before the deadline, there’s a risk of careless mistakes and negative results.

Parents may need to help with their child’s time management. For example, offering homework help at a set time might help them create a routine. Otherwise, they’ll have to tackle it themselves, without your help.

Overwhelm and Lack of Emotional Control

Once you’ve finally overcome procrastination and have gathered enough willpower to sit down and tackle your homework assignments, you may meet your next obstacle: overwhelm . 

When faced with a big project, like coursework or an essay, we may immediately get overwhelmed before even thinking about what needs to be done. I get this now, even in a work environment. I automatically assume there’s too much to be done , and it’s not possible before the deadline , often leading to genuine (but temporary) panic.

This can spiral into an emotional outburst , especially if you’re easily frustrated or tend to put a lot of pressure on yourself academically. Due to people with ADHD typically suffering from emotional dysregulation, it can be hard to ground yourself in these moments. 

The trick here is to fully break down your homework assignments or projects into each step that needs to be done (e.g.: research x, write a persuasive title). For an essay, separate it into sections: title, angle, introduction, point 1, point 2, and conclusion. Create a plan first (as a separate task) to make sure it’s cohesive, then tackle each section individually.  

While your list may be longer, you can properly judge how quickly certain tasks can be completed , usually making it less overwhelming. 

Brain Fog, Distractions and Difficulties Focusing

You’re ready to work. You have everything broken down into actionable pieces. But then the brain fog sets in. Your mind gets clouded , your thoughts aren’t as clear as you need them to be. 

When completing tasks that require sustained mental effort (like most homework does), you need focus. The problem is when the ADHD brain simply doesn’t want to. Students with ADHD know how elusive focus can be . Even if you stick to a homework routine, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to focus enough for it to be worth it.

If you’ve ever tried to force yourself to focus when you’ve got brain fog, you know how exhausting it is. Often, for me, it leads to physical headaches and makes it difficult for me to think or function properly afterward. 

Sometimes you’re simply more prone to distractions than other times. This might be linked to the time of day, how much physical activity you’ve gotten, or how much mental energy you’ve already used. Some ways may increase your executive functioning (like physical activity), but you need to have them in your toolkit first.

Organizational Challenges: Losing or Forgetting Your Homework

Back at school, loose papers were my nemesis. If I didn’t lose them or leave them in the wrong exercise book, something would almost always happen to them. I can’t count the number of times I spilled a drink over something important (and the rest of my book bag). 

Forgetting homework is a big one . Imagine overcoming everything we’ve talked about above, only to leave your homework at home and get in trouble anyway. 

Do ADHD people get bored easier?

Yes, individuals with ADHD often require more stimulation, which can lead to quick boredom. Implementing engaging and varied activities can aid in sustaining their interest and focus.

Practical Tips for Improving Focus and Productivity as a Student

From early childhood through to adulthood, we can be students with ADHD at any age. That’s why we must find ways to make studying and homework-like tasks easier.

We know most children with ADHD prioritize tasks and activities that are interesting to them. So if the only time homework feels ‘easy’ is when we’re interested, how can we make homework and school time more exciting and see it in a positive light? It all starts with the right mindset and building good study habits. 

The first reminder I want to share with you is to be kind to yourself, always . ❤️ Remember that we struggle with our ADHD brains every day and are doing the best that we can. The most crucial part is that we should work with our brains and not against them .

Here are some other techniques that might help:

• Create a designated homework space that can accommodate all homework routines. It doesn't matter if it's a study table or kitchen table, as long as you can focus on doing your tasks. This space will help you focus on your homework and avoid distractions.
• Set the ambiance or mood that you are comfortable in working. Do you function well with no background noise, or are you okay working with white noise? Sometimes, these little details are essential to note because they can help increase your focus.
• Keep everything you need within reach . If school books are essential in doing   your homework, make sure the correct books are nearby. If you need to highlight specific phrases from your notes, make sure certain colored pens are at arms' reach or organized in front of you. Likewise, keeping distractions away can enforce focus and give better productivity.
• Establish a routine or schedule for homework time. This can help the mind get used to the activity and eventually minimize procrastination. Making a regular schedule for the school year, posted on a visible weekly calendar can remind you of the tasks that need to be finished.
• Break down big tasks into smaller and manageable chunks. This way, it won't look so daunting, and you can focus on one thing at a time. Dedicating a specific amount of time to each chunk can also help you stay on track, especially for uninteresting subjects that make your regular schedule challenging to accomplish.
• Taking breaks is essential and considered to be part of homework strategies. Break time can also minimize the effect of burnout. You can walk around, drink water, or do some stretching exercises during these times. Anything that can help you release the tension and give your eyes a break from staring at the screen 💻 or books for long periods. 
• Write down what's distracting you. This way, you can address the root cause of your distractions and find ways to avoid or minimize them. It can be a good idea to talk about this with someone who can help you so that they will be aware and give support when needed. Updating new routines to make things work can help achieve better focus and concentration.

If your child has ADHD and is struggling with their homework, remember to provide positive feedback when you see your child work at a reasonable time. Homework will struggle to hold your child’s attention, so you may need to provide extra help to create good study habits for your kid’s benefit.

If you haven’t already, it’s worth having an honest conversation with every teacher that works with your child to let them know that they might forget their homework sometimes, and not to be too hard on them, especially if they can bring it in the next day. I remember feeling so much shame from this, and many teachers simply didn’t understand. However, a positive, supportive learning environment can make all the difference to your child and their future success. 

Why do people with ADHD do well in school?

Students with ADHD can excel academically when their learning environment includes specialized support and resourceful strategies that align with their inventive and quick-thinking abilities.

Ace Your Homework with the ADHD-Friendly Pomodoro Technique! ✨

Tackling homework can feel overwhelming, especially for those with ADHD. Enter the Pomodoro Technique: a simple yet effective method that breaks homework into 25-minute focused sessions with 5-minute breaks to prevent burnout and boost productivity. 🍅

Set a timer for each session to maintain focus and enjoy short breaks to recharge, making homework less daunting and more doable. This structured approach enhances concentration and provides a sense of accomplishment as you progress through tasks. ⏱️

Try our free ADHD Pomodoro Timer - 4x25 minutes [Lofi - Chill🎵] video, designed to blend focus with relaxation, acting as your virtual study companion.  

Key Takeaways

• ADHD presents unique challenges such as difficulty with focus, time management, and organization , which can significantly impact homework habits.
• Procrastination is a common issue among individuals with ADHD, often misunderstood as laziness.
• Overwhelm, emotional dysregulation, and distractions further increase homework difficulties, leading to feelings of frustration and inadequacy.
• Practical tips for improving focus and productivity include creating a designated homework space , breaking down tasks into manageable chunks, and developing a routine to minimize procrastination.
• Remember to take breaks, address distractions, and practice self-compassion to maintain focus and avoid burnout.
• Parents and educators should provide understanding and support, avoiding judgment and fostering a positive learning environment.

There will be days when we can't seem to focus no matter how hard we try. And that's okay. Pushing too hard on ourselves will only lead to frustration and less productivity. School day and homework can be challenging, but we can get through it with the right mindset and strategies.

What’s Next?

If homework is something you or your child struggles with, you may also find these articles useful:

• Navigating Learning Challenges in Children with ADHD
• Strategies for Managing ADHD in School Settings
• Effective Strategies for Meeting Deadlines with Adult ADHD
• Staying Focused: Understanding & Overcoming Distractions With ADHD

Visualize and assess 25 ADHD traits and understand how they affect your life.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is it usual for many people with adhd to struggle with their schoolwork and assignments.

Many children (and even adults) with ADHD truly struggle with homework. This is largely because of their symptoms, like getting easily distracted, experiencing sensory overload, and being unable to focus.

Why do many people with ADHD procrastinate?

Many students with ADHD procrastinate because they do not find the task interesting enough. However, please note that reasons for procrastination can vary. An ADHD or even a neurotypical person might procrastinate because they are tired, anxious about another thing, or not motivated well.

How can we boost our productivity when it comes to schoolwork?

The first step is to be kind to yourself. Please don’t associate your procrastination or inability to accomplish your tasks on time with laziness. Your ADHD brain just works differently. Next is to tackle the problem one step at a time. For instance, if you don’t do well with distractions, try to have a dedicated workspace where it’s quiet.

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Home / Expert Articles / Conditions / Diagnoses / ADHD / ADD

Simple Homework Tips for Kids with ADD and ADHD

By robert myers, phd.

Homework can be difficult for most kids during the school year, but it can become a major challenge when you have a child with ADHD. But here’s some good news for exhausted parents: if you take the right steps now, at the beginning of the school year, homework hassles can be kept to a minimum. The key is to be organized and plan ahead to minimize the frustration your child is bound to experience around multiple homework assignments. Begin by tackling the two most important places: school and home with these homework tips for kids with ADHD and ADD .

At the beginning of the school year, meet with your child’s teacher (or teachers) to find out what the expectations are regarding homework. Try to work out a system where they can let you know in advance what homework will be assigned either on a week-to-week basis or for the whole semester. Many teachers are even willing to keep you informed by e-mail. You should check with your child’s teachers periodically to make sure that things are going well. And definitely remember to ask them to inform you whether assignments are being turned in on time.

Another big problem for kids with ADHD is that they often forget to bring their books home. You may be able to work out with the school, particularly if your child has a 504 plan, to get an extra set of books. This way, your child will have a set of books at school and a set of books at home.

Children with attention disorders, particularly those with a 504 plan, are entitled to accommodations to make school demands appropriate to their abilities. So for example, in math or other subjects with long lists of questions or problems, the accommodation states that the school must allow the child to do every other question or problem, rather than the entire list that’s been assigned. Talk to your child’s teachers about your child’s abilities and the accommodations that can be made. It can make the difference between enduring endless hours of frustration at homework time and having your child succeed.

Moving now to the home front, it’s important, if possible, to have a quiet time in the home where there’s no TV and no other media to distract your child. You might even stop phone calls during homework time. And if you have a project that you’ve brought home from work, consider doing it while your child is doing his schoolwork. (But be available for help if necessary.) This helps younger children with ADHD to understand that homework is a normal part of life—just another responsibility that needs to be met, and it also sets the right mood for focusing and concentration.

It’s best to have a scheduled time for homework and a quiet place to do it. For older kids, it may even be a good idea to set up their own “office”. This could be a space in their room, the living room or kitchen where they do their homework on a regular basis. You might even put up a bulletin board with all their long-term assignments and due dates. What this provides is a way to make it easy to have all the materials they need and to keep them on task.

If you know what your child’s assignments are, you should review them together. Make sure that they understand what they need to do. In particular, be certain they understand the directions completely. If they have homework for several different subjects, you can eliminate much of the hassle simply by helping them to organize their time.

It may be a good idea to break homework into sections. You can set aside time for each specific subject, with some relaxation breaks in between. High school age kids with ADHD certainly can do an hour of homework at a time without a break, while first graders may only be able to go for 10 to 15 minutes without a break. You need to determine what you feel is a reasonable amount of study time for your child, and then help him or her to manage their time appropriately. When they complete their homework successfully, use fun activities such as on TV or video games (or whatever your child enjoys) as a reward.

Finally, a big problem for kids with ADHD is that even when they get the homework completed, they forget to turn it in to the teacher. It’s wise to have a notebook with a clipboard or a separate folder for homework for your child. Remind him or her to check the clipboard or folder at school for each class to be sure that they turned in all the work. Then, before they leave school, they should check it once again. If they find any assignments that were not turned in they should take it to the teacher or the office and hand it in before they leave the campus. Most teachers will accept an assignment later in the day from a child they know to be attempting to cope with ADHD.

The internet also has great resources to help you and your child gather information for homework projects. These include Kid Info www.kidinfo.com , Fact Monster www.factmonster.com and Searching for Stuff-Kid’s search tools www.slco.lib.ut.us/kids_search.htm .

Related Content: 8 Tips for Parents of Children with ADHD ADHD, LDs, ODD? How to Stop Doing Too Much for Your Special Needs Kid

About Robert Myers, PhD

Dr. Robert Myers is a child psychologist with more than 30 years of experience working with children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD - ADHD) and learning disabilities. Dr. Myers is Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at UC Irvine School of Medicine. "Dr. Bob" has provided practical information for parents as a radio talk show host and as editor of Child Development Institute's website, childdevelopmentinfo.com . Dr. Myers earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California.

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keepingthefaith My 12-yr old is officially diagnosed with ASD/Anxiety/Mood Disorder/Depression.  I recently withdrew him from public school.  The admin was using detention and taking away his break time to motivate him to do his work at school.  He has an IEP for every accommodation conceivable, but he was refusing to write More paragraphs and essays.  I pulled him out after the school took away his "safe room" and started piling on consequences.  My question is, how am I going to get him to write paragraphs and essays when we start homeschooling?  He sees a behavioral therapist and a psychiatrist and is on meds to focus.  He is a bright boy, usually coring three grade levels ahead.

Responses to questions posted on EmpoweringParents.com are not intended to replace qualified medical or mental health assessments. We cannot diagnose disorders or offer recommendations on which treatment plan is best for your family. Please seek the support of local resources as needed. If you need immediate assistance, or if you and your family are in crisis, please contact a qualified mental health provider in your area, or contact your statewide crisis hotline.

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ADHD and Homework

Our eleven-year-old daughter, who has been diagnosed with inattentive-type ADHD, has been doing better since she began treatment with stimulant medication. However, we still have trouble getting her organized around homework. We have tried setting up an office in her room, taking away all the distractions, keeping the area quiet, and not allowing the television to go on until all her homework is done. We don’t seem to be making much progress and, in fact, we are all getting even more frustrated because nothing seems to work. Her teachers still complain that work is not getting turned in, and her grades are still suffering in spite of her teacher always telling us how bright she is.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the ideal homework setting. Some children with ADHD work inefficiently in an isolated, quiet setting like their room, and do better in the midst of some action, like at the kitchen table with a radio playing. You might need to try a few different settings until you find the most efficient one.

In addition, you might need to figure out if any other factors are making homework difficult. Think about all the steps involved. Does your child know what all the assignments are? Does she bring the materials home that are necessary for doing the work? Does she have a nightly work plan that fits with her learning style? (She might need to schedule breaks between math and English, or between outlining the report and writing the first 3 paragraphs.) Does she have a system to check on whether all the nightly work is done? Is there a system for checking that her completed work gets turned in on the due date? How does she or you know that work is late? Have you or her teacher set up rewards for progress or consequences for late work? Is there a system for her teacher to communicate with you about late work?

Once you have gone through this type of systematic list of questions, you can begin to solve the problem in an organized way—and you might discover some simple and obvious solutions. If she is taking stimulant medication and she does her homework primarily at a time after it has worn off, you could consider a short-acting extended dose of medication for the early evening.

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Homework strategies for kids with ADHD, autism

What a pain.

Kids don’t want to do homework. Can you blame them? They just sat in school for 6+ hours, now we want them to sit down and do more school work during the little free time they have for themselves in the evenings. And struggling learners have been pushing so hard all day to listen and do what they’re asked. They’re spent, making them even more adamant that they not do any homework. And thus, the homework battles commence.

Homework is a parenting struggle for the majority of us raising kids with ADHD and/or high-functioning autism. It’s personally the most dreaded time of the day. There are some rules and strategies to implement to make it a bit better {thank goodness!}.

Homework Ground Rules

There are some general ground rules that should always be followed for homework time:

• TV and other distractions must be turned off (music in the background actually helps some children drown out their surroundings and focus — it is a distraction for me and my son, but my daughter does homework better with music on).
• Have a dedicated spot for homework and work there each day — routine and consistency are key.
• Praise and reward often (typically more often than you are comfortable with).

Homework Timing

We’ve played around with time of day my son does homework over the years. I first tried homework right after school thinking medication would still be working {and that we should just get it over with}. That was a disaster. Kids need time to unwind and do whatever their hearts desire after being in school 6+ hours on someone else’s time.

We also tried after dinner, when school was a distant memory. That wasn’t as big a battle to get him to agree to do homework, like immediately after school was. However, his medication is no longer helping him slow down by that time, and it was a monumental chore to actually get anything accomplished.

4 pm turned out to be our “magic” homework hour. Now, I use the term “magic” very, very loosely. Our children with ADHD will never be willing to do homework, nor will they be efficient at it. It’s finding what works best under their circumstances that will be “magic” for your family. It may not be “magic” for a typically-abled child, but it’s magic for us. Remember, even the best laid plan will not cure the resistance to homework.

Be sure you offer lots of breaks. Physical movement helps with mental alertness, but also gives your child the opportunity to destress and regroup.

Homework Location

At 4 pm we turn off all electronics and sit down at the dining room table or kitchen counter. It could be on the floor, hanging upside down on the sofa, or under the bed for that matter — anywhere your child is comfortable, focused, and can write. Don’t be rigid about your idea of the way homework should be done (at a desk, for instance). The key is to figure out where and how your child can do their best on this task. It may be unconventional, but whatever works for them is totally acceptable, and best.

The HowdaHug chair was a miracle tool for us for many years.

Homework Toolkit

Continuous preparation is a common procrastination technique, conscious or not. To prevent this, create a homework toolkit. The toolkit should be some sort of box or desktop organizer ( this desktop organizer is perfect for your toolkit!), even an actual toolbox , with every single thing necessary to complete homework, prepped and ready to go:

pencils (sharpened — sharpening pencils is a favorite procrastination technique of children), pencil sharpener, pencil grips (if used), markers, colored pencils (sharpened), age-appropriate scissors, notebook paper, construction paper and/or blank copy paper, calculator, ruler, dictionary, index cards, highlighter, tape, glue stick, post-it notes, clip board (if not working at a table or desktop), anything else your child may use for homework.

A timer (there are many specifically for ADHD and special needs) is a great tool for completing a task, too. ADHDers often struggle with the concept of time. My son constantly asks me “how much longer?” when doing something he’d rather not be doing. He often overestimates the amount of time something will take, as well. A timer helps with both. If he is given a math worksheet and he has 15 minutes to complete it, the timer is set for 15 minutes. At any given moment, he can look at the timer and know how much time he has left to finish. The Time Timer is my favorite.

Get Creative with Homework

Get creative and make homework visual when you can. When my son was young, we got really creative. We used macaroni for math (in middle school, we’ve used candy corn to solve math problems, then eat them as the reward — I don’t like a lot of candy, but sometimes desperation wins). He liked to spell words with uncooked spaghetti mixed with elbow macaroni for curves (when the spelling words were 3 or 4 letters). Does your child love to paint? Let them paint their spelling words or their illustration for their writing assignments. Painting letters is actually a common therapy tool for children that struggle with hand writing. What about play-dough? I purchased a box of 101 alphabet and number cookie cutters for $10, and sometimes we used that for spelling and math.

Homework Accommodations

I can’t begin to count how many parents have told me their child is spending hours on homework every night just to get it done. We’re talking 2-4 hours for kids in elementary school. That’s not okay, folks!

Kids with developmental delays (ADHD and autism) and learning disabilities should not have to work on homework any longer than their neurotypical peers. To have a child work on a math assignment for two hours that took their peers 15 minutes to complete is punishing that child for having a disability . That’s not acceptable. That’s very, very unacceptable!

The rule of thumb for the maximum daily time spent on homework is supposed to be 10 minutes for every year of grade. That’s 10 minutes for a first grader, 20 minutes for a second grader, 60 minutes for a sixth grader, etc… Ask your child’s teacher how much time they expect their students to spend on homework each night. If your child is doing substantially more, ask for modified assignments, so your child is only working that length of time, whether the assignment is finished or not. We did this all through elementary school, and it helped a great deal.

<<< DOWNLOAD THE FREE HOMEWORK STRATEGIES CHEATSHEET >>>

Penny Williams

A parenting coach for neurodiverse families, Penny Williams is the award-winning author of four books on ADHD, including "Boy Without Instructions," host of the Beautifully Complex Podcast, co-host of the annual Neurodiverse Parenting Summits, and co-founder of The Behavior Revolution, an initiative devoted to celebrating and supporting kids with ADHD or autism through neuroscience-backed insights, hard-won strategies, compassion, and guidance.  Penny empowers parents to help their neuro-atypical kids — and families — thrive.

Homework time is a disaster every single night and weekend in my home. My 7th grade son with ADHD/anxiety routinely spends 2-4 hours on homework. He has a 504 plan but his school is adamant that they will not give any reduction of homework. He is very bright but just shuts down when overwhelmed by homework. I will not be surprised when he is trying to drop out of school in HS. I have even told the school he already vetbslizes this along with extreme emotional upset and they are still unwilling to do anything help ease the stress that homework is giving. The only thing they’ve been willing to do is to give one extra night…which only stresses him out more because it just puts him behind. Between his troubles and my 9 year old sons emotional issues (ADHD/SPD/anxiety) I feel like I am constantly drowning and instead of throwing me a life preserver I just get more water thrown at me 🙁

I’m so sorry Tracy! I would continue to push the school. If the principal refuses a reduced assignments accommodation, I’d call the Director of Special Education/Special Services/Exceptional Children for your school board (city of county department of education) and let that individual know that there’s a school they are responsible for that is refusing to appropriately accommodate a special needs student. Again, forcing a kid with a disability to work on homework substantially longer than their peers is PUNISHING THAT CHILD FOR BEING BORN WITH A DISABILITY. That’s not acceptable.

My 13 y/o son has had ADHD since he was in 1st grade. We choose to medicate him because he can’t make it through a day without it. He’s now in 7th grade, in a charter/college prep school, and homework is mostly just classwork that he didn’t finish. He has a 504 plan in place to help him at school. But at home it is a fight, EVERY. SINGLE. DAY to get any more work out of him. He is failing one class, and close to failing 3 more. I have done everything from tutoring, to one-on-one time with homework. No matter what I try, nothing works. Electronics are his vice, so those have been taken until his grades come up. I’ve spent 3+ hours today to get him to write a 5 paragraph essay that’s due by midnight. I’ve cried, threatened, walked away, and now feel like the worst parent on Earth right now. I have met with the teachers, principal, counselor (today), and everyone in between. Its so frustrating that we end up yelling, lecturing, and then my husband and I fight about it. I’m currently looking into military schools for lack of any other options. Do you have any ideas how I can do better?? I’m a nurse and my husband is a supervisor, so schedules are weird some days. I’m starting to think there is some autism problems in there also. I just don’t know what to do now. Even psychologists can’t get through to him. Do you have any additional advice, or strategies to try with him?? I’m at my wits end and I feel like I’m destroying my son and my family every night. My daughter (6th grade) takes his side and hates me too most days. Please help…

I’m so, so sorry to hear that you’re struggling so much. Let’s see what we can do about it.

What you have done so far and are doing now isn’t working. That means it’s time to try something new. No matter how much you threaten or punish, it won’t change the behavior, because you’re not addressing the underlying issue, which is the actual problem. I just did an entire podcast on this last week – listen here: https://parentingadhdandautism.com/2017/11/02/parenting-adhd-podcast-015-behavior-just-symptom/ .

As Ross Greene says, “Kids do well IF they can.”

So, let’s take threats and punishment off the table (I know, it feels wrong, but it isn’t working and won’t solve the problem). Instead, let’s ask WHY. Why is he refusing to do homework? Why is he taking so much longer to do the work than it should take? And ask your son why he is struggling with homework. We don’t ask our kids for their insights enough.

Potential reasons include: – undiagnosed learning disability (if writing is an overwhelming struggle, it could be written expression disorder and/or dysgraphia, my son has both) – overwhelming volume of work – doesn’t know how to get started – doesn’t understand the assignment or the work – just isn’t good at school

That’s right — some people just aren’t good at school. They don’t learn the way our public schools approach education, and struggle with the skills required, like executive functioning. Parents of kids with ADHD must adjust their expectations of “success at school” most of the time. Smart kids sometimes can’t accomplish A’s and B’s.

However, he should be passing. The fact that he’s not signals to me that the school isn’t supporting his needs effectively. It isn’t laziness or a lack of motivation, or even self-discipline necessarily. It is a difference in his brain that puts him at a real disadvantage under the mainstream, neurotypical expectations of school.

Remember too, while he’s 13, developmentally he’s 20-30% behind. That means some of his skills are still at the 9-10-year-old level. That’s where expectations need to be in those areas.

I know this isn’t the response you expected, and probably not what you wanted to hear, but it’s the truth.

Use Dr. Greene’s Collaborative Problem Solving Model (CPS) to get to the root of the issue: https://www.livesinthebalance.org/walking-tour-parents . It really works wonders!

This sounds so rosy perfect. My 7th grade ADHD/ASD son is on an IEP at school (took six years and a near legal battle, but it got put into place). We do EVERYTHING listed above, and all he will do is fight and battle and shred his homework. He is doing okay in his classes with a class work focus, but when it comes to homework, even accommodated homework, he won’t. Even if he does it under duress, he won’t turn it in… even with a learning strategies class/teacher to help. He is drastically failing and does not seem to care… he simply would prefer to do anything other than work. He is the same way with his singular chore, emptying the dishwasher. He has always struggled with having to deal with the ‘inconvenience’ of work. We are at a total loss. We are exhausted from the battles and home repairs from him being in a rage. His meds help ‘take the edge off.’

There’s always a reason behind this behavior. Challenge yourself to stop using words like “refuses” and “won’t” and ask yourself WHY. He wants to do well, but he may have lost hope that it’s even possible for him anymore.

Thanks to all the brave parents who are willing to share their journey. It helps knowing you’re not alone in the struggles. Some things you mentioned, Penny, are a good reminder. I often forget in the heat of the moment that their is a reason why my son is so angry, refusing help, etc. When I step back at the end of the day, with perspective, alone, without an extra parent’s perception, or teacher/principal expectations, it’s always clear that the little boy inside (the one that is much younger than the one standing in front of me) doesn’t believe in himself. He knows compared to his peers that he’s not the same. He feels alone no matter what my good intentions are for him. And what he always needs most are 1. More understanding than I could ever imagine someone needing 2. More breaks than I think are justified 3. And more grace than I alone can often muster. But ironically I need the exact same things!!! Great amounts of understanding that this is incredibly challenging, breaks!, and to forgive myself when I forget to put love first. I do not have a great co-parent but I have an awesome kid who feels incredibly bad about himself most days at some point. I just gotta love him and me through it. I get lots of help by reading about what helps, listening to others with atypical kids, prayer, therapy and yes, a drink when I need one. 🙂 <3

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• v.23(4); 2014 Dec

The relation between procrastination and symptoms of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in undergraduate students

Hannah c.m. niermann.

1 Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen The Netherlands

Anouk Scheres

Procrastination is defined as the tendency to delay activities that have to be completed before a deadline. It is often part of psychotherapies for adults with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, procrastination is officially not acknowledged as an ADHD‐related symptom. Therefore, little is known about the role of procrastination in ADHD. We investigated the relation between procrastination and ADHD‐related symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in 54 students with varying levels of self‐reported ADHD‐related behaviours. Various measures of procrastination were used, including questionnaires of academic, general procrastination and susceptibility to temptation as well as direct observation of academic procrastination while solving math problems. We expected a positive relation between severity of ADHD‐related behaviours and procrastination, specifically for impulsivity. However, partial correlations (corrected for the other symptom domain of ADHD) indicated that only inattention was correlated with general procrastination. This specific and preliminary finding can stimulate future research in individuals diagnosed with ADHD. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Introduction

Attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed childhood disorders; approximately 3–7% of children are affected worldwide [American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2000 ]. ADHD is not a disorder which is restricted only to childhood, it can persist into adolescence and even into adulthood. However, the prevalence of ADHD decreases with age (APA, 2000 ; Faraone et al. , 2003 ). The core clinical features of ADHD include symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The diagnosis ADHD is therefore divided into three subtypes: The inattention subtype is characterized by a failure to pay attention, distractibility, difficulty to sustain focused attention, lack of persistence, and disorganization (Lahey et al. , 1998 ). The hyperactive/impulsive subtype includes behaviours such as fidgeting or restless behaviour, excessive activity, engaging in activity without planning, constantly interrupting or changing the subject, impatience, and low frustration tolerance (Lahey et al. , 1998 ). The third subtype is a combined subtype consisting of both the inattention and the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms of ADHD. The core symptoms of ADHD are the diagnostic criteria for this disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fourth Edition (DSM‐IV; APA, 2000 ), but individuals with ADHD also frequently complain about other, associated problems. However, these associated problems are not officially acknowledged as core symptoms of ADHD in the DSM‐IV (Weiss and Weiss, 2004 ). These problems include impulsive eating, insomnia, and procrastination (Weiss and Weiss, 2004 ). The focus of the current study was on the relation between procrastination and the core symptoms of ADHD, as measured in undergraduate students.

Procrastination may be defined as the irrational tendency to postpone or delay a task or a decision that actually has to be completed before a certain deadline (see Steel, 2007 , for an interesting review). The temptation to engage in other, more fun, activities in the short term plays an important role in procrastination as well. Specifically, proximity of temptations increases procrastination (Steel, 2007 ). Procrastination has been described to be expressed in different life domains in the current literature: (i) Academic procrastination is defined as delaying to start studying for an examination or to write a paper shortly before the deadline (Solomon and Rothblum, 1984 ); (ii) Everyday procrastination is defined as difficulties in organizing daily activities and performing them before the deadline is reached (for example problems in answering phone messages and/or failure in paying bills on time; Milgram, 1988 ; Milgram et al. , 1988 ); (iii) Decisional procrastination is defined as having chronic problems in making decisions on time (Effert and Ferrari, 1989 ).

All three expressions of procrastination may be highly relevant to ADHD. Anecdotic evidence of parents and teachers of children with ADHD as well as case studies indeed suggest a relationship between procrastination and ADHD (Brown, 2000 ). Further evidence for this connection is indicated by descriptions of problems associated with ADHD (APA, 2000 ): difficult, unpleasant, effort‐demanding, and uninteresting choices, tasks, daily activities, and decisions are likely to be avoided/procrastinated by children with ADHD. They also show organizational problems in school related activities, like forgetting homework assignments, difficulty to complete long‐term projects, to study for tests, and to keep materials organized. These problems are closely related to procrastination behaviour and they can manifest themselves clinically as procrastination, planning difficulties, missing deadlines and problems of keeping work material organized in adults with ADHD (Langberg et al. , 2008 ). Research also indicates that individuals with ADHD are often familiar with multiple negative life outcomes resulting from their long lasting neuropsychological impairments, e.g. attentional difficulties, emotional instability, disinhibition, and disorganized behaviour (Newark and Stieglitz, 2010 ). Based on these negative experiences, especially adolescents and adults with ADHD are prone to develop negative beliefs about the self, low self‐esteem, and low self‐efficacy. Typical maladaptive beliefs refer to feelings of defectiveness, failure, and insufficient self‐control (Ramsay and Rostain, 2003 ). When these individuals are confronted with negative and/or stressful circumstances, they are likely to develop maladaptive coping strategies like procrastination and avoidance, which in turn can reinforce their negative beliefs, generating a vicious cycle (Newark and Stieglitz, 2010 ). Avoidance/procrastination may therefore be viewed as a compensatory strategy for adolescents and adults with ADHD. It allows them to stop dealing with a challenging task, which they experienced as unpleasant and as going beyond their own capabilities (Ramsay and Rostain, 2003 ).

Procrastination also is an important aspect of several therapeutic interventions for individuals with ADHD. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) identifies and modifies negative cognitions, which are related to the facilitation of maladaptive coping strategies (such as procrastination). It also offers an optional module in order to learn how to manage and overcome procrastination behaviour. This module is frequently chosen by adults with ADHD, indicating that procrastination is a commonly faced deficit and function problem by this adult population (Safren et al. , 2005 ; Safren, 2006 ). Other interventions such as ADHD coaching (Swartz et al. , 2005 ), ADHD Skills and Strategies Programme (Burt et al. , 1997 ), organizational skills intervention (Langberg et al. , 2008 ), and meta‐cognitive therapy (Solanto et al. , 2010 ), have integrated dealing with procrastination and time management as a standard aspect of therapy for individuals with ADHD. These interventions are efficient in reducing ADHD symptoms (e.g., Langberg et al. , 2008 ).

In terms of the specific relation between procrastination and the three symptom domains, most research so far has examined the relation between procrastination and impulsivity. The majority of this research suggests a positive association: persons characterized by high impulsivity are more easily distracted by more pleasant activities while performing a task and are more likely to procrastinate (Ferrari, 1993 ; Schouwenburg and Lay, 1995 ). Johnson and Bloom ( 1995 ), for example, identified impulsivity as one of the best predictors of procrastination in their study of the contribution of personality factors to academic procrastination: highly impulsive students were less able to stay focused during studying. Dewitte and Schouwenburg ( 2002 ) investigated the role of three main aspects of impulsivity in procrastination. These three forms of impulsivity were (1) lack of perseverance, reflecting the tendency to not finish an initiated job, (2) lack of premeditation, defined as the tendency not to think before getting into action, and (3) urgency, reflecting the tendency to act on the moment in order to relieve negative feelings. They indicated that procrastination and impulsivity (mainly the lack of perseverance) are closely intertwined and that their relation partially clarifies the association between the personality trait conscientiousness and procrastination. Schouwenburg and Groenewoud ( 2001 ), however, did not find a difference in impulsivity between procrastinators and people who are commonly punctual. This finding, however, is based on imaginative data. It is possible that highly impulsive persons do not know that they will not be capable of resisting an actual temptation while performing a task. The intention of highly impulsive individuals might differ from their actual behaviour so that procrastination can still occur even if it differs from their earlier formulated intention.

The relation between inattention and procrastination is not well studied. Persons with inattentive problems tend to have a shortened attention span, are easily distractible, shift their attention from one uncompleted task to another, and often misplace or lose objects important for the completion of a task (Barkley, 1997 ). Based on these characteristics of persons with attention deficits we suggest that it is possible that procrastination is related to inattention, mainly the incapability to stay focused on a task. A study by Ferrari ( 2000 ) investigated the role of inattention on procrastination in a normal population of college students. Analysis of partial correlations (controlled for intelligence) showed that there were moderate to large correlations between attention deficits and procrastination. At the same time, however, factor analysis of these data suggested that procrastination and attention deficits loaded on separate factors.

The relation between procrastination and symptoms of hyperactivity has not yet been studied. However, Ferrari ( 2000 ) suggested that although there is no a priori reason for expecting that procrastination would be related to symptoms of hyperactivity, at best, one may predict a negative association. Symptoms of hyperactivity such as “being always on the go” and “often talks excessively” could compensate for procrastination behaviour, because individuals scoring high hereupon may not wait to do activities and tasks. However, in the DSM‐IV, symptoms of impulsivity are closely related to symptoms of hyperactivity, described as the impulsivity/hyperactivity symptom domain of ADHD. Therefore, it is also possible to predict that people scoring high on hyperactivity are likely to show procrastination behaviour because of a positive association between symptoms of impulsivity and procrastination. Additionally, it could be argued that the heightened activity level of individuals scoring high on hyperactivity restrains them from beginning a task, resulting in a high level of procrastination.

In sum, current literature about clinical interventions indicates that procrastination is a commonly encountered problem in the ADHD population. Nevertheless, little is known about the role of procrastination in ADHD and about the association between the core symptoms of ADHD and procrastination in general and decisional, everyday, and academic procrastination in particular. Therefore, this study aims at investigating the relation between procrastination and ADHD‐related symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in young adults. As a first step in this endeavour, we examined this question in undergraduate students with varying levels of ADHD‐related symptoms. Based on current literature, we expect to find a positive correlation in number or severity of ADHD‐related behaviours and procrastination, specifically for symptoms of impulsivity and for the impulsivity/hyperactivity symptom domain of ADHD. More precisely, we predict that participants with high levels of impulsivity are more likely to procrastinate.

In this study, 54 undergraduate students participated with varying levels of self‐reported ADHD‐related behaviours. Various measures of academic procrastination, including questionnaires and direct observation of procrastination behaviour while solving math problems, a questionnaire of general procrastination, and of susceptibility to temptation were used in the current study.

Participants

Four hundred and forty‐seven psychology and pedagogy students of the Radboud University Nijmegen (The Netherlands) were pre‐screened for self‐reported ADHD related behaviours with the help of an online self‐report questionnaire of attention problems and hyperactivity/impulsivity for adulthood (Kooij et al. , 2005 ). Based on their ADHD symptoms 74 participants with either high, medium or low scores (see later) were selected for further participation. Fifty‐four students (four men, 50 women) with a mean age of 19.72 [standard deviation ( SD ) = 2.05] agreed to participate. A portion of the participants had German nationality, but could speak, write, and understand Dutch. They were either payed for their participation (€10) or received course credit. The data of all participants were used for analysis.

Participants completed a questionnaire of attention problems and hyperactivity/impulsivity for adulthood (Kooij et al. , 2005 ). This self‐report ADHD scale was earlier used in epidemiological and clinical research in adult populations (Murphy and Barkley, 1996 ; Kooij et al. , 2004 ; Kooij et al. , 2005 ) and is described as a reliable assessment for symptoms of ADHD in adults (Kooij et al. , 2008 ). It consisted of 23 items about symptoms of impulsivity (three items), hyperactivity (nine items), and inattention (11 items). Participants were asked to rate the severity of these symptoms over the last six months on a four‐point scale (ranging from 0 = never or rarely to 3 = very often). Of the 11 inattention items, four measured the same inattention symptoms as a pair. Therefore, for these two paired statements the highest score on each pair was used. The same rule was applied to three paired statements on hyperactivity. The final scores for impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention were computed by summing the scores on respectively three impulsivity symptoms, six hyperactivity symptoms, and nine inattention symptoms. Additionally, a total score for hyperactivity/impulsivity was also calculated, because these domains are considered as one symptom domain in the DSM‐IV.

Participants were selected based on these scores. Specifically, all participants who had scores in the highest 33% of the score range were invited, because there were relatively few participants with high scores. For the middle 33% and the lowest 33% of the score range, only a random subset was invited, because there were more students with middle and low scores as compared to high scores. As a result, the full range of scores was covered in the current sample, but there were more participants with middle and low scores than with high score [inattention: mean ( M ) = 10.06, SD  = 4.95, range 1–25; impulsivity: M  = 3.33, SD  = 2.36, range 0–9; hyperactivity: M  = 7.52, SD  = 3.98, range 0–17; combined hyperactivity/impulsivity: M  = 10.85, SD  = 5.95, range 0–26]. This reflects the normal distribution of ADHD‐related behaviours in the population. See Table  1 for the number and percentage of participants with high, medium, and low scores on ADHD‐related symptoms.

Number and percentage of participants with a low, medium, or high score on ADHD‐related symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and combined hyperactivity/impulsivity in the total and selected sample

Studying procrastination

Observations during math problems.

In the first part, procrastination behaviour of participants was observed while they had to solve five subtraction and five addition problems, each consisting of four numbers (ranging from a single‐digit to a seven‐digit number). The participants first read the instructions which stated that the goal of this study was to investigate if cognitive abilities of students (measured by solving math problems) can predict success in later life as suggested by previous research (see Ferrari and Tice, 2000 ). Based on pilot testing, it was determined that students could, on average, solve these math problems in 10 minutes. The participants were allowed to solve the math problems in written form, as learned in school. Participants were informed that they would need about 10 minutes for the math problems, but that in total they would be given 30 minutes. They were informed that they had the possibility to perform some other nice tasks, such as playing computer games (Sudoku, Otis, and Solitaire), playing gameboy (e.g., Tetris and Snake), and/or reading magazines ( Cosmo girl , Voetbal International , Glamour , freundin , tina Astro ) in order to reduce the stress and discomfort, which is often associated by students with solving math problems. This was told as the reason why the participants had 30 minutes time for this part of the study. Additionally, participants were told that they could decide when they would like to do the math problems: at the beginning, or after they had done other nice tasks. They were also allowed to take breaks in between solving the math problems.

The experimenter observed the participants via a hidden camera. The activities and the order of the activities of the participants were timed by using a stopwatch and recorded with the help of four categories: (1) solving math problems, (2) playing with computer games and gameboy, (3) reading a magazine, and (4) “other” (e.g., brushing hair, looking around, and drinking water). We were most interested in the time spent on nice tasks both before and between solving the math problems. Thus, we used two variables indicating academic procrastination for each participant: procrastination before and between solving the math problems. Twenty‐three participants showed some procrastination behaviour while solving math problems (see Table  2 ).

Observed procrastination behaviour before and between solving math problems, indicated in seconds

After the math problems and when the 30 minutes were finished, participants were asked to indicate on a five‐point Likert scale how much they liked (1 = not at all to 5 = very much) the nice tasks and the math problems and how difficult they found the math problems (1 = pretty easy to 5 = pretty difficult; M  = 2.9, SD  = 0.82). In fact, no participant felt that the problems were too complex or too taxing. With the help of an open question “Did you experience something noticeable?” we examined whether they were conscious about the fact that they were observed. Five students were conscious about the observation. We did not exclude them from the analysis, because they only realized that they were observed after solving the math problems. This could be confirmed by observation of their “looking around” behaviour after solving the math problems.

Self‐ratings

Next, participants completed several questionnaires regarding their procrastination and their temptation behaviour:

• The first measure of academic procrastination was the Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students (PASS) of Solomon and Rothblum ( 1984 ). This measurement assessed on a five‐point Likert scale (1 = never procrastinate to 5 = always procrastinate) the prevalence of procrastination, the problems related to procrastination and the desire to reduce procrastination in different academic areas. Three total scores were calculated accordingly. An alpha coefficient of 0.75 across prevalence and anticipated problems of PASS ratings and a significant correlation between PASS scores and a behavioural measurement of procrastination behaviour were reported by Howell et al. ( 2006 ). Onwuegbuzie ( 2004 ) estimated a coefficient alpha score reliability of the PASS measurement of 0.84. The alpha coefficient in our own sample was 0.87.
• The second measure of academic procrastination was used earlier by Ackermann and Gross ( 2005 ). The participants were asked to think about and briefly describe an important assignment, which they completed in the past semester (e.g., mini‐review, homework assignments). Subsequently, they were asked three questions: “When in the past semester did you complete the assignment?” (all participants completed the assignment in the previous three months); “How many days or weeks did your instructor give you to complete the assignment?” ( M  = 35.51 days, SD  = 19.85); and “How many days or weeks before the deadline did you start the assignment?” ( M  = 20.56 days, SD  = 15.65). For purposes of data analysis the response to the second question was divided by the response to the third question in order to receive a procrastination ratio for each subject. A procrastination ratio of one reflects no procrastination at all, while larger ratios reflect more procrastination.
• The third questionnaire, measuring general procrastination , was the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS) by Steel ( 2010 ). The PPS consisted in total of 12 statements: three statements of the Decisional Procrastination Questionnaire (DPQ; Mann et al. , 1997 ) e.g., “I delay making decisions until it's too late”, five statements of the General Procrastination Scale (GPS; Lay, 1986 ) e.g., “I often find myself performing tasks that I had intended to do days before”, and four statements of the Adult Inventory of Procrastination (AIP; McCown and Johnson, 1989 ) e.g., “I find myself running out of time”. These 12 items have together a reliability of 0.92 and provide improved convergent validity with other related measures such as the Susceptibility to Temptation Scale (STS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS) compared to the convergent validity of the DPQ, AIP, and GPS alone (Steel, 2010 ). The subjects had to rate on a five‐point Likert scale (1 = strongly agree to 5 = strongly disagree) their level of agreement with different statements related to procrastination. The PPS measures a general level of procrastination over different life domains. For purposes of data analysis a score for DPQ, GPS, AIP, and a total score for each participant was calculated. The alpha coefficient in our sample was 0.87 for the PPS, and for the subscales: 0.64 for the DPQ, 0.84 for the GPS, and 0.69 for the AIP.
• The fourth questionnaire STS (Steel, 2002 ) dealt with the tendency of the participants to be focused on (short‐term) pleasurable activities. The STS comprised of 11 statements and asked participants to indicate on a five‐point Likert scale (1 = not true for me to 5 = true for me) the level of agreement with their own behaviour (e.g., “It takes a lot for me to delay gratification”, “I feel irresistible drawn to anything interesting, entertaining, or enjoyable”). For each participant, we computed a total score. The alpha coefficient was 0.86 in our sample.

The local ethical committee approved the procedures in this study. All participants were tested individually. The participants were informed that they would fill in some questionnaires, solve math problems, and have the possibility to engage in some nice tasks. After arrival, the participants read and signed an informed consent. All participants received the tasks in the same order in order to keep the goal of the math problems unclear.

Before the participants started with the first part of the experiment, they received instructions by a female experimenter (see section “Observations during math problems”). The experimenter answered possible questions of the participants, motioned to the clock in the room, and told them that she would return in 30 minutes with several questionnaires. Before the experimenter actually left the room, she asked the participants to read the instructions of this part of the study before making a decision about what to do first. The participants needed on average 13.98 minutes ( SD  = 4.81) to complete the math problems.

The female experimenter was not aware of the score of the participants on the ADHD‐related symptoms. At the end of the 30‐minute testing period, the participants were asked to complete the questionnaires. The questionnaires (see section “Self‐ratings”) were presented in a fixed order for all participants. During questionnaire completion, the experimenter stayed in the room to answer possible questions. At the end of the session, participants were debriefed. None of the participants declined the usage of data when they realized that they had been observed. The experiment lasted around 45 minutes.

Statistical analyses

First, Pearson correlations between all procrastination measures were computed. Second, we computed Pearson correlations between symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and impulsivity/hyperactivity on the one hand and all procrastination measures on the other hand. Third, as there were significant correlations between the symptoms of ADHD (inattention and hyperactivity: r  = 0.62, p  < 0.01; inattention and impulsivity: r  = 0.54, p  < 0.01; hyperactivity and impulsivity: r  = 0.75, p  < 0.01) we controlled for this shared variance by computing partial correlations. Because of the relatively large number of correlations performed, we used a more conservative p ‐value ( p  < 0.01) as a threshold for determining statistical significance (two‐tailed tests). Finally, we carried out a paired sample t ‐test in order to compare the mean of the subjective ratings of liking the nice tasks to the mean of the subjective ratings of liking the math problems. The SPSS program was used for data analyses.

The correlations between the procrastination measures are displayed in Table  3 . Pearson's correlation revealed significant positive correlations between ADHD‐related symptoms and both PPS and STS, medium to large in size (Table  4 ). More specifically, inattention was associated with higher scores on all subscales of the PPS, and with susceptibility to temptation. Hyperactivity/impulsivity, however, only correlated with the DPQ of the PPS, and with susceptibility to temptation (see Table  4 ).

Pearson's correlations between the measurements of procrastination

Pearson's correlations (partial correlations) between measures of procrastination and ADHD‐related symptoms

The analysis of the partial correlations revealed that the positive correlations between symptoms of inattention and Decisional Procrastination as well as General Procrastination of the PPS remained significant. The previously found correlations between hyperactivity/impulsivity and procrastination and susceptibility to temptation were no longer significant (Table  4 ).

Finally, the paired sample t ‐test revealed that the participants preferred doing the nice tasks ( M  = 3.78, SD  = 0.71) above the math problems ( M  = 2.82, SD  = 0.89) ( t (53) = −5.71, p  < 0.001).

This study can be considered as a first step in the investigation of the association between ADHD‐related symptoms (inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and combined hyperactivity/impulsivity) and both academic and general procrastination behaviour in an undergraduate sample. The present data revealed that symptoms of inattention were positively correlated with general procrastination, using the PPS. Additionally, susceptibility to temptation correlated positively with all symptom domains of ADHD, but only when not controlling for the shared variance between the symptoms of ADHD. Finally, we found that ADHD‐related symptoms did not correlate with academic procrastination.

Relation between ADHD symptoms and self‐reported procrastination

The positive correlation between inattention and general procrastination was the most robust finding in this study: it remained even after controlling for the shared variance between inattention and hyperactivity‐impulsivity. Additionally, this association was specific for the symptom domain of inattention, as the relation between procrastination and hyperactivity/impulsivity did not survive partial correlational analyses controlling for symptoms of inattention. This finding suggests that students with a high level of inattention were likely to show a high general tendency to delay the start or completion of everyday tasks and to procrastinate making decisions. When inspecting the individual items of inattention as specified in the DSM‐IV (APA, 2000 ), it is not hard to imagine that behaviours such as being easily distracted and having trouble remaining focused on a task may contribute to procrastination. Indeed, in this sample, there were three (out of nine) inattention items that correlated significantly with general procrastination: difficulty sustaining attention, having difficulty organizing tasks, and being easily distracted. The latter one explained the largest portion of variance in general procrastination (data available from the first author). These findings may contribute to the debate about whether procrastination is primarily caused by distractibility or by negative cognitions about the task (see, for example, Wilson and Nguyen, 2012 ). Further, these findings suggest that procrastination may play an important role in ADHD‐related inattention. However, this initial study only focused on well‐functioning, highly educated individuals, and therefore, more research on this relation is needed, especially in individuals with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD.

Additionally, inattentive symptoms were positively associated with susceptibility to temptation. Note, however, that the relation between inattention and susceptibility to temptation just fell short of statistical significance after controlling for symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity. Finally, inattention was not significantly associated with procrastination in the academic domain. One possible explanation for this is that the current sample consisted of generally well‐functioning students at a university. We may speculate that students at a university may have found a way to succeed academically, independent of their level of inattention, while inter‐individual differences in inattention may be associated with procrastination in other domains of their lives, outside academia. Therefore, relations between inattention and procrastination in the academic domain may still be found when individuals with clinical diagnoses of ADHD are included in future research. Another possible explanation is that students with high levels of inattention may have a self‐concept that fits with more general statements with regard to procrastination, whereas they may not express high level of procrastination in real life, assessed with procrastination questions in the academic domain.

In contrast to our expectations, symptoms of impulsivity were not related to procrastination (Ferrari, 1993 ; Johnson and Bloom, 1995 ; Schouwenburg and Lay, 1995 ; Dewitte and Schouwenburg, 2002 ). In the assessment of ADHD‐related symptoms, we used a questionnaire with three DSM‐IV items reflecting impulsivity (Kooij et al. , 2005 ): difficulty waiting turn, interrupting or intruding, and blurting out answers. In previous studies in which a relation between impulsivity and procrastination was reported, a different and larger set of items relating to impulsiveness has been used, such as impulsiveness items of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. Whiteside and Lynam ( 2001 ) indeed indicated a great variety of conceptualizations of impulsivity in the present literature. They identified four conceptions of impulsivity: (1) lack of perseverance, (2) lack of premeditation, (3) urgency, and (4) sensation seeking. Our conceptualization of impulsivity (Kooij et al. , 2005 ) fits best within the impulsivity conceptions of lack of premeditation and urgency. It is possible that the differences between studies in conceptualizations/operationalizations of impulsivity are responsible for the difference in findings. We suggest that future research which may include ratings of ADHD‐related symptoms of impulsivity as well as broader measures of impulsiveness such as the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS; Patton et al. , 1995 ; Stanford et al. , 2009 ) and the UUPS impulsive behaviour scale (Whiteside and Lynam, 2001 ) can further clarify this.

In this study, there was no evidence that symptoms of hyperactivity are correlated with procrastination. While Ferrari ( 2000 ) predicted that there may be a negative correlation between symptoms of hyperactivity and procrastination, no evidence supporting this notion has been reported yet. Thus, symptoms of hyperactivity and procrastination seem to be unrelated.

These preliminary findings suggest that ADHD‐related symptoms of inattention, but not hyperactivity and impulsivity, are specifically associated with procrastination. It remains to be elucidated whether the current findings can be explained by personality characteristics and other psychiatric symptoms. A further important question for future research is whether similar correlations between symptoms domains and procrastination will be found in a sample of individuals with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD. Based on the current findings, we hypothesize that procrastination will be observed in individuals with ADHD‐Inattentive Type and ADHD‐Combined Type (ADHD‐C), but not ADHD‐Hyperactive‐Impulsive Type (ADHD‐HI). Additionally, it may be useful to examine the unique contribution of impulsivity versus hyperactivity to procrastination in ADHD‐C and ADHD‐HI, instead of lumping impulsivity and hyperactivity together (possibly including additional impulsiveness measures, because the DSM‐IV criteria for impulsivity in ADHD are limited to three items). Finally, an interesting focus for future research could be to examine whether procrastination as it is observed in relation to inattention may arise from deficits which have been shown to be associated with ADHD symptoms, such as executive function deficits (Barkley, 1997 ; Willcutt et al. , 2005 ; Castellanos et al. , 2006 ), a unique motivational style (Sonuga‐Barke, 2005 ), or low arousal levels (Sergeant, 2000 ).

Relation between self‐reported procrastination scales and observed procrastination

Somewhat unexpectedly, not all procrastination measures as used in this study correlated with one another. Specifically, the different measures of academic procrastination, i.e. math problems and various self‐reported measures, were not correlated with one another. This suggests that these measures may reflect different aspects of academic procrastination. Additionally, the observed procrastination behaviour while the participants solved math problems was also not correlated with any other procrastination measure. We can think of several reasons for the lack of this correlation:

• Participants did not demonstrate a broad range of procrastination behaviour while solving math problems (restriction of range problem). Possibly, the context of this study, i.e. a laboratory session, could create feelings of pressure for the participants to solve the math problems immediately. This could prevent them from showing procrastination behaviour. Similarly, the time to express procrastination behaviour (30 minutes) in the current study might be too limited to induce actual procrastination behaviour.
• Self‐reported procrastination may differ from the observed level of procrastination in real life because the participants lack insight into their behaviour.
• It is possible that the observation of procrastination behaviour while solving math problems is an unreliable dimension for the assessment of procrastination behaviour. Further research has to clarify this by taking these limitations into account.

Suggestions for future research

Another possibility to study academic procrastination in future research could be the monitoring of study behaviour in real life. As part of a course, students could be asked to complete an assignment within a certain deadline by logging into a website, so that it would be possible to directly monitor their actual study and procrastination behaviour over a longer time period. Additionally, students could be asked about their activities outside university. Future research has to correct for these activities because they could interfere with the level of academic procrastination. It would also be interesting to compare the level of procrastination behaviour with school grades in order to indicate a possible relation between procrastination and academic achievement.

Another limitation of this study is that we did not use distinct measures for everyday and decisional procrastination. Future research could include such specific measures. Additionally, it would be helpful to study the relation between procrastination and ADHD in future research by including cognitive tasks that have been shown to demonstrate attention and/or impulsivity problems such as the Continuous Performance Task (CPT; Conners, 1992 ) and the Stop‐Signal Task (SST; Logan and Cowan, 1984 ). Additionally, the present sample included normal, undergraduate students, mainly females. This participant selection might have biased the result of the current study, since ADHD is more frequently diagnosed in males. Similarly, this participant selection limits the extent of generalizability of the current results, making it not possible to generalize to males. Therefore, these results have to be replicated with a sample consisting of more male participants and/or a clinical sample of participants diagnosed with ADHD.

In conclusion, the current study indicated that there is a positive correlation between ADHD‐related symptoms of inattention and general procrastination in a sample of well‐functioning students. This preliminary finding may stimulate more research on the possible relation between procrastination and symptoms of ADHD in individuals with a clinical diagnosis.

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Larry Hawk, Michelle Bubnik, Nick Albino, Michael Strand, Nick Schlienz, Jessica Rhodes, and Mark S. Gresnigt for their valuable input. The authors thank the honours programme of Radboud University and Stichting Nijmeegs Universiteitsfonds for their support, and Metha Freriks for her help with data collection.

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