Help Teens Charge Their Attention-Control System

"If your kids are like most teens, they sometimes struggle with organization, making the best choices, sustaining motivation, planning and achieving goals, impulse control, and emotional self- management. Frequently, the underlying problem is based on the still-developing strength of their attention-control systems. Even in normal teens' healthy brains, the expanded demands on their not-yet-fully-developed brain networks present challenges. When that happens, teens might struggle with falling behind in school, disorganization, forgetfulness, frequent mood swings, procrastination, high-risk behaviors, and inadequate skills in judgment, planning, and goal achievement."

"Teen brains are profoundly different from the brains of either children or adults. Most significant of these differences is that the prefrontal cortex, where attention and focus networks are still developing, remains immature. This is the last part of the brain to fully wire into its adult level of efficiency. Notably, though, while not pathological, this circumstance often results in the mistaken diagnoses of brain problems and, disturbingly, overprescribed or inappropriate medications, frequently accompanied by expensive, unnecessary brain "treatments.""

"Although the brain control centers for attention do not wire to maturity until or beyond the mid-20s, teens have the pressing need for these brainpowers now. To meet the challenges and opportunities in today's world, they simply cannot wait the 5 to 10 additional years it takes for their brains to reach their adult levels of peak brainpower. The teen brain has a strong inherent drive for autonomy and derives satisfaction from successful independent achievements. They crave to be in the "driver's seat" rather than in the passenger's seat, driven by their parents."

Adolescent difficulties with organization, motivation, planning, impulse control, and emotional regulation often stem from underdeveloped attention-control systems. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for focus and executive functions, remains immature into the mid-20s, leaving teens with adult-like demands before brain networks reach peak efficiency. This developmental gap can produce procrastination, mood swings, forgetfulness, high-risk behaviors, and poor judgment, and can lead to misdiagnoses and inappropriate treatments. Teens respond strongly to autonomy and gain satisfaction from independent achievement, so motivating their use of practical strategies and supports that respect independence can improve outcomes while their brains continue to mature.

Read at Psychology Today