Brain Science: Why Structure, Not Spontaneity, Wins

Neuroscience research shows that in children with ADHD, the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain that helps with planning, managing impulses, and remembering what needs to get done) doesn’t activate as strongly during activities that require focus or self-control, especially when there’s no external structure in place.¹ The motivation might be there, but the brain systems that manage follow-through are under-supported.

Family systems and developmental researchers have also found that daily routines offer more than just predictability. They create a steady environment that helps kids regulate behavior, build emotional resilience, and stick with tasks even when things get challenging.² In this way, routines serve as scaffolding: support structures that help children practice and strengthen executive function skills over time.

For older students, especially those with ADHD, coaching programs that include clear planning, consistent support, and built-in accountability have been shown to boost follow-through and academic performance.³ ⁴ Together, these studies highlight how powerful external structure can be at every age. As an example, rising seniors who build college essay writing into their summer plans often begin the school year with greater clarity and far less stress about applications.

Alex’s College Essay Win: A Summer Coaching Story

Alex didn’t enjoy writing essays. He often felt overlooked in high school, unsure what made him stand out, and uncertain about applying to college. Early on in our work together, he would glance toward his mom for help answering questions about his own interests and strengths. She later shared that she was especially worried about the college essay, concerned that his low confidence in writing and speaking up would hold him back, and unsure how to help him let his voice come through.

Through guided conversations, creative exercises and follow-up questions, Alex began to uncover stories that stood out for him.

He told me about a model airplane he’d received as a gift, and that he was excited to build it, only to be let down when it wouldn’t fly. His grandfather stepped in to help, and together they customized the design so the plane could finally take flight. Each time they encountered an obstacle, Alex peppered his grandfather with questions. When the rudder jammed mid-build, he tried out different replacement parts and landed on a fix using a piece from an old kit. He looked up motor specs online, replaced the faulty one, adjusted the battery placement to improve lift, and fine-tuned the wing angles. His curiosity and persistence kept him going.

With his grandfather’s support and his own tenacity, Alex got the plane off the ground.

Alex's memory of problem-solving and perseverance became the heart of a powerful essay that captured his quiet determination and gave admissions officers a real glimpse into who he is. His willingness to describe an experience that gave him a feeling of confidence helped him stand out, and ultimately earn a spot at his top-choice college.

Using his summer to develop his personal statement without time pressure reminded Alex how rewarding that model-building experience had been. Reconnecting with it gave him a fresh sense of pride and helped him relaunch a hands-on hobby that still sparks his curiosity and confidence today.

Summer Break as a Low-Pressure Launchpad

Summer break can be a chance to do something you've been putting off, such as tackling a project that feels intimidating or writing that college essay you’ve been dreading. With the right structure and support, it’s possible to take small steps without overwhelm.

While neurodivergent learners benefit from a rhythm that encourages follow-through on their goals and ongoing skill development, a flexible structure doesn’t mean turning summer into a school schedule. It means creating systems that allow creativity, rest, and progress to coexist.

Students with learning differences thrive when summer includes a healthy balance that offers some structure, clear expectations, and engaging challenges.

Gentle Summer Support That Actually Gets Traction

Inspired by Alex's story? Imagine a toolkit where you’re in control: a pick-and-choose productivity adventure designed around your needs and goals.

• College Essays as an Exploration of You: Self-discovery meets storytelling. Through guided conversations, subtle prompts, and thoughtful questions, you delve into the moments that define what makes you tick. The result? Essays that reflect your values, insights, and unique perspective, without relying on stock subjects. 

 

• Academic & Study Skills as Skill Quests: Want to improve math reasoning, sharpen writing flow, ace test strategies, boost language abilities, or improve organization and time management? Coaching breaks each area into manageable levels. You unlock personal bests without the stress of grades. It’s structured but not stressful, more “level-up” than “pop quiz.”


• Individualized Portfolio Projects: Whether you're writing a play, building skateboards, coding a simple game, designing art or mechanical pieces, coaching helps you break your vision into small steps. You’ll schedule progress, research how to complete each task, solve problems as they arise, develop unique solutions, and communicate your vision in a way that’s all your own and deeply engaging. Sessions provide guidance and structure to support momentum without overwhelm.

Don’t Squander Your Summer

Your summer can be a  launchpad. Use it to face something you've been putting off, such as a college essay, a creative project, or a challenge that feels just out of reach. With just the right amount of guidance, you can make meaningful progress. You don’t have to figure it out alone. Get the external support, structured freedom, and tailored coaching you need to make it happen. Turn lazy sunlit days into summer traction that sets the stage for fall wins and beyond.

What could a little structure help you unlock this summer?

Ready to turn ideas into action? I’m offering a complimentary sample coaching session to build your personalized summer strategy. Momentum awaits.

​As an executive function coach and academic tutor, I specialize in helping individuals with learning differences exceed their goals in academics, organization, college transition, and career success. Let’s work together to help your learner reach their full potential.
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Citations

1. Monden, Y., et al. (2012). Reduced prefrontal activation during inhibitory tasks in ADHD. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PMC5487426/
2. Selman, R. L., et al. (2023). Routines and child development: A systematic review. Journal of Family Theory & Review. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jftr.12549
3. Prevatt, F., & Yelland, S. (2013). An empirical evaluation of ADHD coaching in college students. Journal of Attention Disorders. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23509112/
4. Advokat, C., Lane, S. M., & Luo, C. (2011). College students with and without ADHD: Comparison of self-report of medication usage, study habits, and academic achievement. Journal of Attention Disorders, 15, 656–666. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1087054710371168

According to American psychologist and philosopher John Dewey, “A society which wants to create and maintain a free and democratic social system must create responsible independence of thought among its young.” Innovation, reasoning, and personal expression are prized characteristics of contemporary culture which are ideally integrated into educational practice. 

Adults can do much to encourage learners to view academic projects as platforms for meaningful reflection, theorizing, and self-expression. Essays and projects can give voice to who students are, what they think, and how they feel. 

If AI chatbots are here to stay, is critical thinking for neurodivergent students at risk?

In a previous article, we provide an overview of some risks associated with using AI writers for school assignments, as well as guidelines on how to leverage them effectively as learning tools.

In a follow-up article on how to use AI text generators for research, we mention specific ways coaches and mentors can guide students who are embarking on AI-assisted academic projects.

Today, we explore the importance of helping students preserve a beneficial level of cognitive challenge, vet reference content for quality, incorporate their unique perspectives into writing assignments, and enhance their problem-solving skills while utilizing AI content generators. 

No effort = no learning

In his Psychology Today article on the sweet spot for optimum learning, neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene asserts, “A passive organism learns almost nothing, because learning requires an active generation of hypotheses, with motivation and curiosity.”

Prioritizing effort and grit may feel counterintuitive to neurodivergent students. They may struggle with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or other learning differences that hamper executive functioning and lead to decision fatigue. However, the right amount of cognitive struggle helps them access peak learning. 

AI content writers passing as college students 

In a UCLA study, psychologists concluded that although its ability to solve problems contains some limitations, ChatGPT’s abstract reasoning performs comparably to that of undergraduate students on standardized tests and intelligence assessments. 

Rising Harvard sophomore Maya Bodnick conducted her own research, revealing ChatGPT’s ability to take her freshman year classes, write its own essays, and satisfy her professors’ standards enough to achieve a GPA of 3.3. “I basically found that ChatGPT is a college-level writer.” In Bodnick’s test, it did well with both formulaic and creative content, but failed where it had not been trained to provide a very specific answer. 

The hazards of outsourcing effort

Setting aside the ethics of “cheating,” if a task is too easy, students don’t grow. If it feels too difficult, they become overwhelmed and may give up. Stepping outside their comfort zones and applying reasonable effort to assignments, including risk taking and reworking an approach after failure, allows students opportunities to rehearse and refine cognitive skills.

Stressed learners may feel tempted to submit the immediate AI output verbatim, or at the very least, assume that it is good enough to paraphrase. The smooth content produced by AI tools may look great at first glance, and students may not recognize that initial responses always require analysis and revision. They also may not recognize how academic shortcuts will cause them harm.  

Don’t let your learner circumvent opportunities to grapple with challenging problems 

Academic skill building occurs when we don’t immediately know the answer, but arrive at new insight through manageable levels of effort. The impulse to lessen mental exertion in service of mere achievement is a strategy that will backfire when studentd face similar hurdles in the future. 

Relying on AI to do the heavy lifting bypasses students’ critical thinking. It robs them of an opportunity to build reasoning skills that will aid them in embracing challenge. Furthermore, part of critical thinking is recognizing when a source may be biased or inaccurate.

Just because it comes from a machine doesn’t make the output high quality or factual  

Travel writer Cameron Hewitt tested ChatGPT’s competence at generating a guidebook listing for Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland, offering the chatbot several chances to refine its output. Hewitt then compared the results with his own listing. 

He concluded that the AI generated text was lacking in personality, full of cliches, and reminiscent of advertising copy. “Even though I gave it feedback to tone down the promotional tone, the AI couldn’t resist making its listing sound like a commercial for Hillsborough Castle…It’s not surprising that AI defaults to a less nuanced, more actively promotional approach — because the vast majority of travel content out there is exactly that.” 

Cameron also noted that ChatGPT incorporated outdated details into its guidebook listing, including out-of- date ticket prices and references to a living Queen Elizabeth. 

Students using AI chatbots also encounter incorrect and distorted search results, but without the benefit of adult reasoning and fully developed executive functioning. 

Inaccuracy, bias, and quality control proficiency

Along with the aforementioned hazards of bypassing a healthy cognitive struggle, students face additional risks when relying on the authority of skewed or nonfactual content from AI text generators:  

• They may not employ analysis of the output they receive. 
• They may not leverage research skills to vet content for quality, fact check for accuracy, or use authoritative sources for verification.
• They may not bring sufficiently developed perspective to a subject or its context to recognize incorrect or biased information. 

While learners may inadvertently trust faulty ideas and incorporate them into final drafts, educators can teach students to employ healthy skepticism, understand media bias, and evaluate their sources. 

Your student as meaning generator

As navigators of the digital age, neurodiverse learners need to be guided in discerning the highest quality and most personally relevant ideas to include in academic projects.

Nothing can replace a student’s own opinion, perspective, and voice. These cannot be outsourced to an AI bot. Active learning occurs when a student generates meaning by synthesizing existing knowledge and constructing a unique frame to an academic inquiry. If their critical reasoning skills go untested, they can easily develop the belief that they are not capable. 

AI text writers are handy for scraping the internet for factoids and providing inspiration. However, students need to scour their own memory banks and weave in what is relevant. 

Educators can empower students by supporting them through problem-solving hurdles, which will foster in them the confidence needed to create solutions to life’s future challenges. 

How can students leverage AI tools while maintaining optimum levels of rumination, scrutiny, and deduction in academic projects?

Solutions and Tips: Coaches and educators must help students understand how to use AI tools such as ChatGPT to aid, rather than replace critical thinking. 

• Teach students to use discernment in vetting all types of prose for veracity and cultural bias, including identifying the sources’ credibility, affiliations, and agendas. 

 

• Before they begin using an AI chatbot, help students pinpoint the priorities of their research, such as which facets of a topic they consider most relevant and of greatest value in light of their personal experience and observations.

 

• Guide students to view AI writing generators as research tools, not writing prescriptives. Emphasize that initial chatbot output is a starting point and is not a reliable authority on any topic. 

 

• Help learners convert academic prompts into meaningful research inquiries. 

 

• Encourage students to apply their vetting skills in analyzing output from AI writers, recognizing relevant portions, and weeding out inaccuracies and slanted perspectives.

 

• Teach learners to craft iterative queries and effective follow-up questions, incorporating their discoveries and pivoting their angles as needed, while using ChatGPT for research. 

 

• Get in the weeds and mentor students in navigating concrete challenges. Model your own thinking process via a research example, and then guide learners through one or more AI inquiry exercises until they demonstrate proficiency in using the tool.

 

• Classroom teachers can invite students to design several iterative questions on a single topic using an AI chatbot, capture the resulting dialog, and present a critique of process.  

 

• Delve into the risks of AI-assisted research. Have students try to generate biased or inaccurate chatbot responses based on intentionally ineffective prompts.

 

• Guide students in using personal challenges, strengths, and opportunities as fodder for exploration in academic projects. 

Coaches and educators can help students integrate AI into their arsenal of tools, but not allow it to usurp their innate problem solving capabilities. 

Is your student looking for guidance in using research technology to maximize their academic confidence? Schedule a complimentary information session. 

​As an executive function coach and academic tutor, I specialize in helping individuals with learning differences exceed their goals for academics, organization, and college transition.

ChatGPT Guidelines for Students, Coaches and Educators

In related articles, we discuss how learners can use AI writing generators effectively as research tools, as well as how students can maintain rigorous standards with their AI-assisted academic projects.

Today, we provide an overview of some risks associated with using AI writers for school assignments, as well as guidelines on how to leverage them effectively as learning tools.

ChatGPT has arrived at the party. This sleek chatbot platform developed by OpenAI makes it painfully easy for students to cheat, write their college essays, and respond to take-home exam questions.

Naturally, students want quick solutions. They struggle with skill gaps resulting from pandemic learning loss, information overload, learning differences, and stress. They have every motivation to employ academic shortcuts. 

Classroom educators are under intense pressure to help students make up for lost time, but may not have the resources to help each student raise their skills to grade level. 

Enter ChatGPT.

This natural language processing app creates near-instantaneous writing that appears at first glance to be comprehensive, sophisticated, and well organized. What student wouldn’t be tempted to hand in a poem, opinion piece, or critical analysis presented in this way? 

Educators and parents have long been concerned about academic plagiarism, but AI-generated writing cannot be detected by plagiarism checking software. Now, it is easier than ever for students to pass off prefab essays as their own. 

The problems with academic misuse of AI chatbots are even deeper than that. 

Students with learning differences are facing a crisis where the allure of letting AI tools do the heavy lifting may feel too strong to pass up. Yet they may not understand how to create effective research inquiries, or recognize when a chatbot’s algorithm is integrating low quality or inaccurate content into its explanation. To make matters worse, neurodivergent learners may not appreciate the value of academic struggle, and how circumventing a healthy challenge ultimately serves to erode their confidence.