Expert-written guides, downloadable resources, clinical frameworks, and practical tools — all free, most with no sign-up required. Created by Dr John Connolly, Senior Clinical Psychologist.
Emotional dysregulation is one of the most challenging — and most under-discussed — aspects of ADHD. These resources explain what's happening and what you can do about it.
Emotional regulation refers to the ability to manage the intensity, duration, and expression of emotional responses. Children with ADHD often feel things more intensely and find it harder to return to a calm state once dysregulated. This is not a behaviour problem or wilful defiance — it is a neurological difference in how the prefrontal cortex and amygdala communicate.
The brain's Alarm (amygdala) responds quickly and powerfully. The Brake (prefrontal cortex) — responsible for pause, reflection, and self-control — is slower to develop in children with ADHD, and less effective at moderating the Alarm's response. When a child with ADHD "loses it", their Alarm has fired and their Brake has not caught up. This is why calm-down strategies must be taught, practised, and available before the moment of dysregulation.
The Window of Tolerance describes the zone in which a child can feel, think, and act effectively. Above the window (hyperarousal) they become explosive or impulsive. Below it (hypoarousal) they shut down or disengage. Regulation strategies aim to bring a child back into their window.
The stress bucket model helps children understand that small stressors accumulate. When the bucket overflows, what looks like a disproportionate response is often the result of a bucket that was already nearly full. Identifying what fills — and empties — the bucket is the starting point for regulation planning.
Many children with ADHD live closer to the top of their Window of Tolerance at baseline — meaning smaller triggers can tip them into dysregulation. Sensory overload, transitions, social demands, and fatigue all reduce the window. Building regulation capacity means both teaching strategies and reducing unnecessary load.
A dysregulation episode is a neurological event, not a manipulative behaviour. The thinking brain is offline — no reasoning, consequences, or instruction will help in that moment. The job is safety and co-regulation first; reflection and learning come only after calm is restored. For AuDHD children, dysregulation may also be driven by sensory overload or demand accumulation — overlapping but distinct mechanisms, both of which call for the same immediate response: calm presence, reduced demand, and safety.
Why ADHD brains feel things more intensely — what happens in the nervous system during a meltdown, and what actually helps.
Read free guide →A child-friendly explanation of the amygdala and prefrontal cortex — the framework at the heart of the My Brain, My Bucket, My Plan workbook.
Read free guide →Evidence-based regulation strategies for children and teens — practical, printable, and designed to be used before, during, and after dysregulation.
Read free guide →From navigating a new diagnosis to writing effective school letters, advocating for support, and understanding your legal rights across different jurisdictions.
Children with ADHD spend most of their waking hours in school — an environment that often demands sustained attention, impulse control, emotional regulation, and the ability to transition quickly between tasks. These are exactly the skills ADHD makes harder.
Getting appropriate support in school requires parents to understand what schools can and should do, and to communicate this clearly and professionally. These resources are designed to help you do exactly that — whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, or Northern Ireland.
Under the SEND Code of Practice, schools have a legal duty to identify and support children with ADHD. ADHD may qualify as a Special Educational Need and/or a disability under the Equality Act 2010 — requiring reasonable adjustments.
In Scotland, the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004 places a duty on education authorities to identify children who have additional support needs, including ADHD, and to meet those needs.
In Ireland, the EPSEN Act (2004) alongside Department of Education circular guidance establishes entitlements for children with special educational needs, including ADHD, to appropriate educational support. Importantly, many provisions of the EPSEN Act have never been formally commenced — meaning rights exist in legislation but are not always enforced in practice. Irish families often need to advocate actively, and knowing the legal framework strengthens that advocacy.
Verbal conversations with schools are easily forgotten or misremembered. Written communication creates a record, signals that you are informed and organised, and establishes a formal paper trail if escalation becomes necessary.
What to say, when to say it, and how to advocate effectively — with scripts and conversation guides for parents.
Read free guide →Evidence-based strategies for supporting children with ADHD — seating, instruction, transitions, assessment accommodations, and positive relationships.
Read free guide →A plain-language guide to ADHD-related legal rights in school across England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland.
Read free guide →ADHD is one of the most researched and most misunderstood neurodevelopmental conditions. These guides cut through the myths and give you what you actually need to know.
ADHD affects the development and function of the prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain responsible for attention, impulse control, planning, emotional regulation, and working memory. These are not things a child can "try harder" to improve. ADHD is not caused by poor parenting, too much screen time, diet, or a lack of discipline.
ADHD is also heterogeneous — it looks different in different children. Some children are hyperactive and impulsive. Others are primarily inattentive and may be quiet, dreamy, and easy to miss. Many have both. Understanding which profile fits your child is the starting point for effective support.
ADHD presents as predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, or combined. Combined and inattentive presentations are both common — in referred clinical populations the combined type is most frequently identified, but this reflects referral bias rather than true prevalence. The inattentive type — particularly in girls — is frequently missed in both community and clinical settings.
An estimated 50–70% of autistic individuals also have ADHD. Conversely, around 20–50% of children with ADHD meet criteria for autism — making AuDHD one of the most common neurodevelopmental combinations. The overlap is substantial but not symmetrical, and each direction carries its own presentation profile and support implications.
Many children with ADHD experience sensory sensitivities — heightened responses to sound, light, touch, smell, or movement. When sensory input exceeds capacity, it contributes directly to dysregulation. Understanding your child's sensory profile is a key part of managing overwhelm.
A warm, thorough introduction to ADHD — what it means, what it doesn't mean, and where to go from here.
Read free guide →How ADHD and autism interact — and why AuDHD children require a different lens in assessment, school support, and family life.
Read free guide →What the evidence says, what to expect, and common concerns answered honestly. Not pro- or anti-medication — just accurate information.
Read free guide →Co-regulation is not optional — it is the mechanism through which children learn to regulate themselves. This section is for parents who need to look after themselves so they can look after their child.
Co-regulation is the process by which a calm, attuned adult helps a dysregulated child return to a manageable emotional state. Children do not self-regulate in isolation — they borrow regulation capacity from the adults around them, especially when young or when neurological demand is high.
Before teaching any regulation strategy, before implementing any plan — co-regulation comes first. When a parent is dysregulated, their ability to co-regulate is significantly impaired. This is not a moral failing. It is basic neuroscience. A dysregulated nervous system cannot provide regulation to another nervous system. You cannot pour from an empty jug.
That means you can build the routines and systems your child cannot yet create for themselves. The same strategies that help your child also help adults. Modelling regulation is one of the most powerful teaching tools available to any parent.
Research consistently documents higher stress, greater fatigue, and more mental health difficulties in parents of children with ADHD than in other parenting populations. This is not weakness. This is a predictable response to a genuinely demanding situation. Acknowledging it is the first step to addressing it.
A brief daily ritual — intentional touch, scent, breathing — can interrupt the stress response and create a consistent signal to the nervous system that it is safe to settle. It does not need to take long. It does need to be regular.
When a child watches a parent pause, breathe, and reset — they learn that regulation is something humans do. Not a trick in a workbook. A way of being. Your visible self-regulation is one of the most powerful teaching acts available to you.
Why co-regulation starts with the adult — and what the evidence says about managing your own nervous system so you can support your child's.
Read free guide →What parenting burnout looks like when ADHD is involved — and what the evidence says about recovery and prevention.
Read free guide →Step-by-step guide to building a sensory regulation toolkit for your child — what to include, how to introduce it, and how to use it.
Read the guide →Clinical frameworks, psychoeducation handouts to use in session or share with families, classroom guides, and school support resources.
A five-domain framework for ADHD support — Regulate First, Own It, Open Curiosity, Teach the Skill, Stick With It. Includes the WINDOW regulation model, PAUSE Practice, scenario vignettes, and consultation worksheet. Designed for clinical consultation, supervision, and MDT settings.
An introduction to the Powerful, Playful, Loving, Free framework — understanding the core psychological needs beneath behaviour in children and adults, and what happens when those needs come under pressure. Useful for consultation, reflective practice, and family work.
Read free →Why ADHD brains feel things more intensely — the neuroscience of dysregulation, the Alarm and the Brake, the Window of Tolerance, the stress bucket, and evidence-based regulation strategies. Suitable to share directly with parents.
Read free →How ADHD and autism interact in the dual profile — including masking, demand avoidance, sensory processing, and what AuDHD means for assessment and support. Shareable with families.
Read free →Step-by-step guide to building a personalised sensory regulation toolkit — what to include, how to introduce it, and how to use it in moments of dysregulation at home or school. Suitable to use in session or send home with families.
Read free →How ADHD affects assessment performance — sustained attention, working memory, impulse control under exam conditions — and what reasonable adjustments look like across different educational systems.
Read free →Understanding ADHD behaviour in school — lagging skills, behaviour and choice, environmental strategies, instruction and task management, behaviour support, and working with parents.
Read free →A comprehensive reference guide to evidence-based classroom strategies — organised by domain for easy use in planning, review, and staff training.
Read free →Understanding the dual profile in a classroom context — masking, demand avoidance, sensory needs, and targeted strategies for AuDHD pupils.
Read free →How to have constructive conversations with parents — what parents need to hear, how to share concerns, and how to build genuine partnership.
Read free →What schools are legally required to do for pupils with ADHD — across England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland — in plain language.
Read free →Practical, warm guidance for TAs and LSAs — understanding ADHD, in-the-moment strategies, co-regulation, and working effectively with teachers and families.
Read free →Supervision frameworks, reflective practice prompts, and MDT consultation tools are in development. The ROOTS Framework and PPLF Deep-Dive Workbook already include material suitable for supervision and CPD contexts.
More coming soon