Our Blog: Upward Alabama

ADHD Accommodations for Students in Alabama: From Public School (IDEA & 504) to College

By Virginia Rediker, MSW, MPH, LICSW-S

ADHD

Children Teens Young Adults Accommodations

Posted: September 22, 2026

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition rooted in executive functioning: the brain's system for working memory, time management, emotional regulation, and task initiation. A student with ADHD may grasp advanced material easily, yet still lose points for missed deadlines, disorganized work, or lapses in focus during long lectures. Therapy and executive-function coaching build the internal skills students need over time, but they aren't instant fixes. Accommodations help to close that gap by adjusting the environment so a student can show what they know while those skills develop.

Up Close with Upward: Big Sister in Birmingham

By Kathleen Ramsey, Ph.D.

Advice

Children

Posted: March 31, 2026

Dear Upward, My brother is a 13-year-old boy. He has caused a lot of problems with school and at home since he was a toddler. They just keep getting progressively worse. He's constantly being influenced from friends doing stuff he shouldn't be doing, but he doesn't care, so he does it. He doesn't care about his family, school, anything. He only cares to be with his friends and do bad stuff. The middle school won't help, all they do is get him suspended and not help. My brother is always cheating on assignments and today he took pieces of candies from his teacher's desk and shared them with his friends. So my mom got called from his teacher. He just got expelled from his middle school soccer team and that's all my brother wanted. Now he doesn't care about life and it's just going to get worse because everything he wanted it ruined. My mom needs help. But how can I help and what can I do/call. Therapy won't help, no one wants to deal with this thoughtless boy. He just acts and doesn't care about the ending. --Big Sister

Up Close with Upward: Worried in the Car Line

By Kathleen Ramsey, Ph.D.

Advice Tic Disorders

Children

Posted: December 15, 2025

Dear Upward, My child has a disruptive tic that's taking a toll on school life. Other kids make fun of them, and classmates are starting to avoid them. Teachers label them as "disruptive," even though my child feels humiliated and insists they can't control it. We're heartbroken watching their confidence crumble. What should we consider in terms of diagnosis, and what treatments can truly help? Most of all, how do we advocate for understanding so others can show them grace while they work to get better? --Worried in the Car Line

Autism Re-Evaluations: The When, Why, & How

By Kathleen Ramsey, Ph.D.

Autism & ADHD Evaluation

Autism Children

Posted: August 9, 2025

Required autism re-evaluations in order to continue support services can be frustrating and concerning for families. We streamline the process to make it accessible and easy.