ADHD can look different from one child to another, and signs often become more noticeable when school, routines, or responsibilities require more focus and self-control. Common Signs of ADHD in Kids As a parent, you may notice patterns involving attention, activity level, or impulsivity. Some...
Symptoms of OCD and autism can look a lot alike from the outside. Both can involve repetition. Both can involve routines that feel non-negotiable. Both can involve an intense focus on something specific. But underneath that surface resemblance, they work in very different ways — and understanding the difference matters, because the right kind of support looks completely different depending on which one (or both) you're dealing with.
Growing up is tough, and being a teenager brings huge changes inside and out. While teens grow taller on the outside, massive shifts are happening inside their brains. At the same time, teenagers are dropped into a world full of big expectations and new daily pressures. All of these outside stresses mix with how their brains grow to shape how they feel every day.
Few phrases in popular culture are as unhelpful—or as unkind—as "failure to launch." It conjures an image of a young adult stalled on the runway while everyone else soars past, and it places the blame squarely on the individual, as if the only missing ingredient were willpower. At Upward Behavioral Health, we see something very different when we sit down with these young adults and their families. We see capable, often deeply thoughtful people who are navigating a genuinely difficult transition with brains and nervous systems that may not be well served by conventional expectations. When we replace judgment with understanding, a new path forward becomes possible.