How To Get Your ADHD Teen To Focus

Last week, I was in a school in Waterford running one of my Rayse The Game Seminars when a guidance counsellor pulled me aside.

She told me about her friend. Her son is in 6th year, the Leaving Cert is looming, and she’s worried sick.

Here’s what she said:

• “He can’t focus.”
• “He flies through homework but doesn’t really learn anything.”
• “He’s constantly on his phone.”
• “He leaves everything to the last minute.”
• “I feel like I’m always nagging him.”

Then she asked me the question I hear all the time:

“Do you think he might have ADHD?”

If you have thought this about your son or daughter then this video is for you:

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 Watch it here → How To Get Your ADHD Teen To Focus (The Secret Every Parent Needs to Know)​

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The Big Misconception About ADHD

Lots of parents jump straight to ADHD when their teen struggles to focus.

But here’s the truth: not every distracted teen has ADHD.

Psychiatrist Dr. Edward Hallowell describes ADHD as a Ferrari brain with bicycle brakes.

• The brain is powerful and fast…
• But it struggles to slow down, focus, and stay on one thing.

Classic ADHD symptoms include:

• Distractibility
• Impulsivity
• Restlessness
• Emotional ups and downs

These can lead to underachievement in school — not because they aren’t smart, but because their brain is wired differently.

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The Other Side of ADHD

Kids with ADHD also tend to be:

• Creative
• Big-picture thinkers
• Entrepreneurial (One of my students, Mark, is into crypto, drop-shipping, and basketball — all at 15!)
• Resilient when they care about something
• Able to hyperfocus if the task excites them

I know this because… I have ADHD myself.

It’s all-or-nothing on focusing on the things you love, and total avoidance on the things that bore you…including study.

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But Here’s the Thing…

Only 5–8% of the population has ADHD.

That means 90%+ of teens who can’t focus… probably don’t.

Sometimes the problem isn’t ADHD.

The real problem is TikTok. It’s SnapChat. It’s YouTube. It’s PlayStation. A whole world designed to hijack attention.

But when it comes to ADHD there is one key sign parents should watch for: Emotional dysregulation — big arguments, frustration, meltdowns, anger over small things.

If that’s happening a lot — especially around studying — it might be worth getting an assessment.

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The Secret to Focus
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​Here’s the good news: you can train people to be more focused.

Whether your teen has ADHD or not, there’s one simple approach that changes everything about focus, studying, and getting things done.

I call it The One-Task Rule.

I break it down step-by-step in this week’s video.

 Watch it here → How To Get Your ADHD Teen To Focus (The Secret Every Parent Needs to Know)​

Most parents miss this — but once you see it, you’ll never look at homework, study, or focus the same way again.

I hope it helps.