ADHD and the Wall of Awful: Why Kids Get Stuck and How Parents Can Help

Why can a child with ADHD know exactly what they need to do and still feel unable to start?

Homework, chores, schoolwork, and everyday responsibilities can quickly turn into procrastination, avoidance, frustration, or conflict. But what if there is something happening beneath the behavior?

In this episode of The ADHD Kids Can Thrive Podcast, Kate Brownfield, ACC, ADHD Parent Coach, talks with ADHD and executive function expert Brendan Mahan, author of Overcoming the Wall of Awful, about the emotional barriers that can make it difficult for people with ADHD to start, continue, or complete tasks.

Brendan created the concept of the Wall of Awful to describe the emotional barrier that can build from repeated experiences of failure, disappointment, rejection, frustration, and shame.

He explains five ways people try to get past the Wall of Awful and why some approaches work better than others. Kate and Brendan also explore practical ways parents can help, including creating a “door” through the wall, climbing it, body doubling, scribing homework, reducing pressure, and gradually fading support as a child builds confidence and independence.

For parents who find themselves asking, “Why won’t my child just do it?”, this conversation offers a different way to understand what may be happening beneath the struggle.

Instead, we might ask:

“What is making this task feel so hard, and what support would help my child move forward?”

Learn more about Brendan Mahan and Overcoming the Wall of Awful:https://brendanmahan.com/the-wall-of-awful-book/

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For more ADHD parenting support, visit ADHDKidsCanThrive.com.