What does the Executive Function Foundations course teach about ADHD?

It reframes ADHD as a self-regulation difference rather than a willpower problem, and explains executive function as the brain's coordination system. Across eight lessons you learn to distinguish knowledge problems from performance problems and locate the point of performance where things actually break down. It is the foundational course of the ADHD and Cognitive Regulation track.

What practical skills will I learn to turn intention into action?

The course centers on three master skills: externalizing information, time, and intentions out of fragile working memory and into the world, designing a lower-friction environment that makes the right path the easy path, and making invisible time visible so you can plan with measured rather than guessed durations. You also build a personal executive-function support system meant to survive bad days. Each of the eight lessons (about 3 to 4 hours total) includes interactive exercises and quizzes.

Is the ASRS-v1.1 screener in this course a diagnosis?

No. The course includes the ASRS-v1.1 screener as a self-assessment tool, not a diagnostic instrument. This is psychoeducation built on the Executive Function and CBT framework, taught at a deliberately high evidence bar, and it is designed to support rather than replace individualized professional care.

What should I do if I am in a mental health crisis while taking this course?

If you are experiencing a crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), or call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. This course is education and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. The platform also runs the MAIA distress classifier on text inputs and alerts your assigned provider when distress is detected.

ADHD & Cognitive Regulation

Executive Function Foundations

Understand the brain's management system and learn the master skills - externalizing, environment design, and making time visible - that turn intention into action. The foundational course of the ADHD & Cognitive Regulation track.

8 Lessons 3-4 Hours Neuroscience-informed Includes ASRS-v1.1 screener

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Create your Digital Wellness Academy account and start this course today. Working with a provider? They can add it to your care plan.

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Clinical Framework

Executive Function / CBT

Neuroscience-informed

Course Overview

What You'll Learn

✓Explain executive function as the brain's coordination system and name its core components
✓Reframe ADHD as a self-regulation difference rather than a willpower problem
✓Distinguish knowledge problems from performance problems and locate the point of performance
✓Externalize information, time, and intentions out of fragile working memory and into the world
✓Design a lower-friction environment that makes the right path the easy path
✓Make invisible time visible and plan with measured rather than guessed durations
✓Build a personal, resilient executive-function support system that survives bad days

Evidence & Clinical Approach

Built on the Executive Function / CBT framework and taught at a deliberately high evidence bar: it separates well-supported practice from popular-but-contested theory, and is psychoeducation designed to support, not replace, professional care.

Course Lessons (8 total)

1What Executive Function Really Is25 min
2ADHD Is a Self-Regulation Difference, Not a Willpower Problem25 min
3The Core Executive Functions25 min
4The Performance Problem: Why 'Just Try Harder' Backfires25 min
5Externalize Everything: Making the Invisible Visible25 min
6Designing an ADHD-Friendly Environment25 min
7Working With Time Blindness25 min
8Building Your Executive-Function Support System30 min

Each lesson includes interactive exercises, quizzes, and progress tracking inside the platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this course a replacement for therapy?

No. It provides psychoeducation and skill-building based on evidence-based frameworks, but it is not a substitute for individualized professional treatment. It works best alongside care, as structured learning between sessions.

What if I'm currently in crisis?

If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, contact emergency services (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 911) or go to your nearest emergency room. The platform includes safety monitoring that alerts assigned providers when distress is detected.

How is this different from self-help content?

Structured, sequential lessons with interactive exercises, progress tracking, and provider oversight. Your assigned provider can see your progress and tailor sessions to what you are learning.

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Create your account Practice Licensing Info

Course Features

✓8 comprehensive lessons
✓Executive Function / CBT
✓Interactive exercises and quizzes
✓Progress tracking
✓Provider coordination
✓Self-paced learning

24/7 Platform Safety

The platform runs the MAIA distress classifier on every text input and alerts your assigned provider if distress is detected, ensuring clinical oversight when needed.

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Inside the experience

What this course actually looks like

Every course lives inside the Digital Wellness Academy app: short, practice-first lessons, daily check-ins, an AI coach that knows what you have learned, and a dashboard that makes progress visible. These are real product screens.