We’ll save you the trouble of wondering: Yes, people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have considered using a planner, setting an alarm clock, and creating reminders on their phone. No, those suggestions aren’t helpful.

In fact, these are among the worst things you can say to someone with ADHD, which is characterized by symptoms like having a hard time paying attention, struggling with task initiation, and feeling restless or engaging in impulsive behavior. “It’s like, ‘Wow, what a genius idea,’” says Bailey Pilant, a licensed mental health counselor in New York who specializes in ADHD (and has the condition herself). Yet people dispense these well-intentioned but unsolicited tips again and again—including telling Pilant she should try writing things down. “I can write

See Full Page