More than resilient: Using mental toughness to enhance performance in complex learners

What makes the difference between students with LD/ ADHD who meet with success (however "success" is defined) and those who continually feel like failures? Why do some kids actively seek out challenges and other avoid risk taking altogether? Have your kids said "I can't" before they've even tried? Have you? Mental toughness (MT) has a great deal of evidence to support its use in education, but it is also broadly misunderstood because of its roots in competitive sport and in high-performance arenas such as the military and business worlds. It is a wildly underused tool that can be of significant benefit for kids (and adults) with Learning Disabilities/ ADHD/ Anxiety/ Autistic/ Gifted profiles (and those who work with them). In this session, we will discuss what MT really is – and the critical values of mental sensitivity and mental flexibility in enhancing performance and in supporting students and ourselves to become more willing risk takers, be more resilient, have more interpersonal success, and how to not only learn from mistakes but also actively and enthusiastically seek out opportunities for new learning.