How AI Helped Liam Get Unstuck with Task Initiation

A Real-Life Look at Supporting Teens with ADHD

For many parents of teens with ADHD, it’s a familiar scene: your child sits in front of their homework, books open, but nothing happens. It’s not that they don’t want to do the task—they just can’t seem to start. The task feels too big, too vague, or too boring. And suddenly, they’re scrolling on their phone or walking around the kitchen… again.

This was exactly the case for Liam, a bright 14-year-old in Year 9 from Perth, who had no trouble understanding concepts in class but regularly received incomplete assignment reports and missed deadlines. His parents were frustrated. Liam was frustrated too.

The Challenge: Task Initiation

Liam’s executive functioning difficulty was task initiation—the ability to start a task without excessive procrastination or avoidance. In coaching, we often see teens who know what they need to do, but struggle to get going. This “activation gap” is real, especially for ADHD brains.

“We see this a lot—ADHD teens who get stuck at the starting line. It’s not laziness. They need a system that reduces overwhelm and gives them momentum.”

— Debbie Hirte, Co-Director, REACH ADHD & EF Coaching

The Tools That Helped

To help Liam move from stuck to started, we introduced two AI-powered tools during our coaching sessions:

1. Goblin Tools – “Magic ToDo”

We started with Goblin Tools, particularly the “Magic ToDo” feature. Liam could type in a task like “Finish English project” and the tool instantly broke it down into smaller, doable steps such as:

• Find your project instructions

• Re-read the marking guide

• Open a Google Doc

• Write a rough plan

This simple step-by-step breakdown reduced the overwhelm that usually paralysed him. Liam told us, “It’s like someone untangled my brain for me.”

2. ChatGPT – Getting Unstuck with Structure

Next, we used ChatGPT as a thinking partner. Liam typed in something like:

“What should I include in a paragraph about Macbeth’s character change?”

Rather than writing the paragraph for him, ChatGPT gave him dot points to guide his thinking, such as:

• Macbeth’s ambition at the start of the play

• The influence of the witches and Lady Macbeth

• How his morals change over time

• His increasing paranoia and guilt

• What this tells us about power and downfall

This helped Liam see what the teacher might be looking for and gave him a clear starting point—without doing the work for him.

“We make it clear to teens that the thinking still needs to be theirs. Tools like ChatGPT simply reduce the friction that stops them from beginning. It’s support, not a shortcut.”

— Fiona Alexander, Co-Director

The Outcome: Confidence and Completion

Within a few weeks of using these tools consistently, Liam:

• Completed his overdue English project and submitted it early

• Stopped fighting with his parents every evening over homework

• Reported that school “felt less heavy”

The biggest shift? His confidence. He no longer avoided assignments. Instead, he had a simple process to help him start—and that changed everything.

A Message for Parents

If your teen is stuck, you’re not alone. Many ADHD teens struggle with getting started—not because they don’t care, but because their brain needs support to activate. The good news? Tools like Goblin Tools and ChatGPT—when paired with ADHD-informed coaching—can make a world of difference.

At REACH ADHD & EF Coaching, we work alongside families to find what works for your child. No one-size-fits-all solutions—just practical strategies, gentle support, and a belief that every teen can thrive.

“The ADHD brain can thrive with the right scaffolding. When we give our teens the tools that make sense to their brain, the shift is powerful and lasting.”

— Fiona Alexander, Co-Director