Abulia is diagnosis that describes a lack of initiation, motivation, or desire to perform goal-directed activities and make decisions. It is associated with frontal lobe structures of the brain. Developmental abulia is when children are born with the condition and have a longstanding history of low motivation and very poor initiation. This may be seen in various situations such as failure to respond to questioning, engaging in desired activities, and carry out simple tasks (e.g., picking up objects, standing up when asked, etc.). Although these symptoms are often seen in those with severe depression or excessive shyness, it is their lack of initiation that is the core distinguisher. Many of these individuals want to perform tasks and want to respond when spoken to, but they are often stuck in the process. Many can respond by gentle physical redirection or verbal prompts to get them going.