Executive functions are a set of mental skills that are used every day to help regulate our behaviors and help us efficiently move through our day in effort to meet goals and deadlines and feel an overall sense of accomplishment.
In a child with ADHD, these executive skills can be lagging, and this can be misunderstood as unmotivated or lazy.
Can you relate to the scenario below?
It’s 7:15am and it’s time to take Alex, your 11-year-old, to school. Just before you are about to walk out the door, Alex remembers the homework that was not put in the backpack the night before. There is a struggle to even find where the homework was placed, and you leave late for school arriving just after the bell. CHALLENGE: ORGANIZATION
Science class:
Students are learning about the solar system, and the science teacher gave the students a mnemonic tool to remember the order of the planets. Alex knows that there will be a pop quiz at the end of the subject but a stone, that looks just like Venus, distracted Alex from taking notes and impaired the ability to recall the order of the planets. CHALLENGE: WORKING MEMORY, FOCUS
English class:
The class is divided into groups to write a story using the new spelling words. Each group will get to act out their story. In the excitement of this project, Alex becomes very loud and animated! Alex doesn’t recognize that peers are annoyed by this behavior. CHALLENGE: IMPULSE CONTROL, SELF-MONITORING
Dinner table:
The family is sharing details about their day and the discussion turns to Alex’s lack of organization that started the morning in a chaotic rush. There is an attempt to problem solve so this doesn’t happen the next morning, but Alex gets frustrated because this all-too-common discussion is interpreted as criticism. CHALLENGE: FLEXIBLE THINKING
Bedtime routine:
Alex has a book report due tomorrow. However, after school Alex was tired and wanted a break so watched the latest video from a social influencer. One video led to another and another, and Alex didn’t realize how much time passed. In a race against the clock, Alex is now recognizing that appropriate time was not allocated for this project. CHALLENGE: TIME MANAGEMENT, TASK INITIATION
If Alex sounds like your child, there is hope in developing these skills. We are facilitating a biweekly group for individuals 9-years of age to 11-years of age who have a diagnosis of ADHD. This group will consist of creating the scaffolding to build and practice these executive function skills one skill at a time, while at the same time building strengths.
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