Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common condition that affects both children and adults. These days, we talk about ADHD a bit more openly. Now there are more people that not only have a general understanding of ADHD, but also seeking out help for their child/teenager.
But, while many people talk about ADHD, they do not talk about another issue that commonly occurs with ADHD: executive function disorder. Many people with ADHD struggle with executive dysfunction, something that can cause lifelong issues that are worse if it goes untreated.
Introduction to Executive Dysfunction
Neurotypical individuals develop cognitive skills that allow them to manage their emotions, plan, reach goals, and more. We call these skills “Executive Functions.” Most individuals born without conditions like ADHD are innately capable of these cognitive functions, developing them and strengthening them over time. These functions include, but are not limited to:
- Time Management
- Planning
- Working Memory
- Impulse Control
- Task Initiation
- Emotional Regulation
- Cognitive Flexibility
Without realizing it, those that have developed these cognitive skills are naturally able to start tasks, meet deadlines, change plans/strategies, etc.
Most individuals born with ADHD do not develop these skills. It is estimated that as many as 90% of those with ADHD will have executive function impairments, and a large percentage will struggle with all of them.
What does this look like?
Let’s say a college student is a project due in one week, and the project will take about 10 hours to complete. If the student has trouble with these executive functions (known as executive dysfunction or executive function disorder), they may have issues such as:
- Time Blindness – Not knowing how much time has passed and being unable to process how much time is needed/left for a project.
- Poor Task Initiation – Does not start tasks and does not feel an urge to start them, leading to what appears on the surface to be procrastination.
- Poor Impulse Control – Difficulty saying “no” to their own wants and needs, even if it might have consequences.
So what might happen is this student will not have a concept that the project might take 10 hours, might not be aware of how much time they have left, not be able to start the project, and may have difficulty saying no to distractions and other activities they’d rather complete.
Unlike many college students that procrastinate but are still willing to cram and finish at the end, many students with executive dysfunction cannot do that either, and may become overwhelmed, emotional, and give up before they’ve started.
What is important to understand about these individuals is that it isn’t a choice. Many parents find themselves frustrated, thinking their child is simply lazy or a bad student. But the reality is that these individuals do not have these cognitive processes.
We often assume that everyone thinks like we do and shows the same capabilities, but we’re finding that those with executive dysfunction often do not. Rather than address their needs through a neurotypical lens, we have to recognize that they are neurodivergent and adjust how we parent, how we provide therapy, how we teach, and more.
By coaching those with ADHD on ways to address their executive function deficits, we can put them in a better position to thrive. For more information on getting your child help for ADHD and executive functioning issues, please reach out to us today.