Executive Dysfunction: Signs To Look For

The post is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.

Is your child chronically disorganized? Do they seem to forget homework assignments, lose their bookbag, or have trouble focusing? Do you find yourself constantly looking for new ways to help them organize their schoolwork?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” your child may be experiencing difficulties with their executive functioning. This article will explore what that means, and what you can do about it.

What is executive function?

Executive function refers to a set of learned self-management skills that we progressively develop as we grow up. These skills can generally be grouped into these categories: Working memory, cognitive flexibility (such as the ability to change between tasks easily), and inhibitory control (including self-control).

These skills help us do things like stay organized, pay attention, manage our time, make decisions, execute tasks, and stay motivated.

Kids who struggle to develop some or all these skills may be experiencing executive dysfunction. Executive dysfunction is not a diagnosis mental illness, rather it’s generally a symptom of something else, like a behavioral disorder, injury, or toxic stress. You can read more about executive dysfunction here: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/depression/how-executive-dysfunction-and-depression-are-related/.

There are some self-tests you can take to identify if your child may have executive dysfunction. However, because symptoms of executive disfunction can overlap with other things, it’s recommended that you visit a medical doctor or mental health professional to accurately identify what’s responsible for their symptoms.

Signs of executive dysfunction

Executive dysfunction is very common, especially amongst children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to some studies, 89% of children with ADHD have impairment in at least one of the three areas of executive function (working memory, cognitive flexibility, or inhibitory control).

Signs to look out for include:

• Difficulty following through with tasks
• Disorganization, which may be evident if their bedroom or backpack is always a mess
• Forgetting homework assignments
• Poor time management, such as starting assignments last minute or being routinely tardy because it’s difficult to plan for or remember future events
• Misplacing items, like their lunch, toys, papers, or backpack
• Lack of self-restraint or emotional control, which may include age-inappropriate outbursts or tantrums
• Difficulty connecting a series of actions that lead towards long-term goals

What you can do to help

Executive dysfunction is common, but it can still have a serious impact on your child’s mental health, social life, academic achievement, and professional success. Fortunately, there are effective strategies you can use to help your child learn these skills, including the following:

● Keep a planner

A physical planner can help kids visualize and organize both their short-term and longer-term schedule. Try to get one with large pages and plenty of space to add details.

Planners and calendars can be particularly helpful for children (and adults) who struggle with their working memory. Lists, journals, notes, reminder apps, and alarms can provide external cues that build greater accountability and motivation to accomplish goals. However, try to have you child only use one system (such as a physical planner OR a calendar app), as having multiple systems can make it difficult to consistently remember to transfer information between them.

● Prioritize tasks

Each evening, you could sit down with your child and write down the top five tasks they need to accomplish the next day. For example, this may include writing an outline for an assignment, reading a chapter in their textbook, tidying up their notebooks, and going to soccer practice.

Ideally, these tasks should be organized with the one they dread the most listed first so they can get it out of the way, and the list should be kept reasonable. It could be very difficult to accomplish everything on a long to-do list, leaving kids feeling stressed and defeated.

Writing a reasonable to-do list, and getting the worst task completed first, can help reduce procrastination and stress. When children accomplish what they set out to do, it can also improve their self-esteem and confidence.

● Try the Pomodoro Technique

This strategy can be very helpful for children who find it difficult to stay on task. To use the Pomodoro Technique with your child:

• Set a timer for 25 minutes
• Focus on a single task until the timer goes off
• When the timer goes off, use a check mark (or a sticker) to record the accomplishment
• Take a five-minute break after each Pomodoro session, and a 20–30-minute break after four Pomodoro’s

The pomodoro technique utilizes time blocks to help your child manage their time, reduce procrastination, get more organized, and build greater cognitive flexibility.

You can try modifying the amount of time your child works and/or takes breaks to find what works best for them. For example, if it takes your child a little extra time to get focused, you might want to extend the Pomodoro sessions so they can get in the zone. And ideally, the breaks should occur just before they start to lose their focus.

● Adopt a growth mindset

Children with executive dysfunction may get frustrated or down on themselves, which can cause them to give up. Instead of fixating on the outcome, praise your child for their efforts along the way and remind them that challenges are an opportunity to learn and grow.

Takeaway

It’s a good idea for parents to look out for signs of executive dysfunction, such as getting easily distracted or losing track of items. When unaddressed, executive dysfunction could lead to worsening school performance, social isolation, and poor self-esteem.

If you notice these signs in your child, there are many effective strategies you can use to help them stay focused, manage their time, get organized, and develop a growth mindset. For example, using planners can help kids remember important information, the Pomodoro Technique can improve time management and flexibility, and task prioritization can improve organization and reduce stress.

You may also want to consider working with a professional, like a licensed therapist, to help your child develop healthy self-regulation skills.