Executive Function….Or Dysfunction?

“Johnny is lazy”

“Mary is not motivated”“Sally doesn’t care”

“Tommy just doesn’t listen”

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What is this anyway?

• Executive function is a set of mental processes that helps connect past experience with present action. People use it to perform activities such as planning, organizing, strategizing, paying attention to and remembering details, and managing time and space.

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• Weakness in the executive functioning area is also often associated with an attention deficit disorder (ADHD with or without hyperactivity).

• As with a learning disability, it is generally

unclear if the apparent breakdown of executive functioning is actually the cause or the effect of the attentional difficulties.

Motivation Problem or Hidden Disability

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How do Executive Functioning Skills help

us to learn?• Make plans• Keep track of time and finish work on time • Keep track of more than one thing at once • Meaningfully include past knowledge in discussions • Evaluate ideas and reflect on our work • Change our minds and make mid-course corrections while

thinking, reading, and writing • Ask for help or seek more information when we need it • Engage in group dynamics • Wait to speak until we're called on

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What Are the Warning Signs of Executive Function Problems?• Difficulty planning projects • Unable to comprehend how much time a project will take to

complete such as time management • Difficulty telling stories (verbally or in writing), struggling to

communicate details in an organized, sequential manner • Unable to memorize and retrieve information from memory • Inability to initiate activities or tasks, or to generate ideas

independently • Unable to complete homework• Written expression deficits• Impaired working memory

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ADHD and Executive Dysfunction

• Impaired handwriting• Impaired coordination• Difficulty copying from the board• Accident/injury prone• Behavior and peer problems• Impaired working memory• Makes careless errors

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Case Study

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Strategies

• checklists• “how to” lists • breaking long assignments into

chunks • visual calendars • time organizers • mnemonics

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“SUCCEEDING IN SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE MOST THERAPUTIC THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN TO A CHILD! SO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO HELP THE CHILD SUCCEED IN SCHOOL.”

Chris Zeigler Dendy

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Resources

• http://www.cec.sped.org/

• www.ldonline.org

• www.uniquelygifted.org/motivation.htm

• www.chrisdendy.com/executive.htm

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