How to Help Kids with ADHD Develop Executive Functioning Skills

Over 6.1 million children between the ages of 2 and 17 have an ADHD diagnosis. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an executive functioning disorder. It affects a particular set of skills that we often develop throughout childhood and into adulthood.

Children with ADHD can have a tough time dealing with school, relationships, and daily tasks. In fact, impaired executive functioning skills influence every aspect of a child’s life. The good news is that tools, treatments, and executive functioning coaches are available to build these abilities and reduce struggles!

Let’s explore the different executive functioning skills more in-depth. We’ll also cover how to spot signs of impairments and treatment options.

What Are Executive Functioning Skills?

Executive functioning is a set of skills that allow us to succeed in a variety of daily tasks. These include remembering information, multi-tasking, and focusing. Everyone is born with the ability to develop these skills, but some have a harder time than others.

Although researchers classify them in different ways, there are three basic components. Working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control make up this group of skills.

Working Memory

Working memory describes the ability to collect, remember, and apply new information. It’s something we use consistently in our daily life and a key part of traditional education.

Working memory can impact how well children learn and perform on evaluations. For example, a child with a developed working memory can read a passage from their textbook and remember key points. They can then use that information to write a book summary or answer questions.

Cognitive Flexibility

Also called mental flexibility, cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to see things in different ways. It’s about discovering, testing, and using different methods to arrive at an explanation.

Cognitive flexibility can play a big role in learning. A child will be able to find cause-and-effect relationships when their mental flexibility is high. They’ll also adapt to different methods of problem-solving in math and science lessons.

Inhibitory Control

Impulse control or self-control is the third component of executive functioning. Inhibitory control measures how well you can ignore distractions and focus on a task.

Inhibitory control is essential for everyone but more so for students. Classrooms can be noisy and visually distracting for children. Having strong self-control means a student will be able to focus on their task and complete assignments.

It’s also a fundamental element of regulating emotions and physical activity. A child with strong self-control is able to explain their feelings rather than acting out. They will also behave appropriately in public places, like sitting quietly or waiting their turn.

Other Aspects

Beyond these three essential abilities, executive functioning involves a set of additional skills. Some scholars include them in the three categories, while others treat them as separate components.

Other executive functioning skills include:

• Emotional regulation
• Prioritizing tasks
• Organizational and planning skills
• Paying attention to others
• Problem-solving
• Being self-aware
• Verbal working memory or “internal speech”
• Self-motivation

Clearly, high executive functioning skills are crucial for life’s daily challenges. A child who lacks these abilities will have trouble with school, relationships, and home life.

How ADHD Affects Executive Functioning Skills

Children and adults with ADHD might struggle to maintain their executive functioning skills.

Research has shown that children with ADHD have particular trouble with inhibitory control. This includes controlling emotions, the body, and impulses. Children with ADHD might have emotional outbursts or react in socially unacceptable ways.

They might be overly energetic, hard to keep still, or constantly on the move. This can become a problem in the classroom where students are expected to sit for long periods. They might get in trouble often and have difficulty focusing on instructions.

Weak impulse control might mean trouble making friends and building strong relationships. Younger children will have a hard time sharing toys and working in teams. They might act in ways that cause other students to avoid them.

Other studies have shown a strong connection between ADHD and weak working memory. Recent research has found that 62 to 85% of children with ADHD have a working memory impairment.

Children with reduced working memory might constantly forget to finish homework. They might also struggle to remember directions or focus on the teacher’s instructions.

Lower test scores and trouble with public speaking can follow. Because children struggle with retaining and using information, they’ll forget key details quickly. They’ll also be easily distracted and lose track of what they’re doing.

To put it simply, ADHD slows a child’s ability to develop executive functioning skills. Children without ADHD might excel in these skills at a quicker pace.

What Impaired Executive Functioning Skills Might Look Like

To show the idea of executive dysfunction more clearly, let’s take a look at a day in the life of a child with ADHD. Imagine Anne, a ten-year-old girl, has ADHD and struggles with executive functions.

Anne wakes up on a Monday morning and goes downstairs to eat breakfast. When it’s time to go to the bus stop, she realizes she’s forgotten to pack her school bag. She runs back to her room but can’t find her textbooks. She then gets distracted by her toys and misses the bus.

Once Anne’s father drops her off at school, she gets in trouble for being late. She settles into her seat and notices the other students are preparing for a test. She forgot to write this down in her planner on Friday and hasn’t studied. Anne fails the test because she can’t recall the information she learned last week.

Once recess rolls around, Anne meets up with her buddies. She talks too much about her weekend and constantly interrupts her friends. They start to get a little annoyed with her. Back in class, Anne can’t sit still because she’s thinking about her ballet class after school.

At ballet practice, another student who likes to tease Anne bumps into her. Struggling to keep her emotions in check, Anne yells at the girl and gets scolded by the teacher. And that’s just 5 p.m. Imagine how frustrating life can be for a child who struggles with executive function.

Signs Your Child Might Be Struggling

A large body of research suggests that children with ADHD have worse academic performance than children without. Not only that, but ADHD often goes hand in hand with various learning disorders. This combination makes succeeding in school even more challenging.

Some common signs of executive dysfunction are:

• Constantly losing or forgetting things
• Missing deadlines
• Taking too long to finish simple tasks
• Messy bedrooms and working areas
• Forgetting important tasks
• Trouble recalling information
• Difficulty following instructions
• Issues with accepting and adapting to changes
• Frequent outbursts of anger or uncontrollable sadness
• Trouble following step-by-step directions
• Insisting on doing things only one way
• Focusing on the least important part of the conversation
• Doing the same thing and expecting different results

If you see several of these signs in your child, it might be time to seek help. Luckily, there are many options available, from academic coaching services to medication.

How to Help Your Child

Lowered executive functioning skills don’t mean that your child is less intelligent or capable. It just means that their brain works in a different way. The key to helping is understanding this fact and working with it, not against it.

If you suspect your child has an executive dysfunction or ADHD, there are ways to help.

Academic Coaching

The goal of academic coaching and an ADHD coach is to increase executive functioning skills for students. Coaches will work one-on-one with your child to give them the tools for dealing with school life.

Some of the principles that academic coaching might cover include:

• Setting realistic goals
• Regularly tracking goals
• Improving study skills
• Creating time management skills
• Taking ownership of one’s work
• Developing a work ethic
• Building independent thinkers

These skills are like muscles. The more your child practices and focuses on them, the better they’ll work. Academic coaching aims to build successful students.

Your child might see an improvement in these areas with an academic coaching program:

• Increased tests scores
• Higher overall grade scores
• Less need for parental supervision
• Improved self-esteem
• Decreased classroom confusion

Some children with executive dysfunction might be stronger in the academic setting and weaker in others, and vice versa. Academic coaching is an excellent option for students who are struggling with school.

Academic Tutoring

If your child has been struggling for some time now, they may have already fallen behind. Or maybe you see the signs of academic issues and want to prevent them from losing progress. Whatever the reason, academic tutoring should be an addition to your child’s treatment.

Academic tutors work with your child to increase their understanding of specific subjects. They can even work ahead to encourage your children to excel in subjects. These sessions are often one-on-one, but group programs also exist.

Tutors are available for a wide range of classes, including:

• Math
• Reading
• Writing
• Grammar
• Speaking
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Social Sciences
• Foreign languages

A benefit of a tutoring program is the ability to increase your child’s confidence. When a student understands the information, they are more likely to take part in the class. They might also lose their fear of failure and have positive expectations!

Skills Training

There are hundreds of skills training methods for children with executive dysfunction. Parents need to take an active approach in helping their children develop these skills at an early age.

A great way to train time management is by making time visible. Using calendars, clocks, and stopwatches to show the time can help immensely. Children will begin to understand how time works and develop their skills.

A great way to expand working memory is by making important information hard to miss. Creating task lists, using journals, and even putting sticky notes around the house can jog a child’s memory. These visual cues will help them remember duties like homework or chores.

Children with executive dysfunction often have trouble controlling their focus and bodies. By centering learning on physical activities, you can help them improve both of these components. For example, try using beans or buttons during math lessons. Or letter blocks for reading and writing classes.

An important aspect of skills training is making time for rest. Remember that you’re helping your child through stressful situations. That stress can take its toll and cause children to shut down or act out. Making time for short breaks during homework, for example, will motivate your child to finish their task.

Medication

Sometimes, medication is a part of the treatment plan. The three most common medications include stimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics.

It’s considered safe by physicians, although some parents prefer to steer clear of medication. Researchers believe more long-term studies are needed in this area. Some studies have even shown that the impact of medicine on executive dysfunction is limited.

Various Therapies

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is often used to treat some symptoms in adults with executive dysfunction. It generally focuses on time management, planning, and inhibition. But it’s proven to be less effective with children.

Occupational therapy (OT) is another possible therapy option. It’s a branch of treatment that helps improve sensory, physical, and cognitive problems. Some studies show that OT is very beneficial in helping kids with executive dysfunction. It can teach them new habits and tools for handling difficult situations.

Executive Functioning Skills Training

Are you worried about your child’s executive function skills and academic success? If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD or you’re wondering at what age does ADHD peak, there’s no need to panic. Despite early challenges with academics, social life, and extracurriculars, your child can develop the self-regulation skills they need to thrive. Our center offers support and guidance to help your child overcome executive dysfunction and achieve their full potential. Don’t wait, help your child build their self-regulation skills today!

Help may come in the form of academic coaching resources, tutoring, or skills training. Some parents choose to add medication and therapy to the treatment plan. Whatever works for you and your child should be a part of the system.

Is your teen grappling with executive functioning disorder and struggling with academic performance? Don’t wait any longer! With our coaching and tutoring services, we offer personalized academic coaching and tutoring services that cater to students of all ages. Our programs focus on metacognition executive function and building executive function skills, helping students overcome executive function deficits and influence executive dysfunction. Our expert tutors will work alongside your child to help them build the essential skills for success, whether they’re dealing with executive function disorder or just need some extra support. Contact us today to learn how we can help your child build executive function skills and succeed academically!