ADHD and executive functions: Attention, behavior, emotions

This post is part 2 of the series.

EXT FUNCTION (EF) EF skill masters have almost always accompanied ADHD. There are many aspects of the challenges of EF that can become more evident in different ages and settings. This blog post covers additional issues that have not been explained My last blog post. EF challenges can manifest in focusing Notemaintain your attention or change your attention. Or they may manifest themselves in monitoring their actions and managing their emotions. Challenges can arise alone or often combined.

Executive Function Challenge #3: Capture, maintain and pay attention

Many people have difficulty choosing what to focus on and resisting distractions. Some people experience it “HyperFocus” And it feels difficult to stick to one thing and shift from pursuits that like their attention. “That’s not fair! I’m just starting to play this game!” Remember Kamil 2 times ago? He was unable to shift his focus from the previous class to the next class. His mind hadn’t made any change, and physically walking the hall to his next class didn’t show the need to switch gears. Shifting attention (or set shifting) is an important aspect of Cognitive flexibilitybroader ability to adapt one’s own thoughts to changing circumstances. Task switching – the ability to move from one task to another – is also an important aspect Executive Features.

Both attention shifting and task switching are issues with core executive features for many who have used ADHD. There are challenges that move efficiently while adapting to a variety of tasks, rules, or changing situations. This can hinder the focus, Productivity,study. This issue may seem almost ironic, as many people consider the main feature of ADHD to be impulsive (jumping from object to object). Few people think HyperFocus is also a problem. HyperFocusing hinders your organization and planning ability that affects your academic achievements and your ability to achieve you the goal.

Grouping similar tasks is a great strategy to reduce the cognitive effort required for transition. Sticking to your daily routine and staying on a regular schedule reduces your transition effort. It is beneficial to use a timer to mark when you need to switch tasks. These strategies help individuals stay focused and improve their ability to complete tasks, especially when used together.

Kamil felt that having cards on his class schedule would help. Each class was listed in a different colour to highlight the need for transition. He added a timer 10 minutes before the next period, and learned to walk to the next class, look at the teacher’s face, and visualize himself, depicting how the room was arranged. This made him ready to make the transition. Kamil took in visualizing these transitions to him Mindfulness Practice to make transitions more automated in schools. Visualization It’s a kind of mental rehearsal that reinforces correct action. It is a powerful tool that can be put into practice to improve preparation, performance and promote repeated success.

Executive Function Challenge #4: Self-Monitoring Action

Those with ADHD are impulsive or Overactivity. If so, it may be difficult to effectively self-monitor and regulate behavior. The difficulty of Impulse control Suppression control is a common executive function challenge for individuals with ADHD. Remember Max? He had difficulty controlling his actions. Instead of raising his hands, he blurted his comments and was chastised by his teacher. Max has sunk for the rest of the time and missed hearing the rest of the class discussion. Max waited for his peers to be called up with his hands, but he often missed the social clues around him.

Social cues can be verbally or nonverbal and can communicate feelings, intentions, and expectations in social interactions. These cues may vary depending on cultural expectations, but generally include facial expressions. Body Languagevocal tone, eye contact, and acceptable physical proximity. Understanding, interpreting, and implementing these cues is important for positive social interactions in school and work.

For people like Max, play games that need to follow the rules, take turns, and Delay satisfaction It will help you practice establishing these skills. Most card games involve others and need to be replaced. There are many online card games that rely on strict turntakes, and players must play cards and perform actions in order. Role-playing and social deduction games are also useful as they highlight the importance of following the established rules of the game and highlight the importance of waiting for the right time. In some games, there are clear penalties for violating the rules and not properly replaced. When playing games online, there is a clear advantage in that you don’t need to make proper eye contact or “read” other people’s body language. By reducing these demands, players can follow the rules of the game to focus on practicing and replacing them.

Executive Function Challenge #5: Controlling Frustration and Emotional Regulation

Care management is closely related Self-regulation– Understand and monitor how we think, feel and act. Emotional dysregulation and difficulties Emotional control It is common in individuals with ADHD and often leads to explosions and frustration. This can cause “emotional floods” because many are less resistant to frustration. When this occurs, communications will be completely blocked or “shut down”, affecting productivity and task completion. Journaling about what happened just before you feel “watering” or overwhelmed may help you understand the “trigger.” Journaling It also helps individuals to reflect on their thoughts and feelings, which can help them increase self-awareness and support emotional control. There are apps created by scientists, designers, engineers and therapists to help people find strategies that will help them understand their emotions and navigate those emotions.

With guide meditation It may help increase Self-regulation Reduction anxiety. There are many apps, each with hundreds of meditations, with length and type to choose from. Some are specially designed to deal with stressanxiety, and/or productivity.

As you’ll notice, there are many aspects to executive functionality. EFS is a set of cognitive processes that help you plan, monitor and execute goals. They include attention control Memorysuppression control, and problem solving. Professional support from an educational therapist to understand many aspects of EF to improve your education skills is essential. Working with mental health professionals can also help you manage executive functioning challenges, especially when linked to emotional and behavioral issues. In many cases, ET sessions are tied together with the support of psychotherapists to learn to manage emotions and behaviors. With appropriate support, understanding, and targeted strategies, people with EF challenges related to ADHD can improve task switching, self-monitoring and regulation, research skills, work habits, planning, and inventive step. All of these are essential to achieving long-term goals and academic success.

To find a therapist Visit Psychology Today Therapy Directory.