Executive functioning relates to brain-based skills that operate in our frontal lobe: working memory, sustained attention, task initiation, planning, organizing, time management, and more. Do any of these sound familiar? These skills are notoriously challenging for children and adults with ADHD. The good news is there are ways to teach children executive functioning skills at home!
- Checklists: Children with ADHD often struggle with planning and prioritizing, especially when it comes to “boring” tasks like chores and school assignments. You can help teach your child to prioritize the things he needs to get done by giving him a checklist each week. If he completes everything on his list by the allotted amount of time, he gets a special prize or fun activity (ice cream, picking out a movie to watch with the family, etc.). Start by creating the checklist for your child and slowly transition to him creating the list of tasks himself. This helps with task initiation, planning, prioritizing, and organization.
- Make time tangible and visible: The concept of time can be tricky for ADHD kids; they often grossly overestimate or underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete a task. Use a kitchen timer to make time concrete. Is she dreading doing her homework because “it will take 2 hours!”? Use the timer to show her how long it actually takes. Maybe those “2 hours” of math homework is really only 20 minutes! You can also use the timer to help your child complete chores. Turn it into a game by saying, “Okay Amanda, the neighbor is coming over. I bet you can’t pick up your toys in 5 minutes!.” Kids love to show they can beat technology and setting a timer will make time concrete and chores more fun. This tip helps with task initiation and, of course, time management.
- Build small and large incentives for a goal: Children with ADHD often struggle with goal-directed persistence. This means that procrastinating until the last minute on the 5th grade book report that’s due at the end of the school year. Help your child to break apart large and long-term assignments into smaller and more manageable pieces. If he needs to read 5 books by the end of the year, have him read 1 book a month for 5 months. If he finishes a book each month, he gets a special “small” prize like a new toy or his favorite dessert. He’s also working towards the ultimate “big” prize at the end of the year when he submits his book report, like a pet rabbit or a new videogame. Be sure to get feedback from your child about what prizes he’s willing to work towards. By breaking up his assignments and creating small and large incentives, he’s more likely to put in the work to get there. This tip helps with task initiation, planning, time management, and goal-directed persistence.
- Make progress tangible and visible: This ties into #3. Because children with ADHD struggle with goal-directed persistence and time management, helping your child to chart his progress towards a goal will help him stay on track. Tape a calendar to the wall in a spot where he will see it every day. This serves as a daily reminder of his school project and a visual representation of his progress. For every chapter of the book he reads, he gets to put a sticker on the day he completed that chapter. This is also a helpful way for you to track your son’s progress. If you notice there are only 3 stickers on the calendar and February is halfway over, gently remind your son to check his calendar and keep working on that book report. This helps with task initiation, planning, time management, and goal-directed persistence.
Helping your child develop his or her executive skills can be challenging. Just know that you are not alone. The therapists at Dandelion Family Counseling can provide additional support, parent coaching, group counseling, and one-on-one therapy to your child. Schedule an appointment with us today!