More Accomplishment! Less Struggle Bridging the Gaps in Executive Function to Empower our Children with ADHD to Succeed
WELCOME Robin Nordmeyer Certified Life Coach and ADHD Coach Managing Director - Minnesota Offices in Apple Valley and Edina Serving Clients in Minnesota, Colorado, Texas and Nationwide Robin@ADHDCoach.life https://centerforlivingwellwithadhd.org
OBJECTIVES Overview of ADHD What We Know Now Understanding Impact Executive Function Skill Building Approaches Other factors to help our children experience more success and resilience
Overview of ADHD Definition: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a brain disorder marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. /www.nimh.nih.gov Causes: Underdeveloped Brain Not enough neurotransmitter availability Brain Injuries physical, toxins, medical Hereditary component More About ADHD Refer to About ADHD Handout / National Research Center / CHADD What We Notice Inattention Hyperactivity Impulsivity Poor Behaviors Indifference / Lack of Motivation Emotional Volatility What We May Not Notice Executive Functioning Deficits Learning Disabilities Coexisting Conditions Sleep and Speech challenges Poor Lifestyle Habits Internal & External Stressors Poor Outlook / Mindset
Awareness What We Know Now ADHD - Setting The Record Straight Have you heard these before? ADHD is not a real condition. Everyone has a little ADHD these days. Mostly boys have ADHD. ADHD is caused by poor parenting. ADHD can be cured or goes away with age. People with ADHD just don t care about outcomes. People with ADHD are lazy, crazy, or stupid. Someone with ADHD needs to just try harder.
Improving Executive Function Skills is one way to help our children Thomas Brown, PhD The Orchestra Conductor Activation- Organizing, Prioritizing, and activating to work Focus focusing, sustaining and shifting attention to task Effort regulating our alertness, sustaining effort and processing speed. Emotion managing frustration and modulating emotions Memory utilizing working memory and accessing recall Action Monitoring and self regulating action Russell Barkley, MD Self-Regulation - Self directed actions needed to sustain problem solving while working toward a goal.
Improving Executive Function Skills is one way to help our children Peg Dawson, EdD & Richard Guare, PhD Executive Skills High level cognitive processes developed from birth through 20 s
Executive Skills Dawson & Guare Response Inhibition Working Memory Emotional Control Sustained Attention Task Initiation Planning and Prioritization Organization Time Management Flexibility Metacognition Goal-Directed Persistence Step by Step Process: Assess Information Review Problem Behaviors/Executive Skills Focus on 1 Behavior Goal and Skill Design and Work on Intervention, Evaluate for Effectiveness Interventions: Modify Environment Teach Skill Use Incentives Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention, 2 nd Edition, Peg Dawson, EdD and Richard Guare, PhD, The Guilford Press,
Building Executive Function Skills Gather Information Medical, Academic, Family Lifestyle and Social Skill History Neuropsychological Evaluations School and Grade Reports Inventory Executive Skill Wins and Challenges ADHD can be Inconsistent Where is the executive skill used well? Where is the executive skill a problem? ORGANIZATION 1-3 Wins 1-3 Challenges
Building Executive Function Skills Set a Goal Think of a SMART Goal for the desired outcome or behavior: include your plan to bridge and build on the appropriate executive skill set Rate the Goal On a scale of 0-10, with 0 as easy and 10 as difficult, how would the child rate the goal? What is their 3-5?
Building Executive Function Skills Design an intervention plan: Add Incentive(s) WIIFM?
Building Executive Function Skills Help your child discover and use their strengths to help with executive functioning: The Flip side of ADHD-Traits Natural areas of Intelligence Character Strengths Special Skills Expertise
Building Executive Function Skills Teach Executive Function Skill in context of the goal Demonstrate the skill step by step. Practice the skill together Let the child take on one step of the skill at a time until they master the entire skill scaffolding in the right amount of support Identify opportunities to use the new skill Set up cues to remember Pull back on support and prompting as the steps of the skill are mastered Recognize and reward effort
More Ways to Help our Children with Executive Functioning Look for Opportunities to develop their Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence (EQ) may contribute to success more than Intellectual Intelligence (IQ) EQ can be improved to help (IQ) The 5 Domains of EQ in 4 Life Areas Parents and teachers can use teachable moments to help children recognize and respond to emotions in healthy ways through role modeling and asking questions from a place of curiosity. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Daniel Goleman, 2005
More Ways to Help Our Children Dr. Stuart Shanker Identify and Neutralize Excess-Stressors 5 Domains Roots of Stressors Biological Emotional Intellectual Social Prosocial 5 Step Process 1. Read the signs and reframe the behavior. 2. Identify the stressors. 3. Reduce the stressors. 4. Teach the child to recognize when they are over-stressed. 5. Help the child figure out what helps them calm, rest and recover. Self-Reg: How to Help Your Child (and You) Break the Stress Cycle and Successfully Engage with Life Dr. Stuart Shanker, 2017.
More Ways to Help Our Children Build a Toolbox of Winning Strategies Exploring and identifying strategies that will help our children learn more about their unique strengths and ways they are Wired to Win
More Ways to Help Our Children Look for opportunities to encourage a Growth Mindset and use of Mindfulness, Meditation
Other Ways to Help Our Children Celebrate and Shine the Light on What is Right
It Takes A Village Your Child s Support Team Family Wellbeing and Mental Health Care Parents Siblings Relatives Physician Psychiatrist Counselor Other Therapists Educators Coaches Other Teache rs Special Ed Tutors Social Worker s Life ADHD EF Peers Mento rs Organi zations Value of ADHD and Executive Function Skill Coaching As parents for younger children As tween or teen As emerging adult
THANK YOU Robin Nordmeyer Certified Life Coach and ADHD Coach Working with Clients in Minnesota, Colorado, Texas and Nationwide Robin@ADHDCoach.life https://centerforlivingwellwithadhd.org Email for copy of Executive Function Skill Building Tool