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| by Thuy Truong, M.A. Ed., TPT Teaching and Coaching, 7/16/2024|
It is hard to believe, but back to school season is approaching near. While families are getting busier and schedules more hectic, it is useful to apply an efficient system to help your child grow their executive function skills to promote academic success for the new school year. So the question is, how can parents set up a self-run system to make everyone's lives easier and strengthen your student's executive function at the same time? The four tips below will help.
1.Tap Into Your Child's Soft Spot
The literature suggests students with ADHD/LD often experience emotional dysregulation. Because emotions are a part of student motivation, this also means emotions are the most persuasive lens to reach your child. It is the fastest highway to getting them on board with many things. Every student has a favorite something. Take this and turn it into a theme for all conversations related to task completion and academic productivity. Think of it this way: Let's imagine your favorite interior design dream is living in a minimalist, chic living room. Now, imagine someone says we'll build it for you and now you can work in your dream living room styled with every dream detail that you can imagine. What would you say? You would say yes, right? In fact, you would be giggling like a school girl while doing your work in your dream space. So tap into your child's soft spot and frame your conversation through this window of perspective. Whether your child's favorite theme is specific or broad, APPLY this lens to everything they need to do. You will often see more compliance in academic tasks and chores if you help your child see a connection between what they love and the mandatory tasks. The clearer the connection; the higher the chance of task completion.
2. Have Writing Routines Ready
Written expression is often a challenge for most students with executive dysfunction. Now, take that and add working memory limitations to the potent mix. It presents a huge obstacle for many students. An immense part of internalizing routines and personal rituals for students with ADHD/LD is remembering them. Therefore, working memory compensation must be prioritized. A vast time saver for parents would be have a poster ready to remind your child for the frequently used writing routine that you would like them to follow. For example: 1. Brainstorm 2. Outline 3. Write Body Paragraphs 4. Write Intro 5. Write Conclusion 6. Take a Break 7. Proofread Out Loud. 8. Submit. Turn this sequence into a fun poster. Once it is posted, all you have to do every time your child forgets is point and guide the child to follow the steps. It hones the child's self-management skills while it saves you time and effort without re-explaining everything again to refresh your child's working memory. If the student cannot remember what to do, then they cannot do it. Memory is a prerequisite for self-discipline and task completion. Remember: The ADHD brain is strong in visual memory, so do leverage this piece of science. If they can't see it, it doesn't exist.
3. Stock Up On Physical Organizational Tools
An open and neat study space clears the mind, which makes it easier to work and clean up. If these are some of the primary goals you have for your child this academic year, then implementing physical organizational tools may prove helpful. Let's focus on the essential. Your child needs paper trays to organize homework if they are still elementary school. This is the easiest way to externalize homework reminders without a lot of work. A backpack bin just like an umbrella bin, will help your child remember a designated place to put his/her backpack. These tangible tools act as a physical reminder for your child, which saves parents' time while instilling structure and routines in your child. The physical tools are the reminders themselves. That way, your child can still self-direct to organize their day even if you are not there.
Suggested Essential Organizational Tools:
Homework Tray
Wall Monthly Calendar (With Erasable Markers)
Backpack Bin
Shoe Rack
Alarm Clock
Hamper (for your child only)
Moveable Cubbies/Storage
*This is a suggestive list. Please revise at your discretion based on your child's individual needs.
4. Your Child Knows What To Do When No One Is Home
As modern society progresses, it becomes harder and harder for everyone to be at the same place at the same time. This has become more commonplace for many families. Therefore, it is important for parents to train your child to be self-sufficient with a little bit of your help from the beginning to give your child a leg up. To boost your child's memory and to save you time, you can use wall infographics of agreed routines to remind your student of morning, after school, and bedtime routines. In such a way, when you are not home, your student can still exercise the good habits and executive function skills of being an independent learner. A one-time installation of infographics can save you an immense amount of time in repeating directions for the whole academic year while you are putting your child in the driver's seat. Then, check the final product to hold your child accountable at the end of each day just to let your child know nothing escapes you, they will be held responsible, and you are proud of their productivity. Because if you don't check, the child will not take their responsibility seriously. You can reminisce your teenage days, and you will understand your child's psychology right away. Will you do it if no one is checking? I think you know the answer.
Sample Infographic:
5. Set Up Reward System
An excellent way to help your child follow through is, of course, offering rewards. This is especially important if you want your child to be self-motivated. To reduce work and increase efficiency in your household, you need to publicize responsibilities and rewards from the beginning and post it on the wall weekly. It will be very memory boosting for your child because if they forget, they can just look. However, the act of publicizing responsibilities also gives parents leverage in the conversation. You tell your child early on of what their duties are, what the rewards will be, so it doesn't get lost in translation. Research shows students with ADHD/LD need a strong dose of dopamine for them to follow through on obligatory tasks because they have an interest-based nervous system. It adds another level of novelty for them. It makes it more real, easier to remember, and effortless to execute when all the necessary emotional and brain-based stimuli are there to help them get to the finish line easier. At first glance, they do it because of the rewards. However, your child will slowly internalize an automated structure to self-regulate and it may evolve into a feeling of joyful confidence in task completion, even though they may not show it.
Students with executive dysfunction always need three things to complete almost any task: External Reminder, Clear Sequence Of Action, and Rewards For Accountability. The ADHD brain needs to feel the task is real enough before it goes and fulfills that task.
Research:
Lewsley, Joanne. (2023, January 17). What to know about object permanence and ADHD. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/object-permanence-adhd
Stark R, Bauer E, Merz CJ, Zimmermann M, Reuter M, Plichta MM, Kirsch P, Lesch KP, Fallgatter AJ, Vaitl D, Herrmann MJ. ADHD related behaviors are associated with brain activation in the reward system. Neuropsychologia. 2011 Feb;49(3):426-34. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.12.012. Epub 2010 Dec 14. PMID: 21163276.
Weir, K. (2024, April 1). Emotional dysregulation is part of ADHD. See how psychologists are helping. Monitor on Psychology, 55(3). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/04/adhd-managing-emotion-dysregulation
Thuy Truong, M.A. Ed.
As a Certified ADHD Professional/Coach and Licensed Educator for 19 years, Thuy's holistic approach combines Learning Science with ADHD Science to design brain hack strategies that foster students'/individuals' long-term independence, motivation, and self-management skills. She is diligent in understanding her students and adults on all levels (ADHD, Executive Dysfunction, Autism, Dysgraphia, Anxiety, Depression, Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors-BFRB, Written Expression Disorder, Specific Reading Comprehension Deficit-SRCD, ADHD and Syncope-fainting spells). She listens deeply and spots the missing piece very quickly then she swiftly turns around to personalize tailored strategies to meet her clients' unique needs. She believes in evidence-based practices as well as giving the student/individual the best of all worlds: learning science, cognitive science, and ADHD science. Her favorite part is recognizing the missing puzzle and customizing the "brain hack" in a language that is unique to that individual while meeting all their needs. She especially enjoys helping students/adults translate their challenges into actionable steps and likes letting them know that they are well loved!
Learn more about how Thuy marries a student's cognitive style with brain hack strategies here.
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