ADHD & Executive Functioning
by Chyrl Mullins, a certified Educational Diagnostician
Embedded Files
ADHD is a clinical diagnosis of neurological origins that impacts the brain’s executive functions that help focus on, plan, and execute tasks. With brain imaging, neuroscience, and clinical research doctors have discovered that ADHD is a developmental impairment in the area of the brain that is responsible for self-management or executive function.
Executive Function refers to skills controlled by the prefrontal area of the brain, which is the last part of the brain to fully develop. Neuroimaging research indicates that the prefrontal lobe and deeper connecting brain systems including stratum and cerebellum are in ongoing growth with rapid periods of maturation in preschool, elementary, and middle school years. These areas of the brain that support executive function continue to mature throughout adolescence and into early adulthood and are vulnerable to disruption from a variety of causes such as trauma and stress.
The frontal lobe is the executive control (or boss) of the brain and is responsible for organizing and directing the individual areas of the brain to solve problems and complete tasks. The executive skills provided by the frontal lobe include planning, organization, time management, working memory, inhibition, self-regulation, task initiation, flexibility in thinking and problem solving (cognitive shifting), self-awareness, prioritizing, and anticipation of consequences.
ADHD is an attention disorder that impairs a person’s ability to maintain focus, filter out distractions, and/or control impulses to speak or act. There are three types of ADHD:
Primarily inattentive type (often called ADD)
Primarily hyperactive-impulsive type
Primarily combined type
Characteristics of students with the inattentive type
Characteristics of students with the inattentive type
Display difficulty maintaining attention or paying attention to details
Make careless mistakes in schoolwork
Don’t seem to listen when spoken to directly
Exhibit difficulty following through on instructions, finishing chores, or schoolwork
Struggle with organization
Avoid tasks that are difficult or not liked
Lose things
Easily distracted by outside stimuli
Show forgetful
Characteristics of students with hyperactive/impulsive type
Characteristics of students with hyperactive/impulsive type
Fidget or squirm in their seats
Tap their hands or feet
Leave their seats without permission
Run, climb, or move about at inappropriate times
Struggle to play or engage in quiet activities
Move constantly like they are “driven by a motor”
Talk excessively, blurt out answers, or have difficulty waiting for their turn
Interrupt others or intrude in their space
In contrast to its name, ADHD is not actually a deficit of attention. It actually causes inconsistencies in attention. Sometimes a person is hyper focused. If ADHD or deficits in executive function are a concern, consult with a doctor or mental health professional about diagnosis and treatment.
* Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)
Resources:
ADHD Causes and Treatment (Part 2)
Classroom Strategies for those with ADHD (Part 3)
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
Image: https://organsofthebody.com/images/parts-of-the-brain.jpgPage updated
Google Sites
Report abuse