Executive Functioning

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:is there any way you could measure his performance before and after adderal? My kid is also struggling with appetite issues.

Did he have tests of attention when he was diagnosed? If so, you might be able to repeat them. Other docs use before and after questionnaires. That's harder in the summer, though, because kids aren't in school.

[Anonymous]

yeah. i was wondering about academic performance which is really what we care about. i'm sure the before after test is interesting and helpful. But, to be crass, I'm wondering how much, if at all, grades improved after taking aderall or other stimulants.

[Anonymous]

"DS and I have been doing this "mindfulness" routine for almost two years now, but it has paid off. DS gets straight A's."

No, Mom's getting the A's. Mom, you're doing too much work here. I'd rather the kid got his A's and B's and learned some life skills. I realize in the DC area, getting straight A's is the be and end all. But maybe he's just a normal kid who's a little scattered? I'd use some judgement before calling in all the big guns.

For the record, I have a gifted ADD child on meds (not wild about the meds but we'll get to that a different day) so I'm not minimizing or scoffing. My daughter just graduated high school. What I've learned over the years is how much snake oil is being pushed out there. Just be careful you aren't doing all the school's work. School's happy to let him go on stimulants and have you micro-manage it all. But is that the role you should be playing?

You aren't questioning the homework or how much of it is busy work. Your child is probably sleep deprived to boot. Sometimes organic common sense solutions work just as well. If not better.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, we are in week 3 of Cogmed right now for my son. I will post an update on our experience on the SN board when I get a chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"DS and I have been doing this "mindfulness" routine for almost two years now, but it has paid off. DS gets straight A's."

No, Mom's getting the A's. Mom, you're doing too much work here. I'd rather the kid got his A's and B's and learned some life skills. I realize in the DC area, getting straight A's is the be and end all. But maybe he's just a normal kid who's a little scattered? I'd use some judgement before calling in all the big guns.

For the record, I have a gifted ADD child on meds (not wild about the meds but we'll get to that a different day) so I'm not minimizing or scoffing. My daughter just graduated high school. What I've learned over the years is how much snake oil is being pushed out there. Just be careful you aren't doing all the school's work. School's happy to let him go on stimulants and have you micro-manage it all. But is that the role you should be playing?

You aren't questioning the homework or how much of it is busy work. Your child is probably sleep deprived to boot. Sometimes organic common sense solutions work just as well. If not better.

Thanks for your comments, but we are doing what the psychiatrist recommended and it works for us. My son is learning organizational techniques and getting better at them, not just relying on me. Your situation may be different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, we are in week 3 of Cogmed right now for my son. I will post an update on our experience on the SN board when I get a chance.

OP here. Thank you! Much appreciated.

[Anonymous]

This thread was picked up and discussed by Coalition for Kid Friendly Schools. Check it out:

http://kidfriendlyschools.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html

[Anonymous]

Wow, was that blog insulting. First of all executive function issues, and ADHD for that matter, are not "mental" disorders, they are developmental disorders.

Second, I am sick of smug parents whose kids don't have these issues passing judgment on those of us whose children do. Has this person seen a child work incredibly hard on an assignment, only to leave it behind somewhere and have meltdown as a result? How about if that happens every single day? Why would a parent not intervene?

I agree that OP's mindfulness is going a bit too far only because at some point the parent has to recede and let the child take over. Checklists and systems are great strategies, but the child should learn to do them himself. I also have a problem with grades being the only measure of success -- wow, way to create a stressed out kid.

But otherwise, the blog was smug, judgmental and simply wrong.

[Anonymous]

Just to be clear PP: ADHD is not a developmental disorder; it's a neurological one. (From one who is in a position to diagnose.)

[Anonymous]

Interesting, I always thought it was a developmental disorder. Why the distinction? I have a child with an ASD and ADHD and I've always thought of both as developmental disorders. Neurodevelopmental disorders, to be precise, but no one is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, was that blog insulting. First of all executive function issues, and ADHD for that matter, are not "mental" disorders, they are developmental disorders.

Second, I am sick of smug parents whose kids don't have these issues passing judgment on those of us whose children do. Has this person seen a child work incredibly hard on an assignment, only to leave it behind somewhere and have meltdown as a result? How about if that happens every single day? Why would a parent not intervene?

I agree that OP's mindfulness is going a bit too far only because at some point the parent has to recede and let the child take over. Checklists and systems are great strategies, but the child should learn to do them himself. I also have a problem with grades being the only measure of success -- wow, way to create a stressed out kid.

But otherwise, the blog was smug, judgmental and simply wrong.

I agee with this but I did want to point out that ADHD and EF issues are not developmental disorders. I'm an adult with both and they are still very real challenges for me.

[Anonymous]

Huh. I read the blog as being disparaging of an educational system that forces parents to consider medicating their kids to deal with unrealistic homework expectations and an overload of busy work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:yeah. i was wondering about academic performance which is really what we care about. i'm sure the before after test is interesting and helpful. But, to be crass, I'm wondering how much, if at all, grades improved after taking aderall or other stimulants.

I am a teacher and worked hard with my ADD child before putting him on medication. His grades improved drastically--but that is a side effect--he was able to focus in a different way in an academic setting and on homework and that is what convinced me. He actually became more disorganized than when I was micromanaging everything with checklists etc. and does not always do his work to MY standards, but so much more of his organization and effort is his OWN (not mine) and autonomy is the goal. We still use some tried and true strategies (planner, homework space, checklists). We also take medication holidays (I am still undecided whether these are a good idea, but he said he likes to turn off his 'thinkiness' on vacation. I see it as a different kind of 'thinkiness'--and have no issue with no medication while he is on vacation--play and projects and physical activities. Still--open-minded in this one. In school however, I reached the point of thinking we were doing him a disservice in not trying medication. He had to work twice as hard at everything, had lower recall, gave his teachers the perception of disinterest (we were able to correct this through good communication with teachers, but still)... and he was not necessarily deriving much pleasure from the learning opportunities he was partaking in. I am glad we tried medication. He says he is glad he takes the medication. We will continue to use, monitor, assess, stay informed and be ready to adapt and change if needed.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the term developmental disorder is outdated but my DS has Aspergers, which is a developmental disorder but he will always have it. It doesn't mean "only in childhood."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"DS and I have been doing this "mindfulness" routine for almost two years now, but it has paid off. DS gets straight A's."

No, Mom's getting the A's. Mom, you're doing too much work here. I'd rather the kid got his A's and B's and learned some life skills. I realize in the DC area, getting straight A's is the be and end all. But maybe he's just a normal kid who's a little scattered? I'd use some judgement before calling in all the big guns.

For the record, I have a gifted ADD child on meds (not wild about the meds but we'll get to that a different day) so I'm not minimizing or scoffing. My daughter just graduated high school. What I've learned over the years is how much snake oil is being pushed out there. Just be careful you aren't doing all the school's work. School's happy to let him go on stimulants and have you micro-manage it all. But is that the role you should be playing?

You aren't questioning the homework or how much of it is busy work. Your child is probably sleep deprived to boot. Sometimes organic common sense solutions work just as well. If not better.

Thanks for your comments, but we are doing what the psychiatrist recommended and it works for us. My son is learning organizational techniques and getting better at them, not just relying on me. Your situation may be different.

OP, that was a very gracious response! How unusual and refreshing.

I have a DD who started to demonstrate executive functioning issues in 2nd grade. A friend of mine who is a principal at a Mont Co elementary school gave me a copy of a 10 page document full of suggestions for teachers when working with such children. Your mindfullness check, the colored folders, breaking projects down into manageable parts, those were all on the list. I do not see your mindfullness check as too involved. You are training your child. It takes extra training when dealing with executive functioning issues. Keep up the good work!