Is this a problem with executive functioning?

Post Reply New Topic

So as my general 'temporary reason I can't go to the doctor's' is still in place, and will be until my neurologist appointment for TS in July. I might ask my dad about comorbid testing for aspie, but the neurologist I'm going to specializes in Tourettes, not autism. He might be able to provide a Dx, I guess since he is neurologist but...

Anyway I'll be posting these articles differentiating symptoms so that I know what to bring to my father. I'm not very good at it.

So here possible cognitive delay/executive functioning error symptoms:

-I get confused easily.
In general, I'm confused. I'm not able to organize my thoughts at all. Which means; much math theory was lost on me, I can not, and never will be able to do mental math even to the basic elementary level. Just hand me a damn paper,. My memories are jumbled. I have lots of 'standalone' memories where I can't remember when they happened or where on the 'timeline' they lie and there are even memories where I don't know the year in which they happened,. I can't retrace my steps. At all.

-I can't read

I'm not dyslexic, I promise. I just have a lot of difficulties with reading. Novels, or long bricks of text. I can skim an article, or forum posts for hours because they *feel* short for me, but something long just really is difficult. And I don't nessecarily look at a task and go "oh my god I'm never gonna get any of this done it's too big" but I have a large amount of hesitation starting a task, and often unintentionally I don't start said task at all. The first minute is excruciating. And from there I can just do whatever I have to do because I already started the task.

Soo that's it I think. Sorry if I described normal things. I didn't know.

Sounds like you could have an issue with micro transitions, which can be related to ASD. Is it just tasks that you have trouble starting, or more generally moving from one activity/area to the next?

I'm not sure about the memories thing, I'm the same but I don't know if NTs have more organised 'memory timelines' or whatever. What you're experiencing with that is possibly 'normal'.

Yes, you seem to have EF problems, your descriptions seem quite strong for EF problems, more so than most descriptions I have read.

I know I have executive functioning issues but I mostly felt they are getting started and spending massive energy on completing to the point it is even harder to start cuz I have a problem anyway plus now the fear of the effort itself...

I have other issues but I never knew where they belonged. Like I cannot like OP for my life do maths in my head. People thought I was worse at maths than I really was cuz they test it orally and you cannot write anything down. What happens when I try to do maths, I will give an example, they say add 28 and 75, I might start with adding 20 and 70 and that is 90, then going on to add 8 and 5, but when I try to add back 13, I have forgotten 90, because it is like I need that part of my brain where I stored 90 to do the rest of my math, so now that number is overwritten. I might clench my hands in 9 fingers so I have something to refer back to when I have to retrieve 90, but it all gets very messy.

I am good at reading silently but I cannot read aloud. If it is short sentences I can read, memorize them and then say them. But if they are complex sentences I cannot remember them, and I cannot just pause long to read them. So when I try to read aloud I read word by word and I have no idea what I am reading, I do much worse than early screen readers. I can't focus on reading and speaking at the same time. For me it is a mystery ANYONE can do this.

I have a good memory for things in the past. But unless there is something VERY clear about when they occurred I am clueless. I don't know in what order. I don't have a real sense how long ago it was. When I get proof of like what year something was, it never feels right. And when I was at some work training interview they asked me when my last worklike activity was, and I said a few years ago, I don't know exactly. Even them knowing my conditions they got angry because "everyone knows what year they worked!" I couldn't even say how many years I was there. A while ago, cops knocked on my door and asked me what I did a certain date LIKE I'D HAVE A CLUE! (Should add I was not a suspect of anything, they looked for witnesses), I said I have no idea and they said "You must, it wasn't that long ago". I still had to admit I really did not know. I mean I know what I do but like what DAY it was? Forget it.

Taking direction I just cannot do. Not if it is not written. "Turn left at the petrol station, then follow that street until you see a sculpture on the left, then go one more block, turn right and directly right again". (OK, I will go to the petrol station and hope I can find someone there for the next step...)

For me this is not "normal" because other people seem to manage those with ease.

I'll offer this disclaimer right up front: I'm not a psychologist and I haven't been studying this stuff very long, so what I'm about to say could be all wrong.

I do hear some executive functioning issues, but the overall theme sounds to me like it might be that you're seeing a million details (all the details in math or all the possibilities for a project) and it's tough to "prioritize" those details, i.e. its tough to pick out the important ones and ignore the rest. This leads to confusion in math and difficulty getting started on tasks. If so, this sounds like an issue with "central coherence". I also have executive functioning issues as well as issues with central coherence - except with math, for some reason. I don't know why, but in math the big picture comes to me quite naturally, while also being able to see all the details. But with anything else in life, I'm forever overwhelmed by details, confused by things that others seems okay with, and have a terribly difficult time getting started on tasks.

I don't know what it's called. I just sort of assume it is a result of lack of multitasking abilities. But I'm not sure. I can think and type at the same time fine. So it only happens with some stuff. If it has a name I also liked to know it.