Strategies for dealing with Executive Dysfunction

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Executive function is a handful of different skills.

For forgetting how to execute tasks you know how to do, talk yourself through them. "I need to brush my teeth. I am standing at the sink. How do I brush my teeth? I need to hold the toothbrush. I need to reach out my hand, pick it up..."

For forgetting how to transition, seek ways to make your schedule impose them. I'm often on the computer right before bed, when my executive function is making a nose-dive. One thing that you can do with a problem like that (not feasible for me right now) is to do it earlier, maybe when your executive function is better (or before an appointment that will force a transition, but make sure you're not late to it then). Or you can do something like drink a lot of water and use the eventual bathroom break to help you transition. You could also set a timer.

For keeping stuff organized... if I knew that one, I'd have a lot less trouble in life!

Hmm, don't know if this is relevant. But I've taken to doing this; when I forget what I'm doing/was doing/am supposed to be doing, I ask out loud 'what am I doing?' and this seems to jog my memory, and I get back on track. Seems to work for me.

I retrace my steps and I usually see something that jogs my memory.

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Some persons use a simple to do list with a checkbox in front of each item. When the task is completed (such as: grocery shopping), then a checkmark is put inside the box.

Some persons will work on the most important item first in the morning. That increases the odds that priorities get done. The other items can then be addressed.

http://www.daytimer.com/birk/
https://plannerpads.com/
http://www.post-it.com/wps/portal/3M/en ... It/Global/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodmi ... ntion.html

If a person has something going on like ADHD Inattentive or Petit mal/absence/complex partial/TLE, it may take a little more time to get some projects done.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/adhd/adhd.htm
http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-5/auditory.htm
http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/seizures/absence.html

http://www.dreambigcollection.com/
http://www.johngoddard.info/
http://www.grove.com/

http://www.ldonline.org/article/24880 (Executive Function Fact Sheet)

Education - Career - Family - House - Car - Taxes - Death and so on (from the proverbial Cradle to the Grave).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_race
http://wishcraft.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Campbell (Follow your bliss)

I've done this too.

To get organized I used a book called ADD Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life in conjunction with CBT which really helped me get my finances and files in order. It also has methods for things like keeping the house tidy or dealing with the dishwasher. I'm not perfectly organized, but I'm better than I was before. I

RE what Willard and AdmiralCrunch brought up, it addresses the range of simple tasks to complex series of actions toward a certain goal.

Great thread I suggest stickying this and possibly cross-stickying to Parents Discussion.