Alternative Treatments/ Paths for Executive Function Disorder Support- know your options.
People with executive function disorder have unique needs in the classroom, at work and in relationships. They might need extra help to understand tasks, initiate and motivate towards goals and deadlines, get started, and stay focused. Additionally, developing appropriate and ora=ganized thinking patterns can be a difficulty for personal success and interpersonal relationship building and growth.
Executive function coaching is not available, or financially accessible to everyone. For this reason, we want to share some alternate ways to continue to support your journey when strengthening your executive functioning and living your best, most meaningful life.
The key to choosing successful treatment or path is identifying the two or three most important areas of focus, and picking skills or work to be done that addresses them. Online quizzes and articles can often help you explore the areas more common with skill building. Don’t ignore your gut, if you read a description of something and you feel like it describes what you want to work on, keep looking into it.
Often skills are layered, and you might start with one skill like time-management, and realize you need to first practice the skills of prioritization and proactively recognize where you are experiencing and need to address time blindness to be most effective.
To help yourself at home, provide structure with a special place to work on assignments/tasks/chores that is equipped with everything you need to get started. Set a start time for beginning work after school, have someone sit with you while you start a task/assignments, and then ask for a check in when it’s finished.
There are Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) and Counselors that may specialize in executive functioning, and may go through insurance. You will have to research through your insurance to find this. Sometimes they are listed under categories like ADD/ADHD support, and you would want to ask them if they support executive functioning skills. Use the same wonderings that you would when finding a coach to consider anther professional (credentials, time frame, examples, approach etc.,)
There are groups (often online) for Executive functioning skills (again, often listed under ADD.ADHD skills management), that can be cost effective, but may require a waiting list. In person groups are more expensive, and harder to find. Often, these skills groups are not covered by insurance.
Try a buddy system. Usually we know another adult that struggles with executive functioning. Finding a book about adult ADHD, organization, etc., and working through it together can help identify areas you want to work on, and you can use the internet to search skills that you want to try together and ways to help keep track of progress. It is recommended that this adult is not your partner, but instead another caring person who knows you well enough to be open and honest, and accept the same from you.
Lastly, you are not the first person to experience what you are experiencing! While your situation and circumstances are unique, there are SO MANY resources that others have found helpful enough to put into research papers, blogs, videos and other resources. Google and other search engines are your friend. Sites like ADDitudeMag offer resources in print, newsletters, books, lectures, groups and other resources, often without a fee.
You got this! The first step is knowing you want to be a better version of yourself FOR yourself.
recommended resources to explore for support
Blogs, Forums, Articles and Resources to Consider