<p>xposted in the parents forum also
I'm having an IEP meeting in a few days to discuss my son's plan. Does anyone know where I can find a comprehensive list of learning strategies for students with problems in executive function?
Also, I'm debating whether or not to try medication to improve his focus and concentration. He has no diagnosis of adhd though. He has asperger's and mild tourette's that he seems to have "outgrown". Does anyone have any experience with typical adhd meds being used to help with executive functioning outside of an adhd diagnosis?
Thanks</p>
<p>Yes actually…</p>
<p>FOr the first 2 years of highschool i failed every class and pretty much gave up because not only didn’t I care, but I had trouble concentrating…</p>
<p>My junior and senior year I decided to take Aderall, a medication that brings the complete executive functioning together, allowing the user to complete tasks without distraction, and with an effective mindset.</p>
<p>I can sum it up by saying this. I got sent to a new school after failed attempts time and time again, and ended up with stellar test scores and being first in my class…quite a stretch from where I was. Aderall allowed me to pay attention to what was important without allowing outside factors interfere, and I felt effective. Alot of factors played into it, besides medication, like just plain motivation, but I can tell you that I know when I missed my Aderall, because it makes a huge difference in my ability to complete tasks and create a drive within myself.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your reply. I’m very glad to hear that you were able to turn things around.</p>
<p>After years of not knowing why my daughter had trouble at school (difficulty learning to read, spell and memorizing her times tables), she was finally diagnosed with ADD (inattentive) as well as executive functioning disorder. She has a terrible memory, hence spelling and math issues. She is now in 11th grade and has been taking Concerta for 3 years. It has helped ALOT in her ability to focus at school, one day she forgot to take it and definitely could tell she hadn’t taken it. It is not a cure-all, she still has a terrible memory. But I will tell you the medication proved to be a life saver. best of luck to you!</p>
<p>An excellent book to learn more and find strategies is “Teenagers with ADD and ADHD” by Dendy. I bought it on Amazon.</p>
<p>My son has exec proc issues but also has an adhd diagnosis. He takes focalin and we have seen a dramatic turn around for him. He is now top of his class in almost every class (English is still trickier for him due to the connections he is expected to make from the texts). He typically carries 100 overall in every other class. When he doesnt take the meds he will describe it as too many things going around in his head. </p>
<p>I do think the exec proc is a bigger issue to him than the adhd. </p>
<p>We also purchased Inspiration software for him which is a tool that helps to organize research papers/essays/etc. He is in a writing intensive school so it was necessary. This has made a tremendous difference for him as well. </p>
<p>We did not pursue an IEP for him so he receives no accomodations.</p>
<p>Here are some goals that you can look at and see if any fit your son’s challenges; he can then work on them at school. Bring them up to the team if you want goals like this in the IEP. </p>
<p>Executive Function Goals for the IEP</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Self-awareness.
a. The individual will accurately identify tasks that are easy/difficult for him/her.
b. Given a difficult task the individual will indicate that it is difficult.
c. The individual will request help when tasks are difficult.</p></li>
<li><p>Goal-setting.
a. The individual will accurately predict how effectively s/he will accomplish a
task. Some specific possibilities include: S/he will accurately predict whether
or not s/he will be able to complete a task; how much of a particular a task
s/he can finish in a given time frame; him/her grade on a test.
b. The individual will participate in setting specific goals prior to beginning an
assignment or project.
c. The individual will establish a timeline for the completion of a project,
articulate it with staff, and meet the timeline requirements.</p></li>
<li><p>Planning.
a. Given an activity, the individual will articulate the items that s/he will need to
complete the activity successfully.
b. Given a task that s/he correctly identifies as difficult for him/her, the
individual will create a plan for accomplishing that task, including articulating
the nature and frequency of help.
c. Having failed to achieve a predicted goal on a specific activity, the individual
will create a plan to improve his/her performance on the next activity.</p></li>
<li><p>Organizing.
a. The individual will select and use a system to organize his/her assignments
and other work.
b. Given an assignment for writing, the individual will create an outline for the
product, identify the items that s/he will need to complete the assignment,
including the materials that s/he will need to accomplish the task and make a
timeline for its completion.
c. The individual will prepare a semantic web before proceeding with writing
projects.</p></li>
<li><p>Self-initiating.
a. When the individual does not understand an instruction or does not know what
to do, s/he will ask an adult for help.
b. The individual will begin his/her assignments independently.</p></li>
<li><p>Self-monitoring and self-evaluation.
a. The individual will keep a journal in which s/he records his/her plans and
predictions for success and also records his/her actual performance and its
relation to his/her predictions.
b. The individual will identify errors in his/her work without assistance.</p></li>
<li><p>Problem-solving.
a. When faced with obstacles to accomplishing his/her personal objectives, the
individual will offer suggestions for what s/he could do to overcome the
obstacle, give reasons for and against each, choose the best, do it, and evaluate
its effectiveness.
b. The individual will offer possible solutions to everyday problems as they arise
over the course of the day.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>wrldtravlr - Thank You!!! That’s exactly the type of thing I was looking for. I knew what he should work on but wasn’t able to break it down that way. Nearly all of those goals are appropriate for him.</p>
<p>And for the record, I asked my son what he thought about taking meds and he didn’t like the idea. So, no meds.</p>
<p>Hi reeinaz-</p>
<p>I’m glad the information was helpful. Remember, you can call an IEP meeting at any time if you and your son are not happy with any aspect of his education, or you want different goals. Send a request to the case manager with a possible agenda of what you want discussed. Get used to being unpopular. Also, don’t let them try to talk you out of it for reasons of time constraints, or we only have one once per year, etc. Where I live we have a nonprofit that are advocates for students with disabilities in the education system. They answer questions, and will even go to IEP meetings with a parent as an educational advocate, all free. Not sure how prevalent this is in other areas. Best wishes to you and your son.</p>