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Why Kids with Executive Function Challenges Have Trouble with Planning
Why Kids with Executive Function Challenges Have Trouble with Planning
written by Kate Kelly, posted on Understood.org
Planning might seem like a natural process when you have to get something done. But for kids who have trouble with executive function, it can be a big challenge. Things often don’t get done or even started, no matter how large or small the task.
Learn more about why many kids with weak executive function skills struggle with planning.
What trouble with planning looks like
Imagine: It’s 11 p.m. and your child has a paper due in the morning. But there are only a few sentences on the screen, and panic has set in. After staring at the computer for an hour, your child quickly throws together a few paragraphs and then heads to bed.
It might be natural to chalk this behavior up to procrastination or lack of motivation. But what you might really be seeing is your child’s difficulty with planning.
Planning is the ability to set a goal, think of the steps needed to achieve it, and decide on the order of the steps. It’s a complex process that requires all three areas of executive function.
Many people have an easy time planning. But people with weak executive skills may not know where to begin, or what has to happen next in order to reach their goal. So, they don’t get through tasks, even if they’re able to do each step individually.
Trouble with planning affects all areas of life. But you may notice the impact most at school, especially as your child gets to the higher grades and has to figure out how to get work done on time.
Does My Child Need a Support Plan for School?
Does My Child Need a Support Plan for School?
written by Dr. Liz Nissim, published on Psychology Today
As a parent actively involved in your child’s education, you’ve likely become very familiar with their strengths, their challenges, and the subjects where there is resistance versus ease. You might have noticed patterns: some assignments lead to procrastinationor meltdowns, while others are tackled with independence and a sense of pride.
Many parents reach out to me when they begin to realize their child is struggling academically. The question that naturally follows is: Is this a learning disability, ADHD, anxiety, or a combination? And more importantly, Does my child need a support plan, such as a 504 Accommodation Plan or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)?
Red Flags by Grade Level
Recognizing early signs of learning or attention challenges can make a huge difference. Below is a guide, broken down by grade level, highlighting common concerns that may indicate the need for further evaluation or support.
Kindergarten
- Difficulty identifying upper- and lower-case letters
- Trouble recognizing letter sounds
- Struggles with number identification
- Limited rhyming and phonemic awareness
- Very limited sight word vocabulary
- Avoidance of writing tasks
- Short attention span or difficulty sitting still
- Impulsivity or trouble following two-step directions
First Grade
- Learns sight words during a session but quickly forgets them
- Sight word vocabulary smaller than expected
- Below grade-level reading (based on Fountas & Pinnell levels)
- Avoids writing tasks
- Struggles with basic number concepts (e.g., bigger/smaller)
- Short attention span and impulsivity
- Memory challenges
- Difficulty with word problems and multi-step directions
- Emotional responses (tears or meltdowns) during schoolwork
Second Grade
- Letter or number reversals continue
- Poor reading comprehension and fluency
- Difficulty decoding unfamiliar words
- Attention issues and impulsivity
- Memory and recall difficulties
- Trouble staying focused to complete tasks
- Strong emotional responses to schoolwork
- Difficulty following 2–3 step instructions
Supporting an Anxious Child in School: What You Can Do
Supporting an Anxious Child in School: What You Can Do
written by Dr. Liz Nissim, posted on Psychology Today
If your child has anxiety, school can be a daily struggle. Your child or teen may resist getting out of bed, express physical complaints like stomachaches or headaches before bed or in the morning, or struggle to make friends. Some subjects may feel especially challenging, and the noise and activity of the school environment can be overwhelming.
The reasons for school-related anxiety can vary, but one thing is clear: when a child is preoccupied with worry, it’s hard for them to focus on academics. Over time, this can lead to a cycle of frustration and fear, with each worry feeding into the next. An anxious child’s inner dialogue might sound something like this:
“I can’t focus because I’m worrying about my mom’s safety, so now I missed the math lesson. I don’t know how to solve these problems, but I’m afraid to ask for help. My teacher will be upset with me. Now I have a homework sheet of 20 problems I don’t understand. And I have science and spelling homework, too. Samantha wouldn’t play with me today—did I do something wrong? What did the teacher just say? Was that the bell? Are we going to gym? I can’t do this!”
How Can I Help My Anxious Child Succeed in School?
Fortunately, there are support plans available that can help. These come in two forms: a 504 Accommodation Plan and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
504 Accommodation Plan
A 504 Accommodation Plan provides support once a diagnosis is in place. Created by a team including parents, the principal, the school nurse, teachers, and a counselor, this plan offers accommodations that help your child manage their anxiety at school. It’s valid for a year and can be updated annually, though reviewing every three months is often beneficial as a child’s needs can fluctuate throughout the year.
Common 504 accommodations for anxiety include:
- Daily check-ins: Inform the school team—principal, counselor, and teacher—about your child’s challenges so they can help make the morning routine smoother. Arrangements could include a designated staff member to meet your child at drop-off to ease separation and transition.
- Flexible attendance: If attending a full day is overwhelming, consider a gradual return—starting with a half-day and slowly adding classes as your child adjusts.
- Staggered entry: Allowing your child to arrive before or after the morning rush can reduce anxiety about crowded hallways.
- Regular check-ins: Establishing a trusted adult (like a guidance counselor) who meets with your child regularly or on an as-needed basis can provide comfort and support.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
An IEP provides specialized education and additional resources if a child’s anxiety significantly impacts their learning. This program can include in-class support or co-teaching for challenging subjects. It involves a case manager from the Child Study Team (CST) and may include testing by the CST or from a clinical psychologist.
For children who have co-existing conditions such as ADHD or specific learning disabilities, the support can be even more comprehensive. Out-of-class resource programs might provide modified curriculum support tailored to their abilities.
An IEP can include 504 accommodations along with additional options such as:
- Reduced workload and homework: Completing only selected problems (e.g., odds or evens) can make assignments feel more manageable.
- Avoidance of spotlight: Allow your child to volunteer instead of calling on him to avoid added pressure.
- Breaks as needed: Giving your child permission to take breaks when they feel overwhelmed can help them reset.
- Safe space: Designate a quiet space in the school where your child can go to decompress.
- Extended time: Allowing extra time on assignments, tests, and quizzes can ease performance pressure.
- Quiet testing environment: Permit your child to complete tests or assignments in a quieter setting if needed.
Is My Child Dyslexic?
Is My Child Dyslexic?
written by Dr. Liz Nissim-Matheis, posted on Psychology Today
It’s March, and you’ve noticed a few things about your child’s reading and writing skills. At your last parent-teacher conference, your child’s teacher recognizes that your child is struggling with reading and writing. What can be further confusing is that your child may have made progress but is still not reading or writing at grade level. Slowly, over the school year, you’ve noticed that your child avoids reading or huffs and puffs when it’s time to sit down and write a response, a short answer, or an essay.
So now what?
We can’t ignore the elephant in the room. The COVID-19 pandemic created a gap in instruction for 1.5 years. Our children did not receive the face-to-face instruction that they needed. Many of the academic struggles that our children were experiencing went unnoticed because how can a teacher recognize reading and writing struggles when assignments are being handed in electronically. There isn’t an observation of the entire child who may have been melting down behind the screen. A great deal of teacher observations and academic instruction were lost during that time.
As our children progressed to the next grade and then the next, parents and teachers began to notice skills that were not at grade level in reading or writing. Our children began to show more behavioral signs, and the natural explanation was that our child was “behavioral” without truly understanding or investigating the underlying roots of those behaviors.
Section 504 Study
Section 504 Study Opportunity
Vanderbilt University is conducting a study exploring student and families’ experiences with Section 504 in K-12 schools. They hope that the results of this study will help to inform the next version of Section 504 and result in implications for practice.
Students age 14+ and families who are interested in participating in this study, please contact:
Meghan Burke – Meghan.burke@vanderbilt.edu or 615-585-1420
Which Accommodations Are Available for My Child With ADHD?
Which Accommodations Are Available for My Child With ADHD?
written by Dr. Liz Matheis, posted on Psychology Today
Our children, teens, and young adults with ADHD often struggle to get through daily routines at home and in school even though these routines have been in place since the beginning of the school year. As parents, setting up the expectation, in our heads, that our kids are going to be able to get things done at school without accommodation can mean we are setting them (and us) up for failure and frustration.
Some may argue that we are not preparing our children for “the real world” when we accommodate our kids. However, I respectfully disagree. Our children with ADHD often need a little more time and space to gain the skills they will need for the next phase of their development. For example, we can teach our children in elementary school the skills they need as they prepare for middle school and so on. These skills we call executive functioning skills are prioritizing tasks and assignments, managing time, organizing materials and belongings, and the ability to self-regulate. All of these skills ultimately help our children, teens, and young adults with ADHD to get school and life tasks done and develop a sense of self-efficacy or a solid sense of self.
ADHD and School
ADHD and School
Jeanne Segal, Ph.D.Melinda Smith, M.A., posted on Help Guide
School can be a challenge for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder—but here’s how you can help your child or teen succeed in the classroom.
Setting up your child for school success
The classroom environment can pose challenges for a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD). The very tasks these students find the most difficult—sitting still, listening quietly, concentrating—are the ones they are required to do all day long. Perhaps most frustrating of all is that most of these children want to be able to learn and behave like their unaffected peers. Neurological deficits, not unwillingness, keep kids with attention deficit disorder from learning in traditional ways.
As a parent, you can help your child cope with these deficits and overcome the challenges school creates. You can work with your child to implement practical strategies for learning both inside and out of the classroom and communicate with teachers about how your child learns best. With consistent support, the following strategies can help your child enjoy learning, meet educational challenges—and experience success at school and beyond.
Tips for working with teachers
Remember that your child’s teacher has a full plate: in addition to managing a group of children with distinct personalities and learning styles, they can also expect to have at least one student with ADHD. Teachers may try their best to help your child with attention deficit disorder learn effectively, but parental involvement can dramatically improve your child’s education. You have the power to optimize your child’s chances for success by supporting the steps taken in the classroom. If you can work with and support your child’s teacher, you can directly affect the experience of your child with ADHD at school.
There are a number of ways you can work with teachers to keep your child on track at school. Together you can help your child learn to find their feet in the classroom and work effectively through the challenges of the school day. As a parent, you are your child’s advocate. For your child to succeed in the classroom, it is vital that you communicate their needs to the adults at school. It is equally important for you to listen to what the teachers and other school officials have to say.
You can ensure that communication with your child’s school is constructive and productive. Try to keep in mind that your mutual purpose is finding out how to best help your child succeed in school. Whether you talk over the phone, email, or meet in person, make an effort to be calm, specific, and above all positive—a good attitude can go a long way when communicating with the school.
To Test or Not to Test Privately?
To Test or Not To Test Privately?
written by Dr. Liz Matheis, published on Psychology Today
You know your child is struggling academically, whether he’s not reading at the same level as the other kids in his grade or she’s struggling to write her thoughts on paper.
You’ve spoken to your child’s teacher, who is on board with you and confirms what you see and know. With that said, what’s the next step?
The natural next step is to reach out to the child study team (CST) of your school. From my experience during the last three years, there is often redirection back to the general education arena for an intervention and referral services plan (IRSP), which includes the accommodations to be implemented for 4-6 weeks.
Teachers are asked to offer more differentiated instruction and try more strategies before the child can be referred for a child study team evaluation.
Where does this leave our struggling child? Waiting. Waiting for intervention while more time in the school year passes by. During that time, the gap widens, and remediation opportunities are lost.
I speak from both personal and professional experience. This means that both you and your child are frustrated and flailing.
What’s another option? The private psycho-educational evaluation.
The Best Way to Explain Learning Disabilities to Your Child
The Best Way to Explain Learning Disabilities to Your Child
written by
A parent once called my special education school to request an admissions visit for her and her son, who was struggling mightily in school. She asked a strange question in her initial phone call: “Does the school have any signs or posters displayed that identify the program as a school for kids with learning disabilities?”
I asked her why she wished to know this. She replied, “My son doesn’t know that he has a learning disability, and we don’t want him to know.” He knows, Mom. Believe me, he knows.
I have long been puzzled by a parent’s reluctance to discuss a child’s learning disability diagnosis with him. The knowledge that he has an identifiable, common, measurable, and treatable condition often comes as great comfort to the youngster. Without this information, the child is likely to believe the taunts of his classmates and feel that he indeed is a dummy. The truth will set him free!
If a child does not have a basic understanding of the nature of his learning challenges, it is unlikely that he will be able to sustain his motivation in the classroom. Because he is puzzled about the difficulty that he is experiencing at school, he is unlikely to be able to commit to his studies.