Executive functioning skills are essential for us to function in society. It’s required to help us make decisions, plan for the future, organize our life, and understand our thoughts and feelings.
We rely on this skill to help us do tasks like laying out and putting on our clothes. Many children with ADHD or autism struggle with this, which makes it difficult for them to start and complete a task.
When a child is struggling with executive functioning skills, it may take them an incredibly long time to put on their shoes, let alone work on an assignment or do a chore. The process itself may seem like a nightmare for the child and adults involved.
Nonetheless, it can be done. With the help of other teachers, advice from a variety of learning disorder specialists, and the work I’ve done with my own students, I’ve come up with the following three strategies to help your child with ADHD and autism confidently start and complete a task.
Actionable Steps:
#1. Provide Choices
The most difficult part of any task, is the starting point. Many children struggle with not only knowing where to start a task but also how to find the motivation to do it. If possible, find two different ways that your child can start an assignment and let them know about it. Then give them a choice about which route they wish to take. This way, they have agency over their work, which will provide your child with ADHD or autism with the intrinsic motivation they need to get started on and complete the task.
Take this a step further if possible, and make the starting point seem appealing and fun. Not all assignments will be able to cater to this, so do it when you can.
#2. Break it Down
Once you have your starting point, break the assignment down into bite-sized pieces so that it’s easier for your child to work on. For every step that’s completed, praise them. This may seem tedious, but it will serve as a good motivator for them to continue working.
A simple way to do this is to look at the task ahead of time, break it down into smaller and more manageable chunks ahead of time You can do this on your computer or on a piece of paper. This way, when your child asks you what to do next, you don’t have to spend a lot of time thinking about it and getting frustrated when you have so many other kids to manage. You just need to refer back to you notes.
#3. Explain the Rationale
This is essential for all of your kids. When a child is learning or expected to complete a new skill, it’s important to explain to them the rationale behind it or else it will seem like a waste of energy and time. A child with ADHD needs to know if you’re wasting theirs or if they need to master that particular skill. So, before expecting your kids to work on a task, explain to them why it’s relevant to their life now and how it will benefit them. Once you do that, they’ll more than likely commit to working on the assignment.
Recap:
Let’s recap really quickly. Today, we looked at the following:
- The reasons why it’s so difficult for a child with ADHD and autism to start and complete a task.
- Three ways to get your child with ADHD or autism to complete a task: provide choices, break it down, and explain the rationale.
Free Resources:
If your children are struggling to hand in assignments on time, check out the following video training: 3 Steps to Teach Children How to Overcome Procrastination to Increase Productivity.
Next Steps:
For calm down areas on a budget, for your students who have autism, CLICK HERE.
You’re welcome to join us inside ADHD and Autism Self Regulation by CLICKING HERE or on the fallowing image.
If you found this video beneficial, would you do me a favor? Share this with your family, your friends, your loved ones, your co-workers or someone who you think could benefit from this. Thank you!
I’ll see you next Friday at 5:30pm PST.
Until I see you next time, remember to create, experience & teach from the heart.
Take care,
Charlotte
Disclaimer: I’m a teacher and a parent. I’m not a medical professional, so please don’t take this as medical advice. The advice that I provide in my videos and online are strategies that I have used in my own class or at home that have worked beautifully. Since ADHD and autism are a spectrum, make sure to adapt these strategies for your individual child. Thank you!
