Talk about executive functioning. Do you experience executive dysfunction? How do you deal with it?
The formal definition of executive functions is: 'a set of processes that all have to do with managing oneself and one's resources in order to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for the neurologically-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation'. Executive functions are the skills that everyone uses to organize and follow through with information and instructions. This includes planning, working memory, attention, problem solving, verbal reasoning, inhibition, cognitive flexibility and, initiation of actions. People with autism often have deficits with executive functioning.
I have so many problems with executive dysfunction which my parents usually attribute to laziness or procrastination. They don’t seem to realize that I’m (usually) not being lazy I just don’t know where to start. The best way I’ve found to deal with executive dysfunction are lists, getting into a routine, clear instructions and, timers. For important tasks, I make a list with clear and detailed instructions and I set times for how long I have to work. Frequent breaks help to keep me from getting overwhelmed. I’ve found that this is the best way to get me to function, though it doesn’t always work.
One of the biggest things I have trouble with is lack of clarity in instructions. This is especially noticeable in schoolwork that has non-detailed instructions. I become stressed, panicky and, unable to start on projects that are not clearly detailed which often results in me leaving it to the last minute and then having to rush to finish it. I just had a presentation I had to do and the instructions included a list of questions we were supposed to think about but it also said not to answer all of them or use them as a way to organize the presentation. If we weren’t supposed to use them then why the fuck were they included? It also told us to have a handout or PowerPoint but didn’t actually say what we were supposed to include on it, how long it was supposed to be, or how we should format it. She didn’t tell us what the grading criteria was. The whole thing was so confusing and stressful.
I think there needs to be a determination about whether being able to do something, but not actually doing it/being able to do it some or the majority of the time actually counts as being able to do something. For example, when doing laundry, I know how to fold and put away my clothes and I’m physically capable of doing so but when it comes to actually doing it there seems to be a disconnect. Most of the times my clothes end up folded or unfolded and placed in a pile on the chair or floor. In the process of doing the task my brain just kind of stops halfway though and things remain undone.
It can depend on what I’m doing but I often have a hard time moving from one task to another. It’s like I get stuck and just can’t move on or stop what I’m doing. Even if it’s something I want to do. One of the most common situations this happens in is when I’m in the car; I will arrive someplace but be unable to make myself get out of the car. This also seems to happen a lot when I’m at my grandmothers and trying to leave, I’ll be sitting there and say, ‘I’m leaving now’ but be unable to actually leave. Sometimes I end up stuck there for over an hour continually saying I’m leaving but unable to actually get out of the door.
Another way I’ve found to stave off executive dysfunction is getting into a routine. Like when I first started cleaning the house, my tasks were out of order, half of the things didn’t get done, it took forever as I jumped from task to task. Now that I’ve gotten a routine down, I do things in the exact same order every time and it goes much more smoothly. Unless for some reason I can’t stick to my routine and then I become stressed out and irritable. This can often lead to the unfortunate occurrence of an argument on cleaning day when people are over and my parents try to reorganize how I clean. My parents don’t seem to understand that I need to do things in a certain order.
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