ADHD Teens: What the EF! Executive Functions Skill: Organization
Executive Functions Skill: Organization Executive functions (EF) skills are skills required to help do or carry out everyday life tasks.
These skills are controlled by the frontal lobe of the brain just behind the forehead.
The frontal lobes are the last areas of the brain to fully develop.
Executive functions skills begin to develop in infancy and continue to mature into early adulthood.
Organization is the ability to design and keep up systems to help track information and materials.
When you are able to organize the information you learn in school in a structured orderly way it can help you understand the information.
Being organized relates to personal space, too.
When your personal space is organized it can save you time because it is easier to locate certain items when you need them.
Remember to put them back when you're finished with them! It is important to be able to organize your study area and your study time.
Having a study area that is clutter free will cut down on distractions.
Use your planner to schedule and organize study and review times.
Keep in mind that not everyone organizes their information and materials in the same way.
Organizing is personal.
Whatever is set up to aid in establishing order and structure needs to benefit the person it is being set up for, not the person helping to set it up.
The purpose for how information and materials are to be organized needs to be understood and determined by the person that the systems are being created for.
They need to be part of the creative process of any systems that will be set up.
Becoming better organized is a process.
Expect to make adjustments.
Include maintenance in the systems that you set up.
When a teen has difficulties with organization, it can be hard for them to:
These skills are controlled by the frontal lobe of the brain just behind the forehead.
The frontal lobes are the last areas of the brain to fully develop.
Executive functions skills begin to develop in infancy and continue to mature into early adulthood.
Organization is the ability to design and keep up systems to help track information and materials.
When you are able to organize the information you learn in school in a structured orderly way it can help you understand the information.
Being organized relates to personal space, too.
When your personal space is organized it can save you time because it is easier to locate certain items when you need them.
Remember to put them back when you're finished with them! It is important to be able to organize your study area and your study time.
Having a study area that is clutter free will cut down on distractions.
Use your planner to schedule and organize study and review times.
Keep in mind that not everyone organizes their information and materials in the same way.
Organizing is personal.
Whatever is set up to aid in establishing order and structure needs to benefit the person it is being set up for, not the person helping to set it up.
The purpose for how information and materials are to be organized needs to be understood and determined by the person that the systems are being created for.
They need to be part of the creative process of any systems that will be set up.
Becoming better organized is a process.
Expect to make adjustments.
Include maintenance in the systems that you set up.
When a teen has difficulties with organization, it can be hard for them to:
- Keep track of assignments
- Keep their bedroom (somewhat) neat and organized
- Put things away where they belong
- Turn in finished assignments
- Find needed items (sports equipment, schoolbooks, etc.
) - Write an essay or research paper
- Break down long-term assignments
- Schedule time to study
- Simplify the task(s)
- Your teen needs to help create the system
- Specify the function of the system
- Target zones
- Establish cues
- Monitor the system
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