Executive Functioning Therapy Helps Build Skills for People with ADHD.
If you have an adolescent that was just diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Progressive Therapy Associates can make a huge difference in their lives.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is impairment with executive functioning as well the ability to regulate attention.
With ADHD, typically there's impairment with executive functioning. Executive functioning challenges mean that the person has significant challenges with managing their time, so they may start things late, things get put off, and he/she is not planning effectively.
Sometimes we'll hear the "Yeah, I have like 30 things started", but of those none of those things are completed. That's very classic with ADHD.
Some of the most common things that are reported in patients we're seeing with ADHD, whether it's adolescents or adults, is this disconnect. This disconnect is when there is a gap between intellectual capabilities and how the person is performing every single day. These are typical executive functioning challenges in people with ADHD.
Executive functioning takes what you know, cognition, and then puts it into action. Executive functioning is more of that functional, in the moment, making it happen, carrying through with the things that you intended to complete.
Many of our patients look perfectly normal. There's nothing about them if they were walking down the street that would tell you that they have difficulty.
Here at Progressive Therapy Associates, we work with a lot of college students who either have a brain injury or ADHD, and when you think about the demands of college there are so many things that you need to factor in and keep going at the exact same time. When you have impairments with executive functioning, so that's time management, getting started, planning, and organization; school then becomes very hard.
Athletes with ADHD often struggle to maintain academic performance needed to stay involved in sports. Executive functioning skills or attention strategies need to be in place to be successful in school. That's something that we commonly help with.
When we can help someone with ADHD and they're still an adolescent, it's great because we can make some nice changes in that person's life. If that person goes into their adulthood, we can still make some huge changes in that person's life.
It's not uncommon for someone to not be diagnosed with ADHD until adulthood. Here at Progressive Therapy Associates, we've had adolescents that are referred by their primary doctor because of difficulties. At this point, their parent may start recognizing similar characteristics in themselves and express that they too might have ADHD.
When a person has ADHD, oftentimes their primary care provider will prescribe medication and that can be helpful, in the sense that it helps with their attention abilities, and their ability to control impulses, such as not saying or doing things as impulsively. We don't typically see medication help with the executive function piece of ADHD, and by that I mean the ability to manage your time effectively, to initiate tasks when they need to be started, to really recognize the passage of time, and to remember the right thing at the right time. Medications don't help with those skills and that's really the service that Progressive Therapy Associates provides.
With ADHD, medications are great. Here at Progressive Therapy Associates, we're not doctors and we don't prescribe medications, but medications can work really well for some people. The key though is medications don't build skills. Pills don't equal skills. If your brain never learned certain skills, which is often the case with ADHD, or if your brain lost skills, the case with traumatic brain injury, your brain needs help rebuilding those skills or learning new skills, and medications can’t give you that.
If you're wondering if our services could be of help to you, just give us a call. We will help you to figure out if what we provide is a match and we'll let you know if it isn't.
Our dedicated team of speech-language pathologists are specially trained in speech therapy as it relates to cognitive-communication issues (how you listen, process, focus, remember, and communicate). We are also nationally certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, are nationally recognized by the Brain Injury Association of America and are Certified Brain Injury Specialists (CBIS). We are licensed to practice in both North Dakota and Minnesota. We believe every patient deserves the best treatment and support we can offer in every single contact and interaction with us.
We recognize that no two people have the same needs and that everyone has different learning styles. That’s why we like to call our approach “the Progressive way,” which means we will happily customize treatment plans to meet the unique needs of the individual and their family. We also believe in “the right fit” between patient and therapist, so will make every effort to match you with a clinician who connects with you, understands you, and utilizes a therapy style that is comfortable for you.
Depending on the goals you wish to accomplish and the learning pace that is most comfortable for you, we will arm you with the evidence-based strategies, proven skills, and ample support you need to feel more organized, prepared, and effective. Therapy strategies may range from recommendations for specific tools (such as timers or planners), one-on-one brainstorming and problem-solving to address concerns, therapeutic activities as well as computer trials or worksheets to help strengthen cognitive and executive functions like attention, memory, and planning.
We know that working on cognitive-communication issues is hard work and that it can be easy to feel defeated or overwhelmed by the challenges of building a more efficient brain. However, you will not be in this alone. We are not just speech-language pathologists; we are fellow human beings who care about you, your journey, and your success. We don’t want an appointment to feel like you’ve been sent to the principal’s office. Instead, you’ll find a comfortable space where you’ll feel listened to and understood. And because humor makes everything more bearable, be prepared to laugh and joke a bit too!