How do you know if you have Executive Dysfunction?

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Ragtime
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03 Jan 2009, 9:06 am

I just read a description of Executive Dysfunction, and it fits me to a T, especially when it comes to how it would negatively affect a person as a student at school. I've always been very bright, but have also consistently failed at doing classroom projects the way my teachers wanted me to. Even when they'd talk in detail about the planning phase of a big project, or making an outline of it first, or meeting several key deadlines along the way to completion -- that just frustrated the HELL out of me!! ! As a child, I was told I was "not following instructions", when I was trying desperately to do so. I was told I was being lazy, when I was the hardest working kid in the class, in terms of sheer effort put forth to succeed. The other kids just seemed to more or less breeze by their assignments, easily scooping up A's and B's, while I seemingly had NO CONTROL over what letter grade I would make on an assignment.

I have AS, ADHD, and OCD, so, according to the article I just read on Executive Dysfunction, it would make sense if I also suffer from aspects of that.

Those of you who know you have Executive Dysfunction, what is it like?


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MindOfOrderedChaos
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03 Jan 2009, 9:20 am

I don't know if I have it or not. But I am completely unable to study in a univerty situation no matter how much I try. I definately have the intellgence but I can't organise things. I can't organise assignements etc. I have a real trouble keeping my room tidy and clean. I plan a week in advance what I am going to do to keep my room clean and what I am goign to cook etc... and still i manage to struggle keeping things organised.

I'm much better at over focusing on one or two subjects... problem is trying to organise so many things at once.... like how life requires.


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Callista
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03 Jan 2009, 10:12 am

If you have ADHD, it's a safe bet that you have executive dysfunction to some degree as well. ExD is practically universal among those with ADHD, though often partly offset by the ability to hyperfocus on some, usually highly stimulating, activities, where hyperfocus increases planning and decision-making ability.


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LadyMacbeth
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03 Jan 2009, 10:17 am

Pretty sure one has this. Unfortunately Macbeth probably has it too, so the house tends to get a tad messy from time to time.

The bins still haven't been collected in since middle December, for example.. we have binbags piling up outside our back door. But I can't open the lock on the back gate, so can't do it.


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9CatMom
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03 Jan 2009, 10:34 am

My executive function was always quite good in school and at work. Those were the few things in which I really felt effective.



sinsboldly
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03 Jan 2009, 11:38 am

I notice that I can 'dither' about an answer, and hide behind 'having to consider both sides' of a situation. The moment I start to consider more sides to the situation I have more to dither about and then I have to keep track of the different sides. . .and I am starting to make it a senior thesis project. . then I know I am in the middle of an 'executive decision' issue.


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poopylungstuffing
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03 Jan 2009, 11:50 am

Executive dysfunction is a huge can-o-worms for me.
I will elaborate later... :?



theQuail
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03 Jan 2009, 5:46 pm

I'm sure I've got that to a degree. Also, what Callista said (though I'm not ADHD).

Basically I have problems planning projects and procrastinate way too much. Now that I'm in high school and projects are a bigger deal than before, this is a big problem. I've stayed up many nights to finish school work. I may have problems organizing my thoughts before speaking, so that everything comes out as a big mess (cluttering). Also, my ability to regulate emotions is subpar, so that when I'm happy or amused I cannot stop laughing or carry a ridiculous grin on my face too long, and when I'm too overwhelmed I cannot keep myself from crying.



millie
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03 Jan 2009, 6:04 pm

i have executive dysfunction but not ADHD. I have clutter, piles of paper around etc.

difficulty organising in a way others perceive as appropriate or "normal" - whatever that is.



Padium
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03 Jan 2009, 6:16 pm

Based on what I'm reading I probably have this too.... I cannot dedicate myself to too much.



DJRnold
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03 Jan 2009, 6:33 pm

I have barely started my final assignments that are due in two weeks. I have what I'm pretty sure is writer's block, and I was reading about writer's block and I read something about executive dysfunction and I'd seen the term before when I was reading about AS.
I was just reading more about executive dysfunction (here), and I am pretty sure I have it.



Who_Am_I
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03 Jan 2009, 8:40 pm

DJRnold wrote:
I have barely started my final assignments that are due in two weeks.


Wow, you have 2 whole weeks to go and you've already started? You're more organised than me.


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ShyGorilla
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03 Jan 2009, 9:53 pm

yes Executive Dysfunction fits me as well. reading thru post and looking around my room, pretty much backs this up (picture piles of post-it notes and software cds).
off the topic I nearly smacked my monitor after catching sinsboldy's avatar.


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buryuntime
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03 Jan 2009, 10:47 pm

I'm pretty sure I have it. Starting school assignments and projects frustrated me to no end. And I had a hard time asking for help (the whole holding your hand thing, when you can do it, when you can't, how to say it... bleh) so that didn't help much. Everyone just thought I didn't try.



ShyGorilla
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04 Jan 2009, 12:55 am

not sure if this is related to ExD but whenever I'm at work and doing a project on my own, if someone tries to interject themselves into whatever I'm doing I get very agitated. I compare it to someone trying to playing in my sandbox. "ah, can't they see they're not doing it right." just a thought.


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Ryn
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04 Jan 2009, 3:22 am

I'm not sure if I have any Executive Dysfunction issues. I know that it's hard to organize the things I have, like my belongings or papers, though I want to organize them. When I'm cleaning or packing, I have to literally write out or mentally go through the steps sometimes because I'll just feel confused and overwhelmed. I read somewhere that people with ExD have trouble figuring out which notes to take in class--I always write down everything, because I can't tell which parts are "important' like others do.


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