Does executive dysfunction improve as your child matures?

I wish I could answer "yes," but it is more complicated than that.

Research shows us that kids with weak executive functioning (organization, self monitoring, initiation and inhibition) can develop strategies to compensate for their weaknesses as they age.

They also can improve in their ability to manage their body and impusivity.

However, executive dysfunction is something that is chronic and can impact someone's life into adulthood.

Truthfully, I work with lots of really smart kids who never got the support necessary to learn to manage executive skills such as organizaiton and time management. They now have difficulty being successful in school and work.

The solution is to help your child as soon as possible to learn these coping and compensatory skills. I recently pulled together a Homework Survival Bootcamp for kids with executive dysfunction to help them learn to organize and manage their homework without mom and dad needing to nag all the time.

Learning these skills can be time consuming and laborious. I won't lie, it's not easy. But it CAN be done, and MUST be done if you want your child to be a successful, indpendent adult.

Let me know if you have any questions about your child and executive functioning.  I want to help.