TEXT Ann Dolin
Continued from page 38
their executive functioning abilities,
which do get better with age, are
weak. ADHD vs. Poor Executive
Functions Sometimes, parents wonder if a
child with weak executive functions
has ADD or ADHD, because the
symptoms seem similar, and there
definitely is overlap. A lot of kids
have weak executive functioning
abilities, but the problem might not
be significant enough to warrant
a diagnosis of ADHD. However,
everyone with ADHD has executive
functioning deficits.

The Disconnect Between Ability
and Achievement
Regardless of whether your child
just has weak EF or ADHD, it doesn’t
really matter. The symptoms are
similar, and there’s almost always
a divide between ability and
achievement. Kids with weak EF are
capable kids who underperform.

They have the potential to get A’s,
but they’re earning B’s and C’s,
stressing you out, and falling further
behind. The work they turn in to
their teachers is not always in line
with their intelligence. We see this a
lot in writing. Very verbal students
have a tough time organizing their
ideas and sustaining focus long
enough to get all their thoughts
down on paper.

Now, not all kids who have executive
functioning weaknesses have
problems in writing, but what they
almost always have in common is
difficulty staying organized. Their
binders, backpacks and even their
bedrooms are not the tidiest in
town. And so often, when things are
scattered, time management isn’t so
great either.

Prioritizing is not a natural ability.

The students we see don’t think
40 September 2017
washingtonFAMILY.com about homework in an organized
fashion. They don’t think to ask
themselves, “What do I have to
do tonight? And what should I do
first, second and third?” Getting
organized enough to prioritize
homework is tough for some, but
what’s even harder is planning out
that book report that’s due in two
weeks or that science project not due
for another month.

What the Research Says:
The Impact of Disorganization
on GPA
For years, we’ve been helping kids
to get and stay a bit more organized,
and it’s not an easy process. Most
kids need regular upkeep to develop
“habits of mind,” and for many, this
takes a long time.

As a classroom teacher, I always
knew that the students who came to
class prepared had a leg up. There
was a clear difference between the
ones who did their homework and
had it filed away in the right folder
and those who slapped down a few
answers on a piece of paper and
had to dig through their backpack
to find it. But I never saw research
on the impact of disorganization
on homework completion. I just
knew that my disorganized kids
chronically underperformed, even if
they could do well on tests (because
they were indeed intelligent).

Recently, I was reviewing some
new research when I ran across a
study from The Journal of School
Psychology. Here’s what I found: Kids
with attention difficulties turned
in 12% fewer assignments than
kids without attention problems.

Although this doesn’t sound like a
big number, the impact on grade
point average for these kids was
significant. The researchers found
that the culprit wasn’t behavior
during homework, like lack of
focus, it was actually organization
(bringing home the right materials,
bringing the completed work
back to class the next day, etc.).

Disorganization was the most
important predictor of homework
completion and GPA.

What You Need to Know
The bottom line is that when your
child has a poor sense of time and
seems to have trouble keeping track
of his things, it’s not intentional,
and no amount of nagging or
reprimanding him will help.

Instead, what really helps is simply
understanding that your child needs
more structure than the average kid.

Simple measures to set up routines
and structures can work for all your
kids. Personally, I’ve found simple systems
to be the best, and that’s because
although I love to be organized
and tidy, I have to work at it. It
doesn’t come naturally for me and
I’ve found that other parents have
similar struggles. By targeting a
few easy-to-implement routines
and strategies that can be done on
autopilot, virtually any parent can
help their child even if he or she is
resistant. The key is choosing the right
strategies and using them
consistently. Both elements need
to be present to see lasting and
positive change. If you want to
reduce the stress in your household
surrounding your kid’s organization
and time management (or lack
thereof ), check out ectutoring.com.

Ann Dolin is the founder and president of
Educational Connections Tutoring with offices in
Fairfax, VA and Bethesda, MD. She and her tutors
travel to students’ homes to help them improve
their confidence and grades through 1-to-1 tutoring
and organization/time management coaching.