What Does Executive Dysfunction Look Like?
Here, while focused and not overstimulated, I asked The Kid to draw an apple and spell it:
He is able to write the word apple all by himself, from memory. He knows how to spell apple, and he knows that he knows. He needs a simple visual aid to draw an apple himself, his apple resembles an apple (as drawn by a 6 yo, anyway).
Here, while slightly overstimulated, I ask The Kid to draw a cat and write the word cat:
Though he definitely knows how to spell cat, he needs a visual aid here to do so. He also needs a simple visual aid to draw a cat, but even with an aid, he draws the parts in the wrong order. You can tell he's struggling to perform the task.
Here, absolutely overstimulated, I ask The Kid to draw a whale and write the word whale:
After 3 minutes of picking up the pencil and then putting it down again, with lots of echolalia, he makes an attempt. He needs a visual aid for both tasks. While he writes each letter in the correct order, their sequence is mostly random. He cannot draw at all in this state.
This is Executive Dysfunction. A symptom common in autism, and adhd.
A person with Executive Dysfunction is not making a decision not to do something (chores, homework, cooking, etc.) -- they genuinely cannot do the thing. At least not under certain circumstances, such as overstimulation or stress. They might require help and step by step guidance to get through it, or to abandon the task entirely until circumstances are more ideal.
This is a normal experience and not something to be punished for (by yourself or others). In fact punishment or the fear of punishment actually makes ED worse and more frequent. The only things that actually help the severity and frequency of Executive Dysfunction is patience and understanding.
This is also why functioning labels are outdated and inaccurate. You can go from 1 to 3 in the same day. Heck, the same hour if you're having A Time of It. For example, I go straight from 1 to 3, skipping 2 entirely when I look at road maps.
(Obligatory disclaimer: The Kid was not compelled to perform these tasks against his desire. I compiled these images over the course of summer break, when he requested the activity but wasn't always in a state to complete the activity. Then realized what a keen visual representation of ED this was, and that it could be helpful.)
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