It’s crazy how the public’s attention shifts from one topic to another. (No, I’m not ranting about the 24/7 news cycle).

As a parent, I have witnessed a shift in how we talk about raising kids. When I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s, kids kinda raised themselves. Now we focus more on parenting.

Twenty years ago, we started talking more about ADHD. That conversation still hovers around medication, I’m frustrated to say. As an executive functioning coach, I can tell you that there is MUCH MORE to discuss than whether or not to medicate your child.

In the last 10 years, we also started talking about Autism. Now, we even have the combination of ADHD and Autism (some call it AuDHD) entering the chat.

Unfortunately, we’re still only starting to talk about ADHD and Autism in girls and women (don’t get me started!).

Here is what we aren’t yet talking about. I hope these enter the conversation soon:

• • • the distinction between hearing and auditory processing
    • the distinction between seeing and functional vision
    • the distinction between attention deficits and executive functions

My friend Emma at NeuraListen has some fantastic resources that you can use to see the intersections between auditory processing (her expertise) and ADHD, Autism, executive dysfunction, and more.

She shows how each of these disorders can be confused with each other and how clinicians like her can help you separate one from the other. Emma and I also share a goal of supporting our clients with more than a diagnosis: what you do next is often more important than what you call it.

What We Should Be Talking About

Today, I want to share my perspective as an experienced psychologist who has worked with hundreds of families to respond to executive dysfunction (aka, problems with executive functioning).

As an executive functioning coach, here’s the one thing I want you to take away from reading this post: ADHD and executive functioning are not the same thing. They can overlap, like two circles in a Venn Diagram. But difficulties staying organized, getting started on tasks, feeling emotionally overwhelmed, being prone to burnout, and the depression and anxiety you may feel when you can’t finish anything are NOT the same as ADHD.

If you have ADHD, you may need medication, but it might not need to be something you take for the rest of your life. Maybe the medication can open a window where you can learn some new techniques to deal with your executive dysfunction. Coaching can help you work WITH your brain, rather than constantly fighting against yourself. Learning the best ways to approach a task, keep track of your progress, and see things through to completion can help retrain your brain and fight off that feeling that you can’t change.

Listen, I would be happy to help you figure out if you do have ADHD with my comprehensive but brief ADHD Evaluation — but either way, Executive Function Coaching can probably help you break the cycle that keeps you from getting started and then holds you back from finishing.

If you are ready to discuss these questions and see how Emma or I can help, → book a Fit Check with Emma  or → schedule a Free, 15-Minute Consultation Call with me.