Meet Tal, a seventh grader who has a hard time staying on task and finishing homework. Tal’s school bag is a mess and her papers are disorganized. She often forgets her completed work at home or homework assignments at school. The evaluation showed that Tal is bright but has difficulties with processing speed and working memory.
The findings of the evaluation together with other analyses showed evidence of Executive Function Disorder (EFD). Tal was also diagnosed with ADHD, inattentive type and was given a stimulant medication. He showed terrific improvement in all areas.
Now meet Tal’s brother Shai, a fifth grader who is also bright and after an evaluation was diagnosed like Tal, with ADHD, inattentive type. Shai was also given a prescription for a stimulant medication but his symptoms did not improve. After a closer look at his psycho- educational evaluation results, there was evidence that showed that Shai had difficulties retaining what he read abd challenges with written work as well. While Shai has EFD and ADHD like his brother his challenges resulted in Learning Disabilities (LD) as well. For Shai it is a priority to provide the appropriate coaching, tutoring and accommodations, to overcome his challenges
A student with EFD may have a comorbid condition as well. We do assessments to determine the diagnosis that often includes Executive Function Disorder, ADHD and/or a Learning Disability – that present alone or together. If the results show that the student has difficulties with reading, writing, or math fluency, the EFD is also a reflection of an LD. It is vital to make the correct diagnosis — for the child’s sake.
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