As things ramp up for the holidays it's easy for us to get caught up in the hustle and bustle. Our "To Do" lists grow longer and the hours in a day seem to disappear with the daylight. It's important to remember during these times of increased stress and reduced patience that our children with Executive Functioning issues aren't trying to be difficult or lazy. They often times simply can't hold more than 2 instructions in their memories at a time (normally it's about 4). Add in the distraction that comes with ADHD, disruption to routine or fatigue, and it could create a cocktail for disaster.
The gift that these challenges bring to us is that they remind us to slow down, speak slowly and softly and take things one at a time. When we are running on all cylinders and burning the candle at both ends, these may not be bad things. This article from Understood has some great strategies for giving instructions to kids with learning and attention issues. Some of them we use regularly and some were good reminders. Enjoy!
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