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Perseveration, otoh, is highly predictable. It's tough in its own way (just ask you-know-who about the Seattle airport — )

heheheheh

-- CarolynJohnston - 21 May 2006

How come John only credits himself as the author of that line from Shadow Syndromes? Grump.

-- CarolynJohnston - 21 May 2006

I'm being your Hypersensitive Lobes.

-- CarolynJohnston - 21 May 2006

An Executive Function Story:

My 11th grader, Kristy, has been studying for finals and started to have a meltdown today. She was missing some papers from Spanish and had no idea where they were. They were papers that had already been graded; she just wanted them for studying purposes. After talking it through, we resolved it, at least for the moment.

Let me note that Kristy is a good student--she's pretty smart and she's also a hard worker and for the most part, she's pretty organized. But, we have been developing her Executive Function from the beginning of her school career. (I didn't have a name for the process until tonight.) Yet she is still a "work in process" and will continue to be.

Here's what she said tonight: "Next year, I need to come up with a better way to keep track of my papers. I'll find my Physics paper in my Spanish folder and my Math paper in my English folder, etc. I'm lazy and rather than put them in the proper place, I sometimes just put them in whatever folder is convenient at the time. I always start out the semester with the best of intentions, but after about two weeks, I'm back to old habits."

Our response: Let's come up with a plan for next year to make it easier for you to keep track. As I told her, I have spent most of my life trying to outwit myself.

-- KarenA - 21 May 2006

Executive Function Story No. 2

I have been fortunate to teach several different college freshman courses for about the last four years. (I also teach a sophomore level law course and a senior level law course to accounting students so I have a broad spectrum.)

Working with freshman students is quite a learning experience. Many of them lack Executive Functioning skills, which presents an interesting challenge. The first semester, especially, is crucial for many of them as they are on their own for the first time and the new freedom is just overwhelming for some of them.

The freshman course is actually designed in such a way that we have the opportunity to help them learn certain skills and develop good habits. However, I am occasionally surprised by "what they don't know."

I walk a fine line between "hovering" and teaching them responsibility. Sometimes I am successful and sometimes I am not. KTM has helped me immensely, because many of the discussions serve to remind me that there is a path to responsibility and a path to learning, and that it is my job as a teacher to help lead them down that path. Sometimes, however, that is easier said than done. : )

-- KarenA - 21 May 2006

I walk a fine line between "hovering" and teaching them responsibility.

That's parenting/teaching in a nutshell. What bothers me are people who think kids should be born with full executive functioning.

-- CarolynJohnston - 21 May 2006

I remember a guy at engineering school first year.

That year, we had to hand in two lab assignments to be able to sit the final exam for that subject. The lab assignments were marked, but you didn't have to pass to be able to sit the final exam for that subject. And you could pass the final exam theoretically even if you had a mark of 0 on the lab report (you'd have needed a mark in the high 90s).

The guy I am remembering did not hand the lab assignments in. He had the lecturer call him into his office to tell him to hand the assignments in. The professor in charge of 1st years called him into his office to deliver the same message. The Dean of the engineering school did the same. He still didn't hand them in.

What a waste of a year.

-- TracyW - 21 May 2006

Did the neuropsychologist come up with any help for the young man without executive function?

-- TracyW - 21 May 2006