Why Do Students Struggle with Organization and Executive Function?
When a child struggles to be self-sufficient and is not on top of their work, it can be confusing to figure out why. The most common conclusion is blaming these issues on motivation. “If my child cared more about school, they would be on top of their work and turning assignments in on time.” This can be true, but let’s examine why some students, like Vince, struggle with organizational skills and executive function.
There are two main drivers of executive function issues:
Motivation and Competing Homework
It is sometimes true that if a student cared more about their school performance, they would be independent and complete homework on their own with prompting or reminders. This can be true for some students. However, even though motivation can be a factor, we find that a lack of motivation is a symptom of other root cause issues.
Inability to Complete Homework
Most students want to do well in school, and they certainly do not want to be nagged and pressured by their parents to complete their work! Motivation can be an issue, but the deeper issue usually relates to inability – the child lacks the cognitive skills to be on top of their work and organized.
This manifests in several ways. When cognitive skills are weak – especially skills like working memory, processing speed, and attention (or ADHD) – students often struggle to complete their work. They feel overwhelmed as they get into the faster grade levels like junior high. They struggle to stay on task if attention is weak or if there is an ADHD diagnosis. Working memory weaknesses result in forgetfulness and struggles to follow through on tasks.
Often students try for a while, but these weaknesses mean they have to work much harder than their peers which causes motivation to wane. This often shows up when students start the new school year or semester strong and motivated, but as the school year drags on, they become overwhelmed and fall back into old habits.
So, yes, this is a motivation issue, but lack of motivation is a symptom of these weaknesses. Kids then become frustrated when parents nag as they believe they are doing their best, but they just cannot do it consistently. They feel stuck (and so do the parents!).
Improving Organizational Issues and Executive Function
The good news is that these skills can be trained and improved which is our focus at LearningRx in Woodbury. This was also the case for Ashley, who struggled like Vince. Her LearningRx training identified these weaknesses, and Ashley is now excelling in school (on her own!) and even inspiring her friends with her newfound motivation and abilities.
Watch Ashley’s Story:
