Russell Barkley: Executive Function’s Critical Role in ADHD

A brilliant interview from Attention Talk Radio with Dr. Russell Barkley on the critical role of executive function in ADHD. Executive function, in fact, is so critical according to Dr. Barkley that ADHD would be more aptly named EFDD – executive function deficit disorder – rather than ADHD. However, doing so would be complicated as so many laws, legal protections and entitlements have been built up around the name ADHD.

Dr. Barkley outlines a number of important concepts. Some of the most important concepts are six components of executive function that people with ADHD struggle with:

• Self-restraint – impulsivity
• Self-awareness
• Difficulty accessing visual images to re-imagine / re-visualize the past (problems using hindsight)
• Lack of self-talk – the internal dialogue that helps most people self-soothe and consider the consequence of own actions
• Issues with emotional self-regulation – this can lead to acting inappropriately in social situations and make it difficult to maintain friendships
• Challenges with self-directed mental play – the ability to manipulate information in your mind helps in problem solving

Dr. Barkley also offers 6 things you can do to more effectively deal with ADHD:

• Stop relying on working memory – use externalized systems, reminders, apps, etc.
• Due to deficit in executive functioning make time physical – you can’t rely on your internal clock, instead use alarms, visual reminders, programs, etc. to keep track of time
• Make motivation external – create rewards and consequences outside of yourself instead of relying only on yourself to get things done
• Break future into manageable chunks in order to fight difficulty of anticipating future
• Rely on manual methods to solve problems – file cards, computer programs, apps, etc.
• Re-fuel your executive function tank – exercise, meditation, small rewards, pep talks, goal / reward visualization, drink glucose rich drink such as lemonade or Gatorade before engaging in a task which will require extended concentration as this will provide fuel to the part of the brain that controls executive function

Listen to the full interview below. Highly recommended.

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• What We Know About ADHD (capeadhd.wordpress.com)
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• Breaking the Silence of ADHD Stigma (psychcentral.com)
• Adult ADHD 101 (everydayhealth.com)
• Reframing ADHD (psychologytoday.com)
• Respite Services and ADHD (capeadhd.wordpress.com)
• Top 3 Reasons to Hire an ADD Coach (vdavisrucker.wordpress.com)