The Importance of Initiation
I’ll start it later…
When it comes to neurodivergent individuals with executive dysfunction, they may find it particularly hard to initiate tasks. Whether it be because they simply do not want to, or the idea of trying to complete said task is just too stressful, lacking developed executive functioning skills can affect their daily lives. As children become teens and teens become young adults, more and more tasks are needed to be done in a day. From personal hygiene, finance management, employment, relationships to homework and grocery shopping, life becomes more demanding of people as they become older, and if they cannot initiate a task, then nothing will ever get done. Instead, the list of things needed to be completed will just grow and grow, stressing them out more and more until eventually they either do it because the anxiety was too much to handle, or disregard it completely. Yet, as time goes on, those struggling with executive dysfunction will continue with this cycle of refusing to initiate, leading them to a never-ending trend of stress, anxiety, depression, and more.
Initiation is an important executive functioning skill (EF) to have not only because other EF skills rely on it, but because we use it in daily life. From getting out of bed to studying for a test, children, teens, and young adults need to be able to initiate a task, because if not, nothing will ever get done. Their education, health, hygiene, and life will become difficult to manage, especially on their own. If they cannot initiate tasks on their own, they will rely on their parents to do so for them well into their adulthood, which no parent wants. They want their kid to be able to work past the anxiety or the unhappiness a task may bring them before starting it on their own. Without initiation, neurodivergent individuals will be constantly falling behind in life and school since many other aspects of life cannot be completed if not initiated, hence why this skill is so important, and thankfully, at The Support for Students Growth Center, we coach neurodivergent children, teens, and young adults so they can achieve the executive functioning and other skills they may be lacking.
At SSGC, we provide the social, behavioral, emotional, and executive functioning skills children, teens, young adults, and their families need for a happy and successful life in and out of school settings. Our team of professionals offers individualized and family coaching/counseling and social skills groups to help teach skills such as how to actively initiate tasks to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to be the best they can be in and out of school setting on their own. So, if your child is struggling with skills like the ones listed above and much more, the SSGC is equipped with the tools to help.
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Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the Support for Students Growth Center and College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of children, teens, young adults and college students and those high school students preparing for college.
