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    Sorry!

    Last edited by Klangedin; 05/19/23 08:09 AM.
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    Have you been tested for a LD? I was looking at an article about gifted+LD vs. gifted WISC-R scores this morning and I notice the scores you're citing are some of the ones the article describes as higher when a LD is present.

    I haven't had time to do more than skim the article. I just noticed a similarity between its subject matter and your questions.

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    Welcome!

    It's difficult to give feedback on your profile based on the limited pieces you've provided, but if you'd like to post a bit more, we might be able to help. If you don't feel comfortable posting that much detail, feel free to pm me, and I'll see what I can come up with.

    As some preliminary thoughts, though, I can mention that
    1. executive functions affect many skills, especially performance in real life situations.
    2. the scores on perceptual reasoning subtests you named are not incompatible with low scores on the Rey.
    3. measures like Brainlabs are not as psychometrically well-grounded as individually-administered tests like the Wechslers, so differences in performance may be owing to factors other than your true abilities. (EDIT: I'm not specifically familiar with the site you named, so if you have other information on its research and statistical foundations, please share.)
    4. repetition helps most people raise their scores. That's why gold-standard individually-administered IQ tests can't be re-administered within 24 months.
    5. And, as a footnote, you appear to be reporting scores from an old test (perhaps the WAIS-R or WISC-III), likely from the 1990s. It is possible that you may have experienced cognitive changes in the past 20 years, in the positive, negative, or both directions (it appears you had a recent neuropsychological--perhaps there was a specific reason for it?).

    All the best,
    a

    Last edited by aeh; 08/13/18 08:59 AM.

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    Originally Posted by Klangedin
    how executive functions impact real life functioning
    The website Understood.org has many articles on executive function and may be of interest.

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    I have limited internet at the moment, so apologies for not responding at greater length, or more promptly. I'll try to fill in a bit when I get back to civilization!

    For the moment, I'll just comment quickly that your diagnosis absolutely had a significant likelihood of affecting your cognitive assessments, particularly in tasks of executive function, such as attention and organization, cognitive flexibility, and working memory.

    The Brainlabs tools are well-validated for what they are designed for (quick measures of brain function for clinical or research purposes), but are not designed for the kind of fine-grained, comprehensive cognitive assessment for which the gold-standard, individually-administered cognitive instruments are. (I.e., the Wechslers, Stanford-Binet, Woodcock-Johnson). Also, there's no processing speed (Coding) measure in Brainlabs, so your lowest previous score area would have been dropped

    EF is as important as reasoning ability in life outcomes, since that's where the rubber meets the road in developing and applying native ability. Some might say it is more so. It's also an area you can learn tools to support. Look up Peg Dawson for school-related skills.

    I have more to say, but I have to go, but not without, most importantly, congratulating you on getting to a healthier place in life.

    Best wishes.


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    Speaking as someone with a family full of inattentive ADHD, I can tell you that executive functions are HUGE.

    My DS in particular has extreme impairments to his executive function (and like you, strong in visual spatial, weak in coding). That means planning, organizing, and managing tasks are all extremely difficult for him. In practice: breaking down a big task into smaller, manageable pieces; figuring out what to do first and what order for the rest; estimating a reasonable amount of time to complete anything; scheduling.... All of these are extremely difficult. Writing for him is also extremely difficult, because writing is really one big linear planning task. Just getting out the door on time is extremely difficult, always.

    Most advice on how to organize yourself tends to be very linear, and word-based (think to do lists and essay outlines). For DS, we are always looking for more visual ways to do things, from pictures to mindmaps to flowcharts to GANTT charts. He also struggles with flexibility, is quick to declare things "impossible", and we work a lot on trying to reduce anxiety and open up to the possibility of finding alternative pathways forward.

    There's no easy fix for executive function, but the more you can understand yourself, the better you can identify the things that trip you up and the work-arounds and supports that best help you personally. I'd recommend the book Smart but Scattered (for adults), as well as the website ADDitude (ADHD and executive function deficits aren't the same thing, but they overlap a ton). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help with the anxiety and flexibility as well as more general ADHD challenges.

    https://www.amazon.com/Smart-but-Sc...63/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?i.e.=UTF8

    https://www.additudemag.com/category/manage-adhd-life/getting-things-done/

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    What you've reported suggests to me that you may reason better nonlinearly (sometimes perceived as being intuitive), and are more challenged by structured, sequential thinking, and when strict application of rules is necessary to solve problems. Those with this kind of cognitive profile often teeter on the edge of high creativity and equally high chaos, and are more likely to make the most of their gifts, and moderate the downsides, when in supportive, predictable -- but tolerant -- environments, so that external scaffolding and healthy personal routines make sure the basic necessities are taken care of (health, hygiene, finances, baseline social expectations, etc.), yet space is sufficient for divergent and unconventional thinking. with your specific diagnosis, this particularly requires a level of trust between you and your social support network, so that there is agreement that they will speak honestly if creative-divergent thinking blurs into dysfunctionally disordered thinking, and that both of you will listen with respect and an open mind if the other party voices a perception.

    If you are currently in a therapeutic relationship, that is another potential resource for working on strategies for executive function. You may be able to connect with additional supports for working practically on functional problem-solving skills. It's worth discussing your cognitive strengths and weaknesses with anyone working with you on EF skills, too, as it may help them tailor their approach to fit you better.


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    I love this description, aeh! Though written for the OP, it captures my sense of DS's future perfectly. Your comments about the role of a trusted and honest social network are insightful and food for thought. Alas that DS missed the era when he could be an absent-minded physics prof with a bevy of administrators to see that he made it to his classes, ate, wore socks....

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    You'd appreciate the classic (possibly apocryphal) story of Sir Isaac Newton, then, who notoriously forgot to eat, on a regular basis. One day, his housekeeper (part of that supportive social network!) decided to play a practical joke on him, and, while he was deep in thought, placed a dish of chicken bones in front of him. Much later, he emerged from contemplation feeling slightly peckish, and asked for some food, at which point she indicated his plate of chicken leavings and told him he had already eaten--which he believed, as it was consistent with the available data!


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