Executive Functioning: Cognitive Flexibility

What is it?

Cognitive flexibility is the brains ability to switch topics, ideas, tasks, or rules. It’s the skill that helps us to adapt to changing plans, take on a new point of view, or thinking about something in a new or different way. For those of with ADHD this is harder to do. It’s kind of like switching lanes in traffic but we don’t have a working turn signal. This sounds a lot like stubbornness doesn’t it? While they may look the same on the outside they come from different places mentally.

Stubbornness is typically intentional and a form of refusal. It normally comes from a place of pride or defiance. Stubborn people can adapt but simply refuse to.

Cognitive inflexibility, the opposite of cognitive flexibility, is neurological and not behavioral. It comes from a struggle to shift ones thinking, not a refusal. To an individual this can feel distressful or overwhelming. There is a desire to adjust but the brain is saying “wait this isn’t what we planned.” A person with ADHD can adapt, it is harder for the brain to do so.

This can look different in every individual with ADHD. For children it could look like switching from play to work at an unplanned time. Or if plans change due to unforeseen circumstance (outside time got canceled due to rain.) Plans changing can already be overwhelming enough. Now add something neurologically rooted, like executive functioning, and you get cognitive inflexibility.

This is a big one for me personally. My brain really likes to focus on plans and things coming up. And sometimes my brain makes “the perfect plan or way” something is going to play out. Now when that thing doesn’t happen and I have to adapt my brain starts to go “Whoa! Hey this is not what we planned buddy.” And thus the overwhelming feeling begins and everything stops being fun. I’ve been able to work on this recently and what has helped me has just been telling my brain “Hey I know. It’s okay for things to change and it is still going to be a great day.”

Tools to try

Transition timers: Using these are great for anyone with ADHD. Telling the brain that there is a change coming in x amount of time can give the brain plenty of time to adapt.

Visual schedules: Very similar to timers. Giving someone a heads up about what is going to happen during the day. Giving the brain plenty of time to get ready for the day.

Teaching flexibility: Especially great for children. Children already aren’t great at being flexible with changes. Teaching our students and children how to be flexible can be huge and the pay off could be great as they grow up and their brain develops more.

Explain the why: People are naturally curious and those with ADHD are even more so. Explaining why the plan has changed can help the brain adapt to the new change.