Do you know anyone who is really intelligent & switched on, but are failing at school or work? Ever wonder why?
In her work at U.B.C Adele Diamond has found that it’s not intelligence that makes the Grade ( no pun intended) it’s something called Executive Function skills.(E.F) Don’t know what they are? Well basically E.F is an umbrella term for the brains’ ‘task management skills’, like: Planning, Organizing, Initiation, Focus, Attention & Memory etc..
She shows us from her research that you can be as smart as all get go, but if you don’t have strong E.F skills, you are more likely to to fail in traditional learning & careers, this is especially true as you go higher up in the grades, Higher learning, Post Grad & and Career..
Those E.F skills are what make the difference between success and failure, not intelligence! These E.F skills have also been called ‘Scaffolding to learning skills” by Dr. Rosemary Tannock Phd in her work on ADHD, Ld’s at Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital. (Here is a link if you want to know more)
I just love the term:- ‘Scaffolding skills’ and what it implies….
Firstly it gives us a clear visual… That we are actually building something when learning, & we need to have the ‘Scaffolding or Supports’ in place to ensure we do it well, easily with less stress. The building itself is the intelligence and the learning, but that’s a lot tougher to improve upon if we don’t have the Scaffolding in place. Lastly those Scaffolding Skills are clearly a separate skill/capability than the Learning or Intelligence peice..
To sum it up: Being intelligent & learning on it’s own isn’t enough to ensure success, for that we need to develop the use of the ‘Scaffolding-to-learning skills.’.
‘Scaffolding Skills’ rely on 3 things:
The Maturity of the brain.
The innate Capability of the brain
&…
Know how..
For most of us that Maturity doesn’t arrive fully formed until we are around 23 years of age! What!? Yes, I know. Are you thinking what I am thinking? If you are, you’re thinking that for the majority of those in high school, college or university who are attempting some of the most crucial learning of their lives, they are doing it all at a time when their E.F skills aren’t even fully developed yet!
Also, even more shocking is that for people with ADHD, that needed brain maturity arrives even later!
Brain Capability; If you have ADHD or another Ld, ( Learning disability) You may never have access to the full range of these skills! (This also depends on how severe the ADHD/Ld is, and if it’s treated or not)
Know How: Lastly, schools aren’t necessarily teaching the ‘Hows to’s’ of planning, organizing etc.
I like to say these Scaffolding skills aren’t only a strength or intuit ability, but also a skill… As such they can be taught!
So a person may be intelligent, capable and driven, they may have access to the finest learning & information, but if they lack these ‘Scaffolding skills, or fail to develop them, then they’re more likely to struggle or fail.
People with ADHD/Ld’s will always be challenged to apply these skills consistently.. Though ADHD treatment can & does help enormously. But to succeed in the classrooms & workplaces of today they need to have an ‘external suite of tools that support their challenged ‘Scaffolding Skills’..That means they absolutely must have tools like; Planners, Calendars, To-do lists, and Time & Project management tools.
Or as I like to say to my clients.. You need to have your external Hard drive! Having reliable tools that they consistently use, helps free up their minds for learning! It also increases confidence, reduces overwhelm and anxiety, and allows them to be consistent, which leads to better results/grades. All of that without any more intelligence or studying! So if you do have ADHD, then the ‘Know How’ for using these tools is crucial.
Thank goodness things are starting to change in this regard. There are some enlightened schools I know of, and individual teachers who see the value of spending time to help students develop habits that nurture these Scaffolding skills. Sadly this is not yet the norm, and so there’s a real need for programs or opportunities to give them this specific ‘know how’.
That’s why I developed my Organizing 101 program for ADHD students, It’s a 5 week program of learning skills that help with:Time management, Planner/Agendas, Organizing, Calendars, Homework & long term project- planning skills..
The next one starts on October 2nd. See my websites events page or email/call me for more details
So if you know someone who despite their intelligence is failing or struggling to stay afloat? Then ask yourself; If it’s not their intelligence, then is it the lack of Scaffolding Skills that is impacting them? And if so, how would their results & efforts improve if they had the ‘Know How’ they need to utilize those skills? And would that make the difference between success and failure for them?
As always, I would love to hear your comments and opinions, or perhaps you can share your own systems or tools that have helped you to succeed?
Finally, If you know someone who is needlessly struggling with this stuff, then please pass this on & ‘Share’.