Executive Functioning in Adults with ADHD: A New Construct

Executive functioning and many components have been ambiguous concepts due to the lack of specificity and the lack of an agreed-upon definition. Dr. Russell Barkley is ready to change all that. He has constructed a new, more precise definition that acts metaphorically as a Swiss army knife cutting through the ambiguity, bringing clarity to what is and is not an executive function. With this in hand, he has conceptualized a new model of executive functioning as an extended phenotype. This new model shows why adult ADHD is a disorder of executive function. Even if most adults with ADHD are not impaired on neuropsychological tests of executive function. His new model has some very interesting implications for the assessment and management of executive function deficits as they exist in adults with ADHD. In this episode, host, Jeff Copper, discusses with Dr. Barkley this new construct in basic terms and discusses how the model would improve the assessment and management of ADHD moving forward. If you are interested in what the future of ADHD diagnosis and treatment might be like, you won’t want to miss this show.

Attention Talk Radio is the leading site for self-help Internet radio shows focusing on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD), including managing symptoms of attention deficit disorder, adults with ADD, or adults who have children with ADHD. Attention Talk Radio, hosted by attention coach Jeff Copper, is designed to help adults and children (particularly those diagnosed with or impacted by attention deficit disorder or its symptoms) in life or business who are stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated. It will help adults and children get unstuck and moving forward by helping to open their minds and pay attention to what works.