Planning and Organisational Skills

Disclaimer: This information sheet is for education purposes only. Please consult with your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.

What are they?

There are a collection of cognitive, or thinking, skills that are often discussed as a group and often called `executive functions' or `higher level thinking skills'. These skills include organisation and planning. These skills help people prepare for situations and decide how to achieve goals or approach activities, and how to complete activities in the most efficient and effective way. These skills are often affected by acquired brain injury.

What do problems with organisation and planning look like?

The following list outlines some of the common difficulties that may be seen on an everyday basis that could indicate problems in this area.

1. Not starting tasks because they don't know where to begin.
2. Starting a task impulsively, without planning what steps are necessary.
3. Attempting tasks in haphazard ways and completing things slowly or inefficiently.
4. Having trouble coping with complexity.
5. `Jumping' from one topic to another or going off on tangents in conversation, oral presentations or written tasks.
6. `Completing' a task but not meeting the goal that was set.
7. Understanding parts of a task or subject but not being able to integrate them effectively.
8. Not knowing where things are and forgetting appointments.
9. Difficulty learning new information
10. Difficulty prioritising work and organising homework

What strategies might help?

• Help to break a task down into component parts and devise a structure to follow.
• Focus on one task at a time
• Before the child begins a task, set a pre requisite task of first completing an outline or plan, and provide feedback on this.
• Clearly set out a step by step written plan that can be followed to complete a task. Establish a `template' step by step plan for common activities such as writing a story.
• Written checklists that set out the steps of a task, multiple tasks to be done, or things to bring to certain events, and that can be `ticked off' are good, concrete prompts.
• Establish structured routines that can be learned for everyday activities.
• Make the goals of a task explicit and help devise a plan of attack to focus on that.
• Provide structure when teaching by first teaching a broad outline and then providing details later.
• Encourage diary, daily planner and timetable use to organise things such as appointments and when school work is due, and to schedule appropriate time for homework and assignments to be completed.

Who do I see and how is it diagnosed?

Difficulties with organisation and planning skills, as well as other cognitive difficulties are formally identified by a neuropsychological assessment. A neuropsychologist and cognitive therapist can help devise compensatory and management strategies that are suitable for each individual child and their cognitive profile.

Rehabilitation Department The Children's Hospital at Westmead Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St, Westmead Locked Bag 4001, Westmead, 2145 Tel: (02) 9845 2132 - Fax: (02) 9845 0685 http://www.chw.edu.au/rehabilitation/