Mindfulness and Cognitive Flexibility Challenges
Mindfulness
What are some challenges?
Self-awareness: Problems recognizing and meeting own physical, mental, and social needs.
Self-knowledge: Being aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
Problems with theory of mind: The ability to understand someone else’s thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
Hyperactivity: Feeling the need to move and/or constantly thinking.
What does this look like?
Problems understanding the impact of behavior on others.
Problems controlling thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
That can result in:
Bullying and teasing
Social withdrawal
Low self-esteem
Anxiety
Depression
Fewer close friendships
Possible diagnoses:
Social Communication Disorder (SCD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Asperger’s Syndrome
Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD)
ADHD (only one where hyperactivity is a symptom)
OCD
Possible interventions:
Practicing mindfulness
Medication for anxiety and/or ADHD
Cognitive/Behavioral Therapy
Social skills training
Cognitive Flexibility
What are some challenges?
Rigid thinking: Struggles to adapt to changing environments, behave flexibly, and control actions.
Independent problem solving: Recognizing a barrier to completing tasks or achieving goals, planning the best way to overcome that barrier, and effectively executing that plan.
What does this look like?
Actively resists any form of change and attempts to control all situations. Example: Reacts unusually upset to the rearrangement of furniture or changes to a closet or filing system. Keeping organizational systems the same is essential to your everyday functioning.
Oppositional behavior towards authority figures.
Exhibits repetitive self-stimulation (tapping, biting fingernails, organizing items, rocking, humming).
Insists on rituals or strict routines.
Has difficulty moving on from strong negative feelings.
Struggles to move on from one activity or thought. For example, you may have experienced an upsetting situation and then rehash the event in your mind over and over, wondering what you should have done differently. You may also often share these thoughts with others.
Heavily relies on others to complete tasks or meet goals.
Possible diagnoses:
Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD/NLD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Asperger’s Syndrome
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Possible Interventions
Cognitive/Behavioral Therapy
Mindfulness
Medication for anxiety
Click on these links for references on interventions and conditions.