I got 8 numbers but only 7 letters.

Oh crud! I thought I was hot stuff cause I got 7 numbers. Then, I took this test and found out that my executive functioning is very low!! The shifting attention test was not good for me. I thought I was aceing it, too!

OMG!!! I think I really have to thank you for that link, Tricia. I googled exective functioning and now so many things are making sense for me.

I am really struggling trying to figure out my budget and I just keep getting frustrated. I need to automate as many payments as possible (because I can't keep track and remember), but I can't figure out how to figure out how much money to keep in my bill payment account so that it won't overdraw. I used to be so good at this and so quick and now this makes NO sense to me. Apparently, this is an exective functioning thing and that is why I am stinking at it.

I don't know if I should cry or be relieved to know why I can't do this. Now, I have to figure out who can help me with this.

My executive function was low as well.

I have the same issue as you. However, DD16 helps with it. When a bill comes in we write it on a calendar that is at my desk. It helps us keep on track. Keep in mind my only bills are living costs (rent, utilities, car insurance, and food). She has access to my account online just in case everything goes to crud again. She can do the bill pay online. (I don't trust DD18 doing this right now. Not that she is not trustworthy, she just flakes out every now and then ).

I used to be able to keep it all in my head but not anymore. I sometimes have trouble with simple addition. It's crazy. Sometimes I sit back and think about all my work experience. I did a lot of statistics and trending for three hospitals. There is no way I could do it now.

Yes, that attention shifting one is what got me too. Sometimes I knew the correct arrow to push but there was a communication break between my brain and my fingers. It was frustrating.

Holly - Occupational therapists and speech therapists help with these issues. They help with learning new techniques to keep on task, helping memory, etc.

Well, at least we aren't alone. We have each other! I wish I could borrow your daughter, though. My score was in the 1st percentile. It was so low that it almost didn't register as a person taking the test.

I guess I have to print out the report and show it to DH and tell him he really has to take over some of this.

LOL. Holly. Keep in mind that it is a quick test online and certainly not a complete diagnosis or anything like that. I took it to see if I was getting better with my cognitive functioning.

Cognitive issues are one of my most frustrating and upsetting symptoms. Going from having a high IQ to have an average to below average is very difficult. I get frustrated when I can't read or comprehend what I am reading. I was an avid reader who always was reading a book or two. I get mad when I know the information is in there and it just won't come out or comes out jumbled up.

Additionally, prior to MS I had an abnormally good memory. One of my older sisters and I were talking about it one day. I was telling her my frustrations with this. She did remind me that while I may have had incredible memory skills prior, I was now experiencing what the average person is like in regards to memory. Before MS, my sisters would always talk about how I remembered everything. It made me feel somewhat better.

When I had some testing done for SSDI, the psychologist that did the test explained to me that based on the parts of the test that I did extremely well on versus the parts that I didn't do well on as well as my education level, prior to all of this it appeared that my level of intelligence was much higher than the average person. Now, however, I cannot comprehend and carry out complex instructions. All instructions would have to be simple. Therefore, in regards to cognitive functioning, working was not an option for me.

Now, I am certainly fighting all this and trying to make a break through. lol I do hope to take a CAD class soon. I may have to put it off until January as I want to get DD16 taken care of 1st. That will be a load off my mind so that I can focus better on the class.

Holly and everyone else, you all are not alone in this. Many hugs to all.

what was the question?

thanks TK

this has been an informative thread

Well, I'm going to retry that test in the morning. Obviously, 3:00 in the afternoon is not my best time to be test taking. I will try again and see if I can get better than very low and low.

Ok, Holly and Tk, what are you two on about with "executive testing" (or whatever you said)? All I found was testing "numbers", "letters" and "words".

(Obviously I am not good at following directions ).

I tried that second link someone gave (more word testing), and I can NOT do the word tests at all. That's kinda' interesting, since I did reasonably well with numbers and letters.

Cherie

I really don't understand the executive functions as it relates to MS. I did a google search to see if I could come up with something.

"Common executive abilities include judgment, problem solving, decision making, planning, and social conduct, and depend upon many of our cognitive abilities such as attention, perception, memory, and language."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/13418.php

Most of what I found had to do with ADD.

For me, I have very little visual memory. So doing some of these tests online (visually) is harder for me than doing them in person (auditory memory).

Does that help answer your question Lady?