We suspect or you suspect your child has characteristics of Executive Functioning. Now what???
The National Center for Learning Disabilities recommends the following steps to try. One on one or small group "coaching" is also becoming a popular strategy to help students learn EF skills. These would be some of the skills I could help students with as my role of Resource Teacher.
Goal setting
Shifting/Thinking Flexibly
Organizing Ideas
Organizing Materials
Prioritizing
Accessing Working Memory
Self-monitoring/Self-Checking
Encouraging children and teens to use executive function strategies puts them on the path to success in school and in life. For more information and suggestions read the other three articles in this series:
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About.com also recommends other strategies to try.....
As with all interventions, it is important to be aware of how they affect the person with executive functioning disorder. If the person is not helped with the strategy or is making no progress after a reasonable amount of time, look for a better way. Older children and adults may be able to help identify more effective strategies or ways to adjust strategies for more effectiveness. Although it is an invisible disability, it can have a profound effect on all aspects of a person's life.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities recommends the following steps to try. One on one or small group "coaching" is also becoming a popular strategy to help students learn EF skills. These would be some of the skills I could help students with as my role of Resource Teacher.
Goal setting
- Help your child to set attainable goals that are well-defined.
- Break goals down into smaller steps and talk about alternative approaches.
Shifting/Thinking Flexibly
- Expose your child to jokes, riddles and puns which are enjoyable ways of learning to shift between different meanings.
- Teach your child to think flexibly when solving math problems by comparing their estimates with their answers to word problems or discussing a variety of approaches to a problem.
Organizing Ideas
- Encourage your child to use outlines, graphic organizers or webs to organize ideas for a large project.
- Encourage your child to use two- or three-column notes when reading or studying.
Organizing Materials
- Work with your child to develop a system for organizing materials in folders, backpacks and lockers.
- Make sure your child has a designated place for completed assignments.
- Encourage your child to clean out his or her backpack once a week.
- Provide space at home to file old tests and study guides that may be needed at a later date.
Prioritizing
- Have your child “divide and conquer” upcoming assignments and projects by planning to complete larger assignments in steps to avoid last-minute panics.
Accessing Working Memory
- Encourage your child to create his or her own silly sentences, acronyms or cartoons to remember information.
- Help your child to create songs, stories and acronyms to remember the steps involved in completing and checking written papers and math problems.
Self-monitoring/Self-Checking
- Children need to learn to check their schoolwork before turning it in. Help your child to develop personalized checklists to correct his or her most common mistakes.
Encouraging children and teens to use executive function strategies puts them on the path to success in school and in life. For more information and suggestions read the other three articles in this series:
- Executive Function: Flexible Thinking Strategies for Life-Long Success
- Executive Function: Self-Monitoring and Self-Checking for Independent Learning
- Executive Function: Organizing and Prioritizing Strategies for Life-Long Success
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About.com also recommends other strategies to try.....
- Give clear step-by-step instructions with visual organizational aids. Children with executive functioning disorders may not make logical leaps to know what to do. Use short instructions with words your child will understand.
- Use planners, organizers, computers, or timers.
- Provide visual schedules and review them at least every morning, after lunch, and in the afternoon.
- Pair written directions with spoken instructions and visual models whenever possible.
- If possible, use a daily routine.
- Create checklists and "to do" lists.
- Use positive reinforcement to help kids stay on task.
- Break long assignments into smaller tasks and assign mini-timelines for completion of each.
- Use visual calendars or wall planners at to keep track of long term assignments, deadlines, and activities.
- Organize the work space, and minimize clutter regularly.
- Try to keep your strategies consistent across classrooms, at home, or in the workplace. People with executive functioning disorders are more likely to do well when their routines are similar in different settings.
As with all interventions, it is important to be aware of how they affect the person with executive functioning disorder. If the person is not helped with the strategy or is making no progress after a reasonable amount of time, look for a better way. Older children and adults may be able to help identify more effective strategies or ways to adjust strategies for more effectiveness. Although it is an invisible disability, it can have a profound effect on all aspects of a person's life.