Executive Functioning

1. Executive Functioning Presenters: Patricia Parrillo, LCSW - Adjustment Counselor Jamie Ferreira, M.Ed., CAGS - Licensed School Psychologist

2. What is Executive Functioning? • A set of mental processes that all have to do with managing oneself and one's resources in order to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for the neurologically-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation. • These skills are controlled by an area of the brain called the frontal lobe.

3. Kids With Executive Functioning Difficulties Struggle With... • Impulse Control • Emotional Control • Planning/Prioritizing • Flexibility • Working Memory • Self-Monitoring • Task Initiation • Organization

4. Executive Functioning and Learning Organizing There are five keys areas where children with executive functioning difficulties are most impacted in the classroom. It is important to help children understand how they think and learn and to teach strategies in five key areas Prioritizing Self-Monitoring / Self-Checking Shifting/Thinking Flexibly Accessing Working Memory

5. What Can Organizing and Prioritizing Difficulties Look Like In Kids? • Approaching tasks in a haphazard fashion • Getting caught up in details and misses the big picture • Having excellent ideas they are unable to express on tests and written assignments • Is easily overwhelmed by large amount of information • Cannot independently break down step of tasks or assignments • Difficulty juggling long-term and short-term tasks day to day • Unable to select the most important information for note-taking, studying or writing • Struggles to manage competing demands of school, homework, and extracurricular activities without losing track of important deadlines.

6. Some of the key academic areas for students who face organizational challenges are: Homework Requires students to write down all assignments correctly, bring home materials needed for their work, complete tasks on time and then remember to turn in their work. Long-Term Projects Requires students to keep track of many details and manage multiple elements of their projects simultaneously. Studying Requires students to organize class notes, homework and other materials to prepare for tests and quizzes. Writing Requires students to produce cohesive, integrated, analytical compositions that are well organized and prioritize important details.

7. How To Help Kids With Organizational Issues • Use a family calendar to record important commitments. Weekly family meetings can help you coordinate everyone’s schedules so that you model good planning and organizational strategies. • Help your child select calendars (paper or electronic) that can be updated with commitments/tasks whenever you update your family calendar. • Encourage your child to schedule fun activities (playdates) along withimportant obligations. • Break tasks down into smaller chunks and predict how long each part will take and track the time while working.

8. How To Help Kids With Organizational Issues • Use a family calendar to record important commitments. Weekly family meetings can help you coordinate everyone’s schedules so that you model good planning and organizational strategies. • Help your child select calendars (paper or electronic) that can be updated with commitments/tasks whenever you update your family calendar. • Encourage your child to schedule fun activities (playdates) along with important obligations. • Break tasks down into smaller chunks and predict how long each part will take and track the time while working. • Have them envision the endpoint of the task. • Help your child create lists of homework assignments or chores. Let them experience the satisfaction of checking off tasks as they are completed. • Provide visual schedules • An organized workspace helps children find the materials they need for homework easily and independently. • Keep reference materials, including calculators, dictionaries and atlases, near your child’s work space. • Identify a regular time during the week for clearing out and organizing their backpack.

9. How To Help Kids With Difficulty Prioritizing Prioritizing Tasks & Materials Encourage Sequence Logically Prepare Make it Easy Prioritize Homework Help your child prioritize homework tasks based on due dates, difficulty level or the level of stress they have about the tasks. Encourage them to list the steps needed to complete long-term projects. Help them sequence logically. For example, before looking up vocabulary words in the dictionary, they could alphabetize the list first. Help your child to review homework and gather materials before starting work so that everything is collected before they start working. Store the most commonly used items within easy reach in accessible locations.

10. Shifting/Thinking Flexibly This executive function skill allows one the ability to move freely from one situation to another and think flexibly in order to respond appropriately to a situation. Children who struggle with shifting/flexibility issues may experience the following: Difficulty with transitions Trouble moving back and forth Difficulty problem solving or getting stuck on a topic Difficulty coping with unexpected changes in schedules, rountines, or homework

11. Why Is Flexible Thinking So Important for Academic Performance? Reading comprehension- requires a student to go back and forth between the major themes and supporting details and to sift and sort information while reading. Written language- requires balancing important concepts and main ideas with the supporting details a student wants to communicate in writing. Math competency- involves shifting between word meanings, procedures and operations. Studying and test-taking- require students to go back and forth between topics or problem solving types that are presented in different formats.

12. How to Help Kids with Difficulty Shifting/Thinking • When considering solutions, help them think of at least two alternatives, then let them select one of the solutions. • Anticipate difficulties at times of transition and pre-teach where possible.

13. Working Memory • A foundation for executive functions • Your brain’s post-it note • Involves short-term memory and attention • Allows you to keep information in mind while using it • 2 types: verbal (auditory) and visual-spatial • May be more apparent in later grades when demands increase

14. What Do Working Memory Issues Look Like in Kids? • Failing to finish activities or assignments • Daydreaming • Getting “lost” and forgetful within an activity • Raising hand to answer and forgetting what they were going to say (typical in a 5-year-old but not in an 11-year-old) • Difficulty following multi-step directions (even in familiar routines)

15. How To Help Kids With Working Memory • Know your child’s weaknesses, but play to their strengths. • Break up or chunk information/break down directions into small steps (use checklists, visual reminders). • Help your kids become aware of what works for them. Share and model for them what works for you. • Discourage multi tasking!

16. What is self-monitoring? It is an executive functioning skill that requires kids to: Recognize when and how to use specific strategies Check the effectiveness of those strategies Adjust the strategies in relation to the task at hand Self-Monitoring and Learning

17. Self-Monitoring and Learning (cont.): Self monitoring becomes increasingly important as kids advance through grades. • Reading comprehension - monitoring and decoding vocabulary while also tracking the main ideas (meaning). • Writing - understanding the assignment, planning, and organizing an approach, connecting main ideas with the details and facts while using correct grammar and checking to see if your finished product matches the goal of the assignment. • Math - requires the child to monitor how they solve problems, understanding concepts, and making sure the answer is correct. • Homework - understanding assignments, monitoring due dates, organizing materials, and checking for accuracy.

18. How to Help Kids Self-Monitor and Self-Check • Reading Comprehension • Encourage your child to read short sentences or small chunks of text and check for understanding • Writing • Review assignments and errors; use different colored pens/pencils when editing • Check sentence structure and grammar by reading aloud • Math • Model for kids how to check their work for accuracy • Use a calculator to check work • Homework • Use checklists/visuals to pack necessary items into the backpack • Use a clock or timer to monitor time • Provide a consistent place to work with minimal distractions

19. Executive Dysfunction and Behavior • Children who struggle with executive function may struggle with impulse control and emotional control. • These questions are not automatic for them: What’s happening here? When this has happened in the past, what worked for me? If I do this or say that, what will happen? • You may notice that they: • Respond excessively to good and bad • Are prone to temper tantrums or reactions that are greater than you would’ve expected • Struggle to handle change • Overreact to feelings - become quickly angry or sad; become excessively silly or giddy

20. Executive Dysfunction and Social Difficulties • Children with executive dysfunction often experience problems in the social realm. • To be “socially competent” you must be able to: • Be aware of the importance of body language and nonverbal communication • Have control of emotions and impulses (can “stop and think”) • Be able to think through a situation and recognize others’ points of view (problem solving) • Be flexible when plans change or unexpected things arise • Anticipate the consequence of an action • Take responsibility for behavior • These are skills that are challenging for kids with executive functioning difficulties

21. How You Can Help Your Child Socially • Like academic skills, social skills often must be taught explicitly. • Watch and observe in a variety of social situations. Notice both positive and negative. Be sure to find at least one positive thing to reinforce with your child. • Talk to your child. • Let’s see if we can figure out why that happened, why you said/did that, why you got so angry/sad/upset • Ask questions that show you value their perception of the problem • Acknowledge their feelings • Decide on alternative responses for the future • Invite them to practice (role play) thoughtful responses • Check in with them after they have had an actual opportunity to practice

22. How You Can Help Your Child Socially (cont.) • Use nonverbal signals • Stay nonjudgmental • Instead of: “Why did you keep interrupting? You have to let other people talk!” • Try: “I know you are mad because I walked away from you before. Why do you think I did that?” • Provide consistent, ongoing encouragement and support • Recognize and reinforce even the smallest improvements - let them know you appreciate their efforts • Try not to overpraise - children can sense insincerity • Set up structured, manageable social situations for your child to practice

23. THANK YOU FOR COMING! If you have questions, please feel free to email either of us: Jamie Ferreira, M.Ed., CAGS - Licensed School Psychologist Jamie.Ferreira@Mansfieldschools.com Patricia Parrillo, MSW, LCSW - Licensed Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor Patricia.Parrillo@Mansfieldschools.com