Executive FunctioningMill Valley Middle School September 27, 2011
Barbara Easterlin, Ph.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor, UCSF Hyperactivity, Attention, and Learning Problems (HALP) Clinic and UC Berkeley Clinical Psychology Department
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
415-847-254021 Tamal Vista Blvd., Suite 101Corte Madera, California 94925
The “CEO” of the Brain The parts of the
brain that takes in information,
decides on a course of action,
issues commands via rank in a hierarchy, and
ensures that commands
are implemented
What is Executive Functioning
Generally conceptualized as the brain’s ability to
absorb or conceptualize information,
interpret this information, and
make decisions and carries through actions based on this information.
Early Development of EF New research suggests that imaginal play
behavior is integral to the development of the neural pathways that strengthen executive functioning: making things from scratch, planning out made-up games, role playing
These skills are diminished by playing videogames, using toys that are already constructed, sedentary viewing of screens
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL (starting to develop)
Regulating (sustaining) attention & effort
Task Initiation & persistence
Planning, time management & organization
Good Decision making/judgment
Understanding impact on others -- “self monitoring”
Development of idealism & dreams
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, cont.
Dealing with Novelty
Holding information in “working memory”
Impulse control; “parking” irrelevant information, block out distractions
Mental Flexibility
Frustration tolerance & emotional control
Social awareness
Seeing the big picture
PRE-TEEN/TEEN EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONSorganization, concentration, time management & task prioritization, impulse inhibition/emotional control & motivation
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hello
PRE-TEENEXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS
What happens when EF is not working correctly? Impulsivity Disinhibition (behavioral or verbal) Emotional Reactivity Social inappropriateness Distractibility Making bad decisions Difficulty starting tasks; lateness Poor organization Lateness
Lazy Kid or Executive Dysfunction? Does your child seem lazy, intentionally
forgetful, unmotivated, deliberately late?
Does your child know information but can’t communicate it in a logical sequence?
Do you have a child who is constantly distracted?
Does your child seem impatient, disorganized, and constantly losing things?
Executive Dysfunction Students with executive dysfunction have
problems of a neurobiological nature that particularly affect planning, flexibility, organization, and self monitoring (Ozonoff, 1998).
These individuals may have difficulty picking a topic, planning the project, sequencing the materials for a paper, breaking the project down into manageable units with intermediate deadlines, getting started, and completing the activity
5 most important middle school skills for success Organization
Time management & Prioritization
Concentration
Flexibility & Emotional control
Motivation
1. Organization
Whether it's keeping track of research materials or remembering to bring home a lunch box, children need to be organized to succeed in school. For many students, academic challenges are related more to a lack of organization than to a lack of intellectual ability.
ORGANIZATION – SUCCESS! Make a checklist of things your child needs to bring to and
from school every day. Put a copy by the door at home and one in his backpack. Try to check with him each day to see if he remembers the items on the list.
Find out how your child keeps track of his homework and how he organizes his notebooks. Then work together to develop a system he will want to use.
Shop with your child for tools that will help him stay organized, such as binders, folders or an assignment book.
Use colored folders and in/out baskets for organizing homework
Clean out desk, backpack and notebook once a week
2a. Time Management
Learning to schedule enough time to complete an assignment may be difficult for your student. Even when students have a week to do a project, many won't start until the night before it's due. Learning to organize time into productive blocks takes practice and experience.
TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS Use a visual calendar – with overall plan for the day,
week, month for activities and assignments
Track assignments on the calendar. Work backward from the due date of larger assignments and break them into nightly tasks
Add in intermediate deadlines to show work to teacher at intervals rather than at end
Highlight due dates or test dates
TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS Help your child record how much time she spends on homework
each week so she can figure out how to divide this time into manageable chunks.
Break down assignments into steps
Plan for twice as much time as you think you need
Use a timer and reward for “chunks” of work completed
Together, designate a time for nightly homework and help your child stick to this schedule. DEVELOP A ROUTINE
If evenings aren't enough, help your child find other times for schoolwork, such as early mornings, study halls or weekends. Use weekends to track upcoming assignments
2b. Prioritization
Sometimes children fall behind in school and fail to hand in assignments because they simply don't know where to begin.
Prioritizing tasks is a skill your child will need throughout life, so it's never too soon to get started. The ability to create a roadmap to reach a goal or to complete a task.
Especially important for Long Term Projects and Written Expression
PRIORITIZATION – SUCCESS! Ask your child to write down all the things he needs to
do, including non-school-related activities. Ask him to label each task from 1 to 3, with 1 being
most important. Ask about each task, so that you understand your
child's priorities. If he labels all his social activities as 1, then you know where his attention is focused.
Help your child change some of the labels to better prioritize for academic success. Then suggest he rewrite the list so all the 1s are at the top.
Make checklists for getting through assignments
3. Concentration
Whether your child is practicing his sixth grade spelling words or studying for an advanced algebra test, it's important that she works on schoolwork in an area with limited distractions and interruptions.
TIPS FOR IMPROVED CONCENTRATION Turn off access to email and games when your child
works on the computer. Declare the phone and TV off-limits during homework
time. Find space that fits the assignment. If your child is
working on a science project, she may need lots of space; if she's studying for a Spanish test, she will need a well-lit desk.
Help your child concentrate during homework time by separating her from her siblings.
DO WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOUR CHILD
4. Flexibility & Emotional Control
Ability to revise plans in the face of obstacles, setbacks, new information or mistakes.
Shift directions in the course of a thought or action
The capacity to think before you act
The ability to keep your cool in the face of provocation, fear, & worry
Flexibility & Emotion Strategies
Teach and model coping strategies Relaxation strategies, thought stopping, or attention diversion
strategies It’s ok to make mistakes (self and others)
Practice Multi-tasking – work with 2 or 3 familiar tasks and rotate them at regular intervals
2 minute warnings to alert student that an activity is ending or beginning
Notify student of changes in routines ahead of time.
Coach student to make mid-course corrections while thinking, reading, and writing
Martial arts – or other disciplines which emphasize self control
5. Motivation
Most children say they want to do well in school, yet many still fail to complete the level of work necessary to succeed academically. The reason is often motivation. Tapping into your child's interests is a great way to get him geared to do well in school.
TIPS TO HELP MOTIVATE YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOLER Ask your child what his/her goals are and link
everything else to their personal goals.
Link school lessons to your child's life. If he's learning percentages, ask him to figure out the price of a discounted item next time you shop.
Link your child's interests to academics. If he's passionate about music, give him books about musicians and show how music and foreign languages are connected.
TIPS TO HELP MOTIVATE YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOLER
Give your child control and choices. With guidance, let him determine his study hours, organizing system or school project topics.
Encourage your child to share his expertise. Regularly ask him about what he's learning in school.
Congratulate your child, encourage him and celebrate all his successes.
Give student something they can look forward to as soon as the task is over (i.m.’ing, Facebook, screens, etc.)
PARENTING TIPS Teaching skills is a long term project. BE PATIENT – keep
your cool
Try not to make your child be like you – respect your differences
Be available to help your child solve problems
Communicate optimism “We can solve this problem”
Praise your child for getting started and working on homework
MORE PARENTING TIPS Don’t do the homework, write the essay, draw the
picture, etc. for them
Check on student occasionally, but not constantly
Do a complementary activity in the same room while they are studying
Assist them in understanding directions
Communicate discreetly with teachers
WHEN TO HAVE YOUR CHILD EVALUATED: Inconsistent performance
Overly “stubborn” or rigid stance
Difficulties switching between activities & thoughts
Problems with sustaining attention
Problems with task initiation
WHEN TO HAVE YOUR CHILD EVALUATED:
Excessively impulsive; not thinking ahead or thinking about consequences
Social skill problems (appear “delayed” or out of step)
Homework grades significantly lower than test grades
Exhibits difficulty with each new grade and struggles to make transition each year to next grade level
Doesn’t seem to “learn from mistakes” or generalize from one task or situation to another
Written work is of poor quality, incomplete or disorganized (because it involves keeping track of directions, the physical act of writing, using correct mechanics, creating complete sentences, transferring ideas into written form, deciding on main ideas, details, flow, etc.)
How are EF’s measured
In addition to psychometric tests: Clinical interview Behavioral observations Rule out problems in basic sensory,
motor, and cognitive functioning are ruled out (e.g. vision, hearing, memory & learning, basic attention, & visual spatial skills)
Resources & Strategies Agenda books, electronic PDA’s, calendars
for writing down assignments or appointments
Work with an Educational Therapist
Other alerting/alarm devices – adhdwarehouse.com
Checklists for routines (i.e. what to do before leaving the house, leaving school, etc.)
Develop routines (put away wallet, keys, c-phone in same place EVERY day)