Executive Functioning

Common Difficulties:

• Setting priorities

• Appearing inattentive and disorganized

• Meeting deadlines

• Difficulty estimating how long something will take

Accommodations/Strategies:

• Involvement in development of plans

• List steps needed for long-term projects

• Make long and short-term "to do" lists which designate time-sensitive tasks

• Use of a visual timer

Common Difficulties:

• Short attention span

• Difficulty remembering to bring necessary materials and to turn in completed work

• Applying crucial information to move to the next step of a task

Accommodations/Strategies:

• Acronyms, mnemonic devices, songs, etc.

• Visual representations

• Additional time to process and retrieve information

• Visual checklists and/or graphic organizers

Common Difficulties:

• Cannot get ideas on paper

• Difficulty understanding cause/effect

• Difficulty using charts without instruction

• Misses the big picture due to being caught up in the details

• Materials/workspace messy

Accommodations/Strategies:

• Assist student in organizing materials

• Provide a set of textbooks for home

• Limit the amount of materials on the desk

• Use color-coding

• Use digital flashcards

• Consider password management software

Common Difficulties:

• Difficulty maintaining attention

• Difficulty listening to read-alouds

• Cannot multitask

• Does not attend to math signs consistently

• Difficulty shifting focus between tasks

Accommodations/Strategies:

• Brief, clear instructions

• Visual supports/reminders

• Nonverbal cues

• Immediate praise or consequences

• Frequently change reinforcers