This page serves as the home for lessons, videos and activities designed to help students, instructors and parents understand better what executive functioning skills are and how to develop those skills to become life long learners and resilient problem solvers.
What is Executive Function?:
Executive Function or EF are the thinking skills that enable a student to:
* Make and execute a plan.
* Monitor thoughts and actions
Click here to watch a 5 minute Youtube clip that describes Executive Functions applied to the life of a student.
EF is particularly relevant to ADHD as it is applied to something called working memory.
Working memory is the ability to use and connect multiple bits of information at the same time.
4 KEY Universal Design Strategies that instructors should employ with students that have EF weaknesses:
A. Reduce Distractions...
~ minimize the amount of distractions on walls, such as posters, pictures....
~ minimize the amount of background noise.
B. Increase Physical Activity...
~Have students be active for 30 minutes, if possible at the start of the day.
~Allow students to sit on exercise balls.
C. Reduce Stress and Anxiety...
~ When correcting behavior do so in a quiet, private manner away from an "audience".
~ Tap on a desk or other non verbal cue to get student to refocus.
~ When a student is given a task, give him/her a time limit and a timer.
IEP Accommodations/Modifications that best help students with EF challenges:
Frequent breaks (draws attention back).
Flexible extended deadlines (accommodates time management challenges).
Provide note taking assistance (take picture of notes with iPhone).
Ask clarifying questions that articulates the thinking process....
"Why did you do it that way?"
"How did you get that answer?"