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Executive Functioning Skill Developmentat School, Home and in the Community CENTRAL RIVERS AREA EDUCATION AGENCY

What are Executive Functioning Skills?Executive Functioning Skills (EF skills) are the skills that enable us to ana-lyze, organize, make decisions and take action. The frontal lobe of the brain isthe “control center” for EF skills and as individuals mature through puberty theseskills develop more profoundly. EF skills begin developing early in life. EF skillscan be taught. As is the case for all individuals, some of our skill sets are stron-ger than others, and this includes EF skills.There are many ways Executive Functioning Skills have been organized anddescribed. For the purposes of this document, we will look at EF skills in twocategories, skills that support our thinking (cognition) and skills that support ourdoing (behavior.)Thinking Skills (Cognition) Doing Skills (Behavior)►Planning ►Response Inhibition►Organization ►Emotional Control►Time Management ►Sustained Attention►Working Memory ►Task Initiation►Meta-Cognition ►Flexibility ►Goal-directed PersistenceWhy are Executive Functioning Skills important?Executive Functioning Skills (EF skills) are important for both children and adults.Weak EF skills might look like an adult who has difficulty managing materialsor setting appropriate schedules and deadlines; He may misplace importantdocuments or his car keys. A student may have a school locker or class foldercrammed full of completed assignments that have never been turned in to theteacher.If EF skills are not adequate, there can be negative impact on learning, livingand working. To illustrate the impact EF skills may have, consider the results ofa recent survey of Hiring Executives and Business Managers conducted on be-half of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (2018.) The mostimportant employee characteristics and abilities sought by those who hire andmanage people entering the workforce are:►Oral communication ►Work well independently►Critical thinking ►Self-motivation►Ethical Judgement ►Strong written communication►Work effectively in teams ►Real-world application of skills and knowledgeThe ability to demonstrate any one of those favorable characteristics can be im-pacted by strong or weak Executive Functioning skills.

How do you identify Executive Functioning Skill Needs? When assessing Executive Skill weaknesses, a comprehensive assessment is de- sired utilizing several sources of information. The sources should include a detailed case study history, standardized behavior rating scales, classroom, home and com- munity setting observations and student work samples. The RIOT process (Review, Interview, Observe, Test/Task/Tool) can also be used and incorporate the elements of SCIL (Setting, Curriculum, Instruction, Learner Per- formance.) When assessing Executive Skills, it is important to look for evidence of skill weak- nesses in different settings and with different assessment tools or procedures. When analyzing the data, it is important to remember that teachers, parents and stu- dents themselves may not see Executive Skills weaknesses as equally pronounced in one setting to another. That is why it is necessary to get assessment data from various settings and sources.What might it look like if someone struggleswith Executive Skills? Thinking Skills (Cognition) ► Planning-Difficulty carrying out and completing assignments ► Organization-Unprepared with materials. Keeps messy desk, notebook, locker ► Time Management-Underestimates time needed to complete tasks, misses deadlines ► Working Memory-Not following directions or multi-step instructions. ► Meta-Cognition-Doesn’t have effective study strategies; difficulty catching or correcting mistakes Doing Skills (Behavior) ► Response Inhibition-Blurts out, inappropriate behavior or speech, difficulty waiting for a turn, sharing materials ► Emotional Control-Having low frustration tolerance, overreacting when upset ► Sustained Attention-Inability to focus and resist distractions ► Task Initiation-Needs cues to start work, puts off long-term assignments ► Flexibility-Difficulty adjusting strategies or shifting approaches, not seeing another’s point of view ► Goal-directed Persistence-Doesn’t see connection between homework and long-term goals, doesn’t follow through to achieve stated goals

What strategies are effective in teachingExecutive Functioning Skills? In order for either a child or adult to learn a new skill, the person needs to understand how learning the new skill will be of benefit; How that skill will make a difference in that person’s life. Like other skills, Executive Function is learned through training and practice. We all learn when we have a clear understanding of how to do something through instruc- tion and modeling by someone who can demonstrate the skill. We need opportuni- ties to practice new skills in a variety of environments, and refine the skill by learning how to evaluate our performance and self-monitor. We learn strategies that build on strengths and mitigate weaknesses by developing our individual capacity, using supports, and when necessary adjusting our environ- ment. Following are some examples of strategies and supports that are effective in strength- ening Executive Functioning skills. Thinking Skills (Cognition) Organization Classroom Support: Create and maintain an organized classroom environment (e.g., clearly labeled files, bins, shelves, free of clutter). Adhere to consistent rou- tines and procedures for handling and managing materials. Classroom Instruction: Break up long-term assignments (book reports, re- search projects) into a series of smaller steps. Assign incremental due dates to structure the timeline towards project completion. Check and provide feedback at each incremental step. Individual Support: Allow students to use technology to help with productivity, manage lists, and help stay organized. Individual Instruction: Determine if the student has the prerequisite skill of sep- arate and categorize. Once they have learned that skill, provide various organiza- tional systems to draw upon as they learn and develop their own system. Provide support until cuing and/or reinforcement can be faded and/or removed. Working Memory Classroom Support: Incorporate visual elements such as graphic organizers, partial outlines, and other graphic tools, into verbal lessons. Classroom Instruction: Teach and use mnemonics to aid memory, such as ac- ronyms (e.g., HOMES: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior—to recall the Great Lakes) and acrostics (e.g., Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally—the order for solving algebraic equations: parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction). Individual Support: Allow students to use their Smartphones to take a photo of the assignments on the board and leave themselves other personal reminders (notes, voice or text messages). Individual Instruction: Teach note-taking skills and provide extra assistance to students with EF weaknesses. Consider sharing printed copies of lectures with students and allowing them to record lectures.

Meta-Cognition Classroom Support: Build in self-reflection activities by having student record strategies they used (e.g., when studying for a test, completing a project, working cooperatively with their group), and contemplating what was and was not helpful, and what they would do differently next time. Classroom Instruction: Teach students to monitor their reading comprehension through strategies such as annotating their text directly on pages or on post-it notes while reading (e.g., unfamiliar vocabulary, confusing parts and questions, reactions), using reading response logs or Think Notes: (*) Indicates Main Idea, (!) I love this point (?) I have a question (??) Something is unclear or confusing Individual Support: Have students chart and graph their progress on specific skills that have been identified for growth. Individual Instruction: Teach learning strategies for error monitoring, such as COPS for proofreading: Read over work four times---each time checking for one of these components: capitalization, overall appearance, punctuation, and spell- ing (Schumaker et al., 1981).Doing Skills (Behavior)Response Inhibition Classroom Support: Increase adult supervision and use non-verbal cues to sup- port good choices; Post and review class rules/behavioral expectations; Provide reminders to the class of expected behaviors before events/activities, such as: “We are leaving for the library in 3 minutes. We will be quiet in the hall, walk on the right side of the hallway, and we will keep our hands and out feet to ourselves.” Classroom Instruction: Explain expected behavior, what it looks like and sounds like; Model appropriate behavior and have the class practice it; Teach a replace- ment behavior to replace an unacceptable behavior, such as: raising a hand while waiting to share instead of blurting out. Individual Support: Increase supervision and provide non-verbal cues to dis- courage unacceptable behavior and encourage good choices; Avoid situations where emotions run high and it is more difficult for the student to control his/her behavior; Remind students of expectations for behavior before events/activities; Individual Instruction: Make sure the student understands expected behavior; Discuss the intent behind student’s unacceptable behavior (such as to gain atten- tion) and identify a different way to meet that need (replacement behavior.) Teach the replacement behavior and practice with the student, perhaps while playing a game or having a conversation. Model good behavior and also talk about your decision not to interrupt during the conversation, even though you thought about it, and how you made the decision to make the better choice, and the strategies you used to help yourself “wait your turn.”

Emotional Control Classroom Support: Limit the number of emotionally stimulating situations during the school day; Use a 5-point scale or other framework that helps children identify when their emotions are escalating; Post the framework in the classroom as a visual reminder to the students Classroom Instruction: Teach the class how to use the framework through pro- viding examples, social stories related to escalating emotions; Teach students the physical changes and feelings that indicate heightened emotions so they can recognize the symptoms. Teach students strategies for controlling emotions such as self-talk, slow-breathing, visual imagery, and provide opportunities to practice. Individual Support: Limit activities/situations that may cause the student to have difficulty with emotional control, such as competitive games without adult super- vision; Provide visual cues such as a copy of a chart/emotional scale that the student can check for self-monitoring; Individual Instruction: Teach the student how to use a framework/scale through examples and social stories related to escalating emotions; Teach him/her the physical changes and feelings that indicate heightened emotions so he can rec- ognize the symptoms. Teach strategies for controlling emotions such as self-talk, slow-breathing, visual imagery, and provide opportunities to practice. An adult can model emotional control and describe strategies she used in challenging situa- tionsTask Initiation Classroom Support: Cue the class when it is time to begin or switch activities; Work through the first part of an assignment as a whole group to help students get started; Provide a visual schedule with start and stop times for sections of a bigger task. Classroom Instruction: Teach the class how to develop a work plan including 1) identify tasks that need to be done 2) determine order (sequence) tasks should be done 2) timeline for completion of tasks; Use the “work plan” format on a number of projects to practice the strategy. Individual Support: Schedule tasks with the student and decide with him/her when the work should start, and what the first steps would be; Provide an indi- vidual visual schedule that may include steps to initiate, such as homework: get paper, pencil and book, open book, write name and date on the paper, etc; Use a reinforcement/reward system when tasks are completed as expected; Individual Instruction: Create a “work plan” with the student, breaking the plan into subparts, and assign a time/date to each subpart; Teach the student how to use applications or other tech supports to remind him/her when to start tasks; Teach the child what to do if he/she “gets stuck” such as who to talk to, how to identify outside resources to give her ideas, etc.For all strategies, make sure the students understand the benefit to them from usingthe strategies, provide opportunities for practice, and decrease adult involvementand increase student evaluation and self-monitoring.

Executive Functioning Skills Why are Executive Skills Important?School Readiness, School Achievement, Positive Behaviors, Good Health and Successful Work SCHOOL HOME COMMUNITYSports Physical Activities/Games Sports Self-monitoring Self-monitoring Self-monitoring Flexibility Flexibility Flexibility Decision-making Decision-making Decision-makingMusic Music MusicSinging, Dancing, Playing Singing, Dancing, Playing Singing, Dancing, Playing Working Memory Working Memory Working Memory Sustained Attention Sustained Attention Sustained Attention Flexibility Flexibility Flexibility Response Inhibition Response Inhibition Response InhibitionTheater Puzzles/Brain Teasers Theater Working Memory Working Memory Working Memory Flexibility Flexibility Flexibility Time Management Emotional Control Time Management Self-regulation Goal-directed Self-regulation PersistenceGames of Strategy Games of Strategy Planning Games of Strategy Planning Working Memory Planning Working Memory Flexibility Working Memory Flexibility Emotional Control Flexibility Emotional Control Sustained Attention Emotional Control Sustained Attention Sustained AttentionAssignments & Projects Youth Organizations Planning Household Tasks Organization Boy/Girl Scouts, 4-H, FFA Working Memory Picking up Toys, Cleaning Rooms, Task Initiation Preparing Meals Working Memory Time Management Sustained Attention Goal-directed Persistence Time Management Flexibility Sustained Attention Task Initiation Response Inhibition Goal-directed Persistence Time Management Planning Task Initiation Flexibility Goal-directed Persistence Organization Planning Decision-making“A skilled workforce, a responsible citizenry, a prosperous economy, and a vibrant sus-tainable society” Center on the Developing Child (2012). Executive Function (InBrief).Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.

For an in-depth understanding of Executive Functioning Skills and strategies to supportthe development of those skills, please consult the following resources, used as refer-ences in the development of this document:Dawson & Guare: Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents, Second Education © 2010Dawson & Guare: Smart but Scattered Guide to Success © 2016Sandra Rief: Executive Function: Skill-Building and Support Strategies for Grades 6-12 © 2016Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University: Executive Function Resources & ActivitiesCenter on the Developing Child, Harvard University: In Brief: Executive Skills for Life and Learning © 2012Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University - www.developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/Understood.org - www.understood.orgADDitude, Inside the ADHD Mind - www.additudemag.comFor more information: Ann Lupkes Sandy KraschelWork Experience/Transition Coordinator Family & Educator Partnership Coordinator Central Rivers Area Education Agency Central Rivers Area Education Agency 9184 265th Street 9184 265th Street Clear Lake, IA 50428 Clear Lake, IA 50428 [email protected] [email protected] CENTRAL RIVERS AREA EDUCATION AGENCYCentral Rivers Area Education Agency (AEA) does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, marital status, national origin, religion,age, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic background or disability in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices asrequired by all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action laws, directives, and regulations of federal, state and local governingbodies and agencies. Students, parents of students, applicants for employment and employees of Central Rivers AEA shall have the right to file aformal complaint alleging non-compliance with federal and state regulations requiring nondiscrimination in educational programs and employment.Inquiries concerning application of this statement should be addressed to: Karl Kurt, Equity Coordinator, Central Rivers AEA, 1521 Technology Pkwy,Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613, Telephone: 800-542-8375.DESIGNED & PRINTED BY CENTRAL RIVERS AEA 9/2018 MT