He’s So Smart, But…

Executive Functioning and Strategies for Deficits

ICCBD Winter ConferencePresented by Dr. Mary Camp

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Questions to consider… What are executive function skills and how

do executive function processes affect school success?

How can educators begin to understand students’ executive function processes?

How can teachers address the needs of students with executive function weaknesses to both accommodate and teach necessary lacking skills?

August 2012

Executive function is a set of mental skills that help you get things done. These skills are controlled by an area of the brain called the frontal lobe.

What is Executive Functioning?

Executive functioning helps you: Manage time. Pay attention. Plan ahead. Problem solve. Helps us connect past experience with present action. We use executive function when organizing, strategizing and paying attention to and remembering details.

Effective functioning

Which students have Executive Dysfunction

For many students, the executive functioning system of their brain is not working properly.

Executive Dysfunctions are intimately connected with Asperger's Disorder, Autism, ADHD, some Learning Disabilities and have also been found in adults with OCD.

Executive Dysfunctions also effect middle schoolers as part of the developmental process!!!!

It is also associated with depression, to name but some of the conditions.

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Major areas of impairment in Executive Dysfunction

Inhibitory Control

Working MemoryCognitive

Flexibility

Difficulty planning a project Struggles to tell a story (verbally or in

writing); has trouble communicating details in an organized, sequential manner

Difficulty with memorization and retrieving information from memory

Difficulty retaining information while doing something; e.g., remembering a phone number while dialing.

How does Executive Function affect learning?

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Impact on math specifically:

Difficulty shifting between operations , sequencing steps and ignoring extraneous information in word problems

Math work contains numerous “careless errors”

May want to jump quickly to guessing at the answer without moving through the process to solve the problem.

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Impact on reading/writing

specifically:• Fluency – may skip whole

words or lines of text without noticing

• Child remembers specific details from text, but not in an organized, sequential manner

• Written work may regularly omit small words (“the, is, a”)

• Strong reluctance to edit written work

• Impulsive guessing at unknown words based on the 1st letter

1. Impulse control◦ Impulse control helps us think before acting◦ Students may blurt out and engage in risky

behavior.2. Emotional Control◦ Emotional control helps us to keep our feelings

in check.◦ Student may overreact, have trouble dealing

with criticism and regrouping when something goes wrong

How does Executive Functioning Effect Behavior

3 Flexible Thinking◦ Flexible thinking allows us to adjust to the

unexpected◦ Student tend to be rigid and get frustrated with

change and when asked to think about something from a different angle.

4. Working Memory ◦ Working memory helps us keep key

information in our minds even as we are doing a task

◦ Students may have trouble remembering directions even if you’ve repeated them

5 Self-Monitoring◦ Self-Monitoring allows us to evaluate how we are

doing in any given moment◦ Students may be surprised by corrective feedback

or a poor grade6 Task Initiation◦ Task Initiation helps us to take an immediate

action or get started◦ Students my refuse a task because they have no

idea where to begin

HARD TIMES BOARD

Triggers: What Makes Me Mad—1. When I have to stop listening to my iPod. 2. When it’s time to do an assignment I don’t like.3. When my plans don’t work out.

“Can’t Do’s”1. Hit Somebody2. Break or Throw Anything

When I’m Having a Hard Time, I Can1. Talk to the teacher2. Count to 103. Close my eyes and take a deep breath

Tech ideas Time Timer

Emotions thermometer

1. Smartphone for taking a notes or reminders

Evernote and YouNote are notepad apps to jot, draw or speak instructions, directions, and even where they put something

2. Smart Phone Don’t let me forget The alarm on a phone is a great way to keep a student

organized. on time, and on task3. What am I doing today?

We all know about using a calendar, but there are also to do apps like Wunderlist or Remember the Milk. These apps can text or email reminders to your students.

Smart Phone Solutions

4. Smart phones help me focus.◦ Apps like IntervalMinder can play chimes at

regular intervals to help a student refocus. 5. How much time do I have left app.  30/30 by Binary Hammer is a free time

management app. A list of tasks to accomplish and a length of time to complete them are created. The timer will tell you when to move on to the next task.  The student can incorporate break times into tasks with this app.  The visual component is so important and will help kids "see" when they need to work faster or when it's almost break time.

Divide a troublesome task into smaller, more manageable parts. Then help the student tackle them one at a time.

Pointing out which parts of the task he has successfully done in the past will make the goal of finishing the task seem more achievable.

Be sure to also schedule frequent, short breaks and provide incentives along the way for completing each segment of the task.

Chunking Strategy

“Jacob, you have 15 math problems to do tonight. Let’s divide them up into three sets of five, and you can take a short break after each set. What do you want to do during the break periods? Play with the dog? Or maybe listen to one of your favorite songs?”

Example

Intervention Plan for Completing a Project

Teacher acts as an external frontal lobe that works with the student to perform the following functions:

Develop a plan, an organizational scheme, and a specific set of directions.

Develop a way to monitor performance. (Work Systems)

Provide encouragement/motivation and feedback about the success of the approach

Problem solve when something doesn't work. Determine when the task is completed

Work Systems What work? How much do I have

to do? How do I know when

I am finished? What comes next?

Work Systems

Use different-colored supplies for each school subject.

When each class has its own color, it can make it easier to see if everything needed is in the book bag. Use red, say, for reading folder, textbook cover and follow this color scheme when using storage bins for class-specific supplies. For example, calculators and rulers for math class go in the blue bin. Older kids can also use color-coding on digital folders on their computers.

Color coding

Use different-colored bracelets as homework reminders.

Once the student knows what color goes with each subject, buy a set of corresponding rubber bracelets to take to school. Encourage her to slip a red bracelet on her wrist, for example, when she’s assigned reading homework. Then remind her to check her wrist before she home. She can look at her bracelets to remember which assignments she to pack materials.

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Teach SELF-MONITORING skills for students that have FOCUS and ATTENTION issues:

◦Highlight math operation signs

◦Proofread out-loud or backwards

◦Highlight key words of directions (not, but, all)

August 2012

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Steps to check off before turning in a test, finishing writing an essay, completing a math problem, etc.

August 2012

Strategies to Support Organization SkillsERROR CHECKLISTS

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Random “Pinterest Pins” to Support Organization Skills

August 2012

“HOMEWORK POSTERS”Source: from the blog, Peonies and Poppyseeds.

http://www.peoniesandpoppyseeds.com/2012/02/organization-homework-posters.html

“CHAIR BACKPACKS”Source: from the blog, Confessions of a Nerdy Teacher.

http://nerdyteacherconfessions.edublogs.org/2010/08/15/quick-update/

Change the Way Cues are Provided

Change the way cues are provided toprompt the child to perform tasks orbehave in a certain way

Verbal Prompts Visual Cues Schedules Audiotaped Cues Alarm Reminders.

Use visual cues to reinforce any information you need to convey.

PicturesSymbolsDrawingsWordsSign-languageGesturesCombinations

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Bibliotherapy : Children’s Literature for

Emotional Control

August 2012

The Busy BeaverAuthor/Illustrator: Nicholas OldlandInterest Level: Ages 3-7 From the Book Jacket: There once was a beaver who was so busy that he didn't always think things through. After finding himself on the wrong side of a falling tree one day, the beaver begins to see the error of his careless ways.

OH, No, George!Author/Illustrator: Chris HaughtonInterest Level: Ages 4 and UpFrom the Book Jacket: George is a dog with all the best intentions. But when George spies a delicious cake sitting on the kitchen table, his resolve starts to waver. You see, George loves cake...What will George do?

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Children’s Literature for Emotional Control

August 2012

Author: David Ezra Stein Interest Level: Ages 4-8From the Book Jacket: It's bedtime for the little red chicken, and Papa is going to read her a story. "You're not going to interrupt the story tonight, are you?" asks Papa.

Author: Julia CookInterest Level: Ages 4-8About This Book:. Louis, a self-taught space expert is delighted to learn that his teacher has sent him to the principal's office to attend personal space camp. Louis soon discovers that he has much to learn about personal space right here on earth. Personal Space Camp addresses the complex issue of respect for another person's physical boundaries.

Author: Gail SilverInterest Level: Ages 4-9From the Book Jacket: "Who are you?" asked Anh. "And how did you get into my room?" "I'm your anger," said the creature. "You brought me here." Ahn's Anger can help children learn to acknowledge and understand the causes of their own strong emotions, and ultimately feel safe expressing themselves and accepting accountability for their actions when appropriate.

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Children’s Literature for

Attention/Focus

August 2012

Author: Christianne JonesIllustrated by Richard WatsonInterest Level: K-3About This Book: Lacey Walker loves to talk. She talks all day, and sometimes all night. But when she loses her voice, Lacey learns the importance of listening.

Author: Julia CookInterest Level K-4About the book: RJ has had a rough day... RJ learns that his problems happen because he doesn't listen or pay attention to directions.

Author: Julia CookInterest Level: Ages 4-8From the Book Jacket: Being a verb is hard...especially for Louis, who can't seem to control himself when he gets the urge to move at the wrong time and situation..

Your Ideas? Your own strategies: Think Pair Share

Core Executive Functions Inhibitory Control (self control)

Working Memory Cognitive Flexibility

Higher Order Executive Functions: Problem solving

Planning Predicting

Resources

Resources