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Smart But Scattered SSFS February 2014

This document provides an overview of strategies to improve executive functioning skills in students. It defines 11 executive skills such as response inhibition, working memory, emotional control, and metacognition. For each skill, examples of how it appears in students are provided, as well as coaching strategies teachers can use to help develop that skill. The document emphasizes that executive skills develop gradually and coaching should provide support without being overly directive and should fade assistance over time as independence increases.

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nicoletagr2744
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2K views25 pages

Smart But Scattered SSFS February 2014

This document provides an overview of strategies to improve executive functioning skills in students. It defines 11 executive skills such as response inhibition, working memory, emotional control, and metacognition. For each skill, examples of how it appears in students are provided, as well as coaching strategies teachers can use to help develop that skill. The document emphasizes that executive skills develop gradually and coaching should provide support without being overly directive and should fade assistance over time as independence increases.

Uploaded by

nicoletagr2744
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Take the time and

fill out the


questionnaires

SMART, BUT
SCATTERED

Presentation based on
Smart but Scattered by
Peg Dawson & Richard
Guare

INTRODUCTION
Christine Abbot

Shannon Sullivan

Brenda Peebles

OVERVIEW
1.

Complete Questionnaire

2.

ADHD and Executive Function

3.

Defining Executive Skills

4.

Strategies

EXECUTIVE SKILLS
Brain-based skills that are required in order for humans to

execute, or perform tasks.


These skills develop gradually and at different points of life.
By high school, children must be able to function with a
reasonable degree of independence.
According to research, the source of many cognitive and
behavioral difficulties is due to deficits in executive skills.
Coaching Strategies

ADHD AND EXECUTIVE SKILLS


There is a consensus that ADHD is fundamentally a

disorder of Executive Skills.


It is important to keep in mind that children do vary

in the development of Executive Skills and that a


lack of these skills dont necessarily qualify them for
a diagnosis of ADHD.

EXECUTIVE SKILLS
The skills are organized:

1) Developmentally the order in which they develop.


2) Functionally what they help the child to do.

ELEVEN EXECUTIVE SKILLS


Skill

Definition

Example

Response Inhibition

Capacity to think before you act.

Can accept a referees call


without an argument.

Working Memory

Ability to hold info in memory to


perform complex tasks.

Remembering different
expectations of teachers.

Emotional Control

Ability to manage emotions to


achieve goals.

Managing anxiety during a


test.

Sustained Attention

Capacity to maintain attention in


spite of distractibility.

Can pay attention to


homework for 1-2 hours.

Task Initiation

Ability to begin projects in a


timely fashion

Not waiting to the last


minute to begin a project.

Planning/Prioritization

Ability to create a roadmap to


reach a goal, decide what is
important to focus on.

Plan a project based on


deadlines or formulate a
plan to get a job.

ELEVEN EXECUTIVE SKILLS


Skill

Definition

Example

Organization

Ability to create a system of


keeping track of information or
materials.

Can organize and locate sports


equipment.

Time Management

Capacity to estimate how much


time one has and stay within
deadlines.

Understanding their weekly


schedule and expectations .

Goal-directed Persistence

Capacity to have a goal, follow


through on its completion.

Can earn and save money over


time to buy something of
importance.

Flexibility

Ability to revise plans and


change them accordingly or
adapt to changing conditions.

Can accept an alternative when


the first choice is not available.

Metacognition

Ability to stand back, selfmonitor and self-evaluate.

Can monitor and critique her


performance and improve it by
observing others who are more
skilled.

REVIEW QUESTIONNAIRES
Questionnaires to give you an idea of Executive Skills strengths and

weaknesses.

THEYRE NOT
DOING IT ON PURPOSE
Difference between child and parent can lead to

conflict
Learning to advocate

8 PRINCIPLES TO
IMPROVING EXECUTIVE SKILLS
1.

Students arent scattered on purpose

2.

Teach skills

3.

Consider the students developmental level

4.

Modify tasks to match the students capacity to exert effort

5.

Use incentives

6.

Provide just enough support for the student to be successful

7.

Keep supports and supervision in place until child achieves


success

8.

Fade supervision and support gradually, never abruptly

RESPONSE INHIBITION
Example: Learning to avoid temptation of setting aside work to
engage impulsively in fun activities

Delay

gratification (first, then)


Require student to earn it
Prepare students for situations
by regularly reviewing the
expectations and rules
Immediately before going into a
situation review rules again

WORKING MEMORY
Examples: you remember you have homework on the weekend,
know your schedule, remembering multi-step tasks

Make eye contact


Keep external distractions to a minimum
Use written reminders
Rehearse with the student what you expect

them to remember; paraphrase


Use technology
Set alerts and reminders, take a picture,

calendar, video, digital copies of criteria

EMOTIONAL CONTROL
Examples: anticipate outcomes and be prepared for disappointment;
appropriate crying; appropriate anxiety/worry; being able to manage
choice

Keep rules clear and specific


Regulate their environment
Prepare students by talking about

what they can expect and what they


can do if they feel overwhelmed
Give them coping strategies
Use active listening; empathy
Work with a counselor if child does
not seem to respond well to any of
these strategies

SUSTAINED ATTENTION
Examples: your age +2 mins, homework 10 mins per
grade
Space to work that has supervision & reduced

distractions
Use visual depiction of elapsed time
Offer praise or incentives for staying on-task
Make a to-do list and see tasks through to
completion (use first, then, give variety & allow
choice)
Whats the best time of day? Take breaks and
move
APPS - timers

TASK INITIATION
Examples: can make and follow homework schedule with
minimal procrastination

Consider external incentive


Have routines and follow up
Provide visual cues to remind child to begin the

task
Break overwhelming tasks into smaller, more
manageable pieces
Have student make a plan of how or when the
task will get done
Let student decide on cueing system that would
work best for him to trigger

PLANNING AND PRIORITIZING


Examples: fun vs. responsibility

Involve your child as much as

possible in the planning process


Use things the child wants as a

jumping-off point for teaching


planning
Prompt prioritizing by asking your
child what needs to get done first
Being aware of personal schedule
Technology - scheduling

ORGANIZATION
Examples: lost papers, library books, keys

Put a system in place


Routines pack bag, homework at the same

time every day, record of homework


assignments
Visual Schedules
Supervise students
Involve students as much as possible
You may need to change your expectations
Set up desk, organize binders or duotangs that
works for the student
Checklists and To Do Lists
Technology Awesome Note, Calendar,
Dropbox or Cloud storage

TIME MANAGEMENT
Examples: allotting time for projects, being late

Maintain a predictable daily routine


Talk to students about how long it

takes to do things
Ask students to estimate how long
each task will take and think about
how to fit in non-school-related
activities or extra curriculars
Clocks, Clocks, Everywhere
Technology - Calendar

ACCURATE SCHEDULING
Are you scheduling for the ACTIVITY or are you taking into

account getting ready, driving, changing/leaving and driving


home?
Are you a yes person?
Guilt (ahhhhhh)

FLEXIBILITY
Examples: changes in schedules
Walk students through anxiety-

producing situations, obstacles or


changes in plans
Use social stories to address situations

where the child is predictably inflexible


Be clear about nonnegotiable & maybe =

yes
Help your students come up with a

default strategy for handling situations


where inflexibility causes the most
problems
Support on open-ended tasks

GOAL-DIRECTED PERSISTENCE
Examples: resilience, follow through
Start very early, beginning with very

brief tasks where the goal is within sight


Begin with goals that child wants to
work on or have set for themselves
(building a Lego structure or a puzzle)
Give the child something to look
forward to
Gradually build up time needed to reach
goals
Remind child what he/she is working
towards
Allow breaks

METACOGNITION
Examples: understanding how to put the steps together
Teach students to consider possible

obstacles to achieving goals or completing


projects, then think of ways to overcome
obstacles
Teach child how to evaluate their own
performance
Give students examples of exemplars to
identify what different finished products
look like
Talk to child after they have done
something well or done something wrong
Understanding your needs/feelings and
being able to articulate them

RESOURCES
Prioritization and Planning Tool

Executive Function Definitions and


Strategy Sheets

http://bit.ly/TgnEFj

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