The executive functions are developed and controlled by the frontal lobe in the brain
They are the set of skills that allows a person to focus, control their behavior, organize information and then carry out a plan
Poor executive functioning skills can cause functional limitations that impact a child’s ability to achieve developmental milestones
Types of Executive Functioning Skills:
1) Initiation: A child’s ability to independently begin a task by generating ideas and problem-solving strategies for initiation.
How to work on this skill:
Eliminate/limit distraction in environment
Verbalize instructions with simple and concrete wording
Use a countdown timer to signify the start of an activity
Allow child to take turns with you to complete sections of the task to limit demands
Use a checklist to show task expectations
Encourage child to verbalize the steps of the task prior to beginning
Begin with the least challenging task and slowly increase difficulty
Provide visual and physical demonstration on how to begin the task
Checklist
2) Sustaining Attention: Maintaining attention to a task despite internal or external distractions.
How to work on this skill:
Clear and concise directions
Limit/eliminate distraction in environment
Begin with small time intervals for task completion and slowly increase time demands
Break up tasks into small increments
Transition between preferred and non-preferred tasks
Allow child to take movement breaks prior to and during series of activities
Play games such as eye-spy, "Simon Says", puzzles, freeze dance, memory matching games
Examples of movement breaks: running in place, wall pushups, hopping like a bunny, bouncing on a therapy ball, dance parties, jumping jacks, jump on a trampoline
Puzzles
3) Organization of Materials: The ability to keep personal items tidy and easy to access.
How to work on this skill:
Label all materials
Take pictures of how objects should be organized as a visual cue
Physically demonstrate to child how to organize items
Provide visual reminders or a checklist of required items for the task
Demonstrate how to clean up as the task progresses
Allow the child an extra few minutes to clean up and organize items at the end of the activity
Organizing toys
4) Shifting Attention: Voluntarily moving attention from one task to the next with ease.
How to work on this skill:
Provide verbal countdowns or timers to signify the end of an activity
Use a “first this, then that" approach
Provide a visual schedule to show what tasks are coming next
Prepare the child for the transition with verbal and visual reminders
Work on activities that have a clear start and finish
Model how to perform the tasks
An example of a visual schedule
5) Planning: Taking the time to manage the steps needed to accomplish future goals and tasks.
How to work on this skill:
Discuss the important steps of familiar activities such as making an ice cream cone or snowman
Have the child talk over the most important details of what needs to be accomplished within the task
Provide child with a calendar to visualize when events or activities are taking place
Create a checklist of steps or to-do lists
Practice performing multi-step crafts or obstacle courses
Allow child to help take part in setting up activities
6) Time Management: The ability to estimate and prioritize the amount of time needed to complete a task.
How to work on this skill:
Utilize an hourglass or analog clock as a visual to signify time passing
Use planners and calendars
Keep to a consistent routine and schedule
Try to avoid over-scheduling or extremely busy schedules
Set priorities of the most important events or tasks in their day to accomplish
Practice estimating how long certain tasks take with your child
7) Emotional Control: The ability to notice and appropriately respond to emotional circumstances.
How you can work on this skill:
Infants:
Singing lullabies
Physical contact from rocking, hugging and kissing
Toddlers:
Naming emotions in daily life as they occur such as “I wonder why that boy was sad?” or “ Did that make you feel angry?”
Learning by watching others and their reactions to situations
Give choices to allow for independent decision making
Children:
Acknowledge when the child is making good decisions and give positive affirmations
Talk openly about feelings and emotions
Provide opportunities for children to name the feeling such as asking open ended questions like “How does playing with friends make you feel?"
Teach emotions through books and real-life situations
Help the child problem-solve through high emotion situations
Use coping strategies such as providing child with quiet time throughout the day by deep breathing, listening to music, reading a book, hugging a stuffed animal, yoga poses etc.
Yoga Poses Reading a book
DISCLAIMER
The content in this blog should not be used in place of medical advice/treatment and is solely for informational purposes. All activities/exercises posted in this blog should be performed with adult supervision, caution, and at your own risk. Big Leaps, LLC is not responsible for any injury while performing an activity/exercise that has been posted on this blog. If you have any information on the content of our blog, feel free to contact us at info@bigleapsct.com.
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