What do adults have to do with it What do adults have to do with it? Building the core capacities that promote child self-regulation Katie Paschall, PhD University of Texas at Austin Family Support Conference: May 25, 2017

Note This presentation is for the attendees of the 7th Annual Family Support Conference and may contain copyrighted material – do not distribute outside of this group. The comments, examples, and text in this powerpoint are the intellectual property of Katherine “Katie “ Wendy Paschall. For more information, please contact Katie: kpaschall@utexas.edu

Purpose of this session Consider the cogs Grease the cogs

Executive functions: The cognitive part of self-regulation How do they work? Fist – Edge – Palm Test of your frontal lobe – attention, memory, planning, motor sequencing Letter-Number Span Test Test of working memory

Executive functions: The cognitive part of self-regulation What did it feel like? Physically Emotionally Did you get off task? How did you respond? How did you get yourself back on task?

Executive functions: The cognitive part of self-regulation The ability to engage in deliberate, goal-directed thought and action via inhibitory control, attention shifting or cognitive flexibility, and working memory processes (Liew, 2012). Working memory Attention-shifting Inhibitory control

Why is adult EF important?

What do they look like everyday for adults? Living within a budget Following through on new hobby Applying previous consequences to current situation Multitasking

EF in everyday life…

EF in everyday life

Deploying attention Getting and staying on task What strategies do you use? What about when you are stressed?

Directing attention: mindfulness Reflecting on your moment-to-moment experiences. Refrain from judging the experience. Helps to quiet that which distract us: Snap judgments Big emotional reactions Distressing chain of thoughts

Directing attention: mindfulness Bringing yourself back to the present Becoming aware of your surroundings Focusing on what is happening now Refraining from judgment Breathing helps.

Directing attention: mindfulness Mindfulness exercises you can incorporate into your daily life, and share with others Mindful walking Stroke your hands

Directing attention: mindfulness When you feel frustrated, name one thing you love about yourself. *positive self talk Remember – no judgment necessary

Make a plan Now that you’re focused, time to use those EF skills to engage in goal-directed behavior!

Organize, plan, follow-through

Make a plan Working memory Inhibitory control Attention shifting Pull into mind necessary info. Inhibitory control Stay focused on task Attention shifting Think flexibly, respond flexibly

Use your words; reflect on your thoughts! Surface the thinking process! What am I thinking about? How do I remember things? What do I do best? When am I xyz (the best friend, the best listener) Where can I get help? Can you do this mindfully?

Tying it together Intentionality… Reflection… Mindfully engaging with families… Creating goal-directed plans… Ensuring the scaffolding is in place to meet those plans…

Everyday practice: working with staff or families Start meetings slowly. Encourage group to take breaths, leave other obligations at the door. Remind them to be here. Remove distractions Strengths-based approaches: having staff and families reflect on what they do and when they feel they are best at what they do.

Everyday practice: working with staff or families Identify ways you can, or families can, scaffold their executive function skills so they can get from plan formation to plan execution! Talk about how stress disrupts our thought processes, our ability to use our working memory, attention shifting, and inhibitory control. Stress reduction is step 1!

Everyday practice: working with staff or families Encourage positive self talk to calm nerves and improve focus.

Recognizing EF in children Fantasy play, constraining one’s self or other into a role, abstract symbolic use, resolving cognitive dissonance Task-related private speech, talking about your own thoughts, talking about planning, providing a rationale or evidence, monitoring current activities, verbal self-inhibition, reporting. Uses object as symbol not during dramatic play, showing “generativity of uses” or resourcefulness, flexible understanding of uses (think: engineering). From Moreno, Shwayder, & Friedman (2016)

Thank you! I hope you found today’s session helpful. Be in touch – Katie Paschall, PhD Katiepaschall.com kpaschall@utexas.edu @drkatiewendy