LD/ADHD Initiative Executive Functions Modules Session Four Strategy Sheets Elementary

Executive Functions Session 4 Strategy Sheet Elementary How Do I Develop Self-Monitoring Skills? Definition: Self-Monitoring Checks work Keeps track of own behavior and learning Finishes a task to ensure attainment of goal Understands consequence of his/her actions and learning Puts the “brakes” on one’s own behavior and thinking Impact: Self-Monitoring Tends to act without sufficient forethought Interrupts with own thoughts and comments Works quickly and oftentimes is messy Does not listen to others Difficulty following directions Does not do assigned tasks carefully What might this look like in your home? LD/ADHD Initiative Department of Special Education and Student Services, HCPSS

Executive Functions Session 4 Strategy Sheet Elementary How Do I Develop Self-Monitoring Skills? Environmental Supports Provide time to set goals. Goals should be set for accuracy rather than speed Model learning behaviors Prepare your child for changes in the schedule or agenda Provide time for gathering of materials before beginning key directions or instructions Encourage peer/sibling support in monitoring academic work or learning behaviors Monitor your child when they move and start the next activity, and tell how long they have to transition Ask your child to check visually posted agenda/directions/schedules Become or find your child a study buddy and cue him/her to check in with his support person Go over agenda/schedule/schedules that are posted in your home Teaching Strategy Use verbal mediation to talk through a task to help your child direct their focus to their own behavior or work Cue and encourage the use of “what works”, “what doesn’t work” and “what do I try differently” Model for your child how to accept criticism without becoming angry or defensive and have them practice Ask your child to put away materials before the next activity and get materials ready for the next activity, then fade when your child is ready for less direct support Build in editing or reviewing as part of every task in order to increase awareness of strengths and needs Teach/support how to use a Goal-Plan-Do-Review sequence for goal setting and/or self-monitoring independent work or long-term projects Ask your child to predict how well they will do on a particular task and compare prediction with outcome to increase awareness of strengths and needs Encourage charting of performance and/or behavior in order to provide tangible record of activity for ongoing self-monitoring What might this look like in your home? LD/ADHD Initiative Department of Special Education and Student Services, HCPSS

Executive Functions Session 4 Strategy Sheet Elementary How Do I Develop Attention Skills? Definition: Attention Sustains attention on tasks that are not of high interest Screens out distractions Knows what to focus on and what to ignore Impact: Attention The student can not focus their attention on a task and/or keep focusing as long as necessary Sometimes the student is selective about what they attend to or for how long they attend What might this look like in your home? LD/ADHD Initiative Department of Special Education and Student Services, HCPSS

Executive Functions Session 4 Strategy Sheet Elementary How Do I Develop Attention Skills? Environmental Supports Reduce distractions Cue to attend (look, listen, respond) Build in variety/choice Choose best time of day, when possible Have your child in proximity to you and away from distraction – open door, shelves Post stop and start times to help persist with tasks long enough to complete them Use a visual timer to motivate your child to complete assignments before the timer goes off Have your child complete the most demanding tasks for the morning/beginning of study session Have more rewarding/interesting/engaging activities occur after a more challenging task to keep motivation high Teaching Strategy Teach self-monitoring/peer coaching Give nonverbal cues for attention – hand on the shoulder, tap on their work space Devise signals to emphasize instructions (“Child’s name, this is an instruction... “) Have your child repeat directions back Help them be aware of their attention capacity and teach them how to break a task down to pieces they can manage based on their own capacity Provide your child with motor/movement breaks Break down tasks and give your child short breaks after each subtask Have your child identify something to look forward to What might this look like in your home? LD/ADHD Initiative Department of Special Education and Student Services, HCPSS

Executive Functions Session 4 Strategy Sheet Elementary How Do I Develop Inhibition Skills? Definition: Inhibition Controls impulses Appropriately stops and modulates ones own behavior at the proper time or proper context Impact: Inhibition Students call out Students can not stop their behavior at the appropriate time, including stopping actions and thoughts Frequently are seen as wild, restless, impulsive Oftentimes are unable to control their words and bodies so they need more supervision than others What might this look like in your home? LD/ADHD Initiative Department of Special Education and Student Services, HCPSS

Executive Functions Session 4 Strategy Sheet Elementary How Do I Develop Inhibition Skills? Environmental Supports Post household rules and review regularly Restrict access to preferred or distracting objects, activities or peers Cue your child by developing a nonverbal signal that can be used discretely to remind them to not call out or get out of seat in a structured environment Remind your child prior to going to a special event of the behaviors you are working on related to inhibition Teaching Strategy Use a designated talking stick or object that students must have before speaking Use a story/graphic with pictures of your child or a favorite character following rules/ expectations related to inhibition Teach wait/stop Explain the skill of inhibition (“putting on the brakes”), practice and model expected behaviors and prompt your child in a real life situation when the skills are needed, then reinforce inhibition or ignore disinhibition. Teach your child to count to five before responding verbally to a question. Teach delayed gratification by using formal warning periods for things they want to do or have (first/then) Cue you child before he/she enters a specific situation that calls for a specific behavior you are targeting as a replacement for calling out, use immediate reinforcement and then fade away Have your child set goals for accuracy of work as opposed to speed Structure your verbal questions to limit length of your child’s response (i.e. “Tell me two things you know about the moon”) What might this look like in your home? LD/ADHD Initiative Department of Special Education and Student Services, HCPSS