Executive function used Working memory and accessing recall Regulating Alertness Regulating processing speed | Signs of Executive Dysfunction When she reaches the end of a chapter, she's forgotten key points she picked up (and understood) while reading. When reading a long passage, she can't stay alert and attentive; she has low stamina when it comes to reading She reads in fits and starts; she can't find a rhythm in her reading pattern. |
Executive Function Used Activating (starting) Organizing Prioritizing Sequencing | Signs of Executive Dysfunction She doesn't know how to begin a writing project. She has no idea how to outline an essay or report. She writes too much about things that are of minor importance to the story. She presents facts/ideas in a disorganized, illogical order. |
Executive Function Used Focusing Strategizing Working Memory/Accessing Recal Pacing | Signs of Executive Dysfunction She is easily distracted and can't stay focused on the instructions or the test questions. She can't develop an appropriate plan of attack by skimming the test and instructions before taking the test. When trying to answer test questions, she has trouble remembering information she's previously learned. She struggles to hold onto and mentally manipulate related facts/concepts to answer test questions. She spends too much time on some questions and rushes through others. She may not efficiently budget the time that's allocated. |
Executive Function Used Organizing Managing Time Self-regulation | Signs of Executive Dysfunction She can't determine the steps for the project (or their sequence). She has trouble collecting resources and often misplaces what she does find. She struggles to put the pieces of the project together in an orderly or logical way. She doesn't set realistic task milestones to work through the project from start to finish. She fails to monitor her progress. |
Executive Function Used Shifting Attention Managing Frustration | Signs of Executive Dysfunction She can't "let go" of a task to attend to another project when instructed to. She gets "stuck" on a task or favorite pastime and can't move her focus elsewhere when required. She becomes angry or frustrated when she feels forced to switch gears. |
Executive Function Used Self-regulation Managing Frustration | Signs of Executive Dysfunction She has a hard time waiting her turn and working cooperatively. When frustrated with her peers, she may act out before trying to understand and manage the perceived conflict internally and/or through calm communication. |
- Strategy instruction should be directly linked to the curriculum.
- The strategies should be taught explicitly, including teacher modeling and extensive practice.
- Strategies should be taught in a structured, systematic way.
- Strategy instruction should address students’ motivation and effort.
Examples of Executive Function Strategies
Memorization--When using acronyms to help students memorize information, the “crazier the phrase,” the better. If a student is non-verbal, then make a cartoon.
Cognitive Flexibility--To help students improve cognitive flexibility, work with riddles and jokes to help students shift between word meanings. In math, students can ask themselves: do I know another way to solve this problem, does this look similar to other problems I have seen, is this problem the same or different from the one before it?
Prioritizing--To help students prioritize information, teach students to listen to the teacher’s intonation during lectures. Also, students can highlight the most important ideas in a text in one color and details in another color.
Notetaking--To help students prioritize and remember information students can take 3-column notes: the first column contains one word that is the core concept, the second column contains the details supporting the concept, the third column contains the strategy the student will use to remember the information. When taking notes from text, students can use a 2-column approach. In the first column, students ask themselves questions about the text, and they put the answers in the second column.
Self-Monitoring and Self-Checking--Helping students check their work requires two processes: 1) Provide explicit checklists for assignments, so students know what to check for, and 2) Help students develop personalized checklists, so they become aware of and check for their most common errors. As a final step, students can make their own acronyms to remind themselves of their personal error traps.
http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/health/1017-executive-function-lens-to-view-your-child.gs?page=all
http://www.ldao.ca/introduction-to-ldsadhd/ldsadhs-in-depth/articles/about-lds/improving-executive-function-skills/