Turning Executive Functioning Challenges into Strengths
Our ability to plan, organize, manage time, and control impulses can be summarized in a set of interrelated skills known as executive functioning. Located in the frontal lobe of the brain, the ability to utilize our executive functioning skills is critical for navigating academic and personal challenges. When these skills break down, executive dysfunction occurs, which creates significant barriers to success. Executive dysfunction is the failure to employ or manage one or many of the skills used for planning, time management, or other executive tasks.
One of our main goals at Your Learning Toolbox is to help students manage their executive functioning skills in a way that promotes learning, growth, and independent life skills. We are committed to equipping learners with the tools they need to overcome these barriers. Part of that commitment includes ensuring that we, as professionals, continue to grow our expertise.
My name is Kathryn Ravano and I am not only a tutor at Your Learning Toolbox, but a newly certified Executive Functioning Coach. This past month, I had the opportunity to enroll in the Executive Functions (EF) Consultant micro-credentialing course offered by Sensational Brain. One of the most impactful components of this experience was learning from Lori Benson Adams, MEd, a nationally respected educational intervention specialist with over 35 years of experience, who has a particular expertise in the realm of executive functioning. This blog post is a reflection on my experience in the course: what I learned, why it matters, and how it is shaping both my professional practice and these tools that support my practice.
Building my Toolbox for Student Success: From Learning to Practice
Among the critical lessons I received during the course, a few stuck out to me as especially important. Below are three key takeaways from the EF Consultant Course:
1. Identify Success Behaviors
“What does success look like for me?” is one of the most memorable statements from the course. “What behaviors are you or your child engaging in when you achieve a goal?”, “What routines go along with better focus and attentiveness?” These answers are different for everyone because success behaviors vary from person to person; identifying what helps each child operate at their best is critical. I’ve used this question with my students as well, especially in times where they’ve felt overwhelmed. Some students find that taking frequent breaks helps them from feeling stressed and puts them in a headspace to solve difficult problems. Others find eating a healthy snack helps to recenter their mind before a daunting task. Either way, identifying individualized strategies to help self-regulate is one of the key pillars at Your Learning Toolbox.
2. Turn Students into Problem-Solvers
Another tool Lori shared was allowing children to participate in their own solutions. She shared a critical revelation, “Is the answer that this child won’t do it, or that they can’t do it.” Many children want to improve, but they have trouble doing so. As Ross Greene wisely states, “Children do well if they can.” Equipping students with the tools to problem solve is critical as we want them to become independent, confident adults who can troubleshoot issues as they arise. This is an important aspect of fostering a growth mindset. It is incredibly impactful to have a student be a part of their own success, and working towards the goal themselves not only helps to build those executive functioning skills, but also improves their confidence in themselves while navigating obstacles and setbacks.
3. Teach Time Awareness and Management
Time is an abstract concept and something that children with executive functioning challenges experience immense difficulties with. The ability, or lack thereof, to comprehend the passage of time can have consequences on their ability to get projects done on time. One way Lori suggests combating this is sticking to the time limits you set. For example, beginning an activity by stating the amount of time that will be allotted (e.g., 10 minutes) followed by setting a visual timer, and checking in periodically throughout the activity, gives the student a sense of time awareness and management. In the future, they can learn to set their own time limits, and get appropriate tasks done within that limit to promote better time management skills. To support our older students, we utilize this time tracking visual. We have found that our students begin to internalize a sense of time awareness and are better able to set as well as manage their time effectively with the help of this organizer.
Click to download our time tracker chart.
Summing it Up
The Executive Functions Consultant micro-credentialing course provided more than just strategies, it offered a new lens for how many view executive functioning. It shines a light on both the skill sets students need to achieve success, and the toolbox they can use to get there. What’s even more important is that instructors at Your Learning Toolbox can instill those skills in students to carry through life. It is so important the students feel supported, understood, and empowered to take part in their own success. Lori Benson Adam’s course has been an invaluable experience, many of our tutors have completed or are currently working on the course. It aligns with our mission to “ empower our clients to utilize and expand their toolbox of strategies to achieve greatness” and we recommend it to any professional looking to deepen their understanding of executive functioning.
Written by Kathryn Ravano, a valued member of Your Learning Toolbox’s team and newly certified Executive Functioning Coach.
