Tips for Improving Your Child's Executive Functioning
If you’ve already read our blog post on Executive Functioning (EF) skills, then you already know how crucial they are to independently navigating daily life. As a refresher, EF skills are the skills needed to plan and complete a task. Things like planning a trip, beginning a school project, organizing toys, and impulse control all fall under the EF umbrella.
EF skills develop over time- through adolescence and beyond- but it is important that caregivers actively help foster these skills as well! Below are a few tips for ways to structure this healthy growth in your child’s daily life. Of course, if you need more suggestions or help addressing your child’s EF weaknesses or development, you can always get in touch with our providers.
Tips to Improve Your Child’s Executive Functioning
Organizing
Create a daily morning routine checklist that includes each step of a task.
Set your child up for success by maintaining a well-organized home environment where materials are always kept in specific places.
Create a daily homework planner to review assignments and materials needed at the end of each school day.
Keep assignments for each subject in color-coded folders or one large binder with dividers.
Working Memory
Use a picture schedule for a visual reminder to complete chores.
Have your child repeat instructions back in their own words to make sure that they understand what is expected of them and to help them remember it.
While reading, prompt your child to summarize the main points after each paragraph or chapter. Have them takes notes in the margins of a textbook or write important information on a sticky note at the end of each section or chapter.
Planning/Prioritizing
Break large activities into small parts and help your child decide what parts can be done first. Priority may be given to time-sensitive aspects of the project or starting with the easiest steps to help increase motivation and confidence.
Use visual aids such as graphic organizers, pictures, or diagrams to plan out large assignments or projects.
Teachers may provide examples of past students’ projects to help children understand what is expected of them.
Task Initiation
Stick to routines and schedules to help your child anticipate what is expected of them each day.
Create incentives for completing tasks through the use of a positive reward system. For example, reward your child for starting a task independently and allow them to work towards a larger reward if they complete the activity a certain number of times.
Establish a behavioral plan at school where children are rewarded for starting assignments. Goals should be liberal at first and easy to attain for initial buy-in, such as earning a small reward for starting work by the 3rd request. Gradually increase expectations and regularly review and modify the plan.
Write down all assigned homework, tests, and reminders for projects that are due in the future in a planner or electronic calendar. For example, include a reminder to study for a big exam two weeks prior to the date of the exam.
Inhibition
Teach and practice “stop-and-think” methods before responding. Examples include taking three deep breaths, counting to 10, thinking of two alternative responses to a situation, etc.
Prompt your child to review work to check for errors after completing an assignment or test after taking a short brain break.
Help children slow down during testing by having someone help them stay on pace. For example, encourage them to spend five minutes on one page before giving them the next page. Consider breaking worksheets into parts to allow a child to get up and bring the completed portion to the teacher to include a movement break.
Flexibility
Provide visual and/or auditory cues (e.g., kitchen timers, 2-minute warnings) for when an activity is about to end and another is about to begin.
Role-play problem-solving situations. Take turns playing each role to help your child see different perspectives and solutions.
During homework or study periods, have children work on one subject at a time until each is complete to minimize confusion across assignments.
Once some of the basics are established, children can practice shifting attention by working with 2-3 simple and familiar tasks and rotating between them at regular intervals.