#39 Improving Executive Function

How good are your child's executive functioning skills? Is your child able to regulate his or her impulses, handle stressful situations, plan, organize, and follow through with assignments?  Today's episode breaks down executive function into the three main areas of working memory, inhibitory control, and mental flexibility suggested by Dr. C. Cybele Raven (Video below).  You will get suggestions and resources from Mickie Teaches to help you help your child strengthen the necessary executive functioning skills that lead to college success.

 Free Executive Function Tips
"Executive Function and Self-Regulation" - Center of the Developing Child, Harvard University
In Brief: Executive Function Skills for Life and Learning Video with C. Cybele Raven, Ph.D
SEDNET The Multiagency Network for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities
College, Disabilities, and Success Podcast Episode 34, When Students Struggle, Metacognition Helps
College, Disabilities, and Success Podcast Episode 8, How Memory Works

Transcript

Mickie  0:00  
I had a high school student who as long as I knew him, never had his assignments with him. Most days they were done. But I almost always had to send him back to his locker to go digging through the papers in his locker to find his homework. And I had about a 50/50 shot that he would actually come back with his homework. He wasn't trying to get out of class, he legitimately had no idea where that homework ended up. I had another high school student, and I probably saw her mother more than any other high school student I ever had. Because pretty much every couple days, she was calling home for her mom to bring her something that she forgot. Now in hindsight, I am pretty confident that executive functioning skills were among the problems they had. But as a parent, what can you do about executive functioning skills? How can you prepare your child to not be in the situation that these students were in when they were in high school. I want to talk today about executive functioning skills, and why it's so important for our high school teens to get a good handle on executive functioning skills before they head to a job or to college or to trade school, whatever plans they have for life after high school. So welcome to College Disabilities, and Success. Episode 39, Improving Executive Function by Mickie Hayes. The opinions in this podcast are my own, but please reach out to your college physicians or legal services for additional information. 

Mickie  1:38  
When I was preparing for today's podcast, I came across some information by Dr. C. Cybele Raver from the Institute of Human Development and Social Change at New York University. It was in a video on the website for the Harvard University Center for the Developing Child. These links and any others that I mentioned throughout the podcast will be in your show notes at the podcast link. I like this video because Dr. Raver compared executive functioning to that of an air traffic controller. And if you think about it, it makes sense, an air traffic controller needs to sort through all the information that is happening at the same time with all the planes coming in. And a child who's dealing with executive functioning skills is sorting through all of the information that they are getting at the same time and sorting through it, understanding it, remembering it, handling it knowing what to do, there's a lot going on with executive functioning skills. So I thought it was a good comparison. Now she said that executive functioning skills usually involve three areas, and that a child needs to be able to use working memory, to use inhibitory control or self control, and to have mental flexibility that allows them to adjust priorities. We're going to use those three concepts as a guide for discussing executive function today. So let's talk about working memory, first. Working memory occurs when you get some information. Somebody says something to you, somebody hands you something, somebody interrupts you, the phone rings, somebody's knocking at your door, one of your kids is arguing with another kid, and you need to sort that out while you're trying to do something else. And all of these things can be happening at the same time. And working memory says okay, I'm thinking about this, I'm figuring out Alright, I got to deal with this current situation and see how to resolve it. And I've also got this other situation and I have to go resolve that one first, because that's a bigger priority. All right, I broke that fight up. Now what was I doing? What was I working on? And therein lies the rub. When you struggle with working memory and short term memory, and many students with learning disabilities do, and many individuals with ADHD do, and many students on the Autism spectrum do, these students need to learn some strategies that help short term memory that help that quick instant recall.

Mickie  4:11  
Now you can look at memory in three different areas, there's short term memory, working memory, and long term memory and short term memory and working memory are really, really closely related. Because what's happening is short term memory is your immediate ability to recall something that somebody said and working memory takes that information and sort of chews on it, digests it, thinks of a way to remember it, and tuck it away and file it away for future use. And then long term memory is able to remember where that memory went, where it was stored, so that long term memory can then retrieve the memory and show that you know the information. We said that executive functioning depends on good working memory. So what could you do? What kind of techniques could you use to strengthen working memory? Well, you can jot it down, you could jot a silly picture next to it, you could make a star on your paper for the star point you want to remember, you could use a different color or color code, something that you want to remember, I've seen kids write something on their hands when they try to remember something they can't, they don't want to forget, you can take a quick picture of it with your phone, if you have it. The idea is to link it to something that you're already doing. So jotting it down, taking a picture, putting a silly picture next to it, thinking of a mneumonic or a simple, silly phrase to go along with it some sort of a link something to connect that memory in your brain, so that you can file it away correctly, and then retrieve it later. And that's why it's so important when we are looking at how to help kids with executive functioning skills, that we figure out a way that they can have visual access to something when they need it. Now, one of the things that I put together for this podcast was a free list of some executive functioning ideas. And I'll put that link in the show notes as well. But that will give you some insight of what I was saying. And I particularly like the one where the person has a calendar at their workstation. But it's kind of a unique situation there. So if you get a chance, take a look at that and see what's happening in that picture. It's kind of neat, actually. But regardless of the technique that you use, you need to think of some way to connect that information you're getting right now to something previous to something you know, to some trick or technique or mnemonic or picture or image, note color, something that will help you to retrieve it later, I used to tell the kids that remembering something is like having a balloon, if you let go of the string and it hits the ceiling, you can still grab that string and bring the balloon back down to where you are. And you think of that string as the mneumonic, the color code, the picture the link that links the whole idea. And the whole idea is safely tucked up in that balloon. But once you grab onto the link that you recall, you can then bring the whole idea back to you, you'll be able to retrieve it and you'll know it because you put it in long term memory somewhere, but you really got to know where you tucked it away so that you can retrieve it when you need to. If you go back into my podcast history, I did episode eight called how memory works, I took a longer look at some things you can do to understand and help strengthen memory. 

Mickie  7:36  
Now the second thing that Dr. Raver said was that when you're dealing with executive function, you need to also deal with inhibitory control. And that includes self control that involves things like taking turns the need to adjust to what the other person is doing, or saying can be a challenging behavior to sort out with a kid. But I think it's really important to look for small successe. When somebody exercises self control, a kind word or a nod or a wink or a mention that you appreciate what they're doing. But just a nod or a wink or an appreciation. I used to do this a lot when I taught high school, when I saw that somebody was in a difficult situation that they handled, I usually gave them a thumbs up or a discreet nod or Thank you mouthed, thank you to them some way to let them know that I was aware that they were exercising that self control in handling the situation. And it makes a big, big difference. We all like to know we're appreciated. And that's just one way you can do it. That little memory of that appreciation gets tucked away, but the kid knows you appreciate. So they try a little harder. In many cases you can practice - that's kind of behavior you can practice in certain situations. So it's a time that you can help your child monitor their behavior, plan what they're going to do, teach problem solving skills. What do you do in a situation like this? What would you do in a situation like this?

Mickie  9:12  
I know when my kids were teenagers, one of the things that I told them was to blame me, I know, I wish I could but I know that I will be in big trouble with my mom. Or let me check with my mom and pretend to call me and you know, blame it on me that I didn't approve. And so they were able to control their behavior and not come off looking uncool in front of their friends, if that makes any sense. But I know the kids appreciated it and they even told me that because it's a whole lot easier to blame your parents than to get into trouble for going along with something you know you shouldn't have done in my opinion. So that's all about those little practices of self control, little suggestions, behaviors, things that they might be able to do and act on especially as teenagers to get themselves out of tight spots. 

Mickie  10:00  
Now, I'm not talking about severe emotional behaviors or emotional disturbances, I'm talking about the average individual who just gets easily frustrated, and sometimes loses sight of what's going on, loses that self control. If you are dealing with a child with severe emotional disabilities, you might want to check out the SEDNET S E D N E T website, I will have that link in my show notes as well. And that has a ton of resources on it for helping individuals with emotional disabilities become successful. 

Mickie  10:37  
Now the third point with regards to executive function that Dr. Raver made was the child needs to have mental flexibility. So exactly what does that mean? It comes down to teaching your child how to monitor their behavior, how to focus their attention, how to delay gratification, that's a hard one sometimes. But you know, we live in an age of instant gratification. But sometimes you have to be able to teach your child that there are long term benefits to what they're doing. And that's not always easy. But basically, you want to teach your child how to solve a problem when it's happening. And that's that flexibility, I think that comes down to discussing options with your child, if this doesn't work, then we can do this. If that doesn't happen, something else is going to take its place. How is that child reacting to a sudden change in the environment, a sudden inability to adjust, to be flexible when the situation calls for it. So these I think this kind of behavior can be modeled very nicely, because we all have disappointments in life, and how you react to those disappointments can be an example for your child. So modeling that behavior will probably make a big difference. But teaching your child that there should be a plan B, don't put all your eggs in one basket. And then if the basket falls and all the eggs break, then what? that's a problem. And kids need to learn how to cope with surprises like

Mickie  12:07  
that. That's mental flexibility. Some kids struggle with it more than others. But it helps if you look at alternatives. If you look at Plan B and prepare for Plan B, because no doubt at some point in their life, your child is going to have to revert to plan B, or C or D. You know, it happens a lot. I don't know if you watch the cooking shows at all. But that's one of the things I talk about a lot on the cooking show this didn't work, I thought it would well we have to go to plan B or C or D, we got to keep trying until we figure out the best way to solve the problem. I had a student in college who failed the class. And he was very, very, very upset that that happened. His response to it was inappropriate and led to further disciplinary issues and got nowhere because he still failed the class. And he still had to retake it and all of his fussing and reaction made no difference. And that's what your kids need to understand that you can't just scream your way into what you want. When you are in a college situation, you really have to do what's needed to pivot to adjust to make your plan B. And one of the best things you can teach your child is how to accept those adjustments whenever possible. It's not easy to do, especially when you are a parent of a kid with a significant disability. But it's very, very important that you acknowledge the strength it took for that child to make that adjustment. 

Mickie  13:33  
So in general, when your child struggles with executive functioning skills, you can help them a lot of different ways. You can help them maintain focus, you can help them have meaning for what they're doing, teach them how to multitask how to keep multiple things going at once. How to set goals, but not only how to set goals, but how to set and prepare a plan B and you can show them different ways that they can remember what's going on so they can pivot when they need to. Because that's what it's all about. And we all know life is pivoting many, many times. And so these are skills that you want to practice with your child and encourage in your child. One of the things that you could do is teach your child metacognition, and metacognition is thinking about thinking. Thinking, what are we going to do? Help your child learn to ask questions, and ask questions, not only of others, but of themselves. Is that a real good idea? What's going to happen if he did that? What is the problem going to be? That's metacognition, thinking about thinking, I have a podcast that I did on metacognition as well, and I will post that link in the show notes, also. 

Mickie  14:46  
There is one more article that I want to talk to you about, and that is in Edutopia. The article is called Helping Students Develop Executive Function Skills, by Gina de Tulio and in the article she offers some suggestions that are relevant in the classroom in many cases, but I think also can be applied with your children at home. She talks about the struggle of controlling impulses, and paying attention to things, remembering information, responding appropriately, especially in social situations or in stressful situations. And these are all things that we mentioned in the podcast today. She offers some suggestions, though, that you might find helpful, she suggests generating a list of tools. When your child seems a little confused, and not sure of what they need to do a list of tools, something you build, if they're small, something they can build, if they're a little older, or something you can work on together, you and your child can work on together. But regardless, it's a way to take a lot of loose, scattered information and nail it down to a list that can be checked off, then she also addresses metacognition, and seeing if your child can repeat back to you what you asked them to do, make sure they got the information and retained it in their memory. Time management is another big issue that comes up with executive function. Some kids just don't seem to have a sense of time, how long something is going to take. How much time they need to dedicate to a project. And so one of the skills that you can do is to help your child chunk the process into pieces. Help your child figure out the steps of the project. And so once you have that figured out, then you can go about figuring out how to do those steps. It's a holistic approach, where in many cases, you talk about the whole process, and then figure out how you want to break it down into step by step behavior. In the handout that I mentioned before that's available in the show notes today, is a handout I put together about executive function. And one of the pages I talked about whole-to- part and how you can help your own child who may seem really overwhelmed by a situation and how you can break that down into smaller pieces. So I gave you some tips with regards to that in the handout. It also helps your child if you keep things posted, have a place for messages where you know, the child will see them and be able to act on them, not a message board where there's 100 different things going on at once. But a system where their piece of the information that they need is somehow separated out because it's just for them, because otherwise you get way too much extraneous stuff around and your child is back to that feeling of being overwhelmed by a whole lot of outside information, and then it and then it never hurts to schedule breaks, because hey, we all need a break. And that includes your kids. They're grateful for the break. And sometimes they come back in a better place in their mind, and they're ready to do some more work. So these are just some strategies in general that you could do for your child who is struggling with executive functioning skills. And you can read more information about this in Gina Detulio's article in Edutopia. I really, really appreciate you being here. And I'm so hopeful that you got some value out of today's podcast. I know executive functioning is something many students struggle with. And many parents struggle with it for their children and with their children. So sometimes you just need that extra little idea or nugget of an idea that helps to put a few things in order. So hopefully you were able to get that today. If you have a chance stop by my website , Mickieteaches.com  that's M I C K I E and check out my other resources there as well and have a great rest of the day Bye. 

Mickie  18:56  
Information contained throughout this podcast has been gleaned from my own personal experiences, but to ensure accuracy, please contact the Disability Services at the College of your choice to have first hand information and the most up to date policies and procedures followed for your particular institution of higher education. The content in any of these podcasts is not intended as a substitute for information from legal, educational or medical professionals. Always seek the advice of your attorney or qualified health care provider with any questions you may have with regards to legal educational or medical concerns.