STEM TransforMations
Executive Function skills can help with...
What is Executive Functioning?
A group of complex mental processes and cognitive abilities that control the skills required for goal-directed behavior. This is also known as “Being able to get stuff done!” An individual must be able to “regulate” their thoughts, emotions, and actions in order to accomplish their goals in addition to having their needs and wants met.
Where does Executive Functioning take place?
It develops within the prefrontal cortex, which is located at the front part of the brain! Did you know that the brain develops from the back to the front, so for children who struggle with Executive Function, their prefrontal cortex is still developing. Fortunately, it continues to develop well into our 20s, and Executive Function skills can get better with time, practice and proper guidance.
Warning Signs of Struggles with Executive Functioning:
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Trouble controlling impulses and emotions
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Difficulty solving problems
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Socially inappropriate behavior
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Issues with short-term memory
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Inability to multitask or balance tasks
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Trouble with paying attention
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Problems with planning, organizing, and completing tasks
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Procrastination with tasks or projects
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Disorganized with belongings
Executive Function Skills
Task Initiation
The ability to begin and start tasks, even if they are not enjoyable or seem difficult. It involves overcoming procrastination and getting started efficiently. This skill is crucial for academic, social, and daily life success.
Attention
The ability to selectively focus on relevant information while ignoring distractions, and to sustain that focus over time. This skill enables individuals to prioritize tasks, stay focused, and manage their attention across different activities and situations.
Planning
The development and executing mental strategies to achieve goals, including creating plans, organizing information, and adapting to changing circumstances. This is a core skill for managing everyday tasks and achieving success in various areas of life.
Organization
The ability to arrange both physical items and thoughts in a structured and efficient way. This skill enables individuals to easily find what they need when they need it.
Time Management
The ability to enable individuals to effectively allocate their time, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines. This skill involves understanding the passage of time, estimating how long tasks will take, and utilizing time wisely to achieve goals.
Prioritization
The ability to assess and determine the relative importance and urgency of tasks, then organize them accordingly to focus on the most critical ones first. This is a key skill that helps individuals manage their time, resources, and energy effectively to achieve their goals.
Cognitive Flexibility
The ability to adapt one’s thinking and behavior to changing situations or rules. This skill involves shifting the way one approaches a task, and adjusting strategies as needed.
Note Taking
The process of recording information, particularly in a structured or organized way, that requires and utilizes various executive function skills. This skill involves active listening, prioritizing key information, organizing thoughts, and using the notes for later review and study.
Working Memory
The ability to temporarily hold and manipulate information in mind while actively using it. This skill is about actively using information to guide actions, make decisions, and solve problems.
Emotional Regulation
The ability to manage and adjust emotional responses to different situations. This skill involves recognizing, understanding, and responding to emotions in a way that allows individuals to think clearly, make sound decisions, and behave appropriately.
We infuse our curriculum with Executive Function training because we understand the critical need for Lifestyle Management. Everyone benefits from having the necessary tools and knowledge to foster a healthy school-life and/or work-life balance. Stress is a thief that robs people of time, peace of mind, and happiness. Emotional Regulation, an area within Executive Functioning, provides a sustainable remedy. We work with our clients to develop a system tailor-made for their time management needs that is long-term, sustainable, and transferable to other areas. Our Academic Success Guides serve as an accountable partner. Over time, as clients establish a pattern of consistent success in the area, we teach them how to be their own accountability partner. Through this process most clients begin to see tangible proof of the fact that every aspect of their life contributes to their success.
“I’m not smart enough!”
“I can’t do anything right, so why bother?”
“It’s too complicated.”
Have you experienced any of the following from your child and/or a loved one?
These are just a few sayings that you might have heard or personally said. There’s an opportunity to turn this negative way of thinking around by exploring Executive Functioning.
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