PSD Workshop January 10, 2020 - PowerPoint Presentation

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PSD Workshop January 10, 2020

Executive Functioning:

Schoolwide Supports

& Strategies

Executive Functioning

Definition:

Executive function refers to a set of mental skills that are coordinated in the brain. Executive functions work together to help a person achieve goals.

Executive function is like the CEO of the brain. It’s in charge of making sure things get done from the planning stages of the job to the final deadline.

Executive functions help you manage life tasks of all types.

Major Executive Function Areas

Inhibitory Control - The ability to stop one's own behavior at the appropriate time, including stopping actions and thoughts. Think before you act.

Shift/Flexibility - The ability to move freely from one situation to another and to think flexibly in order to respond appropriately to the situation.

Emotional Regulation - The ability to modulate emotional responses by bringing rational thought to bear on feelings.

Initiation - The ability to begin a task or activity and to independently generate ideas, responses, or problem-solving strategies.

Working memory - The capacity to hold information in mind for the purpose of completing a task.

Planning/Organization - The ability to manage current and future-oriented task demands. Includes organization of materials; the ability to impose order on work, play, and storage spaces.

Attention – The ability to look at, listen to and think about tasks over a period of time.

Self-Monitoring - The ability to monitor one's own performance and to measure it against some standard of what is needed or expected.

Examples

Keep track of time

Make plans

Make sure work is finished on time

Multitask

Apply previously learned information to solve problems

Analyze ideas

Look for help or more information when it is needed

What we currently do

Executive Function Class ~ Academic Program

Self-Determination Class ~ ICCS Program

CEFI Testing

ACTIVATE

ILS in the dorms

Mentoring/Life Coaching

Executive Function Class

Meets on Saturday mornings.

Focus has been on:

1. organizational skills

2. time management

3. planning for long-term projects

4. using calendars to students’ advantage

Self-determination Class

Meets on Mondays & Fridays

Four faculty members are incorporating executive functioning training into their other classes (i.e. Interpersonal Psychology, Self-Awareness)

Focus has been on:

1. organizational skills

2. time management

3. managing emotions when faced with change

4. flexibility

5. goal setting

Independent Living Skills in the dorms

Sundays in the Academy, Tuesdays and Thursdays in ICCS

Faculty members are incorporating executive functioning training into their other classes (i.e. Interpersonal Psychology, Self-Awareness)

Focus has been on:

1. organizational skills

2. time management

3. managing emotions when faced with change

4. flexibility

5. goal setting

mentoring/life coaching

It’s natural in the mentoring relationship to set executive functioning goals such as:

emotional regulation

delayed gratification

planning

self-monitoring

** These are things that are challenging to learn in a group setting.

The role of the Mentor

All mentors work on executive functioning with their mentees. This is the most powerful way to support what is being taught during the school day.

They set goals based on student needs, from self-monitoring strategies, to problem solving to managing their emotions. Students work on skill-building and develop strategies that they can do on their own. The aim is not to do for students but to help them to do for themselves.

When reviewing earned points for the week, discuss what made them successful in earning points, as well as how they can do better in the areas where they did not earn points.

In addition to improving their life-management skills, students discuss self-advocacy with their mentors. It all contributes to the development of independence and confidence.

CEFI: Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory

The CEFI is a nationally standardized behavior rating scale of executive function.

It is used to evaluate students, using standard scores to compare them to a nationally representative norm group.

There are 100 items in the Self-Report, which is completed online three times a year.

Faculty base their class lessons on the scales the CEFI measures.

CEFI: What it Measures

Scales:

Attention

Emotion Regulation

Flexibility

Inhibitory Control

Initiation

Organization

Planning

Self-Monitoring

Working Memory

CEFI: Pre-testing & Progress Reports

We needed a baseline for our students’ executive functioning skills. More importantly, we wanted to see how they viewed themselves as far as their skills.

As with any self-report, many students rated themselves as much more capable than what we see on a day-to-day basis.

To get an additional opinion on our students’ executive functioning, our own Faculty Reported Executive Functioning Inventory was developed. It is completed by the mentors and is compared to the students’ self-report.

Meanwhile, We Use ACTIVATE

What is ACTIVATE?

The ACTIVATE™ program is a brain training program that measurably strengthens students’ neurocognitive functions by using computer-based games to help children with ADHD, Autism, and other learning disorders.

ACTIVATE improves working memory, self-control, sustained attention, cognitive flexibility, and other executive function skills.

ACTIVATE is a cognitive cross-training program that is based on research from Yale University.

ACTIVATE: Benefits

The ACTIVATE games strengthen a student’s ability to sustain attention. It starts out with dynamic short games and lots of visual and auditory feedback – as the student progresses, those game elements fade away, until eventually the student can focus on long work sessions with very little additional stimulation.

Students perform a wide range of cognitive tasks – like memorizing sequences, completing patterns, task-switching, and putting things in categories.

The program not only recognizes when the students make an error, it figures out why and coaches the students in real time how to improve their thinking strategies.

ACTIVATE: Benefits

Improves student attention/focus

Enhances academic skills

Improves working memory

Improves processing speed

Gradually increases in difficulty and challenge

It’s fun!

What can we do outside of the classroom?

We can teach executive function skills throughout the school experience:

Have students teach us

Do activities using visual memory (i.e. play cards)

Establish & stick to routine

Connect emotion to information

Set time limits

Use a planner ~ dorm calendar

Checklists

Minimize clutter

Tying it All Together

In addition to the individual student goals, ACTIVATE Program and the information we glean from CEFI, each student is involved in a class giving direct instruction to strengthen executive functioning skills.

The structure of a boarding school allows for us to reinforce positive executive functioning skills throughout the day.

Perfect compliment to the RISE Program, especially through mentoring.

This is a comprehensive way to help the students gain the skills necessary to be successful and productive.

Working on executive function skills is a lifelong process, students who invest themselves see results.

Looking Ahead

ACTIVATE will continue to be part of vacation assignments for the students.

ACTIVATE will be a key feature of the Summer Program.

All aspects of the physical portion of ACTIVATE will be used campus-wide.

Continue to measure executive functioning growth from year to year.

Expand our relationship with c8sciences.