Executive

 Functioning  
Presented  by:  Shubh  Agrawal  and  Sonia  Essaibi    
 
 
Adapted  from:  Drew  Amabile  M.S.,  C.A.G.S.,  Sarah  Johnson  M.S.,  
and  Geoffrey  Brown  M.A.  (2015)    
 What  is  Executive  Functioning?    

*  What  does  Executive  Functioning  help  us  do?    

*  Why  is  it  important?    
*  What  are  ways  that  you  are  already  practicing  Executive  
Functioning?    
We  have  identified  11  Executive  Skills  
that  we  will  all  work  on  together:  
*  They  are:    
1.  Response  Inhibition    
2.  Working  Memory  
3.  Emotional  Control    
4.  Sustained  Attention    
5.  Task  Initiation    
6.  Planning  and  Prioritization    
7.  Organization    
8.  Time  Management  
9.  Flexibility    
10.  Metacognition  
11.  Goal  Direction  Persistence    
 Response  Inhibition    

*  Also  known  as  “Impulse  Control”    

*  What  does  it  mean?    

*  Capacity  to  think  before  you  act,  to  resist  the  urge  to  
do  or  say  something  before  you’ve  had  the  chance  to  
evaluate  the  situation  and  the  possible  consequences    
 Working  Memory  

*  The  ability  to  hold  information  in  mind  while  

performing  complex  tasks    
 Emotional  Regulation  

*  Emotional  Regulation  is  the  ability  to  manage  

emotions  in  order  to  help  ourselves  control  and  guide  
our  behavior,  perform  tasks,  and  reach  our  goals    
 Sustained  Attention  

*  Sustained  attention  is  the  capacity  to  keep  focusing  

on  a  situation  or  task  in  spite  of  distractions,  
boredom,  or  fatigue.    
 Task  Initiation  

*  Task  Initiation  is  the  ability  to  begin  projects  or  

activities  in  an  efficient  or  timely  manner  
 Planning  and  Prioritization  

*  Planning  is  the  ability  to  create  a  “roadmap”  or  set  of  
steps  to  reach  a  goal  or  complete  a  task,  and  
prioritization  is  the  ability  to  focus  on  the  most  
important  step  in  order  to  complete  the  process  
sequentially    
 Organization  

*  Organization  is  the  ability  to  create  and  maintain  a  

system  for  arranging  or  keeping  track  of  important  
things  or  ideas  
 Time  Management  

*  Time  Management  is  the  ability  to  estimate  how  

much  time  is  available,  how  to  spend  it,  and  how  to  
stay  within  time  limits  and  deadlines    
 Flexibility  

*  Flexibility  is  the  ability  to  adapt  and  revise  plans  when  
conditions  change  (when  obstacles  and  setbacks  
arise,  when  new  information  becomes  available,  and  
when  mistakes  occur)    
 Metacognition  

*  Metacognition  refers  to  the  ability  to  stand  back  and  

observe  yourself  from  the  outside.    
*  It  effects  one’s  ability  to  problem-­‐solve  and  know  
what  is  called  for  in  a  given  situation    
 Goal  Directed  Persistence  

*  Goal-­‐directed  persistence  involves  the  capacity  to  

establish  a  goal  and  follow  through  on  achieving  it  
without  being  put  off  or  distracted  by  competing  
interests    
 Welcome!    

*  Thank  you  for  attending!    

*  Introductions    
*  What  exactly  is  “Executive  Functioning”?    
 Icebreaker  

*  Stand  in  a  circle  

*  As  we  go  around,  we’d  like  you  to  say:    
*  Your  First  Name  
*  An  Adjective  that  begins  with  the  first  letter  of  your    
name  that  describes  you  
*  Your  favorite  sport    

*  The  next  person  will  try  to  remember  what  the  person  
before  them  said  and  will  introduce  themselves!    
   
 Group  Norms  

*  Take  2  minutes  and  come  up  with  a  list  of  

expectations  that  will  help  us  all  maintain  a  safe  and  
productive  learning  environment  
*  Write  your  list  on  the  post-­‐it  note  we  gave  you  and  
save  it  for  our  discussion  
 Group  Norms  

*  Respect,  Participation,  Meeting  Needs  

*  These  are  the  three  major  categories  for  our  
expectations.  Whoever  is  willing  to  share  first  can  
raise  their  hand  and  read  out  their  expectation.  You  
can  place  it  in  the  most  fitting  category,  and  if  you  
need  help,  we  are  here  to  help.    
 Organizing  Your  Space  

*  What  do  you  consider  important  spaces  to  keep  

organized?    
*  Everyone  has  different  systems,  so  there  is  no  one  right  
way,  you  can  always  adapt  them    
*  Five  areas  
–  Schoolwork  
–  Backpack  
–  Locker  
–  Homework  Area  –  Room    
*  •  Practice  together  –  Schoolwork    
*  •  Choose  a  goal  for  ourselves  this  week    
 Schoolwork  

*  •  Every  subject  has  a  folder,  a  binder,  or  a  notebook    

*  –  “Every  paper  has  a  home”  
•  Papers  dated  and  in  chronological  order    
*  •  Separate  folder  for  today’s  homework    
*  –  Completed  homework  on  the  left  –  Homework  to  
do  on  the  right    
 Schoolwork  

*  •  Homework  is  written  in  the  agenda  book  

–  Symbols  or  colors  distinguish  between  subjects  –  
Check  off  assignments  when  complete    
*  •  A  pencil  case  is  close  at  hand  –  2  pencils    
*  –  2  pens  
–  pencil  sharpener  or  extra  lead  –  eraser    
 Backpack  

*  •  “Every  paper  has  a  home”  

•  Nothing  more  than  what  you  need    
*  –  Binders  
–  Folders  
–  Books  
–  Agenda  Book  –  Lunch/Snacks  –  Water    
*  –  Tools  of  the  trade  
•  Math  (calculator,  compass,  ruler)    
*  •  Music/Art  materials    
 Locker  

*   Every  paper  has  a  home    

* Binders  in  one  place    
* Lunch  in  one  place    
* Clothing  in  one  place    
 Homework  Area  

*  Clean  flat  work  surface    

*  Comfortable  chair    
*  Water  within  reach    
*  Clock  within  sight    
*  One  subject’s  materials  out  at  a  time    
*  Clean  up  when  complete    
 Room  

*   One  designated  place  for  your  backpack  

*   One  designated  place  for  your  clothing    
*   -­‐-­‐Jacket,  hat,  gloves,  scarf,  sunglasses,  etc.    
*   One  designated  place  for  your  belongings  needed  in  
school  the  next  day    
 Practice  

*  •  Use  the  checklist  to  practice  organizing  your  

schoolwork    
*  –  Check  off  each  line  as  you  complete  each  step    
*  If  you  finish,  use  the  checklist  to  practice  organizing  
your  backpack  
–  Check  off  each  line  as  you  complete  each  step    
 Set  a  Goal!  

*  Choose  a  few  areas  that  you  would  like  to  organize    

*  Choose  a  day  when  you  will  complete  your  goal.    
*  Put  this  date  on  the  checklist  and  in  your  agenda  
book.    
*  Check  off  all  sections  on  the  form  when  completed    
*  Think  about  your  goal    
*  –  What  might  prevent  you  from  completing  all  steps?  
–  How  will  you  overcome  these  challenges?    
 Set  a  Goal  

*  •  Place  picture  of  completed  forms  here!    

*  •  Place  your  goal  on  the  form  and  in  your  agenda  
book.    
 Review  

*  Today  we...  
–  Introduced  the  program  
–  Set  group  expectations  
–  Went  over  the  curriculum  
–  Learned  how  to  organize  our  space    
*  •  Schoolwork,  Backpack,  Locker,  HW  Area,  and  Room  
–  Organized  our  schoolwork  
–  Set  a  goal  for  this  week    
 Homework  

*  •  Remember  to  fill  out  your  organization  checklists    

*  •  We  will  collect  them  next  week  so  make  sure  to  
bring  them  in    

See  you  Next  Week!!    

 
Thank  you  J