In our last entry, an overview of Executive Functions was discussed and now, we will give you some ideas for dealing with problems in this area.  Some of the suggestions or strategies might seem like common sense, and they really are the kinds of things many people do every day without thinking.  But as we reported last time, individuals with problems in Executive Functions do not use strategies automatically and so they have to be directly taught specific things they can do.

When young children of Elementary School age have been identified with problems in Executive Functions, it is important to provide as much external support and structure as possible.  External structure is the kind of support that can be provided directly by the significant adults in the child's world, like parents and teachers.  Gradually, as children develop and mature, they should learn to take on the responsibility of using these strategies on their own. 

Practicing the strategies that you want your child to use is essential because through repetition, the skill will eventually become automatic. Young children and adolescents will not spontaneously use strategies on their own without first being taught and then given adequate time for practice.   Think of a time when you were learning a new skill for the first time, say, learning to drive a car.  You might remember that it was very difficult to keep all of the various aspects in mind at the same time and you may have thought that it was almost impossible to remember to look in the rear view mirror, the side view mirror, the road in front of you, while also paying attention to traffic signs, street signs, pedestrians, people on bicycles, poor weather conditions, not to mention other cars!  Most likely, you weren't able to listen to the radio  at the same time and had a hard time following the directions of the person sitting beside you and instructing you.  Now, of course, you don't even think about these things while driving because with practice, it has become totally automatic. 

Here are some ways that you can help your child develop the sorts of skills needed to experience more success: 

For Elementary School Age Children

• Increased structure in the environment or in an activity is important for students.  Try to build in routines for everyday activities. Eventually, the task will become more routine and this will eventually increasing independence.
• Stress doing one thing at a time.  Avoid giving directions with too many parts.
• Use a step-by-step approach to tasks.  Breaking steps into smaller, more structured steps may reduce the sense of being overwhelmed.
• Use checklists to indicate stages of task completion.
• Teach self-monitoring strategies (“What have I left out?”).
• Check your child's understanding of a task by asking him/her to repeat the directions back to you before proceeding with the task.
• Your child may benefit from techniques that use “inner reminders” in situations where attention is important. For example, you might teach your child to use self-talk statements, such as “Sit up straight", "Eyes on the speaker,” “I need to keep looking at the person speaking,” and “I need to write this down.”
• Along the same lines, it is important to teach your child to use self-talk statements to check their work, such as "I need to remember to go back and check my work", "Did I follow the directions?", "Did I use the right procedure"? 

For Students in Middle School and High School, teach your child to....

• Use a written checklist of steps needed to complete a task.
• Use “to do” lists on paper or index cards to develop automatic routines.
• Verbalize a plan when beginning a new activity, homework assignment, or project.  Then, the plan can be broken down into steps, arranged in order.  Parents or teachers can help develop this plan.
• Ask yourself questions, such as, “Do I understand what I am supposed to do?”; “What have I left out?”; “Did I check my work?”
• Pace yourself so you don’t work too quickly or too slowly.
• Know when and how to get help – from friends, books, parents, teachers, etc.
• Predict how well you will do on a particular task, then compare your prediction with your parents or teacher to see how well you actually did.
• Think of things you already know that are like what you are learning.
• Use helpful tools, like writing down information you need to remember; say ideas into a tape recorder.
• Learn from your problem-solving so you can solve future problems.

Remember that learning any new task is difficult at first, and it takes much effort and requires lots of practice.  Once well learned however, it becomes a part of the normal routine and then your child will be better able to perform the task without giving it much thought.