Executive Functioning (EF) Disorder
Relates to difficulty in self regulation, organizing, integration, or high order reasoning skills.
"Executive Function disorder, is
a disability of not being able to show what you know"
Executive Function disorder is
associated with many disabilities: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (AD/HD), Learning Disabilities (LD), Tourette Syndrome (TS) ,
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Autism, Depression, Bipolar, etc.
Most people with AD/HD also have
Executive Function Disorder, but someone can have Executive Function
Disorder without being diagnosed with a disability. Executive
Function program and services would be needed if the student progress
in the general growth in the acquisition of knowledge and skills, are
being negatively impacted.
Eight Pillars of Executive Control by Dr. Adam J. Cox, Ph.D., January 2009, Minuteman Technical High School SEPAC presentation
| 1. Initiating Action |
being able to organize one’s thoughts well enough to get started on a particular task without having to be asked multiple times. |
| 2. Flexible Thinking |
involves
learning to adapt by shifting one’s focus and pace as various
situations unfold. Imagine how difficult it would be to drive your car
if it wouldn’t turn and only went one speed. (About as difficult as
parenting a child with only one speed and one direction!) |
| 3. Sustaining Attention |
focusing
long enough and accurately enough to learn important information. By
extension, attention also involves the ability to block distraction. A
well orchestrated “executive brain” knows its priorities. |
| 4. Organization |
is
about managing space. It’s also about taking the emotional impact of
chaos seriously. Why? Because chronic disorganization undermines
forward momentum – a sense of accomplishment. |
| 5. Planning |
is
about managing time, and is more important than any other executive
pillar when it comes to finishing things on schedule. A planning mind
uses time as a tool to clarify priorities and enhance productivity;
indispensable skills to 21st century success, beginning with school and,
eventually, careers. |
| 6. Working Memory |
is
the ability to retain information long enough for it to be stored in
long-term memory. Our society has a word for this process – learning.
Of all the executive controls, working memory is the most pervasive,
contributing to the smooth operation of every pillar. (Working memory
is the rocket fuel of the modern mind.) |
| 7. Self Awareness |
pertains
to having both sufficient self-knowledge and an ability to perceive how
others see you. This information is essential to making purposeful
choices about how to act in situations where one wants to avoid
unintended consequences that lead to isolation or ostracism. |
| 8. Regulating Emotions |
means
expressing one’s feelings in proportion to the events that elicited
them. When a child under or over-reacts, she is out-of-sync with people
or particular events. Socially, people tend to ignore a silent recluse,
and run away from an “erupting volcano.” |
| From his book: No Mind Left Behind: Understanding and Fostering Executive Control- The Eight Essential Brain Skills every Child Needs to Thrive, by Adam J. Cox, Ph.D. Psychologist |
Executive Function Skills, by Sarah Ward, MS, CCC-SLP , February, 2007 SPED PAC Presentation
3 Primary Layers of Executive Functions:
- Self Regulation
- Awareness
- Motivation
- Initiation
- Emotional Control
i. Self awareness
ii. Self
monitor the ability to inhibit or delay responding, which permits
impulse control resistance to distraction and delay of gratification)
iii. Metacognition (Learning how to learn)
- Organization and Integration
- Integrate details into a bigger picture
- Organize
and store information so it can be traced back and retrieved over time
(Episodic Memory), (used for planning for the future)
- Higher Order Reasoning Skills
- Analyze
Executive Function Programs:
Cognitive Connections, Concord, MA
Highly
individualized programs are designed to meet individual needs based on
the most current research. To maximize effectiveness and
independent carryover of learned skills, we use therapy approaches that
develop an individual's “meta-skills” and “executive function
skills”.
Institute for Learning & Development (ILD), Lexington, MA
New Technology Enhanced Metacognitive Strategies & Tools
Lexington based Research Institute for
Learning and Development (Research ILD) has just received a significant
grant to fund a new year-long pilot and research study to measure the
efficacy of two of its innovative metacognitive and executive
functioning software applications designed to help improve academic
performance. (does not accept health insurance)
Hallowell Center, Sudbury, MA
The Hallowell Center provides a
comprehensive approach to care. Our staff consists of a multi
disciplinary team of psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, clinical
psychologists, social workers, coaches, educators, and a nutritional
consultant. Has support groups, ADD Coaching, several treatment
methods, etc. (does not accept health insurance)
Executive Functioning Coaches - Landmark College, Putney, VT
Coaching Services provides a specific
and unique type of support. They are designed for students who struggle
with the various aspects of academic work production known as
"executive functioning." These include:
• Planning and prioritizing;
• Organizing;
• Remembering to do intended tasks;
• Getting started;
• Sustaining motivation;
• Self-monitoring;
• Managing multiple tasks;
• Following through to completion.
Executive Functioning can effective how students learn to read, write, and do math, refer to our web pages on Specialized teaching methods.
For a list of parent recommend tutors, in the areas of reading, writing, math, and executive functioning, see our web page.
There are currently two Executive Function assessments on the market (more details can be found on our Type of Tests web page):
The articles introduces four type free tools available on the internet:
1. Calendars: Google calendar
2. To Do List: Todolist and Google Gadgets ToDo List
3. Storing, organizing and collaboration on
documents and informaiton: Google Docs, Dropbox, Evernotes and Personal
Brain
4. Research: CAST Strategy Tutor and Zotero
Self-Help and White Noise: Habitforge, Zendesk and Readability
Executive Function fact sheet, by National Center of Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
Overview of Executive Function
Executive Functioning - What Is It and How Does It Affect Learning?
National Academy of Neuropsychology
Executive Functioning: Regulating Behavior for School Success, by By Dr. Sheldon H. Horowitz
What Are Executive Functions and Self-Regulation and What Do They Have to Do With Language Learning Disorders?
by Dr. Bonnie Singer and Dr. Anthony S. Bashir
The development of executive function across the life span
Executive Functions in Parents With ADHD
Books
Executive Function in Education: From Theory to Practice
by Lynn Meltzer, plus a whole list of researchers and practitioners from education, neuroscience, and psychology (2007)
Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention
by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare (2004)
