Educational Resources

Executive Functioning Skills

2 Minute Tutorial: How to Color-Code Your Child’s School Supplies

If your child has trouble staying organized, you might want to try color-coding her school supplies. Watch this short video and learn the best way to color-code.
Source: Understood.com

3 Areas of Executive Functioning

Not all experts look at Executive Function in the same way. But many view it as a group of three skills that allow kids to manage their thoughts, actions, and emotions in order to get things done. This article is a closer look at the different areas.
Source: www.understood.org

5 Things I Wish People Knew About Parenting a Child with Executive Functioning Issues

One mom relays her story about what others need to understand about her son with executive functioning deficits.
Source: Michele Gianetti

7 Tips for Building Flexible Thinking

Some children with learning and attention issues have trouble seeing other viewpoints and alternative ways of doing things. Use these tips to help your child practice flexible thinking, which is essential for learning and everyday life.
Source: Amanda Morin

7 Ways to Teach Your Grade-Schooler Organization Skills

Organization and time management don’t always come easy for kids. Organizational skills are something you may have to teach your grade-schooler. Here are some lessons to help you get started.
Source: Amanda Morin

7 Ways to Teach Your High-Schooler Organization Skills

As teens become more independent, learning to organize and prioritize in all aspects of their lives is important to their future success in college or the workplace. Here are ways you can help.
Source: Amanda Morin

7 Ways to Teach Your Middle-Schooler Organization Skills

In middle school, kids have to learn how to deal with more homework and a busy social calendar. Learning organizational skills and how to prioritize time is important. Here are some ways to teach those skills.
Source: Amanda Morin

8 Tips for Organizing Your Child’s Backpack

Here is a great article and 2-minute video tutorial on how to organize your child’s backpack. The backpack is an important link between home and school. But if your child has organization issues, she may have trouble keeping it in order.
Source: Amanda Morin

8 Ways to Use Color-Coding to Help Kids with Executive Functioning Issues

Does your child have trouble keeping track of things – from class assignments to sports gear? Try these color coding ideas at home.
Source: Lexi Walters Wright

8 Working Memory Boosters

Does your child have a hard time keeping one bit of information in mind while he’s doing something else? For example, if he’s helping make spaghetti and the phone rings, does he forget he needs to go back and keep stirring the sauce? If he often has trouble with such tasks, he might have working memory issues.
Source: Amanda Morin

9 Simple Steps to Breaking Down Assignments

Figuring out how to get started on a big project or coming up with a plan for seeing it through can be hard for many kids. That is especially true if your child has executive functioning issues or weak organizational skills. These simple tips can help him break down projects into manageable steps.
Source: Amanda Morin

Executive Function and the Brain

A great Youtube video with Stephanie M. Carlson, Ph.D. who studies executive functioning issues in the brain.
Source: www.understood.com

Executive Function Disorder, Explained! What is It and How is it Different than ADHD?

A child or an adult with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might be hyperactive, inattentive, and/or impulsive. Clinicians have always understood hyperactivity and impulsivity. The understanding of inattention, though, has shifted from primarily “the inability to stay on task” to a broader concept called executive function disorder, which involves a pattern of chronic difficulties in executing daily tasks.
Source: Larry Silver, M.D.

Signs of Executive Functioning Issues at Different Ages

A list of signs to look for in a child if you suspect they have executive functioning issues. The list is broken down into Preschool, Grade School, Middle School and High School.
Source: www.understood.org

What is Executive Functioning?

The term “executive functioning” has become a common buzzword in schools and psychology offices. This is more than just a passing fad. In fact, neuropsychologists have been studying these skills for many years. We believe that the focus on executive functioning represents a significant advancement in our understanding of children (and adults!) and their unique profile of strengths and weaknesses.
Source: Joyce Cooper-Kahn and Laurie Dietzel