Executive Functions: Overview for Parents 10/31/2011

Transcription

1 Basics of Executive Functions: An Overview for Parents Lydia H. Soifer, Ph.D. November 2, 2011 For Cooks and Contractors Eight guests for dinner on Saturday night or The fixer-upper chance of a lifetime Slide 2 Slide 3 Page 1

2 Slide 4 The Plan for the Plan: My Lists What Supplies Chairs Plastic/Paper/Chopsticks Food Hors D oeuvres Entrees Sides Desserts Beverages/course Where Stew Leonard s Zachy s When Thursday Friday Saturday Who Does what Helps Slide 5 Executive Functions are Decision making and planning processes Invoked at the outset of a task Invoked when faced with a novel challenge Slide 6 Page 2

3 Management Functions of the Mind activate get you started regulate keep an eye on integrate coordinate a wide variety of mental functions. Slide 7 You Need Good Executive Functions to... Perform many important daily tasks School work Family interactions Social interactions Without good Executive Functions Even if you are smart and determined Your ability to perform may be impaired by comparison to others the same age and ability Slide 8 Executive Skills: Thinking Skills to Select & Achieve Goals Planning Organization Time Management Working Memory Metacognition Slide 9 Page 3

4 Executive Skills: Guiding and Modifying Behavior Response Inhibition Self-regulation of affect Task Initiation Flexibility Goal-directed persistence Slide 10 Self-Regulation Behaviors to guide, monitor and direct The Ed Koch Syndrome Applied in specific settings Slide 11 Sub-processes of Self-Regulation Self-monitoring (self-observation) Self-evaluation (self-judgment) Self-reaction (behavioral adjustment) 12 Page 4

5 Executive Functions & Self-Regulation Executive Functions Setting goals Planning Organizing Attending selectively Restraining and delaying responses Inhibiting reactions Maintaining and shifting set Self-Regulation Self-monitoring Self-evaluation Self-reaction (behavioral adjustment) Slide 13 At the Heart of Executive Functions and Self-Regulation Language Talking yourself through the thought process or task; thinking and behavior mediated by language Slide 15 Working Memory: Without it huh? Part of the information processing system If you can t hold onto it, then you can t do much with it! Interaction with the language system Slide 16 Page 5

6 Working Memory is The capacity to hold and manipulate information in the mind over short periods of time Responsible for temporary storage and processing of information A mental workspace Not influenced by prior learning or socio-economic factors Different than short-term memory Slide 17 Functions of Working Memory (WM) Holding an idea in mind while developing, elaborating, clarifying or using it Recalling from long-term memory while holding some information in short-term memory Holding together in memory the components of a task while completing the task Keeping together a series of new pieces of information so that they remain meaningful Holding a long-term plan in mind while thinking about a shortrange goal Slide 18 Core EF Processes: Areas of Academic Impact Reading Comprehension Direct attentional resources for decoding and comprehension Self-monitoring, e.g., tracking text, constructing meaning Using prior knowledge Shift flexibly from retrieving to interpreting Prioritize and reprioritize information Slide 19 Page 6

7 Core EF Processes: Areas of Academic Impact (continued) Written Language Initiation involves planning and goal setting and defining first step Planning requires evaluation and flexible thinking Organization and prioritization Forming letters, spelling words, use words in grammar appropriately, develop arguments, maintain essay structure Slide 20 Core EF Processes: Areas of Academic Impact (continued) Independent studying, homework and long-term projects Planning, predict outcomes, set long-term goals Self-regulation and self-monitoring Cognitive flexibility Time management Sequencing information Completing tasks and remembering to turn them in Slide 21 Core EF Processes: Areas of Academic Impact (continued) Test taking - Plan and execute responses within time limits - Identify key information - Prioritizing study tasks - Self-monitoring and regulation - Using classroom cues e.g., this is important Slide 22 Page 7

8 Some Key Ideas and Techniques: The Clean up your room Scenario Make tasks shorter Use shorter but complete sentences Make the steps more explicit Make the task closed ended Build in variety or choice Pause for self-reflection Recognize when there is a problem, understanding why and what to do about it Slide 23 Slide 24 Slide 25 Page 8

9 Basics of Executive Functions: An Overview for Parents Lydia H. Soifer, Ph.D. November 2, 2011 Page 9