Helping the Disorganized Student

7/28/2019 Helping the Disorganized Student

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Parents and Professionals Advocating for Students (PAPAS)

Presents:

The Disorganized Student: Strategiesfor Parents and Teachers

Presented by:

Dr. Caren [email protected]

Dr. Helene [email protected]

Westchester Day School

January 26, 2009
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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What Are Executive Functions and How is it Related toDisorganization?

A students ability to manage their time,

organize their paperwork, and numerous otherday to day classroom activities are impacted by

their executive functions.

This presentation will explain the role ofexecutive functions and offer practical strategies

for parents and teachers to help the disorganizedstudent.


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What Is Executive Functioning?

Executive Functioning refers to our ability to beable to make and carry out plans, direct ourattention, focus and also control our internal states:our impulses and emotions and to be able to switchfrom one task to another.

It is involved in processes such as planning,cognitive flexibility, abstract thinking, rule

acquisition, initiating appropriate actions andinhibiting actions, and selecting relevantinformation.


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People with Executive Functioning Problems haveDifficulties in 6 Major Domains: Activation, Focus,

Effort, Emotions, Memory, and Action


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Children with ADHD Have the Following Executive FunctioningImpairment


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On Demand Deficiencies

Because internally driven production is much easier toaccomplish than externally demanded production forchildren who have these difficulties their lack of productionon demand often stands in stark contrast to their seeminglyeffortless production when the spirit moves them.

The on-demand deficiencies observed by others are oftenattributed to negative personal characteristics such as beingUNMOTIVATED, WILLFULLY LAZY andDISORGANIZED, POSSESSING A BAD ATTITUDE,

DOING THIS ON PURPOSE. More and more however, neuroscientists are saying that

these underachievers may suffer from neurologicalabnormalities, particularly in the FRONTAL LOBE.


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Executive Functioning and the Brain


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Cant Versus WontWe are encouraging people to become involved in their own rescue.

Remember rewards will not work if the child does not have the skill. Reward programs imply thata child can do it if he/she wants to or is motivated enough to. This often leads away fromthe realization that many children who do want to change their behavior dont know what to do

to change it.


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Kids Do Well If They Can

Behind everychallenging behavior

is an unsolvedproblem or lagging skill.

Challenging behavior often occurswhen the demandsbeing placed on a kid exceed his capacity to respondadaptively.

One needs to determine what thinking skill the child islacking so that the thinking skill can be taught.

One needs to determine the triggers/antecedents: thewhat, who, when, and where.

The goal is to develop a plan with the child that resolves theproblem in a realistic and mutually satisfactory manner.


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Executive Function and DevelopmentBecause EFs are developmentalin nature, natural maturationaldelays and lags are observed.

Inter-individually, there is alsogreat variation relative tochronological age.

The developmental progressionis from external to internal.


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A Developmental Perspective for Interventions forChildren with Executive Skills Deficits

Children withdevelopmental executiveskill deficits also fit thisdevelopmental progressionfrom external to internal.

Children withunderdeveloped executiveskills can be supported inone of two ways:

1. By Intervening at theLevel of the Environment.2. By Interveningat theLevel of the Person.


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Intervening at the Level of the

Environment Changing the Physical

or Social Environmentto Reduce Problems

Changing the WayCues

are Provided ToPrompt the Child toPerform Tasks or

Behave inCertain Ways

Changing the Nature ofthe Task


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Intervening at the Level of the Environment: Changingthe Physical or Social Environment to Reduce Problems

Are there impediments to smooth executivefunctioning that can be removed or added to theenvironment?

Front versus back of the class.

Moving them away from a window or near their friendsor talkative students.

Placing a student with weak skills with a very structured

teacher. For impulsive children, placing them in smaller settings

or under more adult supervision.


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Intervening at the Level of the Environment: Changing the WayCues are Provided To Prompt the Child to Perform Tasks orBehave in Certain Ways

Verbal prompts orreminders, Visual Cues

Schedules, Lists, PagerSystems or Alarms

Provide time managementaids such as calendars, clocks,timers, schedules

Audio-taped cues thatincrease self monitoring.

When the tape sounds thechild is instructed to answerthe question, Was I payingattention?


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Intervening at the Level of the Environment: Changingthe Nature of the Task

Make the task shorterMake the steps explicitMake the task close ended instead of open ended (e.g., fill in the blanks, T/F,

rather than essays, providing word banks)Build in variety or choice with respect to the tasks to be done or the order in

which the tasks are to be doneOffer bonus points for handing in homework and assignments on time instead oftaking points away

Offer feedback and opportunities to revise writing assignments before gradingthem

Offer students choices for ways to demonstrate content knowledge

Offer credit for all efforts to correct workOffer opportunities to retake failed testsDeduct no more than 5-10% of total points for minor detail errorsTeach note-taking, memory strategies, and study skills when necessary


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Changing the Way Teachers Interact with Children

With Executive Skill Deficits Changing the way adults interact with

them can often ameliorate thenegative impact of weak skills.

Remembering that you are thebiggest vehicle of change and amodel of good executive functioning.

Increasing the level of supervision,support, and cueing are the easiestway to impact executive functioning.

Increasing childrens involvement inthe decision making process.

Creating a balance between support

and acting as the childs frontal lobewith the ultimate goal of having thechild develop their own executiveskills sufficiently so they can functionindependently.


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Intervening at the Level of the Person The goal of this strategy

is to change the childscapacity for usinghis/her own executiveskills.

1. Teaching him/herways to develop or finetune executive skills thathe/she needs.

2. Motivating him/her to

use the executive skillsthat he/she has but isreluctant to employ.


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Teaching Children Executive Skills: Teaching Thinking andOrganizational Skills in Addition to Content Knowledge

Initially teachers become the frontal

lobes for the child. After having walked the child

through the process many times theteacher can then begin to reduce thelevel of supervision and support.

The next step might be to begin totransfer the responsibility to the child

by asking a more general question(e.g. What do you need to do?)

The transfer is complete when thechild reaches the point when he/sheasks himself/herself What do I needto do? and either refers to the listindependently without promptingfrom the parent or remembers thesteps on the list and can perform thetask without referring to the listitself.


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Motivating Children to Use Executive

Skills

Aligning External Demands with InternalCommands. Using natural self-generated sources ofmotivation whenever possible.

Motivating May Include: Praise and Recognition orIncentive Systems


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Last Thoughts Your child is not lazy. You need to teach students

the importance ofresponsibility, timemanagement, attention todetail and other importantqualities.

State the problem inbehavioral terms that indicatea behavior that can then bechanged.

Learning is a process.

As much as possible try toalign external demands withinternal desires to maximizemotivation.

Think Win-Win:


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Tips for Organizing Paper and Time

A coach teaches skills,keeps the childfocused, offers

encouragement Form the team: your

spouse; your child

Who should coach?You, spouse, orprofessional organizer


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Help Your Child Accept Help

Middle-schoolers want more independence butneed more supervision.

Dont fall for I dont care attitude.

Motivate your child to be open to help: Use mildnatural consequences

Use small incentives


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Collaborate With Your Child

Child should help choosethe goal.

Goal should be small,short-term, likely to yield

success. Goal should improve childs

quality of life

Prioritize, choose top 3

goals. Do somethingfunwith

your child.


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Develop A Plan

The devil is in the details

Review the plan nightly for a few minutes

If the daily goal was not met, ask what got in theway. What helped it work on successful days?

Dont give up too soon, but revise plan if

needed. It takes 3 weeks for new habits to form.

Your child didnt fail, the strategyfailed.

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Helping the Disorganized Student