• Summary of Executive Function Skills & Resources

    Posted by Nikki Rankin on 5/12/2017 7:00:00 AM

    Executive function refers to a set of brain functions that assist persons to regulate their behavior, engage in goal directed behavior, and execute the steps to complete a given task or goal (Canon et al., 2011).  Executive function skills include:

    • Organizing:  Organization involves not only keeping track of materials and belongings, but also keeping track of thoughts as students progress toward a target goal or “the big picture.”
    • Planning and Prioritizing:  Planning and prioritizing  require the student to know where to begin, relevant information, time management, sequencing steps of assignments or tasks and the organization of these steps and materials.
    • Activation and Initiation:  The terms “activation” and “initiation” refer to when a student takes action to begin a project or activity in an efficient or timely fashion.  Students who struggle in this area often freeze up or fail to begin a task which others may misinterpret as non-compliance or lack of motivation.
    • Processing Speed:  Processing speed is the pace at which you take in information, make sense of it and begin to respond.
    • Focusing, Sustaining and Shifting Attention: Focusing attention involves knowing on who or what you should focus on, in other words, controlling distractibility.  Sustaining attention involves staying on topic, filtering out irrelevant information or thoughts, as well as managing disinterest or boredom.  Shifting attention is the ability to follow the change in a current topic of discussion, moving on from preferred activities, transitioning from one thing to the next and actual physical movement from one area or activity to the next.
    • Working Memory:  Working memory can be described as the ability to store and manage information in one’s mind for a short period of time, the manipulation of short-term memory information or the ability to keep one piece of information in mind while working on or with something else (Smyth-Myles, 2016).   
    • Self-Regulation:  Managing and Modulation of Emotion: Managing and modulation of emotion involves the ability to identify and communication feelings and emotion in oneself as well as others.  It also involves the ability to shift between emotions, and regulating your emotions to fit the situation, events or social expectations of the situation.  Modulation also includes calming oneself, being able to remain calm and identifying methods to cope with different emotions.  

    Executive function difficulties in students can significantly impact the student's ability to participate in the social and academic aspects of the school day. It is important to note that intelligence does not necessarily have a significant correlation to executive function skills.   For example, a student with average to high intelligence can still struggle with organization and planning which in turn can impact academic and social performance.  (Werts, 2012).  


    References:

             challenges: practical solutions.  [training handout]. Indiana Resource Center for
             Autism: Indiana Institute on Disability and Community.  Bloomington, IN.

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  • Executive Function: Managing Frustration and Modulating Emotion

    Posted by Nikki Rankin on 4/28/2017 7:00:00 AM

    Students who struggle with executive function will also struggle to regulate and modulate their emotions.  Struggles with managing frustration and modulating emotions can manifest in many different ways.  

    Struggles with Managing Frustration:  

    • Difficult to communicate their feelings, wants, and needs
    • Limited ability to identify different emotions
    • Trouble understanding and reading the emotions and perspective of others
    • Sensory struggles can impact self management
    • Overwhelmed by emotions
    • Focusing on one feeling while excluding others (Smith-Myles, 2016) – they can be hijacked by one emotion
    • Shifting from or between emotions

    Struggles Modulating Emotion:  

    • Regulating emotions and behaviors to...
      • Match events
      • Match cultural expectations
      • Match the social expectations of the situation or environment
    • Calming oneself
    • Remaining calm
    • Identification of a strategy to manage emotion (positive or negative emotions)
    • Difficulty distinguishing between minor and major offenses or events

    Common yet INEFFECTIVE Coping skills for students with Autism and or Executive Dysfunction:  

    • Withdrawal or self-isolation (elopement)
    • Self-injurious behavior – hitting self, biting self, hitting other objects
    • Self-stimulating behavior – spinning, flapping, pacing, rocking etc . . .
    • Vocalizations – humming, self talk, echolalia of preferred sounds or lines from a movie, other random sounds
    • Obsession over preferred or favored objects
    • “Excessive avoidance or intense seeking of a particular sensory experience” (Rinaldi, nd).

    Teach students to identify how they feel

    • Teach students to identify feelings – teach emotional vocabulary
      • For younger students start with 2 – happy/sad, hot/cold, tired/excited
      • Then add different emotions and categorize
    • Play videos or songs and talk about how they make the child feel
    • Play clips from movies and talk with the students about how the characters feel
    • Incorporate areas of interest “specialist subjects” into the lesson
    • Catch and target talk different emotions during the day, with the child and other family members as well as with others in the community
    • Reward and reinforce when your child identifies and/or labels their feelings and emotions
    • Work with the student to identify how their body feels with the different emotions and feelings
      • Understand and identify when these feelings and emotions begin
      • Understanding when these emotions intensify
      • Identify situations that trigger these different emotions

    Then . . .

    • Work with the student to identify how their body feels with the different emotions and feelings
      • Understand and identify when these feelings and emotions begin
      • Understanding when these emotions intensify
      • Identify situations that trigger these different emotions
    • Identify coping strategies for the different emotions
      • Make this visual
      • Create with the child, incorporating their ideas and interests
      • Use lists or visuals of different coping strategies to prime or prompt ideas
      • Share your list of coping strategies with your child

    Teach Deep/ Calming Breathing

    • “Incorporate breathing techniques into the regular classroom routine as a preventative measure in controlling behavior as well as to help calm the student whose nervous system has become “charged up” (Forbes, 2012).
    • Hobermann Sphere: Have students slowly inhale while you slowly expand the Hoberman sphere and then exhale as you slowly shrink the sphere back to its original size. This is also a great way to demonstrate the expansion of the lungs.
    • Back to Back: Have students sit on the floor back to back. One student begins by inhaling deeply. The other partner should feel the expansion in their partner’s back as they breathe deeply. Take turns back and forth.
    • Objects on the stomach: Have students place a small stuffed animal or object on their stomachs. As they breathe deeply, they should feel the stuffed animals or objects rise and then fall when they exhale. For younger students, you can tell them their job is to rock the stuffed animal to sleep using the rise and fall of their stomachs.
    • Pinwheels: Have students practice deeply inhaling and then using the exhalation to control the speed of the pinwheel.
    • Flower and candle breathing: smell the flower, blow out the candle

    Incorporate Movement:  

    • For some children, repetitive motor movements can be key in helping with regulation.  Movements that are patterned, rhythmic and repetitive settle and activate the brain (Forbes 2012).
    • John Ratey, Spark-The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, stated “Exercise is like taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin because, like the drugs, exercise elevates the same neurotransmitters.”
      • When you exercise at the cellular level, the brain is drenched with serotonin, glutamate, norepinephrine, dopamine and growth hormones, all wielding a powerful influence something like Miracle-Gro for the brain.”
    • Methods to incorporate movement:  
      • Quiet and calming brain breaks
      • Break Break Cards  individual small group and/or whole group
      • Minds in Motion methodologies
      • Yoga
        • Online Resources for movement
        • Apps:
          • Super Stretch Yoga – (free)  super hero stretching and yoga
          • Jump Froggy Jump – (free) – exercises that coordinate with movements between the student and the iPad which creates an interactive gameYuvi
          • Story Aerobics – (free version = 1 episode), $7.99 all episodes and reinforcement.  This app creates exercises to go along with different stories.  Students can earn virtual stickers for completing episodes which can build to a larger reward.
          • NFL Play 60 – (free) -exercise while collecting coins which allow players to unlock other characters
          • MotionMaze – (free) - this is a puzzle game where you help the captain find the hidden treasure with different exercises
          • Kids Yogaverse: I am Love -  $3.99

    Links and Resources for teaching Emotion

    Resources to Teach Coping and Calming Skills

    Apps to Assist with Managing Emotion and Frustration

    References:  

     

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  • Activities to Boost Executive Function Skills at all Age Levels, Part 3

    Posted by Nikki Rankin on 4/14/2017 7:00:00 AM

    The Harvard Center on the Developing Child ®  released a document entitled, Enhancing and Practice Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence.  This document provides readers with an overview of the different executive function skills and specifically addresses:  working memory, inhibitory (impulse) control, and cognitive flexibility.  Listed below are activities that can develop and boot the executive function skills in children.  Below are activities for children ranging in ages from 7 - 12 and for Adolescents

    7 - 12 years:  

    Games and Activities:

    • Card Games:  promote working memory, cognitive flexibility, planning and strategy.  Card games like Hearts, Spades, Kemps, Bridge, Sequence and Euchre can help with the development of executive function skills .
      • Other card games such a Gin, Rummy, and even some poker games that involve matching, matching different sets and social skills all help support executive function.
    • Other Games:  such as checkers, chess, chinese checkers, Go “provides important practice with holding complicated moves in mind, planning many moves ahead, and then adjusting plans—both in response to imagined outcomes and the moves of opponents” (Harvard, 2014).  Legos, K'nex and other building models are great for planning, following directions, working memory and processing speed.
    • Games with Fantasy Play:  minecraft, Dungeons and Dragons, Dragonvale, Sims games help with imagination, working memory, self-monitoring and motivation as well as planning towards a set goal.  (Note any computer or app based game should be monitored by a parent or trusted adult.)
    • Brainteasers:  Activities like complex crossword puzzles, word searches, high number puzzles, Sudoku, or even Rubik’s Cubes help with flexible thinking, spatial information and planning, working memory, and attention.  

    Resources/Links:  

    Tips for Implementation of Video Games

    mindgames.us.mensa.org/about/winning-games/  

    Reference:  Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2014). Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence. Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu

     

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  • Activities to Boost Executive Function Skills at all Age Levels, Part 2

    Posted by Nikki Rankin on 3/17/2017 7:00:00 AM

    The Harvard Center on the Developing Child ®  released a document entitled, Enhancing and Practice Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence.  This document provides readers with an overview of the different executive function skills, and specifically addresses:  1) working memory; 2) inhibitory (impulse) control; and 3) cognitive flexibility.  Listed below are activities that can develop and boot the executive function skills in children. This article will cover activities that boost and develop executive function skills for children ages 3 - 5 and 5 - 7.

    3 - 5 years:  

    Games and Activities:

      • Imaginary play:  “During intentional imaginary play, children develop rules to guide their actions when playing roles. They also hold complex ideas in mind and shape their actions to follow these rules, inhibiting impulses or actions that don’t fit the `role’” (Harvard University, 2014).  This is the age when children begin to engage in cooperative imaginary play using prior knowledge and experiences such as going to the doctor, going to a restaurant, playing house, and other activities that require multiple roles.  Encouraging children to take part in other imaginative play activities such as post office, the zoo, the airport is also excellent for executive function development, taking turns, flexible thinking and goal oriented planning.  
        • Use ideas from books, field trips, TV shows, movies to encourage imaginative play
        • Offer different props or teach children how to use regular items for imaginative props
        • Have a craft day where your kids can make props
      • Storytelling: This involves holding and manipulating information within working memory.   
        • Have your child tell you a story, then have them create illustrations for the story
        • Re-tell the stories to your child at a later date and have them add information and details such as adjectives and adverbs
        • Write one sentence down on a card and have the child illustrate each cart, then work with your child to put them in order to make a mini book.  
        • Tell group or family stories.  Have one person start and then each person takes turns adding to the story
        • After creating a story, have your child act out the story
    • Songs and movement:  “The demands of songs and movement games support executive function because children have to move to a specific rhythm and synchronize words to actions and the music. All of these tasks contribute to inhibitory control and working memory” (Harvard, 2014).  
      • Challenge and engage children physically with movement activities such as climbing structures, balance beams, seesaws, obstacle courses, skipping and other balancing activities
      • Yoga and pilates activities engage children physically, however, they are also calming and quiet
      • Incorporate songs where the children have to match movements or imitate such as the Hokey Pokey, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and Here we Go Looby Loo,
      • Play songs and have children make up motions and movement to go along with the song
    • Quiet Games:  play games like memory or concentration as well as puzzles and bingo to work on follow directions, working memory, processing and inhibition
    • Board games:  See our link on Board Games for Children


    5 - 7 years:  

    Games and Activities:

    • Card Games:  Card games like Concentration, Old Maid, Go Fish, and I Doubt It are excellent ways to develop working memory skills, focused attention, and turn taking
      • Card games like Uno, Crazy 8s, Skip Bo, Spoons, and Blink are a bit more complicated involving multiple ways to match and categorize cards which works on cognitive flexibility
      • Card Games like NERTZ, Snap, and Slapjack challenge working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition
    • Board games: “Board games that involve strategy provide important opportunities to make and hold a plan in mind for several moves ahead, consider the varying rules that govern different pieces, and adjust strategy in response to opponents’ moves. Through strategizing, a child’s working memory, inhibitory control, and flexibility have to work together to support plan-based, effective play” (Harvard 2014).   See our link on Board Games for Children
    • Songs:  use songs in more complicated and complex manners such as singing in rounds, songs that build, or have different clapping rhythms.  
    • Quiet Activities:  
      • Logic and Reasoning games such as more complicated puzzles, brain teasers, mazes, word searches, crossword puzzles I Spy books, I See Something You Don’t See and the color is . .  . . . game and Questions are excellent activities that require inhibition, flexible thinking, accessing prior knowledge, problem solving, planning and working memory.

    Links:

    http://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/gross-motor-movement-songs/

    kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/songs/childrens/index.htm  

    www.thinkfun.com

    www.toolsofthemind.org

    pbskids.org/lab/games    

    http://www.todaysparent.com/family/activities/10-kid-friendly-card-games/

    http://bouncebackparenting.com/favorite-card-games-for-kids/


    Reference:  Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2014). Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence. Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu

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  • Activities to Boost Executive Function Skills at all Age Levels

    Posted by Nikki Rankin on 3/3/2017 7:00:00 AM

    The Harvard Center on the Developing Child ®  released a document entitled, Enhancing and Practice Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence.  This document provides readers with an overview of the different executive function skills and specifically addresses:  working memory, inhibitory (impulse) control, and cognitive flexibility.  Listed below are activities that can develop and boot the executive function skills in children.  This article will cover 6 - 18 months and 18 - 36 months.  

    6 - 18 Months:  

    Lap Games and Activities:  

    • Repetitive games with hand movements for the child to mimic or copy.  These activities allow children to access working memory, sustained attention and inhibitory control  
      • Start with simple motions and movements for the child to follow, then add movements so the child has to learn to track the movements
      • Build something with blocks and have the child build the same thing
      • Model how to play with different toys - rocking a doll, driving a MatchBox car or even using other items as real objects like picking up a block and pretending it is a phone.  
    • Hiding Games:  These games allow the child to challenge and develop their working memory skills as they mentally track the motion or toy.  
      • Peakaboo
      • Show the child a toy and then hide toy for the child to find.  Move the toy to a new spot and hide it again.  
      • Hide a toy without showing it to the child first and use clues to help the child find it.  
      • Have a parent hide and have the child track the parent’s location by the sound of their voice or other clues.
      • Hide items under containers like the cup games.  Move the cups to make the activity more challenging.  
    • Fingerplays, songs or chants: These activities develop language, utilizing working memory, sustained attention, imitation skills and fine motor skills.  
      • Point out objects and new things along with verbally identifying what the object is.  Model how to use the object and encourage the child to imitate or mimic the words and motor movements.
      • Finger plays such as the Itsy Bitsy Spider, Where is Thumbkin, Open Shut Them, and Little Bunny Foo Foo,
      • Songs such as I’m A Little Teapot, Monkeys on the Bed, Going on a Bear Hunt , Pat a Cake and/or the Wheels on the Bus

     

    18 - 36 Months:  

    Toddlers are active and constantly developing new skills.  The following activities help develop a toddler’s language and imitation skills, exercise working memory, focus attention toward a goal, and flexible thinking as they work to develop a plan B if initial attempts fall short.  

    Lap Games and Activities:  

    • Imitation Games: develop working memory, attention and inhibition.  
      • Follow the leader, Simon Says, Hokey Pokey, Teddy Bear Teddy Bear, and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.
      • Role Play with Daily Activities  - taking turns picking up toys, dusting, sweeping.
      • Activities that require Impulse control:  
        • Freeze Dance, Red Light Green Light, and Ring Around the Rosie.
    • Matching and/or Sorting Games:
        • Sorting - have the child sort items by color, size, shape, or function (does this go inside or outside, or sort by plane or truck), they can sort food items like cereal, crackers, fruit snacks etc . . .
        • Simple puzzles and memory game activities are great for developing executive function skills.
        • Walk outside and collect items. Discuss which items are alike and why they are different.
    • Imaginary play:
      • Cooking, cleaning, household activities, playing doctor, or restaurant.  Have the child talk out what they are going to do to help develop planning skills.  Shift roles within the imaginary play to develop perspective taking and flexible thinking
      • Start an imaginary activity and ask the child, “What should we do next?”
      • Build something and knock it down.  Work with the child to re-build.
      • Play with and verbally label different emotions.  Decide which facial expressions and motions go with each emotion.  Talk about things that make the child happy, sad, or mad, then match the experience to emotion.
      • Collect items in nature and have the child create something out of the collection.  For example,  a house or building out of sticks and leaves

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  • Physical Activity & Executive Function

    Posted by Nikki Rankin on 2/17/2017 7:00:00 AM

    “Recent experimental research has converged on an intriguing finding: Aerobic exercise at a moderate to vigorous intensity appears to promote children’s effortful and goal-directed cognition and behavior” (Best, 2010).  John Ratey  in his book, Spark-The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, stated “Exercise is like taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin because, like the drugs, exercise elevates the same neurotransmitters. When you exercise at the cellular level, the brain is drenched with serotonin, glutamate, norepinephrine, dopamine and growth hormones, all wielding a powerful influence something like Miracle-Gro for the brain.”  Exercise can include participation in group activities or sports that require complex thoughts in order to cooperate with teammates, anticipate the behavior of teammates and opponents, employ strategies, plan, prioritize, self-regulate, sustain or shift attention and adapt to ever-changing task demands.

    Different physical activities and Games:  

    Imitation activities, games and songs:  these activities help children practice sustained attention, working memory, waiting (inhibition) and imitation skills that are necessary to learn from others, such as Simon Says, Follow the Leader,  Follow, Follow, the Hokey Pokey, Head Shoulders, Knees and Toes, I’m a Little Tea Pot, and/or Going on a Bear Hunt.   

    Physical Games require sustained attention, attention to a common goal, planning, inhibition of some actions and initiation of other actions, organization, and prioritizing skills.  Games involving throwing and catching, relays, and team events develop socialization skills as well.  Creating obstacle courses and games that involve complex motions and actions such as climbing, balance, crossing midline, and multiple actions can help focus attention, self-monitoring and sustained attention.  Consider games like Red LIght Green LIght, Duck Duck Goose, Freeze Dance, Mother May I, Four Square, dodge Ball, Tether Ball, and different levels of tag games in addition to typical physical activities like soccer, basketball and more familiar team sports.  

    Aerobic exercise  has been proven to help with cognition.  This type of exercise also involves imitation, following a set of motions, inhibition of certain actions, initiation, working memory, and sustained attention.  There are a number of aerobic videos online as well as apps to help include movement into the student’s day.  

    Yoga and martial arts have been known to help with self-regulation, self-control and focus skills.  Resources and Links for Yoga:  

    Resources and Links for Physical Activities:  

    Apps:  Super Stretch Yoga, Jump Froggy Jump, Story Aerobics, NFL Play 60, or Motion Maze

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  • Executive Function: Working Memory

    Posted by Nikki Rankin on 2/3/2017 7:00:00 AM

    Working memory is the ability to store and manage information in one’s mind for a short period of time, and the manipulation of short-term memory information while working on or with something else (Smyth-Myles, 2016).   In fact, most of the “work” in the memory system occurs in “working” memory where information is managed, manipulated and transformed (Can Learn, 2013).  For many students, their struggle with working memory impacts their academic and behavioral performance in the classroom.  

    Struggles with Working Memory:  

    • Recalling sounds letters made when decoding a word (Smyth/Myles, 2016);
    • Recalling the meaning behind (the comprehension) of what you are reading when you are primarily focused on decoding or reading the words (learning to read vs reading to learn);
    • Slow retrieval of information (Can Learn, 2016);
    • Hold few pieces of information in their mind at a given moment in time: “They hear what you said, or see what is presented, but as more information overwhelms their memory system they lose previous information needed to successfully complete the task. Once information is lost it is not likely to be retrieved. It is easy to see how the student can become frustrated and consequently stop paying attention.” (Can Learn, 2016);
    • Poor attention to detail:  missing or skipping portions of what is expected;
    • Inability to follow instructions, especially when multiple instructions are given;
    • Filing information in an effective manner for efficient retrieval;
    • Integrating various sets of information: Sounds (direct and indirect), voices (direct and indirect), sights, touch or other sensory input;
    • Coordinating and integrating old and new information;
    • Math, especially mental math, estimation, and remembering numbers as in borrowing and carrying;
    • Taking a longer time when writing, especially original compositions;
    • Remembering what they want to write, the formatting, the expectation, the details, paying attention to grammar and spelling as well as context;
    • Sometimes losing track of their thoughts mid-sentence; and
    • Taking and keeping up with notes in class.

    Intervention options to help students who struggle with working memory

    • Provide written/visual directions for the student to reference so they can focus on the assignment/activity, and not focus on “how” to complete the work or trying to remember the specific steps in the exact sequence.
      • Provide examples and sample finished products for the student to reference
        • This clarifies expectations, defines/clarifies “complete”, increases meaning and purpose.
    • Break larger tasks down into small chunks
      • Visual expectations of the different chunks with examples
      • Reduce the amount of material required by the student
    • Teach students to take notes with the Cornell Notetaking Method
    • Teach students to highlight keywords, and to look for words that are in bold
      • You can’t just tell the student to do it, you need to teach HOW to do it.
      • Teach students HOW to highlight with the technology they will use for state/standardized testing
    • Teach the student to stop after every paragraph or two to take notes, highlight, or use post-its to identify important information.  These can then be used for summaries or notes for tests.  
    • Reduce Processing Demands:
      • Use word prediction to allow emphasis on the content and not the spelling
        • Emphasize content and not mechanics for initial drafts
        • Use editing checklists after initial ideas are on paper
      • Provide a detailed graphic organizer or rubric with the expectations so the student can focus on content, not the process or trying to remember all of the individual requirements
        • Graphic Organizers help eliminate the need for the student to remember the “how to do” the assignment, they can focus on the context of the assignment
      • Rubric – provide the rubric for students BEFORE they begin the assignment so expectations are clear then check for understanding
      • Create a work system with visual supports. This reduces processing demands, so students can focus more on what they are to do than how they are to do it.  
      • Must do  - Can do folders – Students complete the MUST DO portion of the folder before they are allowed to move on to the CAN DO portion containing more preferred activities and choices.  
      • Visuals and Mnemonic Devices to assist with Math & Science  - struggles to remember the formulas inhibit the ability to demonstrate proficiency
      • Use visuals or “To-Do” lists to help reduce anxiety (this defines expectations, breaks up assignments, and helps with sequencing difficulties).  The use of visuals  helps students who struggle to visualize themselves completing a task in a different space and time or think through and remember the different steps required to complete a task in a different space and/or time.  It is truly a case of out of sight, out of mind.
        • Create calendars  WITH THE STUDENT for longer projects or assignments, or multi-step projects (color code subjects or even different calendars for different subjects)
    • Tests: Most often students are told when tests will occur NOT HOW to study for them!
      • Teach students what and how to study – this test prep sheet can prime students for what they need to do to prepare for a test.
      • Allow re-do for students with parameters and requirements
      • Give students several days to prepare/study for a test.

     

    Resources:  

    Rubistar -  – website to develop rubrics or pull sample rubrics

    Rubric template in word -

    iRubric –

    Academic essay structure and format

    Project Write Graphic Organizers

    1300 Math Formulas PDF

    Common Math Formulas PDF

    mathportal.org – online sample problems and free math help

    Education World – list of math mnemonic devices  

    12 Memory Strategies that Maximize Learning

    Yellow and Green Visual Checklist

    My Checklist Visual

     

    Apps:  

    • Cogmed  -Cogmed Working Memory Training is an evidence-based intervention for improved attention. Based on the concept of neuroplasticity and with more published research behind it than any other cognitive training program, Cogmed is trusted by healthcare professionals and educators around the world.
    • Study Blue  - With StudyBlue’s mobile app, you can make, study, and share mobile flashcards, study guides, and quizzes. It's mobile, it's social, and it's free
    • Fit Brains Trainer  - Fit Brains Trainer is a brain training & fitness app with more than 360 games & unique training sessions that are designed to enhance your Memory, Processing Speed, Concentration, Problem Solving and Visual skills. Use the Fit Brains Trainer a few minutes daily to improve the performance of your brain
    • Vismory - Memorize the shape, color, and position of small beautifully crafted 3D objects, then answer challenges by touching the correct case and you win!
    • Give the correct answer and you progress toward the next level, make an error and lose part of your progression. Faster is your answer, higher is your score!
    • Memory - Memory! is very cute and funny memory matches game with many different colorful and vivid pair cards which your child will definitely love. This game is the best way to engage your kids and in parallel to train their memory and concentration ability. With three levels of difficulty the complexity of the game can be adjusted accordingly to the age and skills of your kid.
    • Elevate - an app that personalizes a training regimen for each user, depending on his or her goals. The user can play 30-plus games that boost memory skills, focus, and processing speed. The games are designed in collaboration with experts in neuroscience and cognitive learning.
    • Dual N-Back  - A classic working-memory training app with solid research to back up the benefits. In general, N-Back tasks present an ongoing sequence of stimuli (in this case, pictures), and the player’s job is to indicate when the picture he sees matches a picture that was seen “n” steps earlier in the sequence. One study suggests that playing N-Back games can result in long-term working-memory improvement.
    • Flashcards+ - an engaging and fast-paced app to bolster the studying process and exercise working memory. Users can choose subjects and categories from a user-curated bank of topics or create their own flashcards. The app also allows you to track your results and your speed.

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  • Board Games that Target Executive Function Skills, Part 2

    Posted by Nikki Rankin on 1/20/2017 7:15:00 AM

    Board games are a great way to help students “unplug,” and engage with others while working on a variety of skills.  Board games foster social and communication skills.  They also require children to follow the directions of the game, take turns, plan, problem solve, prioritize, and emotionally cope with different situations and scenarios that arise throughout the course of the game.

    Rat-a-Tat-Cat:  is a card game involving strategy, computation skills, as well as memory skills.  Players are given four cards and the objective of the game is to end with the fewest points, however, players cannot look at the card they have face down in front of them, unless they draw a “peek” card.  When a player, through drawing cards and exchanging cards feels they might have the fewest points, they shout Rat-a-Tat-Cat.  Then the players turn over their cards, calculate their total and determine the winner.  This game requires players to remember numbers, perform basic addition skills, prioritize which cards to keep and which to discard, and work on impulse control not to call Rat-a-Tat-Cat without analyzing the total of their cards.  They must also work on flexible thinking because there are other cards such as power cards that allow players to switch cards with another player.    

    Mind Trap:  This game is great for students who like work problems, puzzles or riddles.  All of the cards contain tricky questions and riddles similar to brain teasers.  Children work individually or in teams to solve the questions or riddles to move through the board.  The winner is the individual or the team that collects 10 cards by answering the brain teasers correctly.  Students can work on finding hidden clues, logic and reasoning skills, cooperation, problem solving, prioritizing information, and focusing on important details through this game.  This particular game is recommended for children 12 and up.  

    Blink:  A game that is touted for helping students work on processing speed, visual processing, working memory, social interaction, taking turns and coping with the unexpected.  Players race (who can match the fastest) to play cards from their hands on one of two discard piles.  Players must match cards with at least one characteristic, color, number, and/or shape.  The first to play all the cards from their hand wins.  

    No Stress Chess/Chess:  While classic chess is known as a strategy-based game, for many children learning the game can be difficult.  No Stress Chess teaches students HOW to play chess by having the players draw cards that tell them which piece to move then it is up to the player to determine where the piece should be moved.  This process allows student to learn the components of chess along with the logic and strategic skills to play classic chess.  Chess can help students work on taking turns, problem solving, planning ahead, and prioritizing. There are three levels of difficulty with No Stress Chess and the board can be turned over for players to play classic chess when ready!  

    Forbidden Island:  The object of Forbidden Island is for players to work together as a team to capture the four treasures, and escape the island before it sinks. Island cards are arranged in a grid, and pawns are moved from tile to tile. Each player chooses an Adventurer card which gives the player specific skills and powers during game play. Some of these include, a pilot, explorer, messenger, navigator and engineer.  During a player’s turn, each player first performs 3 actions, which may include moving, “shoring up” a tile against flooding, capturing a treasure or passing a treasure card to another player. Players draw cards from two decks: the treasure cards and the flood cards.  This game works on flexible thinking, working with others, taking turns, and strategic planning.  

    Board Games Part 2

    References:  

     

    Kris Baker Pic   Kris Baker, Autism Consultant

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  • Board Games that Target Executive Function Skills

    Posted by Nikki Rankin on 1/6/2017 8:00:00 AM

    While there are an ample number of apps and computer programs aimed at improving and supporting executive function skills, board games are a great way to “unplug” our children and work on a variety of skills.  Board games require children to engage with others using social and communication skills.  They also require children to follow the directions of the game, take turns, plan, problem solve, prioritize, and emotionally cope with different situations and scenarios that arise through the course of the game.  

    Max:  With this board game, players have to work together to save the bird, mouse and chipmunk from Max, the tomcat.  A roll of the dice equals different moves and determines how the animals move on in the game.  Some rolls require the players to decide together how to split up the moves.  The players also have to determine how and when to use the four allowed “cat treats” that move Max back to start.  This game involves cooperation, compromise, planning, strategy, and flexible thinking as players deal with whatever situation a roll of the dice throws their way.  

    Blokus:   Blokus reminds many gamers of the video game or app, Tetris.  Blokus requires players to use block pieces in an effort to get as many of their pieces on the board as possible.  It has specific rules regarding where pieces can and cannot touch requiring spatial thinking, planning and planning ahead, focused attention, and prioritization regarding what pieces a player should play first in order to get as many blocks on the board as possible.  It also involves taking turns and dealing with the unexpected as when other players may block you from a path or take a move you had planned.  There is a multi-player version of this game or a version that allows up to 4 players.  There are also other versions of Blokus involving Trigons, Blokus 3D, and Giant Blokus.

    Distraction:  This game involves players taking turns drawing number cards in an effort to remember a sequence of digits, but if a distraction card is drawn, the player must answer a silly question before giving their sequence of digits.  This game helps students work on taking turns, recall, working memory, distractibility, and flexible thinking.  

    Swish:  Swish helps challenge spatial reasoning skills, focus/attention, processing speed, working memory and impulse control.  This game consists of a deck of 60 clear cards with circles and hoops of various colors in different positions on the cards.  Children look at an array of up to 12 cards to find matches or “swishes.”  The players can move, maneuver and flip the cards to make the “swish.”  The objective of the game is to create as many swishes as possible.  

    Qwirkle:  This game has been described as a cross between dominoes and scrabble.  Players position tiles to create sequences, the more in a sequence, the more points.  If they get 6 tiles in a sequence, it is referred to as a “qwirkle.”  Students must utilize visual perception skills through shape, color and pattern recognition as well as strategic thinking skills to try and create longer sequences that earn more points.  Point calculations also allow for the practice of math computation skills.  

    Animal Logic:  This game requires the players to move lions giraffes, camels and hippos across a bridge; however, the animals are only allowed to cross in a certain order.  Children must solve the puzzle pattern to help the animals cross the bridge.  There are 60 different puzzles and 5 levels of difficulty which allow for players of all ages.  This game helps students practice and develop planning, organization/sequencing skills, prioritization, problem solving and flexible thinking skills.  

    Board Games

    References:  

     

    Kris Baker Pic   Kris Baker, Autism Consultant

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  • Executive Function: Focusing, Sustaining and Shifting Attention

    Posted by Nikki Rankin on 12/9/2016 7:30:00 AM

    One executive functioning skill that can impact student success in the classroom is focused attention.  Not only can it be hard for students to know exactly what they should be focused on, it can be difficult to sustain that focus for a long period of time or shift from that focused attention once established.  When considering students struggling with attention, it is important to understand where the struggles lie as well as interventions and supports to help these students.  

    Struggles:

    Focusing Attention:

    Knowing on who or what to focus / Controlling Distractibility

    • The conversation next to you or the teacher during instruction
    • Filtering out background noise, random thoughts, and other movement around you
    • Looking at the important information in text  
    • Distinguishing between what is relevant and irrelevant
    • Keeping the relevant in the foreground and the irrelevant in the background

    Sustaining/Maintaining Attention:

    • Staying on topic, filtering out other thoughts and ideas
    • Managing disinterest and boredom – not zoning out
    • Listening without interruption
    • Screening out sensory distractions or stimulus

    Shifting Attention – or Redirecting Focus

    • Changing the current topic of discussion, especially if it is an area of interest
    • Moving on from a preferred activity, assignment or “special interest area”
    • Transitioning from one assignment to the next (especially if the first is not complete)
    • Actual physical movement from one area/activity to the next

    Intervention options:

    Provide the student with a structured learning environment (visual support)

    • Tight physical structure and organization helps reduce distraction and transition time helping students stay on track
    • Physical structure also reduces distraction and anxiety because activities are located in predictable settings and locations

    Have visual expectations for the different activities in the classroom and prime these expectations BEFORE the different activities (antecedent based intervention  & visual support)

    Develop a work system (visual support)  for the student during independent work times or other times that the student struggles to stay on task (as identified through data)

    • Identify, what work, how much work, and what do I do when I am finished

    Stabilize materials for independent work times:  structured file folders or structured tasks with visual instructions, clarity and organization

    Develop a color coded system (with highlighters or stickers) establish specific colors for what to do first, second and so on...  (visual support) and number them

    Set a goal for mid-way when working during class, then using a visual timer complete a check in at the midway point for a student to check their progress:

    • Reinforcement for meeting goal
    • Identification of “time robbers” if behind 

    Break down larger assignments and develop a visual list of tasks/activities to do and pair with a set time for completion, due date or time frame

    • Pair on-time completion with reinforcement

    Prime/pre-teach lessons or activities:  (antecedent based intervention)

    • Provide an outline of the lesson prior to class
    • Provide an example of the finished product for assignments or tasks
    • Pre-teach new or difficult vocabulary that may intimidate or confuse the student

    Use graphic organizers to assist with organization of thought and keeping on topic

    Get Ready , Do, Done Model

    For self-regulation pair with clock when working

    Set mid-point check in and final completion time

    Reinforce for on track work/behavior (preferably visually)

    Provide student with organizational support so that time is not lost due to missing items or distraction by organizing materials.  Teach, coach and practice  taught organizational skills (See Executive Functioning Skills:  Organization handout)

    Establish a reinforcement system based on areas of interest and set goals to earn that time

    • This can address the student’s obsession or focused interest on specific topics
    • Increases motivation if reinforcement is based on student interest
    • Premack Principle – First/Then

    Teach self-regulation to students for either calm down or wake up to help with focus and sustained attention

    • Zones of Regulation
    • My Sensory Book  - identifies how their “engine runs”
    • Consult with OT for specific sensory strategies to meet students’ individual needs (antecedent based intervention)
      • Proprioceptive calming strategies
      • Vestibular altering strategies

    Teach social scripts for self-advocacy (Don’t just create one and give it to the student)

    • I need more time . . .
    • Can you come back to me . . .
    • Could you say that again please . . .
    • Can you give me a clue/hint . . .
    • I don’t understand the question . . .
    • Please show me an example . . .
    • I apologize, I was not listening for the instructions . . .

    Model, teach, coach and REINFORCE think aloud procedural steps/strategies:  

    • Use mnemonic devices
    • Use motor movement or motions
    • Positive self-talk

    Resources/Links:  

    Rescue Time – is an app for your computer that tracks what you are doing on the computer so you can see if your student is spending too much time on other activities

     

    Kris Baker  Kris Baker, Autism Consultant

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