Kathy Morris – Executive Function Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Practical Strategies to Improve Metacognitive and Self-Regulation Skills

Executive Function Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Practical Strategies to Improve Metacognitive and Self-Regulation Skills – Kathy Morris

Walk away with visual strategies and hands-on techniques that:

• Support self-management in regulating behavior, focus and energy
• Improve motivation, recall, organization and planning
• Increase communication skills and develop appropriate social skills
• Support the way information is received and retained in long-term memory

Do you work with children and adolescents who struggle paying attention, are severely disorganized, have difficulty making transitions and are unable to make plans? They repeatedly act out and meltdown—seemingly unaware of the consequences of their behavior. They frequently get placed in timeout or sent to the principal’s office—missing out on typical childhood experiences in school, on the playground and with their families. These children have Executive Functioning (EF) deficits.

The good news is that EF can be taught!

Watch this intensive workshop and learn to strengthen the neuro connections in children and apply evidence-based metacognitive and self-regulation visual strategies and hands-on techniques to improve:

• Working Memory
• Inhibitory Control
• Adaptability
• Mental Flexibility
• Goal Setting
• Planning/Strategizing
• Sequencing
• Organization
• Time Management
• Task Initiation
• Executive Attention
• Task Persistence
• Emotional Control
• Social skills
• Communication

1. Determine when to use strategies, such as breathe cards or keychain rules, to support children’s self-management in regulating behavior, focus and energy.
2. Implement specific intervention strategies to improve recall, organization and planning, and self-management skills in children with Executive Functioning (EF) deficits.
3. Utilize video modeling as an intervention strategy to target social-communication skills deficits and subsequent behavior difficulties in children with EF deficits.
4. Integrate visual strategies to support the way children and adolescents receive information and retain it in long-term memory.
5. Integrate metacognitive strategies to provide structure, predictability and routines to improve children’s level of functioning.
6. Utilize self-regulation strategies to help children identify their emotions and level of emotions and to improve their level of functioning.

Executive Functioning

• Neuroanatomy of the brain
• Mirror neurons
• Sensory issues vs. behavior issues
• Address communication breakdowns before they become social skills deficits resulting in behavior difficulties

Unlock Challenging Behavior in:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Attention Deficit disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Attachment disorders
• Obsessive compulsive disorders
• Mood disturbances
• Behavior disorders
• Learning disabilities

Self-Regulation Strategies

• Methods to chart appropriate/inappropriate behaviors
• Activities to review situations, options, consequences, choices, strategies, simulation when calm
• Facilitate systematic feedback
• Identify emotions, level of emotions and suggestions for self-regulation

Metacognitive Strategies

• Methods that provide structure, predictability and routines
• Systems to provide expectations
• Neutral visual ques
• Tips to break down workloads and schedules

Integrate Metacognitive and Self-Regulation Strategies

• Visual ques to alert of change, surprises and transitions
• Generate new and novel language for persons under stress but have extensive rote memories
• Video modeling scenarios for persons who have social malfunctions
• Ways to use high interest areas to motivate and problem-solve
• Prompts for acceptable behaviors/social skills
• Social narratives for expected behaviors and what they look like

Hands-On Activities and Video Demonstration of:

• Meltdowns
• Power cards
• Keychain rules
• Backward Planning
• Using a launch pad for materials
• Simulation of over-arousal and over-stimulation
• Cartooning