Executive Functioning
You have probably heard the term “executive functioning”. It sounds technical so we are going to simplify this important set of skills for you. Think of it as WHERE, WHEN, and HOW. We use our executive function skills all day long to do what we need to do at home, at work, at school, during plan, and to perform self-care routines.
As adults, we take for granted all that goes into figuring what we need to do, how we are going to do it, and then how to adjust our plan or what we are doing when it is not working the way we want it to. Believe it or not, executive functions start to develop at a young age but are not fully developed until the early 20’s.
Here is a nice video to watch to learn more!
At SOTH, our therapists are always working on these skills during our therapeutic play, even if we are not trying to! We cannot help it All those games, obstacle courses, crafts, self care skills, social interactions….. It is all around us!!!
Did you know we have a special program called ORGANIZATION STATION that specifically addresses executive functioning AND supports parents in practice and skill development at home? Our team has assembled a program that combines strengthening self-awareness through use of self-report questionnaires, parent questionnaires, and trialing different strategies depending on each child’s unique areas of strength. Visual schedules and checklists may work for one individual, while timers and to-do lists can work for another. We focus on the whole child, across settings, and instruct parents in balancing how to scaffold support to build independence.
Organization Station is a consultative service performed during our designated morning appointment slots. The child and parent attend an initial session together, a customized plan is developed, and then three other sessions are scheduled (based on availability) to monitor progress, suggest adaptations, and make other recommendations as needed.
Organization Station services cannot be billed to insurance if the patient comes to SOTH for this a la carte service. However, if your child is receiving services and executive functioning weaknesses were initially identified as part of your child’s initial evaluation, our team can discuss with you if it is medically justified to include this area to your child’s existing treatment plan.
We have developed two downloadable resources for you to learn more about executive functions and what you can do to further develop these skills at home in a fun manner with your child.