Executive Functioning Therapy

Executive Functioning Therapy

What is Executive Functioning?

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University describes executive functioning as the “air traffic control system” of the human - the brain’s way of setting plans, prioritizing tasks, controlling impulses, regulating emotions, and reaching goals.

These are not a set of skills that we are born with - in fact we have the opportunity to build them over time with experiences.

The three big areas of self-regulation and executive functioning are: 

  • Working Memory
    It governs our ability to retain and manipulate distinct pieces of information over short periods of time.
  • Mental Flexibility
    It helps us to sustain or shift attention in response to different demands or to apply different rules in different settings.
  • Self-Control
    It enables us to set priorities and resist impulsive actions or responses.

Challenges in these areas may be more prevalent in individuals with ADHD or autism.

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What is Executive Functioning?

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University describes executive functioning as the “air traffic control system” of the human - the brain’s way of setting plans, prioritizing tasks, controlling impulses, regulating emotions, and reaching goals.

These are not a set of skills that we are born with - in fact we have the opportunity to build them over time with experiences.

The three big areas of self-regulation and executive functioning are: 

  • Working Memory
    It governs our ability to retain and manipulate distinct pieces of information over short periods of time.
  • Mental Flexibility
    It helps us to sustain or shift attention in response to different demands or to apply different rules in different settings.
  • Self-Control
    It enables us to set priorities and resist impulsive actions or responses.

Challenges in these areas may be more prevalent in individuals with ADHD or autism.

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How Does Executive Functioning Work?

Executive functions development is best learned through practical experiences that allow individuals to think about the future, set realistic SMART goals, engage in perspective taking, build social relationships, work on time management, increase self-regulation skills, envision possible future goals and outcomes, and increase self-motivation for task completion.

A main component of executive functioning therapy is the ability to use internal self-talk and visualization skills so that clients can “see” how their future actions might both look and feel.

During executive functioning therapy, we tackle these goals based on your child or teen's individual needs. Through extensive evaluation, I will help your child or teen identify their needs and, together with parent input, come up with a treatment plan that works.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

How Does Executive Functioning Work?

Executive functions development is best learned through practical experiences that allow individuals to think about the future, set realistic SMART goals, engage in perspective taking, build social relationships, work on time management, increase self-regulation skills, envision possible future goals and outcomes, and increase self-motivation for task completion.

A main component of executive functioning therapy is the ability to use internal self-talk and visualization skills so that clients can “see” how their future actions might both look and feel.

During executive functioning therapy, we tackle these goals based on your child or teen's individual needs. Through extensive evaluation, I will help your child or teen identify their needs and, together with parent input, come up with a treatment plan that works.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

What Are The Benefits?

There are multiple benefits associated with executive functioning therapy, including:

  • Helping your child organize their physical spaces (messy rooms, overflowing backpacks filled with crumpled papers, etc)
  • Organized assignment planning and execution (having a system to check assignments, making a realistic plan to complete them, using a visualization of what it looks like when it’s done, and following through)
  • Increase in perspective-taking skills (making appropriate and accurate guesses on how others may think or feel, adjusting actions accordingly)
  • Increase in flexibility and decrease in mental gymnastics (helping the brain organize a future situation)
  • Honing visualization skills (creating mental movies and “future pictures” of how to complete tasks or problem-solve social interactions)
  • Planning for future goals (want to go to college? Get a job? Cook your own meals? Write emails without parent help?)
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

What Are The Benefits?

There are multiple benefits associated with executive functioning therapy, including:

  • Helping your child organize their physical spaces (messy rooms, overflowing backpacks filled with crumpled papers, etc)
  • Organized assignment planning and execution (having a system to check assignments, making a realistic plan to complete them, using a visualization of what it looks like when it’s done, and following through)
  • Increase in perspective-taking skills (making appropriate and accurate guesses on how others may think or feel, adjusting actions accordingly)
  • Increase in flexibility and decrease in mental gymnastics (helping the brain organize a future situation)
  • Honing visualization skills (creating mental movies and “future pictures” of how to complete tasks or problem-solve social interactions)
  • Planning for future goals (want to go to college? Get a job? Cook your own meals? Write emails without parent help?)
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

Let 's Connect

Ready to learn more about supporting you and your child/teen?  

We would love to connect with you. Please reach out and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

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