Three Tips to Improve Executive Function Skills for Tomorrow’s Tasks

By Dr. Chris Abildgaard, EdD, LPC, NCSP, NCC

OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS IN THE FIELDS OF EDUCATION AND CAREER COUNSELING, WE HAVE BEEN READING MUCH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND INDIVIDUALS AGES 18-22 AS THEY MOVE INTO THE YOUNG ADULT STAGE OF LIFE. WE KNOW THE TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO ADULTHOOD TRADITIONALLY INVOLVES TAKING ON NEW ROLES IN THE CONTEXTS OF EMPLOYMENT OR EDUCATION. BUT WE RARELY PLAN FOR THAT TRANSITION SOON ENOUGH.

For those of us who have made the transition, we understand that, to do so successfully, one must have not only the necessary academic skills but also the ability to manage life tasks essential to meeting societal (and social) expectations in their new roles.

Based on research, as well as what we know about moving through various developmental milestones, daily life tasks are managed by organizing activities into effective sequences, monitoring task performance, and making necessary adjustments to carry out tasks, all while adapting fairly quickly to changing contexts for task performance (Kao et al., 2015). For many individuals who present with a neurodiverse learning style, the idea of managing daily life tasks can prove such a huge barrier it may create an ominous feeling even just thinking about it. So, what should we be addressing to help individuals prepare to move through life tasks with ease and confidence?

The easy answer is lots of things! Becoming fluid in how we maneuver through various life tasks, duties, responsibilities, etc., is not easy. For example, research and clinical work have shown that adaptive functioning represents a major area of challenge among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Adaptive functioning can be defined by the ability to meet the demands of one’s environment in order to function independently. It comprises the ability to dress oneself, maintain interpersonal relationships, participate in leisure activities, and communicate one’s needs (Sparrow et al. 2016).

In my experiences, when we talk about adaptive or daily living skills, educators like to add in those goals and objectives for individuals with more impaired language and cognitive abilities. We tend to overlook the fact that our students who have more intact cognition but poor executive functioning (EF) skills also struggle with these daily living skills. This is an area of life and education that should be addressed and talked about for all neurodiverse learners. Yet our adaptive functioning encompasses so much of one’s ability to function and maintain a certain quality of life.

Clearly, one’s adaptive functioning serves as an important target for intervention. Interventionists need to remember that what enables one to use and carry through with adaptive skills is rooted in neurocognition. As parents, mental health counselors, and educators, remembering to address that root will support the overt skills needed to function.

So, what is that neurocognitive area that helps to maintain and improve one’s adaptive functioning? It’s our executive functioning skills, of course. We are seeing emerging evidence that EF, a set of cognitive skills that regulate one’s thoughts, actions, and emotions in order to achieve goals, explains unique variance in adaptive behavior in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Bertollo and Yerys, 2019).

Given the neurocognitive similarities, ASD and other neurodiverse learning patterns have, one can hypothesize that similar findings would be seen for individuals with ADD/ADHD and even anxiety disorders. You just have to think about the last task you asked your child or student to do “independently” and consider: “Did they complete the task in a manner that you deemed appropriate?”

In order to complete various tasks, your EF skills are critical in helping you reach that stage of completion. Our EF skills include controlling impulses (inhibition), holding information or goals in mind and updating them as needed (working memory), switching between mental sets or perspectives (shifting), creating an action plan (planning and organizing), and regulating our emotions (emotional control). That is a lot of mental energy and stamina that needs to happen all at one time! So if we want individuals to be “independent” and we want to be preparing our students, clients, and kids for tomorrow, what can we do to help? Here are three tips to be thinking about starting at a young age (and it begins with us, the stakeholders in the lives of our kids and students):

1. Build responsibility

I have written articles about how much our kids have on their plates today. We expect them to go to school, listen, pay attention, be social to some degree, do homework, etc. It’s a lot for their brains to process and take in at once. However, keeping kids busy, engaged, and active is not a bad thing. It’s ok to think about what they, even our little ones, are responsible for. Maybe at three years old, they are responsible for helping get dressed, helping to clean up, or choosing between two snacks to be packed for school. As they get older, what they are expected to be responsible for can shift and may even encompass more steps.

How we make these adjustments in responsibility needs to happen at natural breaks. For example, for many of our older clients, I will suggest a “shift” in their daily routine following a school break or at the start of summer vacation. Finding where those natural breaks occur, preparing them for a shift or change in routine, and providing support at first, then fading that support over time so they can see themselves being able to do it on their own, can be huge when it comes to one’s self-esteem, motivation, and willingness to take on new responsibility.

2. Visualize out loud

Let’s think about all those daily routines we go through. Think about the first few things you do when you wake up in the morning. Think about what you do before you go to bed. There certainly are times we open our eyes, stretch a little, and think to ourselves, “It’s only Tuesday! It should be Friday already!” Yet, we take a deep breath and roll out of bed to start our routines. Due to the fact we have been performing these routines for years on end, we know how long they will take, how to problem solve when a part of our routine goes astray, and when we “have to leave by”—that sense of urgency is a motivator.

For many of our neurodiverse learners, their ability to mentally visualize the steps of a routine and pair them with time is extremely difficult. When you think about it, when we approach a task, even if it’s doing laundry, we are thinking to ourselves about what we need to do, the steps involved, and the time it will take. Many of our kids, clients, and students can tell you what they need to do. Being able to repeat steps of a routine verbally is only part of the process. We rely on our EF skills for the rest.

One trick is to use your mental visualization of a process as a model for neurodiverse learners. Yes, you will be laughed at for talking to yourself, but it is a useful trick in life, and we all use it. When you are working through a situation, thinking about a routine you must complete, visualize it out loud. Talk to your children, students, and clients about the process you are thinking about. Start with the phrase, “I can see myself…” Ask them for input. Do they see any issues with what you are visualizing? Inviting them to be part of the visualization will help them create their mental picture of what you are thinking about. This will take some time, practice, and knowing how to identify a good time to talk about these things with your kids. I like to do them when in the car and they don’t have their AirPods in! Practice this with them. Say something like, “ What is one thing you have to do when you get home? Make a picture in your head of doing that. What can you see?” Running through this process may seem silly at first, but once you create the habit of verbalizing the visual steps of going through a task or process, the easier it will become.

3. Ask for help

Do an exercise for me: close your eyes and visualize the last time you asked someone else for help. What happened? Were they able to help you? Did you have to explain the situation a few times before they understood what it was you really needed help with? As adults, we tend to rely on other adults, friends, and co-workers for various reasons. We tend to put people around us or lean on others with different skill sets. We also lean on others for their perspective on things. It is important to get insight from others when we are trying to problem solve, understand something, or feel stuck.

We may not enjoy asking for help or another perspective; there are many people who really struggle with that. However, the more we model asking for “help,” clarification, or another’s thoughts, the more we will help our children, clients, and students observe and mentally picture what it looks like to “ask for help.” Young people tend to think asking for help will make you look weak or will only create more work for you. If we can shift this mindset, it will impact how one can approach daily life routines, work, and even one’s ability to learn a new skill or task.

Summing up

So, what does this mean for services and interventions for individuals with neurodiverse learning patterns? We know it has been well established that autistic youth (including those without intellectual disability) have differing profiles of cognitive and language abilities, and, as a result, individualized approaches to intervention and assessment are considered best practice (Masi et al., 2017). We need to be addressing the adaptive skills of each individual with their own personal needs, strengths, and goals in mind. It is just as essential to continue the conversation around those areas of executive functioning (inhibition, self-monitoring, working memory, etc.) that impact one’s ability to perform daily tasks across settings and environments.

We are a society that wants people to be “independent.” What that means and looks like will differ based on one’s unique needs. Yet, it is essential for one’s mental health, motivation, and self-esteem to remember that each individual can reach their own level of independence if we plan and address those needs through their developmental lifespan. It’s never too early to start thinking about how one’s adaptive functioning intersects with one’s social, behavioral, and communication profile. Start a conversation around how we can prepare individuals for the tasks and expectations of tomorrow.

References:

Bertollo, J. R., & Yerys, B. E. (2019). More than IQ: Executive function explains adaptive behavior above and beyond nonverbal IQ in youth with autism and lower IQ. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 124(3), 191–205.

Bertollo, J. R., Strang, J. F., Anthony, L. G., Kenworthy, L., Wallace, G. L., & Yerys, B. E. (2020). Adaptive behavior in youth with autism spectrum disorder: The role of flexibility. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(1), 42–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04220-9

Kao, Y.-C., Kramer, J. M., Liljenquist, K., & Coster, W. J. (2015). Association between impairment, function, and daily life task management in children and adolescents with autism. 52:4274–4285 4285 1 3 Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 57(1), 68–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.12562

Kao, Y.-C., Orsmond, G. I., Cohn, E. S., & Coster, W. J. (2020). Variables associated with shift of responsibility for daily tasks. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(6), 7406205070p1-7406205070p10.

Masi, A., Demayo, M. M., Glozier, N., & Guastella, A. J. (2017). An overview of autism spectrum disorder, heterogeneity and treatment options. Neuroscience Bulletin, 33(2), 183–193. https://doi. org/10.1007/s12264-017-0100-y

Sparrow, S. S., Cicchetti, D. V., & Saulnier, C. A. (2016). Vineland adaptive behavior scales manual. Bloomington, MN: NCS Pearson.

Dr. Chris Abildgaard, EdD, NCSP, LPC, NCC, is the owner and director of the Social Learning Center (SLC), LLC, located in Cheshire, CT. Chris earned his Doctorate of Education in School Psychology from Loyola University Chicago, is a nationally certified school psychologist, and a licensed professional counselor with a specialization in autism spectrum disorders and neurodiverse learners. He holds a Graduate Certificate from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Behavioral Interventions in Autism. In addition to his clinical, consultation, and supervision duties at the SLC, Chris teaches at several top universities in Connecticut. He has been Adjunct Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Hartford and is currently heavily involved as an Adjunct Professor in the Special Education Department at the University of St. Joseph (USJ). His duties at both universities include teaching, curriculum development, and supervision.

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