Executive Functioning
...the thinking brain
I quickly figured out that kids can struggle with dragon issues at times and while sensory strategies can help, they aren’t always enough. Sure, it’s helpful to reframe, to see the situation differently and self-monitoring is still critical, but things can still be tough. This is when I began to dive into the world of brain development, specifically executive functioning.
By the time you hit this point in the book you’ve probably figured out if your child has a hard time with dragons and signals. If you are anything like me, you may have already tried some of the new ideas and maybe even had a “dragon conversation” with your child. What if your child has embraced their wiring, understands the importance of regulation but is still struggling?
Now is when the THINKING PART of the brain needs some consideration because this can be one of the big mysteries that affects the WHY of behavior.
Executive functioning is dependent on signals because if we don’t get signals, or we get too many signals, the thinking part can’t think. Dragons provide us with a way to talk about these signals, but sometimes the signals are not the problem. Sometimes the signals come in, but the skills are weak so there is no response, or a delayed response. This can quickly look like intentional behavior like defiance, or a lack of motivation etc. It can be confusing, but just remember the goal: regulation. Regulation comes with BALANCE.
SENSORY PROCESSING AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS ARE INTER-DEPENDENT.
WE NEED SIGNALS AND WE NEED EXECUTION FOR REGULATION.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE WHY OF BEHAVIOR, YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF BOTH.
By the time you hit this point in the book you’ve probably figured out if your child has a hard time with dragons and signals. If you are anything like me, you may have already tried some of the new ideas and maybe even had a “dragon conversation” with your child. What if your child has embraced their wiring, understands the importance of regulation but is still struggling?
Now is when the THINKING PART of the brain needs some consideration because this can be one of the big mysteries that affects the WHY of behavior.
Executive functioning is dependent on signals because if we don’t get signals, or we get too many signals, the thinking part can’t think. Dragons provide us with a way to talk about these signals, but sometimes the signals are not the problem. Sometimes the signals come in, but the skills are weak so there is no response, or a delayed response. This can quickly look like intentional behavior like defiance, or a lack of motivation etc. It can be confusing, but just remember the goal: regulation. Regulation comes with BALANCE.
- If the signals come in and the skills are strong, we will see regulated behavior.
- If there are no signals (or very few), like we see with that sleepy dragon, this can be a high threshold issue or a problem with sensory processing. But if we have no signals, the thinking part can’t work, even if the skills are strong.
- If there are too many signals, like we see with the fire dragon and with fight or flight, this can be a low threshold issue or problems with sensory processing. But too many signals prevent the thinking part of the brain from working, so it won’t matter how strong the skills are; we still can’t access them.
- Signals can come in, sensory processing is ok, the threshold is hit, and balance is found. The thinking part of the brain should work. But NOW, what if the skill needed is weak or late to develop so the execution or response is slow or non-existent? The skills are too low for the demands of situation. NOW WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
SENSORY PROCESSING AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS ARE INTER-DEPENDENT.
WE NEED SIGNALS AND WE NEED EXECUTION FOR REGULATION.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE WHY OF BEHAVIOR, YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF BOTH.
More Details on
Executive Functioning
Executive skills aren’t the same as cognitive skills and they aren’t related to IQ. They are skills that make it possible to execute or learn from experience. They are like the air traffic control center of our brain and there are many, many areas of the brain responsible for complex behaviors. They are like any other skill; they must be developed, learned and then practiced. They are the foundation for navigating the demands of childhood and eventually the complexities of adulthood.
Remember watching your child learn to walk? They would stand at the table, forever. Maybe smiling, maybe fussing, but standing and standing. Maybe they rocked side to side, maybe they let go for a moment. We encourage, anticipate and cheer on the process of walking. We would never expect our newborn to walk without first watching, standing, getting stronger, and eventually practicing.
Expecting the behavior and skills that come from brain development is no different than the process of walking.
Executive skills are brain-based behaviors involved in just about EVERYTHING we DO. If the DOING (or lack of doing) is the problem, executive functioning needs a serious look. What do weak executive skills look like? Here are just a few things that you might be experiencing with your child.
When an adult steps in every time a child needs to GET READY, the skill of planning and then EXECUTION might not have the chance to develop. Like walking; if I constantly carry my child and DO all the movement, they won’t figure it out on their own. If something I plan didn’t go well, I would again use my executive skills to figure out something else and the kids just go along for the ride; they didn’t have to figure out another way or problem-solve something new.
Remember watching your child learn to walk? They would stand at the table, forever. Maybe smiling, maybe fussing, but standing and standing. Maybe they rocked side to side, maybe they let go for a moment. We encourage, anticipate and cheer on the process of walking. We would never expect our newborn to walk without first watching, standing, getting stronger, and eventually practicing.
Expecting the behavior and skills that come from brain development is no different than the process of walking.
Executive skills are brain-based behaviors involved in just about EVERYTHING we DO. If the DOING (or lack of doing) is the problem, executive functioning needs a serious look. What do weak executive skills look like? Here are just a few things that you might be experiencing with your child.
- Interrupts conversations on a regular basis
- Doesn’t follow through with tasks like homework, chores
- Talks or plays too loudly and shows impulsive behavior
- Bedroom or locker is a disaster- no organization of anything
- Always late, trouble with time and use of time
- Trouble learning from experience, so the same mistakes are made over and over
- Trouble with sustained attention and effort
- Behavior regulation issues and trouble analyzing a situation and adjusting behavior
- Difficulty with flexibility when schedule or activity changes
- STARTING a task that isn’t preferred (Lego’s are very different than homework)
- Poor self-monitoring, prioritization and goal-setting ability
- Writing: thoughts are disorganized, work is messy, very few words make it on the page
- Behavior is often referred to as unmotivated, lazy, not interested, bored, hyper-active, distracted, ‘typical teen’ etc. etc.
- They may be great readers, but if they have no friends, they could care less about being a successful student.
- They may have an amazing affinity for math, but if they always forget a pencil or white board to work on in class, they miss valuable instruction that the teacher is providing.
- When kids struggle with the many skills involved with being a successful student and playing school, they often can't demonstrate what they know. It won't matter if they understand the content because if they never hand in the homework or DO the work, there is no way to know if they have mastered the content.
When an adult steps in every time a child needs to GET READY, the skill of planning and then EXECUTION might not have the chance to develop. Like walking; if I constantly carry my child and DO all the movement, they won’t figure it out on their own. If something I plan didn’t go well, I would again use my executive skills to figure out something else and the kids just go along for the ride; they didn’t have to figure out another way or problem-solve something new.