Executive Functioning Wrap Up

There are no more executive functioning skills to discuss although I’m sure in the future I’ll circle back to different aspects of executive function as they show back up in whatever topic is being discussed. To wrap up that series I wanted to talk about the golden thread that was present throughout each topic. A lot of times people forget just the basics for fancy systems or routines or tricks or the list goes on and on. What has been consistent to me in my career and life is that improvement doesn’t happen by accident. There’s some change that occurs that causes a shift. Millimeter shifts can sometimes create massive results that feel like it is a mile further than where it started. Which means the two golden threads woven throughout executive functioning skills are intention and mindfulness. A lot of the skills require paying attention (one even is just attention itself) which allows for concentrated effort. A lot of times it’s just the act of thinking itself that people seem to shy away from, especially in modern society. Social media is the highlight reel. It doesn’t show all of the steps in the process along the way. This seems to be the biggest barrier for a lot of kids and teens in doing things. If they aren’t immediately good at it they have a tendency of quitting. And the key thing with these skills is they don’t improve unless you work at them. The bright side is they show up in all areas of life which gives ample opportunity to improve them. The downside is that they will keep biting you in the butt until you work on them. The most important lesson kids can learn is that learning is never over and done. It’s a continuous process. The sooner you learn to love the process more than the results the happier you will be. Loving the process also seems to help eliminate the negative impacts of entitlement and the unpleasant aspects of modern American culture. Character gets built along with executive functioning skills. Learning discipline and consistency are elements of success that are possible for all students regardless of whether or not they have learning disabilities. Everyone has natural talents and weaknesses. Guiding students to work with what they’re given is essential to positive outcomes.