Executive Function Skills Seminar

What skills do children need to learn to be organized and to successfully complete tasks?

• Awareness:  to "Tune in" their awareness so they can understand how information, events, and their actions will impact their goals and objectives, both now and in the near future
• Forethought: to predict the successful outcome of tasks and to know what a 'stop spot' looks like
• Inhibition: To wait and control a reaction long enough to contemplate the outcomes of their choices
• Planning Skills: To estimate time and sense the passage of time. To break down the steps for immediate tasks, nightly homework and long term projects
• Ability to Shift:  To transition smoothly from one mental mindset and task to others. 
• to Pace: To speed up or slow down within a given time frame and to persist on tasks even if the tasks are difficult, boring or nonpreferred 
• Flexibility: To consider multiple possible solutions to problems by considering the "grays" in a situation 
• Tolerance: To manage both expected and unexpected changes in plans, routines and rules, and uncertain and or novel situations
• Organization: To increase productivity. To create and maintain organizational systems for private and shared spaces and for personal belongings and school materials.

This is a Practical Strategies Seminar! 

You will learn how to clearly define the components of the executive function skills for the purposes of creating the most effective treatment interventions.  The development of the executive function skills will be described in order to understand what is meant by the term "executive dysfunction".  Learn many ready-to-use practical strategies for teaching students how to develop the executive function skills: teach students to develop a "memory for the future" and to use self initiated organizational strategies to achieve their goals; improve a student's awareness skills necessary to  "read a room"; and reasoning skills to "stop, think and create" an appropriate action plan and and anticipate possible outcomes.  Teach students to see and sense the passage of time, accurately estimate how long tasks will take, change or maintain their pace, and carry out routines and tasks within allotted time frames.  Help students adopt a mindful approach to homework and to develop personalized study habits.

Who Should Attend

Parents of  children who can achieve but need additional strategies to be organized and effectively manage their time, tasks and materials.  

Sarah Ward, M.S., CCC/SLP

Sarah has over 16 years experience in diagnostic evaluations, treatment and case management of children, adolescents and adults with a wide range of brain based learning difficulties and behavioral problems. A popular speaker, Sarah regularly presents on the topic of executive functions to a variety of professional and parent organizations. Her innovative and effective treatment approaches have been featured on National Public Radio and she is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Massachusetts General Hospital Expertise in Clinical Practice Award and Faculty in Excellence Award.  In addition to working directly with students in her private practice, she has presented to and consulted with more than 300 public and private schools in Massachusetts and across the United States on how to implement executive function based strategies into the classroom setting.