Welcome back to our Executive Functioning at Home Series, where we are examining the ways that we can create home living environments that encourage the building of executive functioning skills and can address executive functioning needs. 

In Part 1 we discussed some ways that different categories of executive functioning skills can apply in a home setting and in Part 2 we discussed ways we can help create environments that support skillbuilding across those categories. 

In Part 3 we will be taking a closer look at executive functioning across the day and spaces where we can identify opportunities to practice or show support.

One fundamental and perpetual challenge of executive functioning is that we are always using our executive functioning skills, even if we feel like we need to work on them. 

In many ways, we need to use our executive functioning skills just to find the time and space to practice our executive functioning skills! In the context of meeting our day to day needs and the needs of those we are supporting, it might feel like there is never a natural time to practice. 

While it may be tricky in the context of finding our own opportunities, we can identify opportunities in our day to day schedule for the people we are supporting to practice using their executive functioning skills. 

One helpful way to do that is to look at the time of our day that utilize executive functioning skills and identifying ways to practice those skills one at a time. So let’s look at some opportunities that come up during the day that might allow us to practice a variety of executive functioning skills!

Our morning routines are filled with tasks that help us feel prepared for the day, and not only do we have to learn how to do each of those tasks we have to decide how they will fit together and how much time each will take. And all of that has to happen before we go wherever we are going for the day! 

There are plenty of executive functioning skills we can work on in the context of our morning routine. We can consider what tools or practice we need to improve our working memory of how to complete each task. 

We can think about our time management, and whether we are completing those tasks in the time frame we need to. We can try planning different types of routines to see how they work. We can use our adaptive thinking brainstorm what we will do if something unexpected happens. 

We can practice our meta-cognition by identifying ways that our current routine isn’t meeting our needs and strategizing about what we can work on to change that. 

Focusing on one skill at a time and offering extra support in other areas if needed can help create the kind of safe space where we can actively work on our morning routines without feeling overwhelmed!

After school is a unique time in the day where we may have obligations and responsibilities to take care of in the context of our day to day tasks but also be on a more open ended schedule where time management is more abstract with more options. 

Some executive functioning skills we might practice include task initiation, where we think about ways to get jumpstarted on the things we know we need to do. We might also practice adaptable thinking to make our plans on the fly based on what has happened during the day. We might work on our self-regulation skills by identifying what we need before we can feel ready to move on to our necessary tasks. We can work on self-monitoring skills by setting a time to check in and assess how much work we need to complete in the time we have left. 

We can practice our planning skills by writing out what we want to do and our meta-cognition skills by assessing whether our plans helped us complete all of our tasks on time. We can practice our organizational skills by writing out what we need to complete our after school tasks and deciding where we can put those resources so that they are accessible when we need them. 

After school tasks can change depending on what happened during the day and therefore require more flexibility than a morning or evening routine, but there is also more flexibility to practice a variety of executive functioning skills and reassess and try new strategies when things aren’t going as planned.

Meal time is a balance between what we need, what is available, our self-regulatory needs and our existing schedule and obligations. 

It is a time where choice is extremely important but we may also be constrained by available resources and a need to plan ahead. When we are supporting someone in a meal planning context, we also have a great opportunity to work together on the types of executive functioning skills that go into meal planning and food decisions. 

We can work on our planning skills by deciding what meals we want to eat for the week and what groceries we need to have those meals available. 

We can work on our self-regulation skills by identifying what foods we need and when to keep up our energy through the day. We can practice working memory by practicing different cooking skills each week. We can practice task initiation by working on establishing a dinnertime routine. 

We can work on adaptable thinking skills to strategize on which foods we can try as backups for when our preferred foods are not available. We can practice self-monitoring by checking in about whether we are getting the food we need, when we need it and we can practice our metacognition skills by evaluating what we can change about our dinner schedule and routine to better meet our needs. 

You and the person you are supporting can decide on executive functioning skills related to food and eating that fit best with their needs and long term goals.

Our night routine doesn’t have the same sense of urgency as our morning routine, which might be tied to getting to a specific place on time. But our night routine can still impact the rest of our day to day schedule as it can impact how much sleep we get and how we feel the next morning when we wake up. 

Task initiation can be especially difficult when we can simultaneously feel tired and also reluctant to go to sleep and end the day! Working on strategies to overcome that barrier can be a long term but worthwhile project for those who find it beneficial. Planning can be difficult for a similar reason. What if we aren’t that tired at our usual bedtime? What if we complete our routine just fine but can’t fall asleep? 

We can practice different planning strategies to see what type of routine fits best to our personal needs. Part of that planning can be delegating certain tasks to a morning or after school routine too! 

Most importantly we can work on our self-regulation skills by identifying how we feel after getting different amounts of sleep, which can help with identifying more consistent times to set our routines based on how our bodies work. A night routine can be an evolving and growing thing, and we can learn about ourselves and grow alongside it!

We hope this post has offered some basic frameworks for practicing a variety of executive functioning skills across different daily routines at home. While there are a huge number of opportunities to practice, it is OK for you and the person you are supporting to agree on a handful of skills that are the most important and focus on those first, while offering support in as many other areas as needed. 

If you would like to share some ways you have been able to practice executive functioning across your daily routine then we would love to hear from you! Just drop us a line at hello@autismgrownup.com and we will be back with part 4, which will focus on troubleshooting common executive functioning challenges.