Welcome to our Executive Functioning Series, where we have been examining the roles that executive functioning can play in our lives and will be examining some approaches we might take to building up executive functioning skills. In Part 1 we talked about examples of executive functioning at home, and in Part 2 we are talking about goals we can focus on related to executive functioning at school.

Setting goals related to executive functioning at school can be tricky, especially when we consider all the different ways we use executive functioning in our day to day lives. So what exactly do we work on and what exactly do we want to work toward? Every student’s needs are different, but we can establish some guideposts to help us start narrowing it down. So let’s dive in!

Working on executive functioning skills that can help us with school routines serves a dual purpose: building up our executive functioning skills and working toward making the most of our time at school. 

It can also be a little easier to start with pre-established school routines rather than start from scratch with personal routines. Rather than worry about the pressure of building out a schedule and everything that goes with it, students can work on the skills that help with sticking to a schedule, with plenty of support and scaffolding from teachers and other staff. 

Skills associated with school routines can include task initiation, self-regulation, adaptive thinking, and working memory.

Perhaps the most traditional association with executive functioning is managing workload, and while routine can be part of that the way we manage our workload can be distinct from our routine in the sense that our workload will not always be the same. 

Developing a system for whatever projects might come your way, how to plan them, prioritize your time, and determine how long they might take, is an invaluable skill that only becomes more valuable as your responsibilities grow over time. 

Skills associated with managing workload can include meta-cognition, time management, planning, and adaptable thinking.

Another area that can be part of both a routine and a managed workload is the process of working toward our goals. Yet it also deserves its own distinct category because our goals are not strictly associated with how much work we do or how well we can keep a schedule. 

Knowing how well we are progressing toward our goals and what we need to get there are two skills that are worth honing in on, and in and of themselves are great goals for a student to pursue with their teacher. 

Skills associated with working toward goals include meta-cognition, self-monitoring, adaptable thinking, and planning.

One of the greatest parts of a school environment is the opportunity to practice in a safe space where we can try lots of different things to find out what works best for us. 

Executive functioning skills are no exception! Trying lots of different tools to help with our executive functioning, as well as practicing evaluating what works for us and what doesn’t, can be a hugely valuable tool down the line as we continue to create and apply new systems and strategies to our lives. 

Importantly it also helps to instill the idea that no one system is the right system, and that we have not failed just because one particular system isn’t right for us. Internalizing that mindset can make all the difference in the world as students transition to and navigate the world of adulthood! 

Skills related to finding the right tools include self-monitoring, organization, meta-cognition, and working memory.

We hope this post has helped to offer some guideposts that can be followed when considering what individualized goals at school, whether to include in an IEP or simply to set at a classroom priority. 

If you would like to share some of your experiences in setting goals at school or would like to see us cover this topic more in depth then we would love to hear from you! Just drop us a line at hello@autismgrownup.com and we will be back next week to talk about executive functioning across varying support needs.