EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS

EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS

As the new school year starts up and parents are scrambling to obtain school supplies to ensure their children are equipped with the tools and skills they need to be successful for the school year, perhaps there are other tools and skills that are needed that may be overlooked: 

• Does your child have a history of not turning in completed homework because it falls in the abyss between home and school?

• Is your child’s backpack littered with dog-eared papers and lost assignments?

•  Does your child fail to find or record homework assignments? 

• Is there a gap between your child’s ability as measured by standardized tests and your child’s grades or performance in the classroom? 

A YES to any of these questions could indicate the need for your child to receive services for Executive Functioning.  A recent description of Executive Functioning likened it to the skills that are needed for driving a car.  As a seasoned driver, it seems easy.  But think back to the first time you sat behind the wheel of a car and the many tasks you had to master and control to move the car from point A to point B.  Overwhelming.  But with good instruction and practice, you became the driver you are today!

Executive Functioning involves developing good organization skills to manage tasks involved in completing assignments on time that will lead to success in school and in life.  This includes:

• Identifying Tasks that are needed to complete an assignment
• Prioritizing Tasks  
• Developing and Managing Timelines
• Organizing assignments for storage and delivery
• Self- Monitoring and Assessment

These are excellent life skills that will increase your child’s confidence and have a positive impact on his school performance and provide a critical building block for future success in today’s fast moving global world.

If your child struggles with Executive Functioning, please contact me to setup an initial assessment. Do not miss an opportunity to provide your child services and ongoing support which will help your child soar this school year.

Before and After: Summer Results

School is around the corner and my summer students are already to go.  Significant progress has been made over the summer. Don't take my word for it, you can see for yourself.

The below samples are from an 8-year old boy who will be entering into the 3rd grade next week after only 5 occupational therapy visits.

                                                                          BEFORE

                                                                         AFTER


These samples are from an 8-year old boy who has Autism after 6 occupational therapy visits.

                                                                          BEFORE 

                                                                         AFTER

Lastly, these samples are from a little girl who will be entering the 1st grade after 3-weeks of daily tutoring.

                                                                          BEFORE

                                                                           AFTER

Mother's Day (before & after)

Mother's Day is an opportunity to have my clients express their love for their Moms. These samples are from a-15 years old boy. The before sample was from a session in December, while his Mother's Day poem was written last week (May).  She's was delighted with his progress and loved her poem.

 

Autism Speaks Walk 2017

Autism Speaks Walk is powered by the love of parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, relatives and support providers for people with autism.  Today I had the wonderful opportunity to walk with thousands of people (including my daughter) in support of research to help enhance the lives of those with Autism. 

EARTH DAY

It's never too late to share an Earth Day message from one of my 9-year old students.

Good Friday's Good News (Before & After)

As my GOOD FRIDAY comes to an end, I would love to share some of my Good News with you.

The below samples are from a 8-year old girl with fine-motor and visual-motor delays.  The first sample was taken January 2016.  Over the past year, she has demonstrated significant improvement including her printing and cursive writing skills.  See the proof below for yourself.

BEFORE - January 2016

AFTER - April 2017

AFTER - April 2017

Another success story... the photos below are from a 5-year old little boy.  These before and after samples are from 9 months of afterschool tutoring.

BEFORE

AFTER 

AFTER

One of my favorite "WOW" moments, is from a 4-year old girl who at our initial session could only write a few letters. After 5 sessions, she was able to copy words with ease. 

BEFORE - January 2017

AFTER - February 2017

Flip the script: Cursive Come Back

"Cursive writing is looping back into style in schools across the country after a generation of students who know only keyboarding, texting and printing out their words longhand..." Click here to read the whole article Cursive Come Back.

WRITE NOW WITH ART

This class began five weeks ago and the students have been amazing to work with. We have carefully immersed fine art techniques with handwriting skills. The work is inspiring and expressive. Although at times the work is challenging for some students, they always seem pleased once they work through it. Most students (even those that don't typically "like art") overcome great boulders as they get their feet wet.

Emoji Trading Cards

The students were asked to chose an expression from a list of emoji faces, and draw the image on a piece of styrofoam. After they prepared the background paper by drawing bold lines with bright colors they inked up their plate with a brayer. To print it they hand rubbed the back of the decorated paper on the inked plate. On the back the student wrote about the emoji.

Planet Spheres Trading Card

This project was a bit of a mess, because we used dusty chalk pastels for the planets. The kids made colorful spheres by blending the different shades and colors of pastel with their index finger. To prepare the stars in the background they splattered white tempera paint with a toothbrush onto black construction paper. They had fun writing about their imaginary planets.

Valentine's Day Card