What are Executive Function (EF) skills?
Executive function (EF) is a set of cognitive skills which are essential for students to possess in their daily lives. The 10 components of EF skills are working memory, organisation, response inhibition, metacognition, flexibility, planning, emotional control, sustained attention, task initiation and time management.
In general, these EF skills will assist students in managing their abilities such as planning and making decisions, managing their time and resources and emotional regulation for optimal performance.
EF challenges for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) tend to have challenges in EF skills and it is apparent in the classroom and school settings. For instance, difficulties in organisation will result in losing their belongings and keeping track of their school homework deadlines.
Poor cognitive flexibility will result in difficulties in adjusting to new changes such as adapting to a new teacher and changes in their routines. In addition, poor inhibition will lead to a lack of impulse control such as the inability to suppress their impulses.
Consequently, poor working memory will show up in the classroom when students get confused or forget instructions and have difficulties in retaining information such as forgetting what was read for reading comprehension. Students with SEN will also face challenges in Mathematics such as making mistakes in mental calculations and prone to careless mistakes in their computation of sums.
Understanding students with SEN using the Interactive Factors Framework (IFF)
During the EF course, I was introduced to the Interactive Factors Framework (IFF) model. The IFF has provided a holistic approach in understanding the challenges that students with SEN face from the aspects of environmental, biological, cognitive, and behavioural and the general management of the child.
For example, a student with Dyslexia (biological factor) who lacks parental support at home (environmental and management factors) are likely to show poor academic performance at school.
Due to the contributing factors mentioned, the student with SEN may also display behavioural challenges (behavioural factors) such as acting out in class due to the inability to cope with the task and school demands.
The role of the Educator in empowering students with SEN in the classroom
Teachers play a pertinent role in empowering our students with EF deficits. Through effective classroom management strategies, teachers are able to guide students with SEN in acquiring the necessary EF skills. Some of the approaches include:
1) Create a Structured Classroom Environment
Teachers are encouraged to establish consistent routines which will provide predictability so as to reduce anxiety. They should also give clear and concise instructions so that it is easier for students to comprehend and to break tasks into smaller and manageable steps.
2) Use of a Schedule and Visual Aids
Teachers are encouraged to provide visual schedules for the day so as to reduce the cognitive overload for students with SEN to remember the sequence of class activities.
Checklists may also be provided to empower students to track their own learning progress, remain organised and encourage independent learning.
3) Use of Organisational Tools and Systems
Teachers should encourage students to use planners and digital calendars. It will empower students with SEN to keep track of their appointments, manage their homework deadlines, and plan their revision process such as topics to revise within the allocated study time.
Teachers can also guide students with SEN in providing strategies for keeping their tasks and materials organised. These include using colour coded files for different subjects and labelling their storage items for easier retrieval.
4) Time management skills to support attention and focus
Teachers should use timers such as the Pomodoro timer or a Time Timer to motivate students to stay focused and complete their tasks within the time frame. The visual timer helps students with SEN to track visually and to know how much time is left before they have to stop their tasks.
Teachers are also encouraged to ensure the classroom remain clutter free. It also includes ensuring that the student’s desk has only the required task and stationeries needed without any other distractors.
In order to reduce environmental noise pollution, students with SEN can use noise cancelling headphones in the classroom so as to encourage attention and focus.
5) Teach Self-Regulation Strategies
Teachers are encouraged to teach students with SEN how to regulate their emotions and manage their thoughts. These include adopting mindfulness practices and relaxation techniques that will assist them in managing their stress and emotions. These strategies include remaining at the present moment and using deep breathing techniques. Teachers are encouraged to factor these strategies in their lesson planning.
Before the start of any lesson, teachers are also encouraged to conduct an emotional check-in with students. For instance, asking students how they are feeling or how their day has been. It is crucial for teachers to create a safe space for students to share their thoughts and emotions. This can build self-awareness in students. Additionally, teach students to adopt coping strategies such as journaling and social stories to handle frustration or anxiety.
6) Provide Feedback and Positive Reinforcement
Teachers are encouraged to provide constructive feedback on student’s progress so as to encourage continual improvement. Teachers should also use positive reinforcement to acknowledge a student’s effort and achievements. This will result in motivating students and reinforce the desired behaviours and learning outcomes.
7) Promote Executive Function Skill Development in the Classroom
Teachers can plan skill building activities to increase the EF skills in the classroom. These include planning problem solving tasks within the student’s ability, strategic games and tasks based on group projects. Teachers can also use role playing scenarios where students are involved in the decision making process and to encourage impulse control.
8) Collaborate with students’ families and support systems
Teachers are encouraged to work collaboratively with students’ families and their support systems so as to coordinate a support plan for students. By garnering the family involvement and support system, teachers can be ensured that the EF skills taught in the classroom will be effectively generalised in other settings.
By addressing the above EF challenges that students with SEN face and providing targeted support to cater to their individual needs, educators can empower their students with SEN to enhance their executive functioning skills.
The development of EF skills will aid in fostering independence and responsibility, as well as have students with SEN take ownership of their learning and personal goals. It can also help students to develop self-advocacy skills where they could seek help and communicate their needs independently.
Overall, by consistently applying the classroom management strategies and providing a supportive learning environment, teachers will help to increase the EF skills and empower students to succeed both academically and socially.
Article written by:
Priscilla Chan
Educational Therapist, Dyslexia Association of Singapore
RETA Associate Fellow
