Have you ever realised what goes into planning a trip? You probably would’ve decided your destination, researched the places that sparked your interest, listed all the fun activities, and made the necessary bookings. This methodical mental process results from our executive functions, which are cognitive skills that help us manage daily tasks and achieve our goals.
These skills aren’t innate when we’re born. Instead, they develop through guided learning and practice through every individual’s growth to adulthood. Recognising the pivotal importance of executive function skills, early childhood programmes in Singapore have incorporated activities that teach these skills into their curriculum. This proactive approach ensures that children are thoroughly prepared to navigate future social challenges effectively. That said, every child’s learning requirement is uniquely different, even more pronounced in neurodivergent children.
How Does Executive Function Training Empower Neurodivergent Children?
Early education spaces like preschools understand the importance of executive function, which they integrate into the curriculum through fun, engaging activities with predictable routines like fixed times for play, sleep, and meals. These routines reinforce rules, structure, and emotional control, providing a strong foundation for developing executive function skills.
For neurodivergent children, internalising these lessons can require more effort and time. Moreover, every one of them has a different way of interpreting the learning process. By understanding their needs and taking a more tailored approach to teaching executive function, educators and parents alike can empower them with the skills needed to blossom.
Let’s dive into the different ways children within the neurodivergent spectrum can be supported with positive execution function guidance.
Strengthening Executive Function in Children with Autism
For children with autism, enhancing executive function skills can significantly improve their ability to plan and manage daily tasks. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may face challenges in areas such as information processing and higher anxiety, causing a sensory overload that disrupts their learning experience.
To build their confidence in planning and focusing on daily activities, visual checklists with image-based schedules can be used to help break down complex tasks into more manageable steps to help the children transition between activities smoothly while reducing anxiety about the unknown.
Additionally, incorporating calming techniques like breathing exercises or counting methods can be effective in helping children manage their impulses, fostering better emotional regulation and control over their actions.
Developing Executive Function in Children with ADHD
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are misunderstood as being ‘lazy’, but research has shown that it has little to do with their lack of motivation but more with their neurological frameworks that may be different than that of a neurotypical individual.
An effective strategy for nurturing executive functioning skills in children with ADHD is the use of “chunking” and time management techniques. By breaking down large tasks into smaller, more manageable steps and setting realistic time limits for each activity, children with ADHD can better maintain their focus and achieve a sense of accomplishment, which helps keep them on track and motivated.
Moreover, creating an environment that minimises distractions is key to improving attention and impulse control. By reducing clutter and creating distraction-free zones, the executive function in children with ADHD can be enhanced significantly.
Equipping Executive Function in Children with Dyslexia
Ongoing research into dyslexia as a neurodivergent condition shows the impact on a child’s executive function in areas like visual and auditory attention, along with memory plus concentration, which can impede their reading development. To assist dyslexic children in navigating these developmental challenges, health professionals specialising in child occupational therapy employ a range of strategies designed to support their needs.
These may include speech therapy, educational therapy, or a combination of approaches, such as the ROM theory employed at Cornerstone Therapy in Singapore. More often than not, these therapeutical strategies would include parental involvement as well as practical tips which they can implement at home to reinforce learning and promote consistent progress in their child’s development.
Empower Each Child to Grasp Executive Function Skills Through Customised Learning
The development of executive function is a crucial aspect of child development, particularly for neurodivergent children who face unique challenges in mastering these abilities. By integrating these skills into daily life and employing specialised therapeutic strategies, we can provide children with the tools they need to navigate daily tasks and interactions more effectively so that they can blossom and grow to their full potential.