Executive Functioning includes:
- Problem solving skills
- Planning and organising actions (motor planning)
- Attention holding/shifting
- Working memory
- Flexible thinking
- Reasoning
How Executive Functioning skills can support self regulation:
Executive functioning refers to our “higher order thinking”, the cognitive processes that are needed to manage ourselves and materials in order to achieve a goal. Our executive functioning skills determine our ability to reason, problem solve and think flexibly about situations. These skills help us to find ways in which to regulate ourselves and to see that there are alternatives in difficult situations. Executive functioning also help us to shift, maintain or focus our attention by helping us remember what we are doing (working memory). Working memory is important to be able to hold a goal or plan in our mind in order to complete a task. Another component of executive functioning is flexible thinking, the ability to adjust to changes or new demands when they arise. The ability to initiate, plan, sequence and execute actions (motor planning), together with flexible thinking, problem solving and working memory, assists an individual to sustain actions in order to achieve their goals.
How issues with Executive Functioning may impact self regulation:
Difficulties with executive functioning will often result in dysregulated behaviour due to an inability to see the “bigger picture” and therefore an alternate solution. An individual with executive functioning issues may have difficulty in keeping thoughts and attention in order. They may get distracted by someone walking into the room, and then forget what they were doing prior, or have difficulty shifting their attention back to a task. Executive functioning issues may present as an individual have difficulty coping with changes to routines or situations. They might become very frustrated or angry when their way of doing something doesn’t work, as they are unable to think of or initiate an alternate approach.
A specific example of Executive Functioning difficulties:
A couple of years ago, I had a request from a special education teacher for a 7 year old girl with autism, who was having frequent meltdowns over any small change in her day. This included exiting the playground by a different gate, a new activity in her work schedule, or the same activities presented in a different order. While these difficulties are not uncommon in children with autism, we wanted to teach her the skills to be able to cope when “things went wrong”.
I started testing her flexible thinking and problem solving in an environment she loved: our OT room. This was a room set up with crash mats, swings, foam shapes etc. Every time we went to the OT room, something was different. The swings changed, sometimes the ball pit was available, other times it wasn’t. Sometimes we brought another child with us, sometimes we went alone. There was no routine or schedule, it was free play, with us (myself and her educational support team) offering ideas and suggestions. Even in such a flexible, safe environment she found routines. Once she had a meltdown because I took her a different way to the room. Once there (I stood my ground on which way we were going, knowing that there was something super positive for her at the end), she calmed immediately. She never had another meltdown, regardless of the way I took her. Over the course of numerous weeks, challenging her executive functioning in a safe environment, she began generalising these skills outside the room.
For 2 years she had refused to take off her shoes at school. After spending some sessions playfully challenging this, she independently took off her shoes and went into an outside sandpit, an activity that became one of her favourites, and an excellent calming tool.
Fast forward a year, and her teacher was able to give her new activities in whichever order, and they would be completed without issue. I once walked her to be picked up and went to the wrong gate. She followed me and we ended up going to half the school before I found her mum. Previously I wouldn’t have been able to take her a step in the wrong direction without a meltdown, but through building both her trust and her flexible thinking, she was able to handle the change (probably finding my confusion amusing I’m sure!). While she still had moments where her self regulation was challenged, the improvement in her day to day regulation and ability to cope with change was phenomenal. It taught me the importance of finding what is contributing to the challenges in regulation, and specifically teaching the skills needed to combat these.