“Where’s Your Homework?”
Supporting Middle and High School Students with Executive Functioning Challenges

Executive functioning requires cognitive skills that allow individuals to: analyze tasks, break them into manageable steps, and keep them in mind until they have been completed. These skills enable students to manage time effectively, and organize thoughts that lead to independent, purposeful goal-directed behaviors. Executive functioning also involves self-regulation of emotions and behavior.

Many high functioning adolescents on the autism spectrum and/or with attention deficit disorder struggle with executive functioning skills. These deficits might include:
    * Keeping track of materials, as well as completing and turning in assignments
    * Managing emotions to achieve goals
    * Creating plans to complete tasks
    * Managing time effectively
        o Beginning tasks in a timely manner
        o Estimating how much time it will take to finish
    * Sustaining attention and persisting until a task is completed
This training will focus on:
    * Understanding executive functioning and self-regulation skills that are crucial for learning and development
    * Teaching strategies/supports that help adolescents develop executive functioning skills