Executive Functioning for Teens on Zoom – Middle School Students

Description

Welcome to…

Executive Functioning for Teens on Zoom,

A place for weekly accountability and learning executive functioning, study skills, and personal development

You may have heard the term “Executive Functions” – or it may be new to you. Simplified, Executive Functioning (EF) skills are skills that support goal directed behavior. Individuals with ADHD struggle with EF skills, but many typical teens could also use some help in strengthening these skills as they gain autonomy in the high school years. These skills are not fully developed until the brain reaches maturity, around age 23!

EF skills include:

 

*impulse control                                 *working memory                              *time management

*emotional control                             *flexibility                                           *goal-directed persistence

*sustained attention                           *task initiation                                    *self-awareness

*planning/prioritization                      *organization                                      *problem solving

 

Weaknesses to these skills may show up as difficulty getting started on tasks perceived as boring or challenging, managing one’s own time, following directions, remembering a sequence of activities, getting stuck on a problem, staying focused for duration of a task, organizing, maintaining emotional control, and being flexible with unexpected changes.

 

Executive Functioning for Teens on Zoom offers a 4-week, one hour per week, group focusing on teaching three executive functioning skills and complementary study skills each week to students aged 12 – 18 needing more structure and accountability for homework and studying. I also add a personal development topic that goes along with the theme of the week to foster intrinsic motivation and build a growth mindset that will last through lower school years and into college. This is not “extra” work – it is complementary instruction to help your student succeed no matter their learning environment.

Program Outline

Each week, I will introduce the EF skills and we will discuss challenges that show up with it, and how to strengthen the skill. Then we will discuss complementary study skills. We also work on personal development and life skills.

Week 1:

Executive Functioning skills – Planning/Prioritization, Working memory, and Organization

Study skills – Active reading, remembering what is read, note-taking

Personal Development – Goal setting (part 1)

Bonus: Learning Styles Quiz (Identify your learning style to tailor EF and studying to match)

 

Week 2:

Executive Functioning skills – Time management, Task initiation, and Attention

Study skills – Tips for writing and how to effectively research

Personal Development – Goal setting (part 2) and Motivation

 

Week 3:

Executive Functioning skills – Problem solving, Flexibility, and Goal-directed persistence

Study skills – Active studying and test-taking

Personal development – Habits

 

Week 4:

Executive Functioning skills – Emotional control, Impulse control, and Self-awareness

Study skills – Tackling long-term projects and doing independent work

Personal development –Understanding and controlling emotions

 

I will hold separate times for Middle School and High School students, but the content will be the same. You are welcome to choose the time/day that works best for your family, but separating the ages traditionally works better overall.

Middle School Students: Tuesdays 5 pm Sept. 5, 12, 19 and 26

$179 per student – includes my workbook, Practical Solutions for ADHD Workbook for Teens (a $9.95 value on Amazon)