Episode 92–Executive Functioning at Home

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hi, I'm Maggie. [00:00:01] Speaker B: And I'm Nicole. Welcome to the DAC Dyslexia in Coffee podcast. We're so happy you could join us. We're both moms and dyslexia interventionists who want to talk about our students and children. What dyslexia is, how it affects our kids, strategies to help and topics related to other learning disabilities will also be covered in this podcast. Parents are not alone, and we want to give voice to the concerns and struggles we are all having. This is a safe place to learn more about how to help our children grow and succeed. Succeed in school, in the world. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the conversation. [00:00:34] Speaker A: Hi, everybody. We're going to start today's episode of Dyslexia and Coffee Podcast the same way we do every week, which is with the concept of the week. So this concept of the week is our opportunity as practitioners to kind of peel back that curtain a little bit and let our listeners into an intervention session. I like to teach about things that either we would teach directly to a student in intervention or things that we would teach to their families to help support. So today's concept of the week is another reading strategy. I talked about a reading strategy in last week's episode. I talked about partner reading. Today I'm going to talk about visualization. So visualization is a reading comprehension strategy where teachers encourage students to paint a picture in their mind. Parents can also do this at home. You can ask your child what they think the characters really look like. Have them really close their eyes and concentrate on it. What does that character look look like to you? Or what do you think this room looks like? Right. If we're reading a story, even if it's nonfiction, this can be a really good technique because it lets them really put things together. This especially is a great technique for students with dyslexia because a dyslexic brain tends to really like to do this. They like to try and create a picture, and it's much harder for them when they're stuck in that decoding piece. But if you can help them along with that, typically they really like this. This helps make more meaningful connections to text, especially for our students with dyslexia. You could even extend this activity if you have a little artiste on your hand. Right. You could. You could have them go further with it. You could have them draw a picture of that character or a setting or a scene in the story just to really kind of drive that point home. But you don't have to. So it's another way to make any reading that you're doing at home go even farther. [00:03:09] Speaker B: And I think some of us do this automatically. [00:03:12] Speaker A: Yes. [00:03:13] Speaker B: And it's why I don't usually like a movie after I've read the book. [00:03:17] Speaker A: Yes. [00:03:17] Speaker B: Because the characters are wrong or the setting is wrong. [00:03:21] Speaker A: That's not what I thought their voice [00:03:22] Speaker B: was gonna sound like. They're supposed to be a big guy and they're a little guy. Like, yes, yes. [00:03:30] Speaker A: Yes. Or like, that is not what I thought that rug was gonna love. Yes. [00:03:37] Speaker B: Or the house is not the right house. [00:03:40] Speaker A: Yes. [00:03:41] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:03:44] Speaker A: It's also fun, too, to do this with, like, multiple kids, because that is what tends to happen. We think about, like, okay, this is how I see the character in my head. And then the person next to me is like, that's not at all what I think she looks like. [00:03:59] Speaker B: Right. [00:04:00] Speaker A: And it's such a good way to connect text. It's a really good reading strategy, and it's good to foster it at home. [00:04:16] Speaker B: So episode 92 is executive functioning at home. [00:04:21] Speaker A: Buckle up, folks. It's on. It's summertime. [00:04:27] Speaker B: So the reason we support executive functioning at home is because it reduces the cognitive overload and externalizes brain power. So basically, you can adapt your living space and create a predictable routine. Break large tasks into smaller tasks, establish distracted free zones. Using small environment changes really improves planning, organization, and focus for everybody. [00:04:59] Speaker A: Really everybody. I was going to say that, too. This is absolutely about how do we make our homes function better than they do right now? Yes. So when we talk about externalizing the brain, right, we mean removing the burden of holding plans in your working memory. I mean, how many times do I say, like, if it's not on my calendar, it is not going to happen. If it is not written there, it's not happening. Get it out of my brain and onto somewhere else. You know, one way to do that is like a visual schedule. [00:05:51] Speaker B: Correct. [00:05:53] Speaker A: You know, you can post a daily routine or checklists for the morning or evening routines. For younger kids, you could add stickers or some check marks. Any kind of. Sometimes we think of visual schedules, and I think a lot of people's brains go to ones for younger kids where there's kind of, like, pictures or they kind of, like, goofy or cartoony, and those work. Don't get me wrong, those are great. But a visual schedule can literally just be your whiteboard calendar where you have, like, your rundown. It could be keeping your meal plan for the week visible to your family. So they're not asking you 20 million times a day. What's for dinner? [00:06:44] Speaker B: Just look at the couch. [00:06:51] Speaker A: You know, or tasks that are big. Right. Larger tasks, like clean your room. Breaking that down for kids, and just a second set of smaller steps that they could easily follow. It goes such a long way. [00:07:10] Speaker B: It does. Smart reminders. I have to say, we do this all the time at our house. [00:07:16] Speaker A: We have. [00:07:17] Speaker B: Unfortunately, Alexa talks to us way too much, like, take your medicine, and it's time for Clarinet day and take out the garbage. And so we have one going off all the time, which is okay, right? Sometimes. [00:07:34] Speaker A: Right. Yeah. It's like learning to strategically use what is going to actually work. [00:07:41] Speaker B: Correct. [00:07:42] Speaker A: And I. We use timers kind of for everything. [00:07:50] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:50] Speaker A: In our house. Okay. Set a timer. I mean, it's. It's such a good tool. [00:08:01] Speaker B: Right. Like, you set a timer for Wilson to play guitar for 10 minutes, and then he knows when it's empty, he can get up. [00:08:08] Speaker A: Yep. [00:08:10] Speaker B: So, I mean, those type of things, they're pretty easy to set up. And usually it's actually better for him and us because we don't get into that. [00:08:20] Speaker A: It's not a tower battle. The timer said it's done, or Alexa said it's time to do this. You know, it's not. It doesn't create that power battle the way other parental reminders might. [00:08:36] Speaker B: Exactly. [00:08:36] Speaker A: And it also takes it off of a parent's plate. If I have. I mean, I use timers on my phone for my own things. [00:08:43] Speaker B: Me too. [00:08:44] Speaker A: All the time. [00:08:48] Speaker B: Obviously. My husband uses it for taking out the garbage. [00:08:50] Speaker A: Right. See? Pays and does. The driver should take it out. [00:08:54] Speaker B: Yep. Every time. There you go. [00:08:57] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, getting that stuff out of your brain and onto something else, it just frees up all your mental space. [00:09:11] Speaker B: So the next thing is optimizing your environments. So, like, dedicated zones for, like, a specific desk for homework or, you know, physical areas of the house where maybe you read or you do maybe art in one location and schoolwork in a different location. [00:09:34] Speaker A: Yep. This is something I've become a little bit strict on in my house, and it has really helped, like, specifically with the art supplies. I mean, I used to find. And don't get me wrong, my children are far from perfect. Okay. But I used to find markers and crayons and just everywhere. Everywhere. And I became pretty maniacal about, like, that does not leave this area of the house. This is where we do art, you know, reading our homework books and things like that. I have kind of made our dining room table. Like, that is where that happens. And it doesn't happen other places. Do they still do it? Yes, it happens. But it's easy for me to say, where does that go? Or where does that activity take place? And what I hope too is that I'm laying some future groundwork for. We're not at a place yet where we're trying to take homework or devices into our bedrooms. But that will not be happening in my home. And this is kind of my way of already being like, that's not happening. We're not doing that. That's not what's expected here. [00:11:08] Speaker B: Another thing is to reduce visual clutter. That never happens in my house. [00:11:12] Speaker A: We try real hard. We try real hard. [00:11:16] Speaker B: Brain breaks to maximize attention. So do focused interviews of 20 to 25 minutes of work and then get up for five minutes and either move or walk around the house or do something. It's evidence based that you have more focus, effort and more attention after you do something like that. [00:11:36] Speaker A: I have even started doing this my own self. So I've been like advocating for this process for a long time. Right. Of like the kids I work with and all the things. I've been recently starting to do this when I'm like alone at the office or at home. And I will say it has helped a lot. Like, I would be like, nope, 20 minutes on, two or three minutes off. You know, you can set your own intervals. [00:12:07] Speaker B: Correct. [00:12:08] Speaker A: But it really does help maintain that focus for the time I need to be focused. And then it also forces me to take a break when I need to take a break. Yeah. [00:12:24] Speaker B: The next area is manage time and emotions. So executive dysfunction. So not function dysfunction is deeply tied to emotional regulation and feeling overwhelmed. [00:12:40] Speaker A: Absolutely. [00:12:41] Speaker B: Basically, if you're really cranky, what's not regulated around you? [00:12:47] Speaker A: Correct. Like, what's going on that's contributing to that? [00:12:51] Speaker B: Are you tired? Is like five people jumping up and down in front of you and you're like, no, stop. [00:12:58] Speaker A: Exactly. You know, managing those things in a proactive way really helps. That's why it's really important to have those things in place that, like, these are the systems we use in this house to help things run smoothly. Predicting places where like, okay, I think my kids are gonna be bored by this. I'm going to do these things to make that a little bit more interesting for them right now. Or having things they know they can turn to. Like, okay, if you're bored, you could do these three things. You know, practicing mindfulness and kind of resetting. You know, I think I always look for in summer, kind of two things. One area that I think, like my kids can step up and start doing more things. I think it's always a good opportunity in the summertime. They don't have school, so the demands on them are less. So I can add something to their plate. They can handle it, you know, and it gives me the opportunity to teach them that skill. [00:14:30] Speaker B: Correct. [00:14:32] Speaker A: So that by the time the school year comes, we can keep that as part of their responsibilities because they're used to it. We used to really pretty be good about doing a mindfulness, like mini five minute meditation after dinner. [00:14:55] Speaker B: Okay. [00:14:56] Speaker A: You know, and it just hasn't happened. And I feel like it's a good opportunity for me to be like, you know what? [00:15:02] Speaker B: Time to go back, Time to go back. [00:15:04] Speaker A: Time to do that again. [00:15:06] Speaker B: Yeah, we've tried that. [00:15:07] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:15:09] Speaker B: Usually one of them falls asleep. Yeah. [00:15:11] Speaker A: Which is okay. [00:15:13] Speaker B: It is okay. [00:15:14] Speaker A: That's okay. [00:15:15] Speaker B: But it also maybe might not be okay if they're up all night. [00:15:18] Speaker A: Yeah. If they're up all night, that's not a good plan. [00:15:22] Speaker B: So we kind of have to strategize that a little bit better. [00:15:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:15:31] Speaker B: Teach practical skills. So like executive function, it's a muscle. It must be built over time. It's something you have to teach. It's not, you know, something that just is innate in us. [00:15:44] Speaker A: Right. [00:15:45] Speaker B: We need to teach it before our kids or our other people can do it. [00:15:52] Speaker A: Yes. [00:15:53] Speaker B: So just like a lot of different things when you're teaching, you model the behavior. [00:15:56] Speaker A: Right. [00:15:57] Speaker B: You talk out loud when you go through your own tasks or you verbalize your thought process. Like I need to leave the house at 8am So I need to set my alarm at 7:45. So I know that I have 15 minutes to get to the car. Or I know that like taking a break. [00:16:18] Speaker A: Yep. [00:16:19] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. I haven't eaten lunch yet. I think I need to go eat now. And then I go and actually do that. So I'm modeling the behavior after I've thought of those things. [00:16:32] Speaker A: You know, always, like planning for a meal, like, oh, I need these ingredients. I'm gonna get them out. Or all those kinds of things are really helpful because it doesn't just happen. It does not just happen. And not. And that's a typical developer. Right. Even in a typically developing brain, these are not the things that just happen. We have to build these skills over time. Noticing when a kid is kind of stuck in a. In a task and not immediately jumping in and rescuing them. Right, right. Asking some guidance, guiding questions, or even helping them backtrack, you know, if they're stuck in the middle of a task. Like, okay, I see you've already done this and this. What's your next step? Or what could you do? It goes. It goes a long way, especially after you've done that work of explicit directions. [00:17:41] Speaker B: Correct. So some elementary age ideas. Creating a homework box with materials necessary to complete homework. By the way, that doesn't work in my house because things don't go back in that box no matter how many times I try. We also had a library box that did not work. So if you guys have any ideas, let me know because apparently all my ideas are not working. [00:18:16] Speaker A: I know. I think what's so hard is it takes the manager. Right. Because your kids are not gonna manage this on your own. So like, okay, that's just another thing for me to manage. [00:18:29] Speaker B: Right. Yes. [00:18:31] Speaker A: And that's a really difficult thing to [00:18:36] Speaker B: do when you have three of them. You'd like to do homework in different places and. [00:18:42] Speaker A: Yes. [00:18:42] Speaker B: You know, do their reading in different places. Well, yeah, it's the problem. [00:18:48] Speaker A: That's the problem. Yep. Yeah, we do have. I made some library bags for the public library books. They're definitely not good about it on their own, but I have a timer on my phone that goes off like every other day. And it's like, okay, where are our library books? Like, where are they? We're gathering them up now. [00:19:17] Speaker B: My kids like to take them to school and then leave them there. [00:19:20] Speaker A: Yeah, that's. [00:19:22] Speaker B: So that they don't really come back at all. [00:19:24] Speaker A: Yeah. Which is not good. It's not good. That's not good. [00:19:28] Speaker B: It's not good. Supply checklists, like for home or school. You know, a clear routine for different things that you do, like a clean space for your homework. Routines of how that we, you know, we do this and then we go outside, we pick up our clothes, then we go outside. Having a wall calendar. Although my kids never know which day it is. So that does not help us because they're just. They call us in and ask us which day it is and then we have to go through the whole thing. [00:20:06] Speaker A: We also have a magnet that says today on it and we just keep moving it. [00:20:10] Speaker B: That's a good idea. Help kids break down large tasks into smaller tasks. Provide an organizational structure for things. Reinforce self monitoring and self awareness. That's something that just doesn't happen. [00:20:28] Speaker A: Absolutely. [00:20:28] Speaker B: You have to say, okay, so what are you feeling? Are you hungry? Are you tired? [00:20:34] Speaker A: Yes. [00:20:34] Speaker B: Does something hurt? You know, they have to identify what they're feeling in their body before they can explain It. And definitely simplify language when you use directions. [00:20:45] Speaker A: Yeah. Talk 85% less. Really good parenting advice, actually. [00:20:54] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:20:54] Speaker A: You know, for older students, helping them color code. You know, it's just helpful tool. Using a calendar or some kind of assignment notebook that they are responsible for updating. You know, using graphic organizers, providing tools. Right. Like, okay, if they need some colored sticky notes or they need clipboards or highlighters, you know, providing those physical materials. Materials for them. You know, explicitly teaching those organization skills that can translate into academic skills. Right. Like studying and note taking. A lot of those metacognition mega cognitive skills. Right. So like, that's thinking about our own thinking, reflecting on what they were thinking, what you were thinking, having a good dialogue with an older kid. It really does have. It does pay off to have completely. Like in our house, we do have our general art supplies. And then we have a bucket that is. These are only for school things and they have to come get them from me if they're going to use them them. Like, nope, this is the set of tools that stays nice and doesn't go all over the place. Like, this is the bucket that you need to get from me. And then it comes back to me like, I have a physical check in and checkout card. Like, and it. It may seem a little extra, but it's really the only way that doesn't lead to chaos. Yeah. So those are just some. Some things. Summer, I think, is a good time to kind of think about where. Where does our house stand in the executive functioning world? What are our pain points? And then how are we going to get things back on track? Because it is a good kind of reset time. Your schedule's in chaos anyway, so you might as well make it. Make a big something. Make something. Right. Identify the places where you can eliminate some of the pain points and some of the places that are like, well, that's gonna be really hard for a while and we're just gonna. Gonna have to go with it. Which is also executive functioning. [00:23:45] Speaker B: So, Maggie, what's happening beyond dyslexia? [00:23:48] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Just speaking of just all the summer things, I'm getting actually really excited for summer. I feel like Memorial Day really snuck up on me. I can't believe it's all already past that. I really. But it is finally pretty consistently warm here. We had a really pretty chilly May we did for Wisconsin. It was pretty chilly and kind of dreary, which is not our usual May kind of be anything goes here. [00:24:30] Speaker B: True. [00:24:30] Speaker A: But it was just more chilly than anything else. We are starting to just be outdoors a lot more, and I'm definitely here for that. [00:24:43] Speaker B: Yes. [00:24:44] Speaker A: What's going on with you, Nicole? [00:24:46] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, I think so. We started growing plants. [00:24:54] Speaker A: Yay. [00:24:54] Speaker B: In our house because. Because our outside has too many trees. There's not enough sun. We can't grow anything out there. And if we do, the only place that has sun, our dogs can get to, and they like to eat all the vegetables. So we tried one of those indoor environmental things. It's growing a lot. Yeah. [00:25:17] Speaker A: Those things go crazy. [00:25:19] Speaker B: Yes. [00:25:19] Speaker A: Yes. [00:25:20] Speaker B: And I was like, what is happening? So it's been kind of fun because it's one of the first times I ever grew anything that actually stayed growing. So it's been a lot of fun, and the kids really love it, and so we can't wait to enjoy. Hasn't quite given us any vegetables yet, but we think we're close. [00:25:42] Speaker A: Yeah, they're really fun, too, because they do tend to grow faster, and you can usually keep them, like, longer. Yeah, those are so fun. I. I enjoy those, too. Well, thank you, everybody. Please follow us on social media and reach out if you have any questions or you would like us to discuss a topic. If you do like our show, please follow and rate our show on your favorite podcast players. That following and that liking, that's really how we reach more listeners and we get to help our families. Thank you, everybody. [00:26:18] Speaker B: Thank you.