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Chapter 9

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PreK-12: Instructor-Led Course

In this introductory online course for preK-12 educators, participants learn the research basis for UDL, practical applications of UDL to lesson design, and helpful technology tools that support flexible, inclusive instruction.

Monday, September 11 - Monday, December 11, 2023

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Find out more about CAST. We're busting barriers to learning, until learning has no limits®.

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Find out more about CAST. We’re busting barriers to learning, until learning has no limits®.

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Executive function is a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. We use these skills every day to learn, work, and manage daily life. Trouble with executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions, and handle emotions, among other things.

Some people describe executive function as "the management system of the brain." That's because the skills involved let us set goals, plan, and get things done. When people struggle with executive function, it impacts them at home, in school, and in life.

There are three main areas of executive function. They are:

Executive function is responsible for many skills, including:

Paying attention

Organizing, planning, and prioritizing

Starting tasks and staying focused on them to completion

Understanding different points of view

Regulating emotions

Self-monitoring (keeping track of what you're doing)

Executive functioning skills usually develop quickly in early childhood and into the teen years. But they keep developing into the mid-20s. When kids are younger, some may lag behind peers for a while. As they get older, though, they may have fewer challenges as teens and young adults.

People struggling with executive skills may:

Avoid COVID Slide with tips and tools designed to help your child return to the classroom.

Have trouble starting and/or completing tasks

Have difficulty prioritizing tasks

Forget what they just heard or read

Have trouble following directions or a sequence of steps

Panic when rules or routines change

Have trouble switching focus from one task to another

Get overly emotional and fixate on things

Have trouble organizing their thoughts

Have trouble keeping track of their belongings

Have trouble managing their time

Trouble with executive function isn't a diagnosis or a learning disability. But it's common in people who learn and think differently. Everyone with ADHD has trouble with it. And lots of people with learning challenges struggle with executive function, too.

These difficulties can cause trouble with learning. But they don't mean that people are lazy or not intelligent. People who struggle with executive function are just as smart and work just as hard as other people.

There's been a lot of research into what causes trouble with executive function and ADHD. Here are two main factors.

Also, trouble with executive function often occurs with learning challenges.

Learning disabilities don't always involve a problem with executive function. But it's not uncommon for kids with dyslexia or dyscalculia , for example, to also have trouble with executive skills. Learn how problems with executive function can impact reading and math.

Slow processing speed isn't a problem with executive function. But it can cause trouble with it. Learn more about slow processing speed.

Testing should be done as part of a full evaluation that looks at many areas of learning and thinking. These evaluations, which schools do for free, are often done by psychologists. But there are other types of professionals who do this type of testing.

Some of these same professionals offer treatments and approaches like:

Behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Behavior therapy helps people replace negative behaviors with positive ones. CBT helps kids deal with thoughts and feelings and manage behavior.

Medications. There are no medications just for executive function, but there are medications for ADHD.

Organizational coaching. These are consultants you can hire. They're not tutors who help build academic skills. Instead, they work on building organization and time management skills. They can also work on study skills. Learn more about organizational coaches.

For educators: Learn about strategy instruction as a teaching practice that can help these students.

You can think of executive function as "the management system of the brain."

It includes skills like self-control, organization, and flexible thinking.

People with ADHD struggle with executive function.

About the Author

About the Author

The Understood Team is made up of passionate writers, editors, and community moderators. Many of them learn and think differently, or have kids who do.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Philip D. Zelazo, PhD is the Nancy M. and John E. Lindahl Professor at the Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota.

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Executive function is a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. We use these skills every day to learn, work, and manage daily life. Trouble with executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions, and handle emotions, among other things.

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I got kicked out of the only regular poker game I was ever a part of.

The first week I won a few bucks.

The second week, I broke even.

The third week, the betting got serious and there was a lot on the table--maybe as much as $30(!). Realizing that this sort of risk didn't work for me, I turned to the last two people left in a hand and said, "why don't we split the pot three ways?"

In the long run, that might be a good way to go home flush. In real life, it's a totally sensible way to deal with risk.

But at a poker game?

When you sit down at a poker table, you're acting as if. As if you're gambling. And if you don't want to gamble, don't play. That's what they told me and they were right.

The same thing is true when you go to a brainstorming session, or to therapy or even an Ethiopian restaurant.

If you don't want to want to engage with what's on the table, don't sit down.

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I got kicked out of the only regular poker game I was ever a part of. The first week I won a few bucks. The second week, I broke even. The third week, the betting got serious and there was a lot on the table--maybe as much as $30(!).

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When she reached out to the New York City Ballet about a dance program for children with special needs, she didn't expect a response. But what resulted is nothing short of sheer joy ... for everyone.

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Sue Austin: Deep Sea Diving In A Wheelchair

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Sue Austin: Deep Sea Diving In A Wheelchair

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Sue Austin: Deep sea diving ... in a wheelchair

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When Sue Austin got a power wheelchair, she felt a tremendous sense of freedom -- yet others looked at her as though she had lost something. In her art, she conveys the spirit of wonder she feels wheeling through the world.

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/ CBS News

(CBS News) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Sunday is Father's Day, which celebrates the special bond between a father and his son. We went "On the Road" to meet a father who couldn't be prouder, and a son who couldn't be more thankful.

When Keith Harris' son Tim was born, a half-hearted smile was all he could muster.

"Our pediatrician asked me if I knew what down syndrome was, and the world turned black at that moment," he told CBS News.

What a difference 26 years makes. Today, in sunny Albuquerque, you'd be hard pressed to find a more glowing father than Keith. Or a more shining example of what truly great parenting can accomplish.

Keith and wife Jeannie, who also have three typical boys, have raised them all with the same high-expectations. As a result, they're all successful. But, none are more successful than Tim, who not only lives on his own but owns his own restaurant.

"He works for me," Tim said, pointing at his brother.

In fact, as far as we know, Tim is the only person with Down syndrome in the country who owns a restaurant.

"Hi! Welcome to my place," he said enthusiastically as he greeted customers.

"All of us who are dads want our kids to wind up independent, happy, secure," Keith explained.

Tim's dad -- a small business owner himself -- provided the initial investment. Other people do the managing and cooking, but Tim is the front man and the genius behind it.

Tim realized that what people really want from a family restaurant is a family feel. That's why here, love isn't just in the air: It's a menu item. You can actually order a free hug from Tim. And even if you don't order it, chances are you'll still get one. Hugs are simply his measure of success: He's given out almost 19,000 hugs. He keeps track of them all on a hug counter.

Of course, profits are adding up too. Tim even has expansion plans. Yet no matter how big he gets, Tim says he will always be indebted to the man gave him his first hug.

"He's my super hero and my inspiration," he said about his father.

"We're happy for you," Keith told his son.

"Thank you Dad," Tim replied.

I don't think any one of us can imagine the time and tears that went into this moment right here -- that made it possible for Keith and Jeannie to walk away from their son and know that he will be alright with or without them. Only Tim knows that, which is why this Father's Day no father in America will be any more appreciated than his.

"I love my dad so much," Tim said.
To contact On the Road, or to send us a story idea, e-mail us.
Trending News

Steve Hartman

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Tim's Place restaurant takes unique approach thanks to special owner

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Tim Harris, who has Down syndrome, owns and operates an Albuquerque restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and thousands of hugs

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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The center supports the effective and widescale implementation of UDL through a variety of activities.

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By Katie Novak

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UDL Now! Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning in Classrooms

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Best Seller and a must-read for all teachers and admin looking to reach all students! A Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Classrooms

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By Loui Lord Nelson

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the best way to teach all students effectively and break down barriers to learning-but how can busy teachers get started with UDL right now? Find the answers in the second edition of this bestselling, teacher-trusted primer, created by internationally recognized UDL expert Loui Lord Nelson.

Thoroughly updated to reflect new research and developments in the field of UDL, this book gives K-12 teachers a reader-friendly UDL introduction and a practical framework for implementation, with guidelines and checkpoints for designing effective, barrier-free lesson plans and learning environments. You'll learn how to use the three core principles of UDL-Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression-to present information in multiple ways and ensure access for all learners. Throughout the book, detailed examples, stories, illustrations, teacher reflections, and activities reinforce UDL principles and help you put them into practice in both virtual and in-person settings.

Written in first person, like a face-to-face talk with a passionate educator, this research-based book will guide you in designing equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning environments that meet the needs of diverse learners. An essential UDL introduction for both preservice and inservice educators!

Key insights from the latest neuroscience research

Useful stories and practical tips from teachers implementing UDL

Technology bytes: timely tips and ideas on how to enhance online learning with UDL

Expert guidance on current topics, including culturally responsive teaching, urban education, and a focus on the expert learner

"Ponder this" prompts throughout the book to help readers consider new ideas and discover additional resources

End-of-chapter "check-ins" that help readers apply what they've learned

ONLINE MATERIALS: Designing instruction with UDL is easier than ever with these online resources, available as printable downloads: CAST UDL Guidelines; an Identifying Your Resources chart; a UDL design cycle graphic; a UDL lesson plan flowchart; and classroom resource mapping charts for elementary, middle, and high school teachers.

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udl; inclusion; students with disabilities; curriculum design; individualized instruction; inclusive education; executive function; self-regulation; self-assessment; engagement

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the best way to teach all students effectively and break down barriers to learning-but how can busy teachers get started with UDL right now? Find the answers in the second edition of this bestselling, teacher-trusted primer, created by internationally recognized UDL expert Loui Lord Nelson.

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New restaurant staffed with deaf waiters

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With Embedded Links

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www.cast.org

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Read Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice for Free in Clusive! - CAST

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Our flagship publication is now available at no cost on our flexible and customizable digital reading tool.

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CCSS/UDL Application for Students with Disabilities

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CCSS/UDL Application for Students with Disabilities