Welcome to #ATchat Tonight we will discuss tech options to support students with Executive Function (EF) challenges. Please introduce yourself and share what interests you about this topic.
Hey now #ATchat Snow day means college class was cancelled tonight. Now I can give the chat my full attention-looking forward to the discussion! [Gif: Dancing in the snow!]
Hi, Elisa from Florida - and EF is a HUGE chunk of my OT work, and a growing part of my AT work - it is complex and deep and wide and also IMPACTFUL when interventions are the right ones --it is the kind of area I LOVE working in! #ATchat
Evening greetings #Atchat Kelli from Indiana, PATINS Specialist of ASD, SLD, Chrome Accessibility, AEM & AT Integration. My interests lies deep in this topic to assist in removing EF barriers toward access
Judie from Virginia- I am chronically disorganized, but have my own system due to my own strong visual memory skills. I can really relate to students who have unusual systems that either work or fail them. #ATchat
Hi! This is Rachel Herron from Indiana! I am so excited about this topic because I do a lot of professional development for teachers in our state on tips and tricks! #ATChat
Hello from snowy Western MA. I was just down your way today Karen... Lunenburg... not quite to Boston, but closer. EF is a part of everyday work. I would like it to be more UDL than differentiation #ATChat
Hey #atchat! Great topic tonight. Looking forward to learning from this amazing #PLN and building capacity to help learners with EF variability. (Oh wait- that’s everyone)... ;-)
Can not agree with you more - I've added some links to the chat. They are all about a two-pronged approach to EF - external supports and explicit strategy instruction. #ATchat
A1 My knowledge of EF is very much from a research standpoint related to ASD, my mentor Laudan Jahromi has written on the topic, we often discuss it in relation to temperament and constructs like Theory of Mind. Im excited to hear from a teacher perspective tonight! #ATChat
A1: My knowledge on EF is very limited, however I am interested to hear different techniques used in the classroom as it is very important to understand how students will best work and learn in and out of the classroom. #ATchat
#Atchat A1: @EquitableAccess and @alexisannreid are EF gurus and worth following if you are interested in this area, especially from a UDL perspective.
A2 ES students with EF challenges struggle with keeping materials organized and staying on task/using time effectively. So much other stuff is still organized by parents and teachers and homework is not yet overwhelming #atchat
It’s never too early to start teaching organizational skills. So many of our kids live in a “claymation“ world where their coats disappear, their lunches appear, their food is opened for them, etc. Kids need to experience things start to finish. #ATchat
https://t.co/mkDjak0yXm has a bunch of other great EF stuff, but this is a constant go to to explain to IEP teams that the kiddos aren't lazy or dumb (grrrrr pet peeve of mine, just happened again this week) but legit they have a reason #atchat
and let them fail while trying - as that's how we ALL learn how to do things, not be "too quick" to jump in but let their neurons problem solve first. #ATChat
Yeah, and how about "they just need to try harder." They are already trying as "hard" as they can. We as educators need to provide the external supports they need. #ATchat
https://t.co/mkDjak0yXm has a bunch of other great EF stuff, but this is a constant go to to explain to IEP teams that the kiddos aren't lazy or dumb (grrrrr pet peeve of mine, just happened again this week) but legit they have a reason #atchat
A-3 It depends on the resources available and what they are using in the classroom and at home. I often start with low tech such as highlighters, sticky notes, color coding, etc. That so easily translates into high tech, yet there’s a back up. #ATchat
It’s that breakdown between understanding what’s going to happen and being able to emotionally regulate where EF plays a critical role in causing or preventing negative behavior #atchat
We need to explicitly teach these skills in class as part of the UDL framework. Did remembering to answer that email or finish that task just happen automatically? #ATChat
Absolutely. There’s so much more to learning when students actually experience successes and failures firsthand, rather than just being told what pitfalls to avoid #ATchat
It's often assumed that our kiddos come to us HAVING those skills! When in fact, those are skills that need taught upfront. THIS is one reason why #UDL environment is imperative so that we can step back & see the barrier instead of labeling S's behavior #ATchat
https://t.co/mkDjak0yXm has a bunch of other great EF stuff, but this is a constant go to to explain to IEP teams that the kiddos aren't lazy or dumb (grrrrr pet peeve of mine, just happened again this week) but legit they have a reason #atchat
A3: I find that for some students, more tangible items, such as the post-it notes, can be more beneficial for the student as well because then they have the ability to remove the post-it when they complete the task #ATchat
A3 Low tech schedules and predictable routines are so simple, yet can make all the difference for some kids, and also help the ones we weren’t initially intending them for #UDLchat#ATChat
Q4: #ATchat - Students who struggle with EF skills in MS and HS demonstrate different challenges. What are the issues you deal with for this grade span?
No, tell us more! I also feel strongly that some written expression issues come from the fact that some students need to “see” the writing topic through picture. “Write about what you did on your snow day” can be very abstract to some. #ATchat
A3 As a parent, I found it really important to keep all thelow tech materials needed for homework (writing tools, post its, index cards, etc) on a specific shelf in the kitchen and all homework in ES and MS was done at the kitchen table #atchat
A3 Another challenge S with EF difficulties face is with written expression. A tool I recently discovered is Writeable which seems to provide students with the structure and feedback they need to improve their writing. Is anyone else using it? https://t.co/XWjrzB4TO7#ATchat
A3: Teach organization of note-taking! Start w tools that may highlight for them and progress to more intentional, manual highlighting if ur school is 1:1 device & online. Start with SMMRY, then maybe 2 Auto Highlight extension & then to Super Simple Highlighter extension #Atchat
I think this is a really important tweet to highlight because we need to remember that LOW TECH is still #Assistivetech We don’t always need fancy tools! #ATChat#crayola
A4) I find that my Ss are w/drawn from discussions and just waht out of schl period. Different things that I will do is show/demonstrate the tech to whole class and then individually to try to get the Ss to try something on their own. #ATchat
A4 I advocate for tech use, but with MS and HS it can be hard to keep kids focused when working digitally--so many distractions/internet rabbit holes! I like Mercury Reader and the masking tools in Read and Write and Scan & Read to keep kids more focused #atchat
It seems to offer scaffolded supports and feedback which students needs. Looks pretty neat but I just discovered it so don't have a lot of experience. #ATchat#Writable. https://t.co/XWjrzB4TO7
No, tell us more! I also feel strongly that some written expression issues come from the fact that some students need to “see” the writing topic through picture. “Write about what you did on your snow day” can be very abstract to some. #ATchat
A3 and on A3 - also have been using these with younger because they can "set it" themselves and no BEEPING buttons while they do https://t.co/cj3WJlOTAc#atchat
A4: I see students start to struggle with peer relationships and ability to manage emotions. Many kids who are in constant state of fight or flight. #ATchat
A-4 For middle school, again it depends on the environment and the student, but some things as simple as color coding or backpacks for even and odd days plus locker reminders can help. Not to mention using the cameras on their cell phones for everything. Just like I do. #ATchat
If you have library access, this is the latest: https://t.co/FJ6VOgCGYK Self-Regulation in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Interdisciplinary Perspective on Emotion Regulation, Executive Function, and Effortful Control - DM me if you want it emailed. #atchat
Here's an EF Toolkit google site I created with a link to the resources page. I recommend this to MS and HS Learning Center staff as well as parents. https://t.co/8RLFheelln#ATchat
Anyone have any AT suggestions for emotion regulation?
Most Ts go-to. Point sheets. Do daily reward sheets really work in high school? My opinion ..Not really.... #ATChat
Does this look familiar? Best example of EF challenges and the problem of paper. (I took this a few years ago when I walked down a MS hallway). #ATchat
A4: I think when EF skills are lacked in MS/HS...at times is just a more aggressive response when matched w lack of organization skills AND self regulating emotions #ATchat It's easier 4 a S 2 act out instead of asking 4 help because they may not even realize what help they need!
Q4: #ATchat - Students who struggle with EF skills in MS and HS demonstrate different challenges. What are the issues you deal with for this grade span?
A4: (con't) also have started with HS to use @wakelet to curate their research - I use it daily! And it even adds a "W" wakelet button to my twitter that I can save automatically any tweets that are important :) by categories, and visual... #makesmehappy#ATchat
It is surprising how few MS and HS students know about the reminders and calendar apps. I show them how they can use Siri to help them manage their time and set reminders. #ATchat
Thanks for saying that, Mike. Absolutely agree with using what the Ss already feel comfortable doing & using. Having a sense of control in ur own learning IS a powerful, engaging thing. #Atchat
This is very true, as I am even guilty of that now as well. Starting that reminder at a young age will hopefully lend itself in the future so that it is just a natural instinct when a doc is opened #Atchat
So glad you mentioned the self-esteem and self regulation issues of executive function. You are right. When students feel bad because they can’t keep it together, they can become defensive, or shut down. Many suffer from low self-esteem. #ATchat
What are some ideas for parents to use at home to help their struggling child? (Specifically those students diagnosed with ASD or other learning disabilities at the preschool/ lower grade levels.) #Sp19edfb4338#atchat
YES!!! I may or may not be a new Moment addict. I just showed a district Autism team this app...and they could not WAIT to implement the merge cube #ATchat
and many many places do. I love it when a gen ed teacher comes and says, I know it's an OT thing, but, is it okay if I use it with my whole class #truestory#justlastweek#ATChat (UMMMM YES, it might have been created by an OT, but she feels the same way, she's said so)....
A6 - this is when we have to empower them to use the tools that are readily available in their phones. Help S develop their own EF toolkit. #ATchat
There are many options here. https://t.co/8RLFheelln
A6) Word processing and punch clock software for those going directly into the work force. For those Ss going on to post-sec, word processing w/ dictation, presentation software, and spreadsht #ATchat
Hey everyone! Driving to a water park hotel to play with the family overnight. I’m so sad to be missing the chat tonight, this topic is amazing. I’ll be reading back through when we get where we are going! #atchat
A6: The most important is is an understanding of what works best for you. You, the student, will have to be able to convey that to others whenever you need an accommodation established.
#ATChat
A7: I use the "stickies" to put on my home screen on my laptop so every time I am on my laptop I constantly have a reminder of upcoming events or due dates #ATchat
And I like how I can use the stickies on my desktop to do the same thing! I just don’t get the pleasure of wadding up the paper and throwing it in the trash. #ATchat#senseofaccomplishment
A7 Siri to set reminders and appointments on the Calendar App. Stickies on the desktop and Google Drive and Drop box for everything. I can retrieve everything when it's Digital. Also love saving sites to Diigo #ATchat
That length of time is tough for many students. 25 minutes is manageable. For some students, I recommend starting with shorter increments just to learn how to sustain focus. #ATchat
A7: Siri is my best friend. I ask her to remind me of most tasks I need go get done during the day. I wish we could use Alexa in our class, but I don’t have access to our wifi to set it up.... #ATChat
