#LDchat Archive
Understood holds this weekly Twitter chat that aims to keep the momentum going and raise awareness of learning and attention issues. Follow along with hashtag #LDCHAT and follow users @understoodchats & @understoodorg. Experts will be available to answer your questions and concerns and share resources from Understood.org.
Wednesday May 25, 2016
Welcome to today’s LD Chat! Today, we’ll be talking about issues.
This is Dan with the Understood team. I'll be moderating the chat with .
Co-hosting is Erin Ramsey, Senior Manager of Mind in the Making at the Bezos Family Foundation.
Erin works closely with Undertood expert and will be tweeting from her handle.
We’ll also be giving away a few copies of Ellen’s book, Mind in the Making, during today’s chat.
Check your DMs by the end of the chat to see if you’ve been chosen.
Hi Peter! Great to have you.
Hi, all! Happy Wednesday from , MA!
Join now for 9-9:30 a.m. PT. Topic: (they’ll have giveaways!)
Jenn here in Iowa, wrapping up the school year!
Hi Everyone! This is Erin.
Peter here. with a PhD. ? That's me. I wrote a book! Screwed up somehow but not stupid: Life with a learning disability
Great to have you, Jenn! How's the end of the year treating you?
Great! Thanks! We're already in the middle of planning for the next year. Life of a teacher :)
Hi all, 1st day of summer for my family!
hi everyone! Bridget from MN - get 2 play w/ tech most days :-)
does school end in May in Iowa? We go til mid-to-late June around here. Of course, at CLC we're open year-round :-D
Good morning, ! Checking in from Hawaii
Hi Bridget! Great to have you!
We’ll use a Q1, Q2… format for questions. Please use the A1, A2… format for answers.
I can for 10 more minutes until I have to teach my next class!
How's the weather today in Hawaii?
Thanks, everyone, for joining! First question coming up...
Our last day in my school is June 3. Most IA schools end in May
A1 I don't think there is ONE thing called executive function. It's a bunch of things and we can be good or bad at any of it
A1. that’s a huge question as is made up of many components
A1: EF is a huge range of skills that have *something* to do with organization.
saying hi from melbourne Australia
That's true. Have you seen any specifics in kids you know or work with?
A1 "organization" is just too broad. I am very organized in some ways and very DISorganized in others
A1 includes cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control,working memory & focus
A1: At the HS, I see losing assignments, incompletes, inappropriate reactions to social situations, and exploding lockers--typically
A1: trouble with things oike organizational skills, meta-cognition, and working memory among others.
memory, organization, time management, focus, and much more
A1. I am finding more and more that it is a catch-all phrase that is used to describe a combo of organization and attention issues
A1. Executing everyday tasks, I like the "conductor of the orchestra" analogy
Hi all. Kerri, joining late as usual, to a chat on executive functioning. Hahaha.
A1 Any number of cognitive processes on which we rely to help us stay on top of the many demands on busy lives.
nice translation into real world examples of
A1: Very broadly, a challenge w/staying on task, which involves a pattern of chronic difficulties in executing daily functioning
So, is "executive function" even a useful concept? Or is it too broad?
A1 Jack Shonkoff referes to them as the air traffic controller of the brain
A1. Well, my inability to keep track of time today would be one example of an EF issue. ;)
A1 Can affect multiple areas.
Q2. What are some symptoms of issues?
A1. Yes, mental skills that help the brain organize and act on information.
A2 Getting lost. Losing things. Forgetting things. Not giving enough time. Giving too much time.
A2 Not planning, planning too much, being disorganized, being too organized.
A2: In school-losing things, missing deadlines, frustration at multi-step probs and assignments.
A1. EF issues affect a person’s ability to organize, control impulses/emotions, planning/prioritizing, etc.
Sorry! Before I go. If anyone wants to discuss STEM in special ed come to tomorrow night!
https://t.co/KGvvoHJUBp
Come to this Thursday at 9pm EST
will be our host!
https://t.co/R8JS3bRElU
Our next chat is this week on Thursday. We are talking about STEM activities for the math classroom
A2: At home-3000+ projects, none of them done. Double booking or missing appts
A2 challenges with remembering rules, paying attention, and going on automatic
A2. Most visible is a mess of a backpack/binder/locker and difficulty getting assignments from point A to point B
I find it can be a helpful umbrella term to begin conversation about a class of specific challenges students can have.
sometimes it is really difficult to get started on a task, "stuck" on the right 1st steps
its 2 broad. there is not enough helpful info out there that breaks it down into digestible info 4 many
A2 Can affect planning of social interactions as well.
A2 we can always improve these skills
A2 Sometimes, the lack of skill is very hard to fix. Better to go around the mountain
A2: I find it helpful to identify the sub areas of EF affected and then work from there.
A2: Impulsivity can affect classroom participation, and social interactions. It can be damaging to peer relationships.
A1 the ability to follow through and complete tasks that are complex. Can be organization, process or other
This is great for life in general!
Q3. How can parents help kids with issues?
You can also try these games that might help preschoolers develop executive functioning skills https://t.co/zgRoOGqW1k
A3 Don't try to do too much.
A3: Don't get frustrated at repetition. Write checklists, designate routine, etc. Try, try again.
A3. Parents need to make sure that there is a distraction-free, organized place to do HW
I don't try to keep "everything in its place"; just a few key things: Keys, wallet, glasses.
A2 for some big task are hard to start because they can see no end. Have to chunk it out.
A3: Keep a big calendar in a major area, use phone alarms for appts.
Any tips on how to create an effective homework station?
A3. Modeling organization as best as possible is helpful
Social stories can help w/sequencing (what comes next in a series of activities) and 'executive functioning' (planning/organizing).
A3 I'd recommend leading them through their interactions beforehand. Determining the right course of action in certain situations.
A3. Keep a visual calendar for short and long-term assignments. Encourage student to teacher communication
A3 teaching strategies to manage themselves
A3. Leave concrete reminders, visual schedules, etc. for tasks to be done.
A3. Developing monthly calendars, to help keep track of assignments, etc.
A3. Developing monthly calendars, to help keep track of assignments, etc.
A3 If you (the parent) are very organized, don't try to get your kid to that level
A3: Understand that EF also comes with age. A 5yo has a lot less EF than a 15yo.
A3 watching what their children naturally do to manage themselves then building on those natural tendencies
A3 We share a digital family calendar, help with over booking and planning of homework. Love teachers who share google calendar too
A3 Also, for me and other NLDers. NEVER use anything visual. Words please. Images make me crazy
Ooh, I do this all the time! Designated space, same time, checklists, planner, check-ins, rewards!
A3 playing skill games and then changing the rules once they are mastered; Simon Says, I Spy,etc.
Yes! Ideally NOT in the child's bedroom. A clean, organized workspace with pencils, stickie notes, highlighters 1/2
A3: Help them to develop time management techniques. EF Coach employs a great one involving coloring in sections of a clock.
A3 Help children set and work toward their OWN goals; skills are driven by goals
A3 Break schedule into very small steps: 8AM wake up. 8:02 brush teeth. 8:04 wash face etc. (if needed)
A3: Kids need to borrow parents frontal lobes as they learn strategies to help them cope w/ . Then, transfer responsibility
A3 we also have regular schedule for homework, same place & all our supplies in reach. Can send distractions to other part of house
whiteboard calendar that is color-coded for assignments & other activities is key for EF kids 2/2
A3 I tend to allot way too much time to all tasks. So I always carry a book (or my Kindle) to use while waiting
Final question coming up...
Love this. Kids are only going to overcome EF challenges w/ strategies. Will only use strategies if theyre invested.
A3 And remember, one size does not fit all. What works for one LD kid will be disaster with another
A3 develop your own strategies to focus and then model and share them
Q4. What are some classroom accommodations for kids with issues?
A4 Put things in writing and make them easily visible from beginning of class.
A4: Extra time, scaffolding of multi-step probs (such as provide cues for each step) frequent redirection
I would argue that it's not all that strong in teens ;) Developmentally, the frontal lobe is still percolating!
A4 Do NOT just give assignment verbally at end of class
Thank you for this! Not all are the same. Each child needs a solution to work for them.
A4 Give coaching or hints on how much time each task should take (for parents of younger kids, too)
This is interesting because we don’t really see accommodations for EFissues in , & we should. https://t.co/AgzJBWxgdx
Q4. What are some classroom accommodations for kids with issues?
A3 all children benefit from learning that is engaging; physical involvement and variety of approaches for different learning styles
A4: Dedicated time for organizing assign, written agendas, color-coding, coaching for socially appropriate interaction
A4 Also, hints on how difficult each HW problem or task ought to be is useful
A4: Write it down. Follow verbal instructions with a personalized check-in: "what are we doing now? where can you find directions?"
A4: I'll admit, a bunch of these are also strats and services, not accommodations.
A4 Maps of where things are in the school and the classrooms
A4. Teachers should always present assignments verbally and in written form. Don't rely on online HW sites like Schoology
We’re about to wrap up. Any final thoughts?
