Well-developed executive functioning (EF) skills are essential for successful participation in school. It is necessary for students to possess these skills to effectively manage tasks such as organizing their time, assignments and schedules or making a plan and seeing it through to completion. Moreover, well-developed EF skills are necessary for a student to self-regulate, attend to task and to inhibit impulses. Most students, but especially those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), have difficulty with these foundational skills. This results in difficulties academically and socially and makes successfully fulfilling their role as a student challenging. This four-hour, evidence-based workshop was designed to present to a group of teachers and school-based occupational therapists to instruct on effective ways to recognize and treat difficulties with executive functioning in students. While the presentation will target middle school teachers, fourth and fifth-grade teachers will also be encouraged to attend as an improved understanding of executive functioning difficulties may help them better prepare their students for the often-stressful transition to middle school. Furthermore, the workshop will prepare participants to implement evidence-based strategies to make their students more successful in and out of the classroom. Finally, the role of occupational therapy (OT) in addressing executive functioning difficulties with students will be discussed.
