Episode Details

In this episode, I’m answering FAQs from the School of Clinical Leadership members about supporting students’ executive functioning.

I answer the following questions:

What is frontloading, and why is it useful for students experiencing executive dysfunction and anxiety?

When is it best to use structured, explicit instruction, and when is it best to let students figure things out on their own?

How do you help students who won’t complete work unless they have an adult sitting next to them?

How do we provide ENOUGH support for students who need explicit instruction, but not so much that we’re making students prompt dependent?

What can school staff do if parents aren’t setting boundaries with kids at home?

How can we support parents who are struggling with bed times and morning routines? 

This Q & A was done for members of the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that teaches related service providers how to support executive functioning in the K-12 setting. You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarenspeech.lpages.co/lta-foundations-enrollment-2-web-fb

I also mentioned my Time Tracking Journal tool, which provides a strategy that helps children build the executive functioning skills they need to complete multistep tasks. You can learn more about the Time Tracking Journal here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/timejournal

You can sign up for the free executive functioning training called “How to be evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming with executive functioning support” here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efleadership

I mentioned an additional examples of frontloading for social situations in this previous podcast episode: EP 167: Executive Functioning Support: Three Paradigm Shifts for School Teams. Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-167-a-framework-for-executive-functioning-intervention-three-shifts-for-school-teams/

Finally, I mention the explicit instruction framework by Anita Archer and Charles Hughes. Link here: https://explicitinstruction.org/ 

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL and Renaissance:

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversat