Plant SEEDS: Cultivating Emotional Growth in Youth — Week 3: Executive Functioning
The 2020-2021 school year is starting off unlike any in recent memory. With schools pursuing in-person, virtual, and hybrid learning models, children and families are adjusting to new rules and altered routines in an unfamiliar and uncertain landscape. Navigating so many changes at once can be overwhelming.
SEEDS is a skill that can help improve emotional regulation and prepare oneself for the school day. SEEDS (a youth-friendly version of a DBT skill called PLEASE) helps kids and teens manage their emotions by taking care of their bodies. This week’s SEEDS strategy focuses on Executive Functioning. The Executive Functioning skill is all about helping kids situate themselves to better access learning.
Without getting too much into the weeds, Executive Functioning is a compilation of sub-skills that we need to solve problems, complete tasks, and achieve goals. Executive Functions include planning, organization, task initiation, attention, emotion regulation, and others. (They do not include intelligence, knowledge, or memory.)
Here’s how to use the SEEDS skill of Executive Functioning to prepare yourself and your child for school:
Educate Yourself
Educating yourself (and your child) on the expectations and requirements of the school is a proactive measure which may reduce anxiety, lead to improved emotional regulation, and increase you and your student’s ability to respond to daily challenges in a helpful way.
The following questions provide a quick and easy self-assessment to determine if you (or your child) need more information about expectations and guidelines this school year:
SEEDS Executive Functioning Self-Assessment
Do we know the schedule and does it stay the same or vary each day?
Do we know how to contact the teacher(s) with questions?
For e-learning:
Do we know the log-in times for each class?
Do we understand and satisfy all of the technology requirements?
Do all of the teachers have the same expectations for asking questions or getting clarification about schoolwork?
Will lessons be posted for review after class as videos or a set of notes?
Where are homework assignments located and how is work submitted?
What are the expectations regarding breaks throughout the day?
For in-person learning:
Are masks required? At what times?
Are there other safety procedures students must follow on a day-to-day basis?
Are there new procedures for submitting assignments?
Are there conditions under which in-person attendance may switch to e-learning?
Physically Prepare to Learn
Once you’ve gathered all the information above, it’s time to take preparatory measures to reduce the strain of challenges you may encounter during the year. Get your body and mind ready for learning with the following tips!
Get your body and mind ready for e-learning:
Establish a ‘zone’ to complete schoolwork. When possible, a quiet area free of distractions is ideal. However, we know that many families struggle with quiet, differentiated school spaces in their homes. In the absence of separate rooms and spaces, get creative. One family pulled a stool up to the kitchen counter while the parent worked at the table - voilà - school ‘zone!’
Come up with a plan for taking breaks and decreasing distress during the day which aligns with school expectations. Create a menu of distress tolerance and calming strategies from deep breathing to stretching. Distance learning has significantly decreased natural opportunities for breaks, so build them in!
Older students may benefit from maintaining a ‘quick access’ document to organize assignments by deadline and relevant links provided by teachers. Some students find it helpful to consult with an executive functioning coach to kickstart the organization and planning process!
Have your daily schedule visible in your school zone. Visual schedules help children to be physically prepared for each class and know when to use distress tolerance strategies.
Get your body and mind ready for in-person learning:
If masks are required, come up with a plan to ensure the student always has one. We recommend a daily “mask alarm” as a reminder. Many families also do a “mask check” each night to ensure one (if not several) clean masks are in the student’s school bag.
Preparing for the school day requires honed Executive Functioning skills and parental/caregiver support. If you need assistance physically planning, organizing, and figuring out the right system for school days, reach out to us at hello@mindchicago.com. We’re here to help.
If you missed it, check out our previous SEEDS posts on Sleep and Exercise!
Authored by Mind Chicago therapist and Clinical Manager, Erika McKnight, LCPC.
