Executive Functioning at Its Best: Plan, Focus, Remember, and Self-Regulate for Success

All individuals need strong executive function (EF) skills to succeed in all areas of life. Every day and in every task, individuals must draw on EF skills to complete daily work–whether that work is at school, at home, in the community, or at a job. EF skills also play a large role in building and maintaining relationships and engaging socially with others. Students who don’t have strong EF skills struggle to succeed in school because their mental inflexibility, emotional lability, and impulsivity may interfere with their ability to meet behavioral expectations.

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Identify and articulate five components of competent executive function.
• Communicate how EF deficits can impact learning and behavior in preschool through high school students.
• Describe strategies that can be implemented with a diverse student population across age and grade levels, resulting in improved learning and behavior.

Dr. Sheri Wilkins has worked in the field of education for over 30 years at the preschool, elementary, high school, and university levels. She has dedicated her professional career to serving students with disabilities and building the capacity of educators to better serve this unique population.

Carol Burmeister has over 40 years of experience as a paraprofessional, general education teacher, special education teacher, program specialist, university instructor, and consultant in a wide variety of educational settings. This has provided her with the opportunity to work with students with unique learning needs including those with cognitive, behavioral, communication, and autism spectrum disorders.