One of my favorite “hooks” or titles to use when I’m talking about executive functioning centers around the idea that executive functioning intervention is about “more than just checklists”.
I like this title so much because one of the go-to interventions or accommodations for students with executive functioning difficulties includes some type of visual strategy or “checklist” to help them remember steps to important tasks.
Yet many teams are finding that students don’t use the visuals or supports they’re given, and they still aren’t able to keep up with transitions, classroom routines, or turn their assignments in on time.
That’s why in this fifth episode of my podcast series on “Five Skills to Create Your Executive Functioning Intervention Framework”, I talked about the final skill: Encoding
What I uncover in this episode:
✅ How we use encoding when making a list or planning for the future.
✅ How weak encoding skills limit a student’s ability to use supports like visual schedules, checklists, or self-talk effectively.
✅ How adults unintentionally inhibit the development of encoding when introducing cognitive tools like planners or lists.
✅ Why students may appear
unmotivated or resistant when the real issue is an inability to
visualize future events and transfer that
mental imagery into words.
In this episode, I mentioned my free training for school leaders who want to create a research-based
executive functioning implementation plan for their school teams.
You can sign up for the training here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efleadership
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
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- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
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Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.What is De Facto Leaders?
On the De Facto Leaders podcast, host Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan helps pediatric therapists and educators become better leaders, so they can make a bigger impact with their services. With over 15 years of experience supporting school-age kids with diverse learning needs, Dr. Karen shares up-to-date evidence-based practices, her own experiences and guest interviews designed to help clinicians, teachers, and aspiring school leaders feel more confident in the way they serve their students and clients. She’ll cover a range of topics designed to help you support students' emotional and academic growth and set kids up for success in adulthood, including how to support language, literacy, executive functioning, and how to help IEP teams working together to support kids across the day. Whether you want to learn more effective strategies for your therapy session or classroom, be a more influential leader on your team, or find creative ways to use your skills to advance in your career, Dr. Karen has you covered.