How to Improve Executive Functioning: featuring Carrie Schmitt, OTD
Jordan Langdon
Have you ever felt like your family’s day-to-day functioning could be smoother, more efficient, and connected? Maybe you're frustrated because you or your child keeps making decisions without considering the outcome, blurts out, or has difficulty with planning, prioritizing, and time management. Just because you or your child struggle in these areas, doesn't indicate a surefire diagnosis of ADD or ADHD.
In this episode, Carrie Schmitt, a Doctor of Occupational Therapy, joins us to share how a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, just being an adolescent, being in a situation that is emotionally charged, or your cup being "too full" each contribute to a decreased ability to perform executive function skills when needed. Carrie helps by offering practical tips for improving executive function skills - which help with those frustrations and are essential for all ages.
Carrie suggests parents increase their own self-awareness with the free 'Smart but Scattered' assessment, to identify their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to Executive Functioning. Once a parent has completed the assessment, it's great to assess kids too!
Carrie talks about how a simple formula for training kids to improve in organizational skills, time management, decision making, impulse control, and managing emotions is the "I do, We do, You do" approach. She explains how "MAR" can assist kids in improving their executive functioning (Modify - changing their environment, Accommodations - extra time on tests, tools to bridge gaps in skills, Remediate - reteach the skill from the beginning or seek Occupational Therapy Services).
To learn about games and assistive products you can use in your home or school classroom to help kids bolster their Executive Function skills, visit Carrie's website!
Carrie and her husband Tim are proud supporters of Families of Character and give on a monthly basis! Donate here to join them in their effort to get more FREE resources in the hands of parents!
In this episode, Carrie Schmitt, a Doctor of Occupational Therapy, joins us to share how a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, just being an adolescent, being in a situation that is emotionally charged, or your cup being "too full" each contribute to a decreased ability to perform executive function skills when needed. Carrie helps by offering practical tips for improving executive function skills - which help with those frustrations and are essential for all ages.
Carrie suggests parents increase their own self-awareness with the free 'Smart but Scattered' assessment, to identify their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to Executive Functioning. Once a parent has completed the assessment, it's great to assess kids too!
Carrie talks about how a simple formula for training kids to improve in organizational skills, time management, decision making, impulse control, and managing emotions is the "I do, We do, You do" approach. She explains how "MAR" can assist kids in improving their executive functioning (Modify - changing their environment, Accommodations - extra time on tests, tools to bridge gaps in skills, Remediate - reteach the skill from the beginning or seek Occupational Therapy Services).
To learn about games and assistive products you can use in your home or school classroom to help kids bolster their Executive Function skills, visit Carrie's website!
Carrie and her husband Tim are proud supporters of Families of Character and give on a monthly basis! Donate here to join them in their effort to get more FREE resources in the hands of parents!
