3 shifts you can make in your home that support your child's executive functioning

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Does your child’s environment at home and at school help or hurt his or her executive function skills?

Find out how simple shifts in the environment can support your child’s executive functioning.

When we talk about supporting a child’s executive functioning, we’re looking at making modifications in three areas: the environment, the task itself, and the level of support provided.

Today we’re going to focus on the environment and what can be tweaked to better support the child.

Step 1: Identify and reduce distractions in your child’s work area.

Our first step is to look for distractions.

Some common distractions to look for:

• Is there a television playing in the background?

• Is there a cellphone or other tempting electronic device within reach?

• Are there siblings or other family members present who might be distracting?

In the classroom, teachers experiment with different seating options. They know who should sit in front and who shouldn’t sit together. At home, you might want to experiment with different work areas. Does your child need complete silence and minimal visual stimulation? Or does he do better doing homework at the kitchen table with family nearby? Noise cancelling headphones, white noise makers, and desk privacy shields can reduce distractions when a change in location isn’t possible.

Step 2: Modify the environment to make tasks easier.

How can you simplify, adjust proximity, make easier, or make more enjoyable?

For example, if your child always leaves his clothing on the floor of his bedroom, consider moving the hamper from the bathroom to his bedroom right next to where he normally dumps the clothing on the floor.

Or if your child is always wiggling or popping out of her desk chair, then consider swapping out that uncomfortable desk chair for a balance ball or wobble stool or cushion, or even a standing desk.

Step 3: Use the environment to prompt actions.

How can you let the environment do the teaching and prompting for you? If your child forgets to give you important forms from school, place an inbox right by the door for your child to place those documents in as soon as she gets home. This can also look like visual or written reminders or checklists.

Or it can be as simple as a strategically placed post-it note with a written or visual reminder. Perhaps on the bathroom mirror to prompt tooth brushing in the morning. Consider also how the placement of items can support executive function skills. For example, placing a backpack and shoes by the door in the evening increases the chance that your child will remember them as they’re rushing out the door in the morning.

So to recap, here’s your homework:

Step 1: Identify and reduce distractions in your child’s works area

Step 2: Modify the environment to make tasks easier

Step 3: Use the environment to prompt actions

When we set up our homes to support executive function skills, then we can take a break from giving endless reminders (and stop being seen as a nag by our children!)