Executive function and resilience are closely connected. When planning, starting, shifting, and regulating are supported, it becomes easier to recover from setbacks and try again. If a learner forgets assignments, melts down during homework, or freezes when directions feel unclear, that is not a character flaw. It often means they need more scaffolding for executive … read more
We’ve already written before about the benefits of journaling, especially for neurodivergent teens. Keeping a journal can help your teen or young adult organize thoughts, build mental discipline, and track progress over time. However, journaling may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It can be hard to stick with it, and some people may feel … read more
As a parent, educator, or family member of a neurodivergent teen, you’ve likely seen first hand the day-to-day ups and downs of navigating an unpredictable world. It’s hard enough to work your way through adolescence and young adulthood, without the added stressors of anxiety, impulsiveness, forgetfulness, and distractibility that can come along with forms of … read more
We all have our go-to playlist when we need to get work done, our favorite tunes that help us power through a task and stay focused. But did you ever stop and think about why music has the ability to improve our executive function and help us concentrate better? In this blog post, we’ll be … read more
Recently we came across some new statistics about executive functioning: 82% of people don’t have a time management system (Accuity Training, 2022) 25% of people “Just deal with whatever seems most important at the time” (Accuity Training, 2022) 1 in 8 people (12.5%) never feel under control at work (Accuity Training, 2022) Thousands of people … read more
Here at Life Skills Advocate, we often discuss with clients and families that there’s not just one answer to challenges with executive functioning. The area of our brain responsible for EF skills–the prefrontal cortex–manages all types of complex behavior, including decision-making, personality, and goal orientation. A lot is happening there, which means we can’t always … read more