Among all the executive functioning skills we’ve reviewed in our 101 series, self-monitoring is the closest to the ‘mythical unicorn.’ When our learners demonstrate well-developed self-monitoring skills, many other executive functioning skills like planning, organization, and time management fall into step.
Self-monitoring comes as the final segment in our Executive Functioning 101 series since it’s achieved in the final stages of coaching and intervention for many learners with unique needs.
While the examples below sometimes focus on children, the principles apply to individuals of all ages, including teens, college students, and adults building executive function. For a developmental snapshot, explore our Executive Functioning Skills by Age Guide.
What is self-monitoring?
The executive functioning skill of self-monitoring reflects how we understand our behaviors and how we adjust to make changes for the future. Self-monitoring behaviors can include both work-checking behaviors (reviewing mistakes, fixing errors, etc.) and social behaviors (responding to social norms, situational awareness, apologizing).
Self-monitoring can also refer to a behavior-intervention technique used with diverse learners to help them record and monitor their behavior as part of changing some aspects of responding.
In our Executive Functioning 101 series, we’ll refer to both self-monitoring techniques and how they contribute to the skill of self-monitoring.
Examples of self-monitoring
Self-monitoring involves not only observing our behaviors but also how they impact others around us. There are two primary ways we engage in self-monitoring, depending on the type of observations we make:
- Qualitative Monitoring – In qualitative monitoring, we observe the characteristics of our environment and behavior. This might include attending to how things make us feel (“I get angry when…”), sensations in the body (“My neck gets sore when I…”), or how our behavior changes the environment (“When I do this, my friends laugh at me.”) In addition, qualitative monitoring can help monitor how our behavior matches with social norms and standards.
- Quantitative Monitoring – In contrast, quantitative monitoring involves direct observation of instances of behavior or permanent products of our behavior. This might include frequency (“I did twelve math problems.”), duration (“I did homework for thirty-three minutes.”) and intensity or difficulty of a behavior (“I did the extra-hard math problems.”) Quantitative monitoring can help address behavior-change interventions, allowing us to see exactly how much a behavior increases or decreases.
What behaviors can self-monitoring be useful for?
One reason parents, teachers, coaches, and other supporters who work with learners with unique needs value self-monitoring is the extensive research supporting its effectiveness. Individuals who engage in high rates of self-monitoring demonstrate:
- Increased on-task behavior
- Lower rates of disruptive behaviors
- Increased fluency of day-to-day tasks
- Less aggressive and destructive behaviors
- Increased pro-social behaviors, including initiations, cooperation, and listening skills.
There are benefits to the learner, but there are benefits to teachers, parents, and adult allies when diverse learners get a boost in self-monitoring skills. Once a self-monitoring system is taught, it requires less direct involvement from adults. Less time is spent 1:1 with a learner, freeing up time for teaching other skills that matter. Secondly, because there are often behavior data recorded, it’s easier for learners and adults to communicate. There are actual numbers (and sometimes graphs and charts) to compare—rather than debating whether behavior occurred.
Self-Monitoring and Challenging Behavior
Self-monitoring can be challenging to evaluate in learners since much of it involves private thoughts and choice-making. Unless we dig deeper or teach our learners to collect data on behavior, it can be challenging to evaluate your learner’s self-monitoring strengths and weaknesses. However, there can be some good indicators that a learner might need a boost in this area.
- Does your learner speed through tasks without evaluating completeness or identifying errors?
- Does your learner need to be reminded to slow down and complete work carefully?
- Does your learner struggle to recognize when their challenging behaviors negatively impact others?
- Is it difficult for your learner to monitor their behavior and make changes based on those observations? I
If so, you may consider teaching self-monitoring skills alongside many of the other executive functioning skills above.
How to Evaluate Self-Monitoring Skills
Start with a skills assessment
There are many different executive functioning skills assessments available to families and educators. These simple assessments and checklists can be completed without prior training and focus heavily on your personal experience with your learner. Start brainstorming the task-initiation skills your learner might need to build upon by downloading our self-monitoring skills pre-assessment below and complete it with your learner.
Organize your learner’s support network
You may not be alone in identifying areas to build your learner’s executive functioning skills. If your learner receives speech, OT, PT, or other IEP services, they may already have goals related to self-monitoring skills. Reach out to your learner’s care team to coordinate and discuss ways to incorporate self-monitoring into other activities in your learner’s weekly schedule.
Seek a new professional evaluation
If your learner’s current care-coordination team does not have an executive functioning expert on board, consider adding a professional trained in this area. Behavior analysts, psychologists, life-skills coaches, and parenting coaches can all be helpful resources to give you the tools and skills necessary to help your learner succeed.