Self-monitoring may be one of the more challenging executive functioning skills for diverse learners. Unfortunately, it may also be the executive functioning skill that could benefit these same individuals the most. In some ways, self-monitoring is the glue that binds other executive functioning skills like planning, organization, and emotional control together to help achieve goals and greater independence.
Individuals with ADHD, Autism and related diagnoses may have difficulties with attention, social, and communication–skills that directly contribute to observing behavior and making changes for the future. In addition, without strong prerequisite skills for self-monitoring, diverse learners may not recognize how their own behavior contributes to challenges.
Therefore, parents and teachers may need to use additional interventions and strategies to support diverse learners. Self-monitoring skills may develop differently or at a different speed than other students.
Today we’re outlining strategies that can help bridge gaps in self-monitoring skills, assisting diverse learners in understanding why and how it leads to success and positive behavior change.
Defining Self-Monitoring
Self-monitoring refers to how we understand our behaviors and how we adjust and make changes in 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).
How we develop self-monitoring
We begin to develop self-monitoring at a young age through imitation. By identifying how our behavior is the same or different from others and then adapting it to match, we begin to learn how to self-monitor. We use self-monitoring in activities like journaling, checklists, and reflection by middle school and high school. Into adulthood, we can check our work for mistakes, monitor our performance, and work harder in the future to achieve bigger goals.
While we’ve written this here before, it’s worth reiterating. Evidence supports that all individuals can make progress towards achieving executive functioning goals. Some individuals may need additional strategies and support to sustain success, especially when it comes to self-monitoring. Even if your learner may need long-term plans and supports to succeed, there’s strong evidence to keep working towards achieving self-monitoring goals.
3 Long-Term Strategies and Supports for Diverse Learners to Use Self-Monitoring
1. Check-in, Check-Out Intervention
For learners who may need help developing self-monitoring skills fully, one evidence-based strategy shown to boost success is the check-in, check-out” or CICO method.
Behavior specialists developed CICO as a Tier 2 intervention for classrooms implementing school-wide positive behavior supports. In the intervention, learners use a custom report card to check in with a mentor or adult at periodic points throughout the day. At each check-in, the learner and adult discuss a set of self-monitoring questions (e.g., Are you on track right now? What are you doing well? What could be going better?) and then assign points. The better the learner does on self-monitoring goals, the higher the points awarded at each check-in.
At the onset of the day, the learner needs to earn a specific number of points throughout the day to receive a privilege or reward. If the learner has difficulty during a check-in period, they head back to their regular activities and try again until the next check-in time.
Check-ins can happen at certain times throughout the day (e.g., every 15 minutes, every hour). They can also occur after different activities (e.g., after morning work, after each activity transition). Check-ins can be customized, so they happen more often to start and then gradually fade to fewer and fewer check-ins as a learner begins to self-monitor without using the points card. A lower number of points can be used first and then expanded to raise the requirement over time.
Would you like more information about the Check-in/Check-out Intervention? Then, download our free activity guide with customizable points cards.
2. Teach self-instruction or self-talk
Another strategy that can be helpful for diverse learners who struggle with self-monitoring is to teach them to use self-instruction or self-talk. A cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention, self-talk interventions teach learners to repeat a sequence of statements or narrate their activities out loud.
Our brains have a powerful capacity to control our behavior based on our thoughts or what we say. Unfortunately, these thoughts aren’t productive for many diverse learners, are scattered, or are easily distracted. By giving learners a script or set of statements to follow, they can independently bring these scattered private thoughts into better focus, guiding themselves through challenging activities or social situations.
Self-instruction and self-talk also have the benefit that once taught, the interventions require very little support from others. Modifications to different skill levels, including adaptations to include visuals or audio supports, are also easy to make with self-talk interventions.
3. Teach self-reinforcement
One final strategy to review and teach diverse learners that ties closely with self-monitoring is to build self-reinforcement. Unfortunately, many interventions for diverse learners involve extrinsic or tangible motivation. While there’s time and place to deliver these types of reinforcers, they’re frequently built upon contrived contingencies (e.g., “if you get an A on the test, you can have $5 allowance).
However, focusing on self-reinforcement and more natural contingencies of motivation (e.g., “if I get an A on the test, I’ll have achieved my personal best score”) can help improve self-monitoring skills and build more sustainable behavior progress. Your learner decides what’s motivating, works to achieve the goal, and selects their reward for achievement.
Customize and Individualize When Teaching Self-Monitoring
The best strategies for improving self-monitoring skills should be customized to a learner’s unique needs. Some learners can jump right into one of the activities listed above. Others might need sub-goals or skills to be broken apart into smaller steps. Focus on setting SMART goals realistic for your student and then aim to expand.
Most importantly, if you need support in evaluating and creating an intervention to build self-monitoring skills, reach out to an executive functioning coach or another member of your learner’s care team. Self-monitoring can “take a village” of supports to teach; reach out when you need it.
Further Reading
- APA Dictionary of Psychology – Self Monitoring
- PBIS Missouri – Check In-Check Out Method Resources
- The IRIS Center. (2008). SOS: Helping students become independent learners. Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/sr/
- The IRIS Center (2008). Self-Reinforcement. Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/sr/cresource/q2/p07/#content
- Life Skill Advocate Blog -The 12 Time Management Skills To Teach Your Child Now
- Science Direct Research Review – Self-Talk