Universal Design for Learning guidelines table with emphasis on Executive Function.
Executive Function skills are essential for students to become expert learners who are strategic and goal directed. Options listed in the UDL framework empower students to take ownership of their own self-management, organization, and growth. Consider these factors when setting up EF options for your student: What are your students' strengths? What are their preferences? What are they interested in? What motivates them? These general considerations can be offered in a variety of settings and modified to match certain age groups, grade levels, and environments. However, there are specific tools and resources that can be helpful as educational interventions specifically relating to self management, time management, information management, and materials management. SELF MANAGEMENT How do students take care of their bodies and minds in order to engage in learning? How does regulating emotions help them stay focused and calm? What routines and strategies help them plan and set priorities for their daily schedules and task lists? Students who struggle in this area may get easily overwhelmed, have behavior outbursts or become easily distracted. Self management is a critical element of executive functioning that can make a positive difference in student performance and outcomes. When bodies and emotions are
regulated and daily routines create predictability, the stage is set to maximize learning. According to the Fairfax County Public Schools Assistive Technology and Executive Functioning Page, “Self-management skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, set priorities and resist impulsive actions or responses. A student needs to sort through a constant stream of sensory information and needs to employ self-regulation strategies to monitor and regulate one’s thinking, attention, behavior, emotions, and social interactions.” Students who struggle in this area may benefit from tools and strategies that support self regulation such as visual schedules, social stories, movement, and engagement. SELF-REGULATION Student choice is an important aspect of addressing self- regulation. The Zones of Regulation is an instructional program with engaging visuals that educators can use to teach students self-regulation skills. The program offers a color-coded self- evaluation scale where students rate their emotions and then choose from a menu of activities to regulate their emotions to the just right level for learning. The Zones of Regulation App Bundle is a supplemental digital tool which uses a game format to teach the foundational concepts of the program. Students can also create their own choice board from scratch.
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