Executive Edge: Advance Organizer

Advance Organizer: Building Executive Functioning Skills with Smart But Scattered

We are now on Chapter 9 of Smart But Scattered by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare! So far, we have explored the ABCs of designing interventions to improve your child’s executive functioning skills:

• A: Change the Antecedent (Modify the Environment)

• B: Address the Behavior Directly (Teach Skills)

• C: Change the Consequence (Provide Incentives)

This chapter provides a practical guide for those who may feel unsure about where to start. Peg and Richard break down the process into manageable steps, making it easier to implement effective strategies for your child.

Step 1: Do the Minimum Necessary for Your Child to Be Successful

As parents, we often want to do everything we can to help our children, but it’s important to start small and build from there. Here are some key strategies:

• Try Environmental Modifications First: Instead of overwhelming your child with multiple interventions, begin with simple modifications.

  • Example: Leave a sticky note on the kitchen table reminding your child to walk the dog. After three weeks, remove the note and observe if the habit has formed.

• Encourage Time Awareness: Help your child estimate how long homework assignments will take and compare that to actual time spent. Over time, this helps improve their time management skills.

• Organizational Check-ins: If your child has the necessary tools for organization but struggles with motivation, implement a points-based system. For example, if your child keeps their backpack and folder organized for a full week, they earn 5 points toward an agreed-upon reward.

• Behavioral Skills & Incentives: Reinforce positive behaviors like using kind words or handling wins/losses gracefully by using token systems (e.g., marbles, tickets). These incentives can be physical rewards, quality time, or praise.

• Scaffolding Emotional Control: If emotional control is an issue, practice monitoring through structured games and role-playing. Incorporate incentives to encourage self-regulation.

• Explicit Skill Teaching: Some skills, like long-term project planning, require structured guidance. Sit down with your child to break tasks into manageable steps and set realistic deadlines.

Step 2: Learn the Principles That Underlie Effective Strategies

It’s okay to step back and review strategies if something isn’t working. Use Chapter 9 as a reference guide to ensure you're implementing steps effectively. Not every strategy will work the first time, so adjustments may be necessary.

Step 3: Tackle Specific Daily Routines

Whether you’re a parent of a preschooler struggling with morning routines or a middle/high schooler battling procrastination, this book provides 20+ pre-made intervention plans for daily routines.

Where to Start?

If everything feels overwhelming, start with the routine that would have the biggest impact on improving your daily life. Quality of life is key, and tackling one routine at a time can make a huge difference.

Example:

• Maggie, a 4-year-old, struggled with bedtime routines. Her mom, Cindy, chose to tackle this first because sleep is essential. By implementing small, structured steps, bedtime became smoother and less stressful.

When choosing a routine to tackle, consider:

• Starting small for quick wins

• Involving your child in the decision-making process

• Thinking long-term (e.g., how will this help them in college?)

• Identifying which executive skills will be strengthened in the process

Step 4: Target Specific Executive Skill Weaknesses

If pre-made strategies for daily routines don’t fit your needs, upcoming chapters will offer more in-depth guidance on specific executive skills.

Tips for Designing Your Own Program

• Let your child take ownership of the plan.

• Listen to their input and incorporate their suggestions.

• Customize based on your child’s needs—what works for you may not work for them.

• Brainstorm together—this actively strengthens executive skills.

• Be flexible and expect adjustments.

• Practice role-playing and rehearse new strategies before full implementation.

• Use visual reminders in addition to verbal ones.

• Track progress by measuring specific improvements and graphing results.

What If Your Child Resists?

• Negotiate—be willing to give something to get something.

• Increase motivation—use stronger reinforcers if needed.

• Stick to natural consequences.

• Seek outside help if necessary (therapists, tutors, or executive function coaches).

Game Plan at a Glance:

• Try environmental changes, scaffolding, and games first.
•  Learn the principles and guidelines behind executive function strategies.
• Implement pre-made intervention plans for daily routines.(more coming next post!)
• If needed, work on specific executive skill weaknesses using personalized strategies you build together.

This journey takes time, but with patience and consistency, you will see positive changes. In the next chapter, we will dive into pre-made strategies for daily routines to make implementation even easier!

Stay tuned!