AOTA

Authors:

Winifred Schultz-Krohn, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA

Earn: .1 AOTA CEU (1.25 NBCOT PDU; 1 contact hour)

Overview:

Students with EF deficits struggle in the educational environment with mastering a skill and, once they have mastered it, have difficulties effectively using that skill in novel settings.

Often, students who have EF deficits also have other diagnoses. After EF needs have been identified, intervention may include adapting the environment and fostering improved

EF skills. EF needs must be included when occupational therapists plan interventions with students who have academic, functional, or behavioral needs. There is an increasing body of evidence supporting occupational therapy intervention approaches to improve the specific EF skills of self-regulation and problem solving as applied to functional daily living tasks. To enhance meaningful learning, development, and performance, occupational therapy practitioners must actively promote the use of these interventions to support students in academic settings.

Learning Objectives:

1.      Define common terms associated with executive functioning and differentiate between “hot” and “cold” executive function skills.

2.      Describe cognitive development and identify executive function difficulties associated with various childhood conditions.

3.      List 6 assessment tools that may be used in occupational therapy to assess executive functioning.

4.      Describe several evidence-based programs that can be used with children with executive function difficulties to support participation.

 Key Terms and Concepts:

·         Cognition

·         Cognitive flexibility

·         Cool executive function skills

·         Executive function

·         Hot executive function skills

·         Memory

·         Metacognition

·         Theory of mind