Intentional Responsive Adult Practices: Supporting Kids to Not Only Overcome Adversity But to Thrive by Erik K. Laursen PhD

Author:Erik K. Laursen PhD [Laursen PhD, Erik K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781483486215
Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
Published: 2018-05-19T04:00:00+00:00

9

Solidifying Executive Functions

To be successful in life and in relationships, people must learn to self-regulate, solve problems, organize, remember information, learn from mistakes, manage impulses, and focus their attention. These abilities are known as executive functions and self-regulation skills. They involve three broad types of brain functioning: inhibitory control, working memory, and mental flexibility. 195 One of these executive functions, working memory, has been shown to be a stronger predictor than IQ of success in reading, spelling, and math. 196

Children who live with chronic, unpredictable stress have few opportunities to develop strong executive functions because they use their brain capacity to head off or cope with the next traumatic event. These young people can benefit greatly from safe environments with caring adults who understand that youth cope the best they can. With this mind-set, youth practitioners intentionally can engage young people in experiences that build their executive functions. When a young person struggles with impulse control, youth practitioners must use their knowledge about the brain to remind themselves that the child did not just decide to be uncaring or reckless. What others may think is a minor challenge or a small disappointment may flood children’s brains with stress hormones that prevent them from inhibiting their impulses and predicting the consequences of their behaviors. The best emotional first aid in situations like this may be to encourage young people to take deep breaths to slow down their heart rates, which brings more oxygen to the brain and lowers blood pressure.

Understanding Executive Functions

Genetics, gender, family environment, life experiences, nutrition, and stress, among other factors, influence the development of executive functions. Parents and practitioners can do many things to help young people exercise executive functions. When adults know about a child’s stage of brain development, they can provide the right amount of support and modeling. If, instead of support, punishment is used, adults can stifle the development of executive functions.

The foundation of executive functions is laid down in the brain early in life through serve-and-return interactions. Because the brain is malleable, executive functions continue to develop throughout childhood and adolescence in the context of supportive adults and ecologies. 197 The development of inhibitory control and working memory shows dramatic development early in life. Toddlers develop independence by learning to override automatic responses, also known as inhibition or self-regulation. They also develop working memory that allows them to hold information long enough to process the information needed to complete tasks. Around age five, children develop foundational skills in mental flexibility, used to plan, attend, and organize. Over the next twenty years of life, these brain systems become increasingly integrated, faster, and more sophisticated.

Inhibitory control, or impulse control, is the capacity to scrutinize distractions, stay focused, override impulses, resist temptation, think before acting, and persist in the face of worry or adversity. Inhibitory control helps children wait until called upon and take turns in interactions with others. Impulse control, also often called self-regulation, stops people from yelling or hitting other people when they get frustrated.

Working

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.