Building Executive Function Skills at Home

Executive functioning (EF) plays a critical role in a child’s ability to manage emotions, organize thoughts and actions, transition between activities, solve problems, manage time, sustain attention, and respond flexibly to everyday demands. For children who have experienced trauma, disrupted caregiving, foster care, adoption, or other significant stressors, executive functioning skills may be particularly difficult to access—especially when a child feels overwhelmed, unsafe, or dysregulated.

This training will provide caregivers with a practical, trauma-informed understanding of executive functioning and the ways trauma can affect the developing brain. Participants will learn how executive functioning develops, why children may struggle with skills that seem simple to adults, and how stress and trauma can interfere with a child's ability to think, plan, remember, regulate, and respond effectively.

As children transition into or back into the school year, structure and routine can become powerful tools for regulation. The workshop will explore how predictable routines, clear expectations, and consistent responses can reduce stress and help children access their executive functioning skills. Participants will leave with concrete strategies that can be incorporated into everyday family life. 

Credits: 2 hrs