by pathway2success 7 Comments
Strategies and supports for executive functioning challenges can make all the difference, especially for students who struggle with task initiation. This is such an important skill, since it’s like the motor in allowing us to get started on all tasks and assignments. When someone is struggling to initiate, tasks take longer and require more effort. This can be extremely frustrating for both educators and the students themselves. Sometimes, a lack of task initiation skills can be misinterpreted for behavioral problems and defiance. This is because it looks like the child is avoiding what they should be doing, when in reality, the child might not have the skills to get themselves going in a positive way. This can be difficult to discern at first glance and often takes a little bit of investigating. It is helpful to observe the child, talk with them, and even try some of the interventions listed below to see how they help.
The ultimate goal is helping kids and young adults learn strategies to independently get themselves going so they can be successful. Best of all, these are skills that every single person can benefit from, since we could all improve our ability to get started right away on what we need to.
What is task initiation? Task initiation is the ability to start a task. It includes overcoming procrastination and getting started on tasks even if you don’t want to do them. Obviously, this is a critical life skill, since there are many chores and tasks we must complete even when we don’t feel like doing them at the moment.
• Examples of Task Initiation •
Skills for task initiation can be difficult to spot, because it just appears like someone doing what they are “supposed” to do! Just a few examples of what task initiation looks like includes:
- Starting an assignment in class right away after directions are given.
- Cleaning your room when it needs to be done, without reminders or prompts.
- Beginning a tough test or quiz, even if you aren’t 100% confident on the assignment.
• Possible Signs of Challenges with Task Initiation •
Learners who struggle with task initiation are frequently getting in trouble for not doing their work. While at first glance this can appear as intentional avoidance behavior, kids and young adults who struggle with task initiation really lack the skills to get themselves going. Again, this can be extremely frustrating for learners, since they often want to do their work but just don’t know how to start or get themselves in action. Being able to notice possible signs can be helpful to target these students early on.
Possible signs of challenges with task initiation include:
- A student putting their head down when it is time to begin work independently.
- Someone who finds other things to do when it’s time to work, such as sharpening pencil multiple times or getting a drink.
- A student who says, “I don’t know what to do,” even if directions were just given.
- A learner who just doodles on their paper instead of completing the task.
- A child or young adult who is frustrated when trying to start their work.
• Interventions, Supports, and Strategies for Task Initiation •
Task initiation skills can certainly be improved with practice. Here are some activities, tasks, and ideas to help with task initiation needs in the classroom:
- Teach task initiation and other EF skills explicitly
- Practice brain breaks between tasks
- Give choice for how to complete the task or demonstrate knowledge
- Be explicit with directions and provide them orally and in writing
- Incorporate areas of interest into the content and curriculum (i.e. the price of skateboards in math)
- Train a peer mentor to help the student in need get started on tasks
- Practice the rocket ship countdown (Say: 5-4-3-2-1 blast off… on “blast off”, get up and get going!)
- Allow the student to work with a partner
- Use a timer to countdown time to get to work
- Have the student answer the questions before starting: What am I doing? What do I need? How can I start?
- Make getting started like a race with a countdown
- Pretend a set of assignments is like an escape room
- Show a model of expected work prior to starting
- Keep a reminder card on the student’s desk – “What should I be doing right now?”
- Provide visuals with step-by-step directions for getting started
- Identify which content areas are most challenging and reduce the difficulty to give momentum
- Develop a work contract that highlights what the student should do during work time
- Incorporate incentives and rewards for completing difficult tasks (use this free reward list to get some ideas)
- Practice problem-solving skills (i.e. “What could you do if you don’t know the answer to a problem?”)
- Take turns writing out sentences or problems to get started together
- Set up a clean and organized workspace without clutter
- Reduce or eliminate distractions
- Allow the student to complete every other problem or choose a certain number of problems
• Strategies for Parents to Support Task Initiation at Home •
Here are some activities parents and families can do to at home strengthen skills for task initiation:
- Create a schedule for chores and homework time (and make it a routine)
- Exercise or play a sport with your child before work time
- Create a daily chore checklist
- Use a timer to countdown time to get to work
- Work in short bursts and then give breaks
- Provide incentives after a set of tasks is completed (use this free reward list to get some ideas)
- Practice the rocket ship countdown (Say: 5-4-3-2-1 blast off… on “blast off”, get up and get going!)
- Do challenging tasks together (i.e. cleaning a bedroom or starting homework)
If you are looking for ways to help your learners strengthen their executive functioning skills, I have units to target executive functioning skills for middle and high school learners and executive functioning skills for younger learners. Spending a little extra time early on can make a world of a difference!
This is a blog series focused on interventions to support executive functioning skills. Make sure you read up on interventions for planning and supports for organization!
