Executive Functioning and Social Skills
Executive functioning = thinking skills
Social-emotional learning = relationship skills
There is a lot of information on social media and the internet about kids struggling with specific thinking skills, often called executive functioning. But, what does that mean? Is that the same as social-emotional learning?
Executive functioning refers to the mental skills people use to manage their thoughts, feelings, and actions. We use these executive functioning abilities to help set and follow through with goals, stay organized, solve problems, and adapt when things change.
Social-emotional learning (SEL) focuses on the skills that helps people understand and cope with their emotions, build healthy relationships, make responsible decisions, and adapt to challenges.
Both sets of skills, including executive functioning and social skills, overlap and work together.
How can you help my child with building skills related to executive functioning or social-emotional learning?
Here are some ways we can build these habits and other thinking skills:
- Identifying and implementing strategies that build positive, sustainable habits or routines
- Creating action plans for goals
- Utilizing accommodations or different tools
- Learning specific skills
I am a certified trainer of trainers in a research-based emotional regulation and critical thinking curriculum designed for students ages 5 to 18. I utilize a variety of materials and strategies from additional curriculums and methodologies to help children and adults learn how to strengthen executive functioning as well as other thinking and relationship skills. With this, I can help target the following skills:
