How to Build Executive Functioning Skills Through Work Tasks

Michelle from The Autism Helper shows how to set up an independent work-task system for primary-aged autistic students. The system uses labeled bins, laminated task strips with Velcro, and a wall schedule to guide students through three 15-minute tasks, building executive functioning skills like task initiation, attention, and time management.
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Building executive functioning skills with our special education learners doesn't always seem like it's easy. Where do we begin? Well, I'm going to show you with this amazing work task system. I'm Michelle with The Autism Helper. I'm a TK through 2nd grade self-contained teacher, and this is my classroom. Let's see how my students build executive functioning skills such as task initiation, sustained attention, time management, persistence, and flexibility. Here we go. With the Autism Helpers Work Task System, I have been able to create this amazing independent center in my self-contained classroom. Students are able to come over here, check their wall schedule, and work through 3 different tasks all over here within a 15-minute period. I am so excited to show you how well my primary-aged autistic students do with this independent center. To get started, all I have to do is print out these labels with the letters, numbers, and shapes and tape them onto these awesome boxes. Now here I got a shelf from one of our kindergarten teachers. She was giving it away. That's okay if you don't have something like this. These I asked my admin to buy. These are just the plastic shoe bins that are found on Amazon or Walmart, and then these are plastic book bins. Next up, my favorite paper is Astro Bites paper. All I do is cut strips of Astrobytes paper, laminate them, and attach some Velcro, and use the labels here from the other part of the work task system made by The Autism Helper. You can see I have so many work tasks available to my students, and this allows me to differentiate for every single one of my students regardless of their skill or ability. So my students may not be doing all of these tasks on the shelves, but all of my students are working through these tasks at their level. During my center rotations, students will be at my book center, and when it's time to rotate, they simply pick up their schedules, come over here. Some students have an icon to match to the task box center icon, and then schedules go in the basket. Then students get to work.
Good job. Cheers! Uh-huh. No, no, tight. No, I think so. I will get back.
No, no. 9, 10.
Color the picture for each word.
For more tips and resources to help your students manage their executive functions, like and subscribe to The Autism Helper on YouTube and check out our resources at theautismhelper.com.










