Your Therapy Source Magazine for Pediatric Therapists April 2016 | Page 13

5 Best Answers to Encourage Executive Functioning Skills
Anyone who works with children knows that
children ask A LOT of questions. They ask
because they want to learn things. They ask
because they already know things and just
want to confirm it. They ask to make
conversation. They ask to get attention.
And sometime they just ask (and ask, and
ask, and then ask again). The truth is that
children are trying to talk to us, trying to
engage with us, and trying to learn from us.
It is a teaching moment- don’t miss it!
Many of the children I work with as an
occupational therapist struggle with executive
functioning skills (such as children on the
autism spectrum, children with learning
disabilities and attention disorders, and children with developmental delays). One of the best
tools (and habits) I use as a therapist is that I rarely answer children’s questions directly.
Instead, I find that giving answers that encourage the child to think and respond are a great
way to develop executive functioning skills and higher level thinking, such as: making
inferences, using logic and reasoning, problem solving, flexible thinking, making predictions,
critical thinking and skepticism and social/conversation skills
5. What do you think?
Example: Child: Why can’t I eat the playdoh? Adult: What do you think?
The quickest and easiest answer. Often a great way to stop repetitive questioning when the
child knows the answer and is just seeking attention or needs to confirm a rule or boundary
(remember children learn through repetition, so confirming an answer they already know is
an important part of learning to control one’s behavior and develop self-regulation skills). I
also find that for children with oppositional or defiant behavior patterns this is an approach to
build shared control and promote compliance. For children who struggle with social skills,
this may be an attempt at engagement and by asking a question in return you can continue to
work on the co-regulation skills needed for functional conversation skills.
4. How can we find out? Who could we ask? Where could we find that answer?
Example: Child: Why is the balance beam tippy today? Adult: I’m not sure, how could we find
out? (and how can with fix it?)
When there is actually an answer to be discovered, giving them clues about how they could
find out on their own. This is a great chance to provide a “just right challenge” for their
cognitive skills by providing hints and clues (scaffolding) and leading them to discover an
answer. The process of discovery is a great time to work on the steps of problem-solving:
initiation of action, making a plan, executing a plan, monitoring and self-correction of work,
and task completion.

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