Executive Function and ADHD Resources to Help School-Based OTs Navigate IEPs
You grow weary of hearing the word “effort,” tired of the constant mention of “illegible handwriting,” and exhausted from explaining that the student’s challenges lie not in fine motor skills, but in executive function. Removing them from the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) to attend OT won’t solve the problem. 😩
‘Tis the season, IEP Annual Reviews. The most stressful, emotional and A LOT to consider on top of your regular daily schedule , time of the year.
We test, write, develop PLEPS, Goals, Accommodations and Recommendations that are all 100% individualized then meet on them during times that conflict with our original schedule.
Here is your reminder to email your teachers if you have meetings tomorrow.
It’s never an all-or-none situation. What’s appropriate for one student in a particular grade within a specific program may not be suitable for another. And this is for next year….
This week’s post is a collection of IEP-related executive function and ADHD resources that may save you some serious time while supporting your executive functions (as well as your students). Time saving , easy to grab resources for writing PLEPS and Accommodations and explaining issues related to executive functions, handwriting, speech to text and more.
Present Levels of Performance
Present Levels of Performance (PLEPs) are crucial for IEPs, offering a snapshot of a student’s academic, social/emotional, and physical strengths and needs.
But they are quite a confusing thing to write correctly. How does one state things positive in the area of need? Here are some resources for writing your best PLEPS yet.
- Avoid Box Confinement: Avoid confining documentation solely to the physical development section; consider all relevant areas, including academic achievement, functional performance, and social development.
Need help stepping outside the box for executive function, read this post for guidance on effectively documenting ADHD’s impact while completing the Present Levels of Performance section within the IEP.
2. Tailor Documentation: Use specific examples to illustrate how ADHD and executive function challenges impact academic achievement, adaptive behavior, and social skills. This ensures clarity and informs meaningful goal setting.
3. Are your PLEPs Compliant? Utilize a 5-step formula for writing Present Level statements: Can Do, Can’t Do, Impact, Need, and Check It.
Check out this post if you find it challenging to describe performance that is dependent upon various contextual factors, while providing clarity and measurability. Unfortunately, ” It depends” does not fly in an IEP 5 Steps to Better PLEPS
The PLEP Helper: Check out this tools for a huge bank of wording and ideas, and a fill in the blank formula that autofills. ✨
Accommodations
Recognize that accommodations are crucial interventions for students with ADHD and executive function challenges, immediately improving self-efficacy and preventing lifelong complications. They are intervention within themselves! Below are resources to level up your accommodation game.
1. Design accommodations from an understanding of ADHD
Learn how to design accommodations from an understanding of ADHD and executive function needs that will facilitate participation and performance in the classroom.
2. Provide Clear Guidance in the IEP or 504
Document accommodations clearly in IEPs or 504 plans. Ensure that accommodations are clearly defined, purposeful, and implemented with fidelity.
The guide has lists hundreds of accommodations to help mitigate the impact of ADHD or executive function challenges. Download it here.
3. Provide Implementation Guidance
Provide explicit guidance for implementation the accommodation for students with ADHD and executive function challenges.
Easy-to-digest visuals for implementation guidance can be found here for the most common IEP and 504 Accommodations .
Executive Functions
Many teachers and parents remain unclear about executive functions and what they do. Executive functions are a set of cognitive processes that act as the brain’s management system. Many of the “behavioral” problems we see in the classroom in students with ADHD are due to delayed development in executive function.
Evidence has implicated executive functions to impact occupational performance in children with ADHD. However, it is essential to note that a student can have delays in executive functions without having a diagnosis of ADHD.
This entire site is dedicated to executive functions but here are some IEP related quick references you may need.
Need info fast: Download this free Executive Function resource library linked by QR code. Click on the image to download.
We made it for our OT Schoolhouse Episode.
Handwriting
Written expression is complex task dependent upon the simultaneous integration of multiple language skills, working memory, graphomotor skills, and processing speed.
We are very often trying to support , students that are able to express their thoughts and ideas verbally but do not have the required transcription skills to meet the demands of the writing task.
One Last Thing
I hope this collection of resources finds you right when you are in need of help. Advocating for the students we support in contexts not built support them is difficult. We love those kids! So if impulsivity wins over your response inhibition , apologize.
It happens. The only reason this site exists is because I lost my cool in an IEP meeting, apologized and went straight home a mission to educate schools about ADHD. 💕
You got this!
Bookmark this page so you can find it later.