Asperger’s Syndrome: Executive Functioning Gaps

“Executive Functioning” is the series of mental processes that allow us to plan and organize, and to visualize the steps required to complete a multi-step task.

Asperger’s Syndrome is distinguished by deficiencies in executive functioning, which means that students may be overly forgetful and disorganized. Forgetting homework assignments, or losing track of what they were doing, is quite common.

This issue can be helped by using visual learning tools. Students with Asperger’s Syndrome are typically visually oriented, and benefit by visual schedules, written to-do lists, or work charts. They need not be overly complicated. Just a simple, visual reminder of the sequence of steps needed. This may be a bulletin board with the day’s activities posted on it, or it may be a small note card which the student carries throughout the day.

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