The Control Tower Basics
This skill acts as the brain's "Brakes," helping you stop and think before you act.
What is Impulse Control?
This glitch happens when you know you did your homework but can't find which folder it's in.
What is an Organization glitch?
This rule suggests counting down 5-4-3-2-1 to give your "Brakes" time to work.
What is the 5-Second Rule?
Flexible Thinking is the skill that acts like a "U-Turn," helping you find a Plan B when your original plan doesn't work out.
What is TRUE? It’s the ability to roll with the punches instead of getting "frozen" when things change.
To keep your "Thermostat" (Emotional Control) from boiling over, you should pick an activity from this list.
What is the Cool-Down Menu?
If you can roll with the punches and find a "Plan B" when things change, you are using this skill.
What is Flexible Thinking?
To help with Emotional Control, you can create one of these "Menus" to help you cool down.
What is a Cool-Down Menu?
This planning strategy involves starting at the deadline and working backward.
What is a Reverse Calendar?
If you are struggling with all 8 executive function skills, the best strategy is to try and fix all 8 of them at the exact same time.
What is FALSE? Trying to fix all 8 at once can cause a "Control Tower Crash." It’s best to pick one skill to focus on at a time.
To keep your "Thermostat" (Emotional Control) from boiling over, you should pick an activity from this list.
What is the Cool-Down Menu?
This skill is like a "Mental Sticky Note," holding onto instructions while you are working.
What is Working Memory?
Setting out your backpack and clothes the night before is an external tool for this skill.
What is Task Initiation (The Launch Pad)?
If your Task Initiation is "glitchy," this rule says you should try to do the task for just this many minutes.
What is the 5-Minute Rule?
Planning and Prioritizing is only for school work.
What is FALSE? (It's for sports, hobbies, and hanging with friends, too!)
This "Externalizing" tool involves writing down instructions the second you hear them so your brain doesn't have to carry them.
What is a Brain Dump (or Note)?
When you check your work to make sure you didn't skip a page, you are using this skill, also known as "The Mirror."
What is Self-Monitoring?
If you have a "Thermostat" glitch, you might experience this when a video game level gets too hard.
What is a meltdown (or loss of Emotional Control)?
Setting a timer for every 20 minutes to see if you are staying on task helps with this skill.
What is Self-Monitoring?
The "Launch Pad" strategy—setting out your gear the night before—is a tool used to help with Task Initiation.
What is TRUE? Having everything ready to go makes it much easier to "ignite" and start your work the next day.
If you’re using the "Check-Stop Timer" to help with Self-Monitoring, how often should the timer go off?
What is every 20 minutes?
This skill is the "Ignition" that helps you start a task even when it feels "heavy."
What is Task Initiation?
Using clear bins so you can see your gear is a "Ground Gear" hack for this specific skill.
What is Organization?
The handout suggests you should only try to fix this many skills at one time to avoid a "crash."
What is one?
If you have a "Working Memory" glitch, it means you have trouble remembering things that happened a long time ago, like your 5th birthday.
What is FALSE? Working Memory is like a "Sticky Note" for what’s happening right now, like holding onto a 3-step instruction the teacher just gave you.
Using a "Reverse Calendar" means you start your planning at the Deadline and work in this direction.
What is backward?