Executive functioning is an umbrella term for all the things we do to make and act on decisions about our day-to-day lives. We emphasize the importance of practicing executive functioning skills throughout a student’s educational experience. But what types of executive functioning skills are we practicing? And is there a way we can practice those skills more consciously? That is where executive functioning games come in!

At AGU, we have created a series of executive functioning games that can help students learn more about what these skills entail, and the systems and strategies that might be the best fit for them. So let’s take a closer look!

One helpful way to approach the big concept of executive functioning is to break it down into more manageable categories. At AGU, we use the following:

• Adaptable Thinking

• Planning

• Time Management

• Organization

• Self-Monitoring

• Self-Regulation

• Working Memory

• Metacognition

• Task Initiation

If you want to explore the basics, we have a free self-assessment here. We also have a helpful skills reference poster available for free here!

Of course, executive functioning isn’t just about learning the basics. It’s about developing a framework for finding the executive functioning strategies that work best for us. That is where a conscious approach toward learning about executive functioning skills can be a helpful part of the educational process. AGU offers a couple of different types of games that can be played in a classroom or home setting.

This or That games are a great way to start defining our own needs, wants, and preferences when working on our own executive functioning strategies. 

A classic example is organization. Do you prefer binders or a whiteboard? Do you like a fixed schedule or more flexibility? Going over those preferences can be a fun, low-pressure way to define the ways we want to approach executive functioning as individuals. As a teacher, it can also help with learning more about your students’ preferences and strategies for practicing skills that may prove most effective.

This game is all about applying our executive functioning knowledge to decide what to do in various executive functioning scenarios. We offer one board game for each executive functioning category. 

The board games are a helpful follow-up to This or That, as students can approach these scenarios with a better understanding of how they might act in a similar situation, as well as a fresh memory of the tools and styles available.

If you are interested in executive functioning skill-building, we hope you will give our games a try! We would also be interested in hearing from you if you have thoughts, feedback, or suggestions for new game topics! Just drop us a line at hello@autismgrownup.com and stay tuned for more executive functioning activities!