The Skills Behind Independent Living

Self -regulation is a process internal to one’s self that involves “controlling one’s behavior, emotions and the thoughts in pursuit of long term goals

What are the skills behind successful learning in and out of a school environment?

Self -regulation is a process internal to one’s self that involves “controlling one’s behavior, emotions and the thoughts in pursuit of long term goals. Self-regulation is the core aspect of adaptive behavior-meaning adjusting to the situation. Executive Function is a set of mental processes that have to do with managing oneself and one's resources in order to achieve a goal and involves mental control and self-regulation

Self-regulation is the result of executive function skills working together. Working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control work together to help us self-manage.

A significant fact to know is that we are not born with these skills; we acquire them incrementally over time. Some experiences and conditions can impact the development of these skills. For example, those on the autism spectrum, ADHD, learning disabilities, and early childhood neglect or trauma have difficulty acquiring these skills. The individual may experience different challenges with either flexibility, working memory, or impulse control. No matter the condition or learning differences, the child can learn these skills. Some children may require different instructional strategies and additional tools; however, systems can be in place to equip them with these skills.

As essential as they are, we aren’t born with the skills that enable us to control impulses, make plans, and stay focused. We are born with the potential to develop these capacities—or not—depending on our experiences during infancy, throughout childhood, and into adolescence. Our genes provide the blueprint, but the early environments in which children live leave a lasting signature on those genes. !

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2011). Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function: Working Paper No. 11. Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.

In this post, we will focus on identifying and defining these skills. Several future posts will cover instructional strategies and tools to teach self-regulation skills.

You can find the rest of the post on our different skill notebook blog at

https://www.socialmindcenter.com/differentskillnotebook-1/2022/1/3/self-regulation