Are you familiar with The Get Ready, Do, Done Model (GDD) for developing executive function skills for kids by Sarah Ward and Kristen Jacobsen (reference cited below)? Executive functions encompass skills such as: impulse control, emotional regulation, working memory, flexible thinking, self-monitoring, planning, prioritizing, task initiation and organization. In conditions such as ASD, ADHD or TBIs executive function skills are often affected and therefore it is common in our clinics to come across children with weaker executive function (EF) skills. However, since these skills are important for all aspects of life it is important to develop them in children, starting from a young age when their brains are more plastic.

As Ward and Jacobsen (2014) explain, people who have weaker EF skills demonstrate:

reduced visual imagery to see the future,
a weak ability to control and sustain this visual representation over time,
limited self-directed talk, disinhibition,
a limited or absent ability to pre-experience the emotion of the future,
disorganized planning,
weak initiation, and
reduced sustained attention

The GDD model helps children develop:

situational awareness
forethought of an end result
integrate materials, time and actions to complete future task

Below is a picture of the model from the authors article. When filling it out you can laminate the pages and glue them to a manila folder for kids to keep with them, draw it on a whiteboard or chalkboard or handout red, green and yellow paper for kids to fill out for one time usage. When filling out the model you start by filling out “done”, then “do”, and finally “get ready” which helps children to understand the end result and the materials needed to prepare for it. This also breaks down the steps needed in a clear and goal-oriented way. Instead of writing out the steps verbal you can draw pictures for visuals instead. Teachers can use this in the classroom, SLPs can use this in therapy and students can learn to fill it out at their desks. Below I will further explain each step as discussed in the article.

Done.What will it look like when its done?This starts the activity with the end in mind. Students will ask themselves what the end goal will look like. Students can sketch out the image, glue a picture onto the page, or write out what it will look like. For example, if they are making mother’s day cards they can draw a card on the page with lines on it for what they will write to help visualize the end goal. Then with this end goal in mind, students will break this down into features and parts in order to work towards the goal in a strategic and productive way.

Do. What steps do I need to take to complete this task? Next students will fill out what they have to do to ensure the end goal happens. Students can estimate the time needed and the steps required to complete. For example, they will have to write on the card, glue pictures onto it, colour it etc.

Get Ready.What materials do I need to get ready for this task? The last step in the planning process is what they have to organize to get ready to start the task. They could draw or write down the needed materials (e.g. glue stick, pen, marker, etc.).

When introducing this model to kids it might be helpful to first fill it out for them and then slowly have them join in, with the goal of them completing it independently. The goal is not to always do it for them as a visual, the goal is for them to learn the complex executive functioning tasks of planning, prioritizing, working memory, organizing etc. in order to achieve their goals.

Check out the article or YouTube Sarah Ward for more information on this model!

-S

References

Ward, S., & Jacobsen, K. (2014). A clinical model for developing executive function skills. Perspectives on Language Learning and Education, 21(2), 72-84.