Page 203 - EA HANDBOOK MASTER Part A Building the Foundations 2025 2026 FLIPBOOK

Executive Function Skills: A Strength Based Approach

Rather than seeing Executive Function as the best skill and viewing everything else as a

weakness or deficiency, we can instead focus on different types of strengths.

Type of Type of
strength 1 strength 2

Each type of strength can be represented by an animal who shares its key characteristics.

Both types of strength can be helpful or unhelpful at certain times and places.

This approach helps to focus on a young person's strengths whilst acknowledging

differences and how these differences can create difficulties in a neurotypical world.

By using this strength-based approach, we help empower people with the knowledge that

they are not broken – just differently brained. By doing so, we preserve a positive identity,

build confidence and motivate people to build new skills and strategies.