Blocking

When this Cognitive Function is adequate the child will:

*try again, despite previous failure

*persevere with difficult approach/strategy when a previous method was unsuccessful

*initiate a different approach/strategy when a previous method was unsuccessful

*show an interest in solving new problems

*have positive self-concepts and confidence when confronting a challenging task or activity

When this Cognitive Function is inadequate the child will:

*A lack of confidence when presented with challenges

*Poor motivation to attempt a new or difficult task

*Lack of perseverance to complete a task-gives up easily and quickly

*A reluctance to try again or try a different way when unsuccessful at a task

*Emotional outbursts (tear up workbook, run away, refuse to answer, cry, etc.)

Strategies to Correct Blocking

Areas you can focus on:

*Intentionality and Reciprocity- parent invites child to participate by simplifying problems

*Self-Regulation-Parent helps break the self-defeating blocking habit

*Competence-parent motivates child by reducing fear of failure

Cognitive Function in Input Phase: Perception

If the cognitive function is precise and accurate, the child will:

*focus attention long enough to perceive relevant details

*clearly differentiate between essential or relevant details and extraneous or irrelevant details

*define and describe the attributes of an object or problem

*use past experience to analyze new information meaningfully

*perceive all aspects of a problem holistically, that is, to integrate all parts

*invest appropriate attention and time to detail depending on the novelty and complexity of the task

If the cognitive function is impaired, the child may have:

*poor attention to form, shape, size, and space

*poor discrimination of letters that look alike (ie. confuses e and c)

*poor discrimination of letters that sound alike (ie. confuses e and i)

*an ability to select relevant details (focuses on background noise--a car passing--rather than the parents voice or can't focus on a specific visual item in a picture)

Strategies to Correct Blurred or Sweeping Perception

How Mediated Learning can help:

*Intentionality &Reciprocity-The parent gives a strategy for focusing attention (ie. read carefully and slowly)

*Self-Regulation-The parent encourages the child to self-regulate

*Competence-the parent praises responses

Cognitive Function in Input Phase: Exploration of a Learning Situation

When this Cognitive Function is adequate the child will:

*approach a task in a goal-oriented way

*take time to gather and assess all the information needed to define the problem

*think through a task in an ordered and systematic way

*control speed and precision when solving a problem

When this Cognitive Function is inadequate the child will:

*rush into a task too quickly in a haphazard and disorganized way, without appropriate attention to what is required, or without adopting a methodical approach

*have poor investigational strategies, and will not see the need to gather and integrate all the information necessary to think through a problem.

*lack self-control and have difficulty adjusting the speed, accuracy, and precision needed for a particular task

Strategies to Correct Impulsivity

Areas where Mediated Learning can help:

*Intentionality and Reciprocity-the parent slows the pace to ensure attention

*Sellf-Regulation-the parent encourages self-control

*Optimistic Alternative-the parent directs consideration for another alternative

Inner Speech

Inner speech is the talking to ourselves the we do sometimes when confronted with a problem. It is a human capacity that develops slowly at variable rates in children.

*This inner talking is not simply the idle chatter of the mind. Inner speech plays a vital role in controlling and influencing our behaviour.

*What we say to ourselves affects our attitudes and actions. It also affects our understanding of the world.

*Impulsive children lack the patterns of inner speech that would help them focus on the matter at hand.

To describe something differently to oneself is to understand it differently

These thoughts are taken from the Mediated Learning Workshop, as well as "Teaching Children to think" by Robert Fisher

Cognitive Function in Input Phase: Receptive Verbal Tools and Concepts

If the cognitive function of Receptive Verbal Tools and Conceptst is precise and accurate, the child will:

-know the meaning of words and related concepts to understand incoming information.

-utilize language as a means to receive information

-utilize language as a mean for reasoning and communicating in social situations

-listen to and process the language, which necessitates the knowledge grammar, semantics, and pragmatics

If the cognitive function of Receptive Verbal Tools and Concepts is impaired, the child will:

-listen and understand spoken language imprecisely even though their hearing is fine

-misunderstand instructions and questions

-have poor ability to comprehend incoming language which will impede their understanding

Strategies to Correct Impaired Verbal Skills

Areas to Mediate:

-Competence- the parent adapts the task to the child's level of language competence

-Transcendence- the parent reinforces concepts using examples from the child's environment

-Meaning- the parent encourages meaningful use of language

Cognitive Function in Input Phase: Understanding Spatial Concepts

When this Cognitive Function is adequate the child will:

*understand how objects or people are physically positioned in space

*accurately locate oneself in relation to others or objects (ie. to formulate a personal reference system)

*access the relationships among objects or people

*use labels that describe positions in space (left and right)

When this Cognitive Function is inadequate the child will:

*lack labels for adequately describing positions and relationships among objects (ie. in front of, on top of, out, in)

*not have an established personal spatial reference system (ie. left and right)

*experience difficulty in accepting the relativity of personal space (ie. my left may be your right)

*lack the ability to plan the use of space efficiently and appropriately

*need to physically show and point rather than describe a set of directions

*have difficulty locating him or himself mentally in space

Strategies to Correct Impaired Spatial Concepts

Areas you can focus on:

*Intentionality and Reciprocity-the parent provides an opportunity ti experience space

*Bridging- the parent expands ideas

*Self-Regulation-the parent encourages the child to rely on his or her own resources

Cognitive Function in Input Phase: Understanding of Temporal Concepts

When this Cognitive Function is adequate the child will:

*understand the sequence and order of events

*understand how units of time are organized and summated

*make spontaneous comparisons between time concepts in order to gain meaning

*understand how the past has influenced the present and how actions in the present will have consequences for the future

*make use of past experiences of future anticipation in order to control behaviour and organize time effectively

When this Cognitive Function is inadequate the child will:

*not understand or use timetables, calendar or planner

*perceive events out of context

*not understand the outcomes of action a problematic behaviours or events, and thus manifest a problematic behaviour

*not be able to delay gratification and will expect immediate rewards (or punishment) for actions

*feel confused because he or she is disoriented in time

*not exhibit systematic exploratory behaviour

Strategies to Correct Impaired Temporal Concepts

Areas you can focus on:

*Meaning- the parent helps the child to become conscious of time

*Self-Regulation- the parent provides an example of cause and effect

*Sense of Belonging- the parent clarifies for the child

Cognitive Function in Input Phase: Consider more than one source of information

When this Cognitive Function is adequate the child will:

*think about two or more sources of information aat the same time

*gather data from various sources

*perceive an issue from different points of view

*examine more than one aspect of a situation in order to see the relationship, connection, or links between them.

*use two elements as sources of data for comparison whenever a problem is confronted

When this Cognitive Function is inadequate the child will:

*tend to focus on and take into account only one of the dimensions of alternatives

*consider only some of the information needed to complete an assignment/task or solve a problem

*be unable to recall all of the facts needed for completing a task

*recall disjointed pieces of information and not be able to put them together to form a meaningful whole

*engage in egocentric behaviour

Strategies to Correct Impaired Capacity to Consider more than one Source of Information

Areas you can focus on:

*Intentionality & Reciprocity-the parent points out to the child the need to consider two sources of information;

*Meaning-The parent points out how mistakes can be avoided by using all the relevant information.

*Bridging-The parent bridges a skill to related situations