For young people who have been diagnosed with different wiring in the brain – such as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism – dealing with everyday tasks such as getting items from school to home, remembering to get a field-trip permission slip signed or turning in an assignment on time can be frustrating for them and their parents.

Those tasks are called executive functioning, and include the ability to plan, organize and prioritize.

On Saturday, The Liberty School is presenting a free seminar for teachers and parents to help children build these executive function skills in the classroom and at home.

“This takes the crazy-making out of parenting,” said Cheryl Gratz, a parent of a student at Liberty who’s helping organize the workshop. “There’s a lot less yelling when you understand it’s a developmental problem and can loosen your expectations.”

Philippe Ernewein, director of education at the Denver Academy, and Jenni Ernewein, a literacy specialist at St. Anne’s Episcopal School, will present the two-hour workshop Saturday morning.

“Not having executive functioning skills can be a disability in itself,” Gratz said. “Developmentally, they’re not cranking on these until they’re in their 20s, but this helps them start developing them now.”

abutler@durangoherald.com

Executive function flier (PDF)

If you go

The “Creating Moonshot Moments: Ready, Set, Go – Prepared and Organized!” workshop, presented by The Liberty School, will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Noble Hall Room 130 at Fort Lewis College. Admission is free. The San Juan Board of Cooperative Services is co-sponsoring the workshop.