Ep. 107 Supporting Attention & Executive Functioning in Autistic Kids ft. Tera Sumpter SLP
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Who is Tera Sumpter and what is her expertise in executive functioning?
Hello everyone. Welcome to the Narrow Firm Show. Today we are so excited for this very overdue conversation with Tara Sumter, who is here. She is an executive functioning specialist. You probably know her from her book called Seeds of Learning, which sells all over the world. She also has communities and trainings for therapists who want to learn more about. Executive functioning, runs a private practice. She does all the things, and she probably has really good executive functioning skills to do all the things. So thank you so much, Sarah, for being here.
Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to finally meet you guys and chat.
You as well. I'm excited about this too. You nailed it, Jesse. Like you have to there's a level of executive functioning skills to have to just get things done and have it all come together. I had attempted to write a book years ago and uh never got done with it. Shoot. So
hard. But hopefully we'll have a treatment plan for Euchrist by the end of this episode. That can be our
goal. I want strategies to get this thing done. I started it in 1996.
Yeah. Well, my sec I've been working on my second book for five years. And this one's been so much more challenging than the first one was. So I understand it from all sides.
Yeah.
It's perfect.
Yeah. So much. So much. Well, I would love to start because I don't know if I'm the only person who feels this way, but I feel like the area of executive functioning can feel very intimidating to people and feel very overwhelming. So maybe we can just start with like a brief overview of how you would describe what executive functioning is and why we're talking about that today when it comes to neurodivergent students.
And that's a great place to start because I think that's how most people feel because it is an overwhelming and very complex topic. So um the executive function system is this ginormous, vast system of many skills. And so we can simplify the definition. We can say that it's, you know, this self-regulatory system. Um, we can talk about it in the context of, you know, it's being able to cue ourselves or self-direct ourselves from the inside out for a future goal. So these are all definitions that that are used. It's it's essentially being able to direct ourselves and cue ourselves. For things now, but also for things in the future, as opposed to being directed by somebody else. And that is very I mean, that term and I mean we feel like the definitions in and of themselves are very elusive, right?
Like what does this mean to self-direct? So when we look at the the the span of the систеam The executive function system starts developing at birth and develops all the way up until or in our mid to late 20s. Some research is coming out into our 30s. I it probably continues to develop forever. I don't know, Chris. We'll keep working on it.
How does Tera define executive functioning and why is it important for neurodivergent students?
Um, but but it develops in a way that there are sort of chunks and foundations of the system that have to be in place before other skills can come along. And I think that this is some of the biggest misunderstandings around what executive function is. Cause when I talk to people or when people come to me and say, Mike, my child is struggling with executive function, usually it's you know they're not getting homework done on time, their backpack SMS, they're having trouble staying organized. And yes, those are very important parts of the system, but those are some of the highest level executive function skills. That I call the flowers. So I've organized, taken the system based on research, synthesis, and put them into this three-step process I call the roots.
the leaves and the flowers. And any plant needs a healthy root system in order to develop. And those root skills are the ones that are so often overlooked. And from the context of an SLP, so those root skills are perception. How do I perceive myself and how do I perceive my environment? That's where the sensory part comes in. Okay. Then we have right and then we have attention. So how well can I direct my attention? It's not about having long sustained attention.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who is Tera Sumpter and what is her expertise in executive functioning?
0:08–3:13
2
How does Tera define executive functioning and why is it important for neurodivergent students?
3:13–10:47
3
What are the “roots, leaves, and flowers” model and which foundational skills are considered the roots?
10:47–18:42
4
How do perception, sensory preferences, and attention work together as the first executive‑function skills?
18:42–24:56
5
Why is working memory crucial for language generalization and how can therapists support it?
24:56–31:26
6
What is the flashlight vs. floodlight metaphor and how can it be used to teach attention skills?
31:26–39:00
7
How does sleep affect executive‑function capacity and what strategies help regulate it?
39:00–45:20
8
Where can listeners find Tera’s resources, courses, and community to start supporting executive function?
45:20–45:45
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from The NeuroAffirm Podcast
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Ep. 123 Not Seeing Progress in Speech Therapy? Start Here.
Ep. 122 Screen Time Considerations for Autistic Kids
Ep. 121 The Biggest Sensory Mistakes SLPs Make
Ep. 120 Why Anxiety is So Common in Autism (And What Actually Helps)