T-TAC ODU

Executive Functioning Skills: Self-Monitoring and Autism (Part III)

Home | Executive Functioning Skills: Self-Monitoring and Autism (Part III)

March 2026 | Autism

Understanding Executive Functions

Every day, students rely on a set of mental processes known as executive functions (EFs). This internal system controls how we set goals and carry them out. Executive functioning skills are how these processes show up in real life such as how a student goes about regulating behavior, managing tasks, or adapting when situations change. 

The important thing to remember? These processes are continuously developing for all of our students. 

Brain research shows that executive functions are not fully developed until around age 30. The areas of the brain responsible for planning, regulating behavior, and decision-making (particularly the prefrontal cortex) continue developing well into adulthood. Even after these areas mature, EFs still require practice and maintenance throughout life (Executive function: Skills for life 2025). 

Most researchers group executive functions into three primary areas: 

  • Working memory – holding and manipulating information in your mind 
  • Cognitive flexibility – adjusting thinking when situations change 
  • Inhibitory control – resisting impulses and distractions 

Some studies identify 8 core skills, others 11 or more, depending on how the abilities are grouped. 

In this article series, we’ve been exploring different executive functions and executive functioning skills that show up in classrooms every day. 

Today, we’re focusing on self-monitoring. 

What Is Self-Monitoring?

Self-monitoring is the practice of observing and recording one’s own actions and behaviors. The goal is to help students maintain or change their behavior independently. 

However, self-monitoring is not simply handing a student a checklist.

Essential Components

Two conditions must be present for self-monitoring to work effectively: 

  1. The student must already have the skill in their repertoire. 
    • For example, you could give me a checklist describing all the steps needed to safely bench press 300 pounds, however, that checklist doesn’t magically mean I can actually lift the weight. The same is true for students. A self-monitoring tool cannot create a skill that has not yet been taught. 
  2. The student must be able to recognize when the skill occurs. 
    • Targets must be clear and observable. For instance, asking a student to monitor whether they are “being good” is extremely vague. A more effective target might be: 
      • “Raised my hand before speaking” 
      • “Started my assignment within two minutes” 
      • “Kept my hands to myself during morning meeting” 

Self-Monitoring Develops Over Time

Self-monitoring skills build progressively across development. 

Students typically move through stages such as: 

  • Early Stages
    • Talking about their feelings
    • Connecting simple behaviors with emotions
  • Developing Stages
    • Reflecting on behavior through journaling (for instance)
    • Checking work for simple mistakes
  • Intermediate Stagees
    • Monitoring performance with adult feedback and reminders
    • Adjusting behavior based on feedback
  • Advanced Stages
    • Checking their own work independently
    • Comparing their performance to expectations or peers

(Sippl, 2025) 

Like all executive functioning skills, self-monitoring becomes more sophisticated with time and practice.

Remember:

Self-monitoring approaches teach students to notice and evaluate their actions- they do not teach the skill itself. This is where explicit instruction from teachers remains essential. 

Drawing of plant growing over time

Why It Matters 

Self-monitoring is often discussed in relation to students with autism, but it is a critical skill for all adolescents. 

When students learn to monitor their own behavior they: 

  • Develop greater independence 
  • Become active participants in behavior change 
  • Build self-determination skills 

Research suggests that self-monitoring is an important component of self-management and can serve as an early step toward helping students with autism develop self-determination (Li et al., 2023). 

Perhaps most importantly, self-monitoring can shift students’ internal dialogue. Instead of feeling powerless in challenging situations, students begin to think: 

“I can handle this.” 

They learn how to recognize when their behavior aligns with expectations and how to get back on track when it doesn’t. 

How Challenges May Show Up 

Have you ever tried teaching a student to self-monitor a target behavior, only to find them frustrated, overwhelmed, or unwilling to participate in the process? 

When this happens, it may be a signal that we need to look one layer deeper. Before students can effectively self-monitor, they need to be regulated enough to notice and reflect on their behavior. 

For example, a teacher might want a student to self-monitor work completion during math class. However, if the student enters math already highly dysregulated, a checklist reminding them to check their work or turn in their assignment will likely not help… In fact, it might end up crumpled on the floor. 

In these situations, students may first need support with skills such as: 

  • Noticing when their body is becoming dysregulated 
  • Identifying strategies that help them reset and return to a “learning-ready” state

Cool and Hot Executive Functions

You may have heard the terms “cool” and “hot” executive functions (EFs).

Cool executive functions refer to the thinking skills used when emotions are relatively calm and stakes are low (such as organizing materials or checking work).

Hot executive functions involve the social-emotional aspects of EFs and come into play when emotions are heightened or the stakes feel more personal (such as during peer conflict, competition, or frustration with difficult tasks) (Salehinejad et al., 2021). 

In practice, these systems overlap frequently because executive functions do not operate in isolation.

Understanding Individual Executive Function Profiles

Drawing of child with rainbow colored brain.

It is also important to remember that every student has a unique executive functioning profile. For example, a student on the autism spectrum may struggle with sustaining attention but excel at synthesizing complex information. Another autistic student may find inhibition control challenging yet demonstrate strong attention to detail or visual thinking. 

These strengths are important. When developing self-monitoring systems, we should look for ways to build on students’ strengths and positive attributes. 

Recognizing these challenges, overlap in systems, and opportunities to build on strengths, helps us design self-monitoring systems that are developmentally appropriate and responsive to students’ needs.

A Powerful Tool:

With the right supports in place, self-monitoring can become a powerful tool for helping students take ownership of their learning and behavior. 

Strategies to Teach Self-Monitoring

Self-monitoring can support academic, social, and behavioral goals, and self-monitoring systems can be used with students as young as preschool. It can also be implemented whole-class or individually. 

Most self-monitoring systems follows roughly six key steps. 

The StepWhat It Involves
1. Establish Prerequisite Conditions Ask yourself: 
– Does the student already know the target skill? 
– Can the student recognize when the skill occurs? 

Without these foundational abilities, self-monitoring is unlikely to be effective. 
2. Establish the “Why”Work with the student to answer why self-monitoring is important.

Discuss: 
– Where are we going with this? 
– What is the goal? 
– What’s in it for me? 

Use baseline data or checklists to identify areas of need, making the purpose relevant and meaningful for the student. 
3. Define the Target BehaviorCollaborate with the student to clearly define the behavior they will monitor. Specific, observable behaviors make self-monitoring accurate and manageable. 

Examples: 
– “Start my assignment within two minutes” 
– “Raise my hand before speaking” 
 
4. Design the Monitoring ToolDecide: 
– When will the student self-monitor? 
– How often will they record their behavior? 
– Will reminders or prompts be provided? 

Tools can include checklists, visuals, timers, or digital apps.
5. Teach and Practice the ToolExplicitly teach the student how to use the self-monitoring system: 
– Model the process 
– Practice together 
– Provide feedback as the student begins using the tool 

This builds confidence and ensures the student understands how to self-monitor accurately. 
6. Monitor Progress and Fade SupportsAs students become more successful: 
– Gradually fade prompts and reminders 
– Encourage independent use 
– Determine criteria for when the tool is no longer needed 

Even after support is faded, students may continue using the tool voluntarily. The ultimate goal is for self-monitoring to become a habit, supporting independence and self-regulation. 

Example: Self-Monitoring & Reading Comprehension

Strong readers are constantly monitoring their understanding before, during, and after reading. 

  • Before reading 
    • What is the purpose of this text? 
    • What should I pay attention to? 
  • During reading 
    • Do I know what this word means? 
    • Does this sentence make sense? 
  • After reading 
    • What did this text mean? 
    • How can I apply or share this information? 

Some students (particularly students on the autism spectrum) may struggle to generate questions independently, which can impact comprehension. 

Students might even have IEP goals to answer “wh-questions.” However, if they are not asking themselves questions while reading, comprehension can break down. 

A simple strategy to break down the task of asking questions while reading to have simple procedural steps such as: See → Ask → Answer → Proceed.

The “ask” can be adjusted based on what your students are working on.

Let’s take a look at an example from the text, Drawing a Blank: Improving Comprehension for Readers on the Autism Spectrum: 

  • When you see subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) → ask WHO? 
  • When you see possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her, our, their) → ask WHOSE? 
  • When you see object pronouns (to me, to him, to her, to us, to them) → ask TO WHOM? 

(Iland, 2011)

These prompts help students actively monitor their understanding as they read. 

Example: Self-Monitoring & Emotional Regulation

Students monitor their emotional state during the day or during a particular task.

A simple tool might be a “Ready to Learn” scale:

  • 😃 Smiley Face = Ready to Learn
  • 😐 Neutral Face = Getting Distracted
  • 😕 Frowny Face = Need a Break

Students check in at set times and choose a strategy, if needed, to get back on track (i.e. take a deep breath, ask for help, etc.).

This can help build those emotional connections so they better monitor their actions.

Example: Self-Monitoring out in “The Real World”

While self-monitoring involves creating a path towards a particular goal with check-ins along the way, podcast host of “Divergent Paths,” Regina McMenomy, Phd.D, reminds us to to also celebrate along the way and to connect actions in the moment with longer term positive outcomes.

“[While working on my dissertation] I used to joke I celebrated everything. I celebrated because I wrote an outline in a chapter. I celebrated because I finished an interview with somebody. I celebrated because I finished a transcript.”

She monitored her dissertation progress and celebrated along the way. For the full take, check out the “Divergent Paths” podcast.
Cover art of a rainbow brain for the "Divergent Paths Podcast"

Regina McMenomy, Ph.D.

Host of the Divergent Paths Podcast

Looking for More?

“Ready-Made” Resources to Adapt, Adopt, Apply:

Resources to Continue Learning:

Reach out for additional support, resources, and/or to share your ideas!

What to Expect from Future Newsletter Articles

“Executive functions” is a massive topic, however, each article I’ll do my best to bring together:

  • What the process or skill means and why it matters 
  • Challenges our students may encounter
  • Strategies to consider

Topics Covered: 

  • Task Initiation (September Newsletter)
  • Working Memory (December Newsletter)
  • Self-Monitoring (March Newsletter)
  • TBD – Based on reader feedback… there are a lot of skills, and I’d love to hear from you what else would be helpful! (May Newsletter)
    • Send me an idea via email: ahusk@odu.edu

Need Something Else?

Reach out with questions,

to brainstorm ideas,

or to simply share a celebration.

ahusk@odu.edu

A final note: Out of deep respect for diverse perspectives, I use both people-first and identity-first language throughout my articles.

Words are powerful; everyone’s experiences are unique. Be sure to always ask and honor individual preferences.

References:

 backtoTop