Lesson Plan
Executive Edge Session 1 - Planning & Prioritizing
Students will learn to deconstruct a task into manageable steps and rank them by urgency and importance using a personalized priority matrix, leveraging their interests to boost engagement.
Breaking tasks into clear steps and prioritizing helps students with autism organize thinking, reduce overwhelm, and apply hyperfocus to meaningful activities, reinforcing executive function skills linked to IEP goals.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Review Materials and Setup Tools
5 minutes
Step 1
Introduction & Engagement
3 minutes
Step 2
Modeling Task Breakdown
5 minutes
Step 3
Guided Student Breakdown
7 minutes
Step 4
Prioritizing with the Matrix
3 minutes
Step 5
Reflection & Closure
2 minutes
Slide Deck
Executive Edge Session 1
Why Planning & Prioritizing?
Today's Objective
Step 1: Task Breakdown
Your Turn: Break Down Your Task
Step 2: Priority Matrix
Your Turn: Prioritize Your Steps
Reflection & Next Steps
Worksheet
Activity
Lesson Plan
Async Executive Edge: Weekly Choices
Students will build executive function skills by choosing weekly interest-driven tasks from a combined list, planning and executing them, then self-monitoring in a logbook over four weeks, with a fifth week as reward.
Combining all task options on one sheet simplifies choice, builds planning routines around the student’s passions (animals, music, environment, social justice), and promotes autonomy through reflection.
Audience
Time
Approach
Materials
Prep
Setup Combined Materials
15 minutes
Step 1
Week 1: Choose & Complete Task
Flexible (30–45 minutes)
Step 2
Week 2: Continue or Choose New
Flexible (30–45 minutes)
Step 3
Week 3: Continue or Choose New
Flexible (30–45 minutes)
Step 4
Week 4: Final Task Cycle
Flexible (30–45 minutes)
Step 5
Week 5: Reward Week
As desired
Worksheet
Worksheet
Worksheet
Worksheet
