Synergic Therapy
Social | Executive Functioning | Behavior | Speech-Language
Cogmental Domains
COGMENTAL DOMAINS
Cognitive developmental skills can be categorized into groups of related competencies (Cogmental Domains) who's optimal functioning supports successful learning, growing, and developing independence.
Cogmental Domains
✓ Are interrelated
✓ Have their individual trajectories
✓ Share common skills
✓ Are hierarchical
✓ Support the development of other skills
✓ Can be predictable
✓ Correlate with age ranges
✓ Increase in complexity
✓ Mediate the learning of new skills
✓ Are continuous and dynamic
✓ Ultimately support academic and life skills
Cogmental Domain-Being Social: Social & Emotional Competencies
Friendships
Pivotal Thinking Skills
Play
Relationships
Social Interactions
Social Thought
Theory of mind
Social Respect
Reputation
Perspective Thinking
Central coherence
Undiscussed social rules
Social rules
Identifying a feeling
Describing emotions
Social awareness
Social knowledge
Empathy
Language Skills
Sharing spcae
Inferencing
Pause and think
Figurative language
Slang
Negotiating
Etiquette
Social Filter
BEING SOCIAL/SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES
Being social refers to the process of learning to interact with others, engage in social thought processing in the moment to interpret individuals, both socially and emotionally. Being social also means effectively reading and understanding social situations, problem-solving in the moment, and considering and adapting your own emotional behavior, to improve and develop the complexity of those social interactions. Neurotypical students have the capacity to learn to be social naturally through interactions with others, observing others, and being internally motivated to make friends and have fun. For those students challenged by naturally being social, the process of learning can be complex, confusing, defeating and often a negative.
Cogmental Domain: Speech-Language Skills
Grammar
Phonology
Morphology
Vocabulary/Lexicon
Semantics
Pragmatic language
Expressive Language
Listening Comprehension
Reading Comprehension
Narrative Discourse
Articulation
Fluency
Myofunctional therapy
Word retrieva
Naming
Nonverbal cues
Receptive language
Functional Communication
Voice
Reading
Respiration
Eating/Swallowing skills
Spelling
Writing
Tongue Pathology
Phonological Awareness
Problem-solving
SPEECH-LANGUAGE SKILLS
Speech and language skills refer to a student's ability to physically produce sounds in words, and words in sentences to communicate by using verbal expression, non-verbal cues, and writing. Articulation refers to the clarity of the speech produced. Voice disorders are associated with the structure and function of the vocal folds and associated regions of the larynx. Fluency refers to the rhythm and the rate that speech is produced. Language is the system of words and nonverbal cues a student uses to communicate information, answer questions, being social, and meeting their individual needs.
Cogmental Domain: Behavior Skills
Self-Regulation
Concentration
Adaptive behaviors
Anticipating
Ritualistic behavior
Stereotypy
Reaction versus action
Following directions
Thinking Independently
Functional consequences
Motivation
Mutual Respect
Functional Communication
Coping strategies
Calm ready to learn
Responsibility
Processing skills
Motivation
Forgiving
Following rules
Anger management
Learn from mistakes
Positive versus negative
behavior
Desensitization
BEHAVIOR SKILLS
Similar to other Cogmental Domains, appropriate behavior skills for school-age students are
imperative in order to develop successfully both academically and socially. There are likely reasons (functions) for misbehavior, but the cause is not always clear and observable. Students that lack the awareness and understanding to communicate verbally to meet their needs and think about others when sharing space, often find themselves using impulsive maladaptive behaviors to reactively meet their needs, follow directions out of despair, and socialize. The good news is that inappropriate behaviors can be adapted, improved and even eliminated altogether.
Cogmental Domain: Executive Functioning Skills
Self-Knowledge
Attentional Control
Pivotal Thinking Skills
Mental Flexibility
Time Management
Working Memory
Visualization
Organization- thoughts/materials
Goal/Plan/Prioritize/Do
Goal Initiation and Persistence
Self-Regulation- Behavior & Emotional
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS
Executive Functioning (EF) Skills include a variety of cognitive (brain-based) processes that help students achieve functional, personal, social, and academic goals on a daily basis and throughout their lives with efficiency and effectiveness. EF skills are required to think and learn, socialize, and manage behaviors and emotions. EF skills are directly related to the development of academic skills and classroom success. Working memory and attentional control are needed to process and interpret learned information and successfully retrieve that knowledge when needed to perform and learn further. The ability to plan and complete a project before the due date requires using all the EF skills at various and multiple times during the project (along with other cogmental skills).
Cogmental Domain: Fundamental Neurological Skills
Concentration
Basic Pivotal Thinking
Skills- reasoning,
judgement, decision-
making, problem-solving
Comprehension (discourse,
listening, reading)
Basic Knowledge
Memory-working memory, short-term memory, long- term memory Communication Skills
Processing skills-
(auditory, visual, sensory,
sequential)
Processing speed
Visual Motor Skills
Recall/Responding
FUNDAMENTAL NEUROLOGICAL SKILLS
Cogmental Domain: Academic Skills & Essential Life Skills
Reading
Spelling
Writing
Math
Science
Learning strategies
Studying skills
Standards driven academic goals
Academic Language
Note-taking
Test taking strategies
Visualization
Media and Technology skills
Collaboration and cooperation
Communication skills and listening skills
Positive and supportive friendships and relationships
ACADEMIC SKILLS AND LIFE SKILLS
Learning academic skills supports the development of successful and independent individuals. Academic skills are not taught in isolation, many other Cogmental skills develop as academic skills develop and include behavior skills, social and emotional competences, cognitive processes, speech and language skills, and executive functioning skills. If basic academic skills are not mastered early on in school, difficulties will persist and multiply as the learning becomes more complex and abstract. Life skills promote independent thinking, discipline, socializing, living, problem-solving, and learning to meet life's demands and enjoy life's successes. Teaching life skills is simply not enough, students need structured and independent practice to master these skills just like any other skills.