All About Executive Functioning
Even though we are not born with executive functioning skills, we are born with the capacity to develop these skills throughout childhood and adolescence. Parents, teachers, and other caregivers often act as their children’s executive functioning systems as they are still developing new skills they have not yet mastered. But how do you know if your child is on track to developing these crucial skills? And what can you do to help ensure your child is set up for success? In this post, we will dig into all of these questions and more. But first, you might be wondering…
What exactly is Executive Functioning (EF)?
EF skills are a set of higher-order thinking skills needed to plan and complete a task. They are primarily controlled by the frontal lobes of the brain via numerous connections with other brain areas, and they develop throughout childhood and into early adulthood. Things like planning a trip, beginning a school project, organizing toys, and impulse control all fall under the EF umbrella.
How quickly should my child develop Executive Functioning skills?
Not all executive functioning skills develop at the same rate, which can cause a child or adolescent to be inconsistent in their ability to carry out certain tasks. For example, a 14-year-old may demonstrate good organizational skills but still demonstrate poor judgment, especially during highly emotionally charged situations. Fortunately, as the frontal lobes of the brain continue to mature from middle childhood into our early twenties, so do our executive functioning skills.
EFs can be divided into two categories, “thinking” skills and “doing” skills.
“Thinking” EF Skills look like:
Organization
Creating and maintaining a system to keep track of information and materials. Example: finding all equipment needed before leaving for a soccer game or keeping track of all materials needed to complete homework.
Working memory
Holding information in memory while performing a task. Example: remembering all the steps of a chore while completing it or taking in new material while holding in mind previously read material for comprehension.
Planning/Prioritizing
Making decisions about what’s important and what’s not. Example: creating a plan for how to solve a conflict with a friend, which includes thinking about potential outcomes and creating a plan for how to complete a large, complex project that is due at the end of the quarter.
Some “Doing” EF Skills Look Like:
Task initiation
Getting started on tasks and beginning projects without procrastinating. Example: starting on a request from a parent soon after it is given or starting a project for school well in advance of the due date.
Inhibition
Thinking before acting and stopping behaviors. Example: accepting the consequences for a behavior without arguing, or slowing down to pay attention to the details of problems or checking work.
Flexibility
Switching attention to something else and revising plans and expectations in the face of obstacles or new information. Example: transitioning away from playing video games to help set the table, making new plans when the original ones do not work out, switching between different types of math problems, or completing problems that are set up differently than the example.
Why are EF skills important?
EF skills are strong predictors of academic performance and are actually more strongly associated with the ability to succeed in daily life than intellectual abilities (IQ). Certain neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often associated with EF weaknesses. It is crucial to know how best to navigate these weaknesses, if present, in order to ensure your child is armed with a plan for success!
What should I do if I am worried about my child’s Executive Functioning Skills development?
By identifying what area of executive functioning may be weaker for your child, you can tailor specific tools to support their cognitive development until these skills come “on-line.” Check out our tips for improving your child’s Executive Functioning in everyday life.
Can NN&FS help?
If you find that executive functioning weaknesses are significantly interfering with an important area of your child or adolescent’s life (e.g., home, school, social situations), please contact us to learn more about how we can identify their areas of strength and need to help set them up for success during this critical time of brain development!
Select content borrowed from: Childrensmd.org by Sarah Vadnais, Ph.D. and Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential by Peg Dawson, Ed.D. and Richard Guare, Ph.D.