Executive function can be thought of as the command central of our cognitive skills. These are the skills we use to get things done, plan and organize, not procrastinate (task initiation), not do things we shouldn’t do (Inhibition), respond to changing situations (shift) and monitor our own performance.  Two major cognitive skills involved in executive function are working memory and emotional control.

Executive function can be divided into hot and cold

Hot Executive Function Skills – This is how we function when emotions are high. Under emotional pressure our executive function skills can be quite different. Generally they will deteriorate as the amygdala heightens activity in the sympathetic nervous system and shuttles resources to the parts of our body needed for fight or flight.

 

Cool Executive Function Skills – Our executive function skills when we are not under duress or other heightened emotional states. In this state our cognitive skills operate optimally.

Executive functioning is considered to largely be a function of the frontal cortex of the brain. Predominantly the prefrontal cortex and anterior singulate gyrus. Although this is a generalization, other areas of the brain do take part, we do know that these areas are very active during executive functioning activities. When we are under stress these areas of the brain are less active. We are more under the control of autonomic systems and less able to think clearly. This is why hot executive function and cool executive function can be very different. We may make entirely different choices under stress. Generally these choices are poor compared to choices we would make when cooler emotions prevail.

 

Note: Almost all children who struggle in academics are under constant stress. They are almost always in fight or flight mode. Their executive functioning skills are inhibited. This is why emotional control may be the most important of all of the executive functions for these kids. The other functions will always be inhibited until emotional control is gained. For this reason, starting with the body and learning mind-body techniques is often the most effective strategy. All other techniques, such as cognitive behavior therapy, will work better once the emotions are brought under control with physiology.

 

The main eight executive functions are:

 

1) Emotional Control – The ability to modulate or deal with feelings. In most cases rationalizing is inneffective. It can be used to understand them after the fact but you cannot rationalize away an emotion. This can cause talk therapies to be inneffective until some measure of emotional understanding is gained. Emotions can be repressed or not felt leaving the person with no access to them. Access can be gained through developing the mind body connection

2) Inhibition – This is the ability to control ones own thoughts and actions. In individuals with ADHD actions can come before or without access to the thought that produced the action. The impulsive action seemingly comes out of nowhere. This is why mind-body techniques can be so effective for those with ADHD or those with inhibitory problems. Mind-body techniques develop access to the underlying thoughts and the ability to control them. Additionally, techniques to control sensory input are very helpful.

3) Working Memory – This is comprised of several forms of memory that all work together. Visual memory, visual memory manipulation, auditory memory, and spatial memory. These are all connected through spatial awareness.

4) Initiation – The ability to start a task. Initiation can be difficult for many because of perfectionism. Anxiety caused by perfectionism will generally inhibit intiation. In other words, it causes procrastination.

5) Planning and prioritization – This relies heavily on visual memory and visual memory manipulation. The ability to use imagination to see oneself carrying out tasks or seeing what will be needed during the process of carrying out tasks. For most people these processes ussually operate below the level of consciousness. For those lacking these skills they must be developed at the conscious level before they can become automatic.

6) Shift – The ability to “Go with the flow”. Being able to think and adjust as situations change. In the Eastern Arts this is a fundamental teaching. Individuals who have developed certainty as a top level emotional need will be lacking here. This is is due to attempting to control their environment to ease anxiety.

7) Organization – Also heavily reliant on visual memory and visual memory manipulation. Using visual memory manipulation one can visualize efficient ways of organizing objects.

8) Self-monitoring – The ability to assess one’s performance. High levels of anxiety will inhibit this skill

 

Together these skills make up executive functioning. If your child is having difficulty then they may inhibited due to high levels of anxiety. Physiology, confidence building, and other techniques can be used to eliminate anxiety. Additionally, due to the brain’s neuroplasticity these skills can be strengthened. We are not stuck with the brains we were born with. This is despite the fact that the old idea that our brains do not change is still being propagated by many people and organizations. This idea needs to die. It is doing an extreme disservice to so many children and adults alike.

You can help your child grow and develop!

Executive Functions in Children: Key Skills and Support Strategies

Key Points

  • Executive functions likely guide daily tasks: Research suggests these mental skills help children plan, focus, and manage emotions.
  • Challenges may be common: Evidence leans toward many children, especially those with ADHD or autism, struggling with skills like impulse control or organization.
  • Support could improve outcomes: Structured strategies, such as visual aids and routines, seem to enhance these skills.
  • Early intervention might be crucial: Studies indicate addressing issues early can boost academic and social success.
  • Individual needs may vary: The evidence suggests tailored approaches are needed, as struggles differ across children.

What Are Executive Functions?

Executive functions are mental skills that help children organize their thoughts, control their actions, and manage their emotions to achieve goals. Think of them as the brain’s “command center,” guiding tasks like planning homework, staying focused in class, or calming down after a setback. Many children, especially those with learning or attention issues, may find these skills challenging, but with the right support, they can improve significantly.

Why They Matter

These skills are essential for school success, social interactions, and everyday tasks like keeping a tidy backpack or following instructions. Struggles with executive functions can lead to frustration, poor grades, or social difficulties. Understanding and supporting these skills can help children build confidence and independence, even if they face challenges like dyslexia or dyscalculia.

How to Help

Parents and teachers can support children by using visual aids like checklists, breaking tasks into small steps, and teaching self-regulation techniques, such as deep breathing. Creating routines, offering praise, and fostering a growth mindset can also make a big difference. For personalized help, a Dyslexia Tutor or Dyscalculia Tutor can address related learning challenges.

Comprehensive Guide to Executive Functions in Children

Executive functions are a set of cognitive skills that act as the brain’s management system, enabling individuals to plan, focus, regulate emotions, and execute tasks effectively. These skills are critical for children, underpinning their ability to succeed in school, navigate social interactions, and manage daily responsibilities. Research suggests that executive function challenges are common, particularly among children with neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD or autism, affecting up to 90% of those with ADHD (Barkley, 2012). However, with targeted support, these skills can be strengthened, leveraging the brain’s neuroplasticity to improve outcomes.

This guide, inspired by an infographic titled “At a Glance: 8 Key Executive Functions” from Understood.org, explores eight essential executive function skills: Impulse Control, Emotional Control, Flexible Thinking, Working Memory, Self-Monitoring, Planning and Prioritizing, Task Initiation, and Organization. Drawing on research from sources like the Harvard Center on the Developing Child, the International Dyslexia Association, and peer-reviewed studies, this article provides a detailed examination of these skills, their significance, signs of struggles, and evidence-based support strategies. Resources from Learning Success are integrated to support children with executive function challenges and co-occurring learning difficulties.

What Are Executive Functions?

Executive functions are cognitive processes that regulate goal-directed behavior, often described as the “command center” of the brain (Center on the Developing Child). They include skills like attentional control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control, primarily mediated by the prefrontal cortex (Diamond, 2013). In children, these skills develop gradually from infancy through early adulthood, with significant growth during preschool and adolescence due to brain maturation.

For children, executive functions are essential for tasks such as following multi-step instructions, managing time, and regulating emotions during social interactions. Challenges in these areas can lead to difficulties in academic performance, social relationships, and daily functioning, particularly for those with learning or attention issues like dyslexia, dyscalculia, or dysgraphia.

The Three Main Areas of Executive Function

Executive functions are often grouped into three core areas, which encompass the eight specific skills highlighted in the infographic:

  1. Working Memory: The ability to hold and manipulate information in mind, crucial for tasks like mental math or following instructions
  2. Cognitive Flexibility: The capacity to adapt to new situations, switch tasks, or consider alternative perspectives, essential for problem-solving and creativity.
  3. Inhibitory Control: The ability to control impulses, resist distractions, and regulate emotions, vital for self-regulation and focus.

These areas provide a framework for understanding the eight subskills, which are detailed below.

Eight Key Executive Function Skills

Impulse Control

Definition: Impulse control allows children to think before acting, making deliberate rather than impulsive decisions.

Importance: This skill is critical for social interactions, classroom behavior, and safety, enabling children to follow rules and avoid inappropriate actions.

Signs of Struggles: Children may blurt out answers, interrupt others, or engage in risky behaviors without considering consequences, as noted in the infographic

Support Strategies: Teach self-regulation techniques, such as pausing to count to ten before responding, and establish clear behavioral expectations with consistent consequences. Role-playing social scenarios can help practice impulse control. For children with co-occurring challenges, fostering emotional intelligence can support self-regulation.

Emotional Control

Definition: Emotional control helps children manage their emotions and respond appropriately to situations.

Importance: Essential for maintaining composure, handling criticism, and recovering from setbacks, this skill supports emotional resilience and social relationships.

Signs of Struggles: Children may exhibit frequent outbursts, struggle with frustration, or have difficulty regrouping after setbacks, as described in the infographic.

Support Strategies: Encourage children to identify and label emotions, practice mindfulness or deep breathing, and model calm responses to stress. Creating a safe space for expressing feelings can reduce emotional overwhelm. Programs that enhance emotional intelligence can be particularly beneficial.

Flexible Thinking

Definition: Flexible thinking enables children to adapt to unexpected changes and consider multiple perspectives or solutions.

Importance: This skill is vital for problem-solving, collaboration, and navigating life’s unpredictability, fostering creativity and resilience.

Signs of Struggles: Children may become frustrated with changes, struggle to see alternative solutions, or resist shifting tasks, as noted in the infographic.

Support Strategies: Encourage brainstorming multiple solutions to problems, play strategy games that require adaptability, and model flexible thinking by discussing how to handle changes. Developing problem-solving skills can enhance cognitive flexibility.

Working Memory

Definition: Working memory allows children to hold and manipulate information in mind during tasks, such as remembering instructions.

Importance: Crucial for academic tasks like reading comprehension, mental math, and following multi-step directions, this skill underpins learning.

Signs of Struggles: Children may forget instructions, lose track during tasks, or struggle with multi-step activities, as highlighted in the infographic.

Support Strategies: Break tasks into smaller steps, use visual aids like checklists, and engage in memory games to strengthen working memory. For more on enhancing this skill, see Cognitive Processing Skills. Specialized tutoring, such as from a Dyslexia Tutor, can support children with co-occurring learning challenges.

Self-Monitoring

Definition: Self-monitoring enables children to evaluate their performance and behavior, adjusting to meet goals.

Importance: This skill supports self-regulation, learning from mistakes, and personal growth, essential for academic and social success.

Signs of Struggles: Children may be surprised by poor grades or negative feedback, unaware of their errors or impact on others, as per the infographic.

Support Strategies: Teach goal-setting and progress-checking, use self-reflection prompts after tasks, and provide regular feedback to build self-awareness. Encouraging a growth mindset can help children view feedback as an opportunity to improve.

Planning and Prioritizing

Definition: Planning and prioritizing help children set goals and create plans to achieve them, identifying what is most important.

Importance: These skills are critical for time management, project completion, and achieving long-term objectives, supporting academic and personal success.

Signs of Struggles: Children may struggle to start assignments, overlook key tasks, or mismanage time, as noted in the infographic.

Support Strategies: Use planners or visual schedules, teach children to break projects into parts, and help identify priorities. Digital tools can aid in organizing tasks, enhancing problem-solving skills.

Task Initiation

Definition: Task initiation allows children to begin tasks without excessive delay or procrastination.

Importance: Essential for productivity and meeting deadlines, this skill supports academic performance and responsibility.

Signs of Struggles: Children may freeze up or delay starting tasks, often feeling overwhelmed, as described in the infographic.

Support Strategies: Break tasks into small, manageable steps, set specific start times, and use timers or rewards to motivate action. For tips on improving initiation, see Improve Focus.

Organization

Definition: Organization enables children to keep track of physical items and mental information, maintaining order in their environment and thoughts.

Importance: This skill is crucial for managing schoolwork, personal belongings, and staying on top of responsibilities, supporting efficiency and independence.

Signs of Struggles: Children may lose items, have messy workspaces, or struggle to organize thoughts, as highlighted in the infographic.

Support Strategies: Teach organizational systems, such as using labeled folders, and establish routines for tidying up. Digital tools and visual aids can support mental organization, enhancing visual-spatial memory.

Prevalence and Impact

Executive function challenges are common, particularly among children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Research indicates that up to 90% of children with ADHD exhibit deficits in executive functions, and similar issues are prevalent in autism, dyslexia, and dyscalculia (Barkley, 2012). These challenges can lead to academic underachievement, social difficulties, and emotional distress, with studies showing that children with weak executive skills are at higher risk for poor school outcomes (Blair & Razza, 2007). However, early intervention can significantly improve these skills, leveraging neuroplasticity to rewire brain pathways.

Practical Implementation

Supporting executive function development requires collaboration among parents, educators, and specialists:

  • Parents: Monitor for signs of struggles, seek evaluations using tools like the Learning Difficulties Analysis, and engage in activities that reinforce skills, such as board games for planning or mindfulness for emotional control.
  • Educators: Implement accommodations like extra time or visual schedules, use multisensory teaching methods, and provide explicit instruction in executive skills.
  • Therapists: Offer occupational therapy or cognitive training to address deficits in fine motor skills or cognitive processing skills, particularly for children with co-occurring conditions.
  • Schools: Provide professional development and access to assistive technology to ensure inclusive education.

Challenges include resource limitations and varying expertise, but advocacy and awareness can bridge these gaps. For children with co-occurring learning disabilities, specialized tutoring from a Dyslexia Tutor or Dyscalculia Tutor can provide targeted support.

Future Directions

Future research should focus on developing standardized tools to assess executive function deficits, evaluating the long-term efficacy of interventions, and exploring the role of neuroplasticity in skill development. Increasing public awareness and teacher training will ensure these challenges are addressed as effectively as other learning disabilities. The neurodiversity movement encourages viewing executive function differences as part of human variation, promoting strengths-based approaches while providing necessary support.

Table: Eight Key Executive Functions and Support Strategies

Skill Definition Signs of Struggles Support Strategies
Impulse Control Thinking before acting Blurting out, risky behaviors Self-regulation, role-playing
Emotional Control Managing emotions Outbursts, trouble with setbacks Mindfulness, emotional intelligence
Flexible Thinking Adapting to change Frustration with changes Strategy games, problem-solving skills
Working Memory Holding information in mind Forgetting instructions Visual aids, cognitive processing skills
Self-Monitoring Evaluating performance Surprised by feedback Goal-setting, growth mindset
Planning and Prioritizing Setting goals, planning Missing key tasks Planners, visual schedules
Task Initiation Starting tasks Procrastination, freezing Small steps, improve focus
Organization Tracking items, thoughts Losing items, disorganized Routines, visual-spatial memory

Executive functions are the cornerstone of a child’s ability to learn, interact, and thrive in daily life. The eight key skills—Impulse Control, Emotional Control, Flexible Thinking, Working Memory, Self-Monitoring, Planning and Prioritizing, Task Initiation, and Organization—enable children to manage complex tasks and emotions. Challenges in these areas, common among children with ADHD, autism, or learning disabilities like dyslexia and dyscalculia, can impact academic and social success. However, through evidence-based strategies, such as visual aids, structured routines, and emotional support, these skills can be strengthened. Resources from Learning Success and specialized tutoring (Dyslexia Tutor, Dyscalculia Tutor) provide valuable tools for addressing co-occurring challenges. By fostering a growth mindset and leveraging neuroplasticity, parents and educators can empower children to overcome obstacles and reach their full potential.

Key Citations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The article is about executive functions which are skills every person uses in order to process and act on incoming information. The eight key Executive functions are Impulse control, Emotional Control, Flexible Thinking, Working Memory, Self-Monitoring, Planning and Prioritizing, Task Initiation, and Organization. Each skill has a description and an example in the context of if the reader is a parent and their child is demonstrating weak Executive functions.